Top 10 city combinations in Europe

I love doing more than one thing when I travel. There's so much to see and do in this world and not enough time to do everything. But by visiting more than one destination when you travel, you get to see a bit more than you would otherwise.



So, if you want to see more than one city in the same trip, where should you go? It all depends on what you like, but here are some of my favorite combinations:



1. Liverpool and Manchester

I visited both these cities for the first time in January this year, mostly because I found cheap flight tickets to Manchester. Liverpool is a lot smaller, and easy to get around and see most/all sights in a day or two. Manchester is a lot bigger and the city where I recommend you spend the most time. A short intro to the cities would be that Liverpool is an old port city, with a strong theme of Beatles and football, while Manchester is an industrial city that has risen from its ashes and become something really enjoyable, with canals and small boats being present almost everywhere. And Manchester is also known for its strong football culture.

Don't miss the steak and ale pie at the Old Wellington, which has been serving the delicacy for over 150 years. And if you're a cocktail nerd, be sure to visit the Alchemist in either Liverpool and Manchester for some innovative cocktails.

Check flights to both Manchester and Liverpool and choose the airport that's the cheapest/best for you. I took a direct bus from Manchester Airport to Liverpool, which took about 1 hour. Then you can take the train between the cities. Trains depart all the time and take from 30 minutes to an hour.

2. Vienna and Bratislava

Vienna is a big city with an interesting history as the seat of one of Europe's former power houses. The city attracts music lovers, history geeks and wine enthusiasts, but should be on the bucket list for everyone who loves a big city with lots of things to do. Just 65 kilometres from Vienna is the Slovakian capital Bratislava. The city is not as big, but has a nice feeling and is definitely worth checking out for a day. The city center is walkable and you'll quickly get a good overview of it.

Prices are a lot lower here, so if you're on a budget, you could spend most nights here and maybe one in Vienna. If you're traveling in summer, make sure to travel between the two cities by boat (on the Danube). It takes a bit longer, but gives you a lot of nice views. Make sure to check flights to both Vienna and Bratislava when booking your trip!



3. Helsinki and Tallinn

Both Helsinki and Tallinn are a bit off the beaten path for most Europeans. Many Swedes might have visited one or both of them on a (party) cruise from Stockholm, which is a ridiculously cheap way of traveling, since they know you'll spend tons in the bar and restaurant. But both the cities deserve more than a day. They deserve more than two each, but that might be a good start. Helsinki feels a lot like Swedish cities, but different enough for even a Swede to enjoy. Tallinn is an old Hanseatic city, much like Gdansk and Lübeck.

Don't miss visiting a sauna in Helsinki. There's a unique one called Löyly that I didn't manage to visit since it was fully booked. So book in advance. When you're done in Helsinki, take the ferry (which we hopefully soon have on our platform) to Tallinn. It takes two hours and there are a lot of ferries each day. The distance is around 80 km, so it's closer than from CPH airport to the Sembo office in Helsingborg by train.

Spend two days wandering around in Tallinn's old town and visit the medieval styled restaurant Olde Hansa for a unique experience.



4. Copenhagen and Lund

Yes, you read it correctly, not Copenhagen and Malmö. And this comes from someone living in Malmö. Copenhagen is a wonderful city and if you would expect the same (but on a smaller scale) from Malmö, you'd be disappointed. While Malmö is a good city to live in, Lund offers a bit more when it comes to history and culture. So the best way of combining Sweden and Denmark over a long weekend trip would be to start with a night in Lund, Sweden, which has a pretty and walkable old town. Enjoy the atmosphere and visit the negroni bar Kyrkogatan fem. The train from CPH airport to Lund takes about 30 minutes and goes every 15-20 minutes.

Continue back to Denmark with the train to Copenhagen. In about an hour from Lund, you're in the city centre. Don't miss visiting the second oldest amusement park in the world, the Tivoli gardens. (The oldest in the world, Dyrehavsbakken, is 30 minutes north of Copenhagen but not as interesting). Take a canal tour to see the most of Copenhagen, and don't miss out on a lunch at the Torvehallene food court.



5. Paris and Troyes

I love good food and drinks, and after Italy, I would put France on the top list for both of it. Paris is magic, especially the second or third time you're there and have already seen the sights, so that you can focus on the city itself.

If you're into champagnes, then there are two cities within a short train ride that's worth visiting. The most famous one is Reims, the biggest city in the Champagne district. If you however want something that feels more genuine and really want to experience la bonne vie, then Troyes might be something for you. Champagne's old main city has a really cute centre with half-timbered houses. And a lot of champagne, of course. The train from Gare de l'Est takes about 1h30m.



6. Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion

Staying in France and continuing on the wine theme leads us to Bordeaux. Unlike Paris, this is a really walkable city, where most of the sights are within walking distance of each other. The city has a similar feeling to Paris, but smaller. And it has excellent wines, all of which you can taste at the museum La Cité du Vin. And if you're really into wines or beautiful small cities, you should take a 40 minute train ride to Saint-Émilion.

Expect hoards of tourists and a bit overpriced wine. If you're on a budget, visit over the day. Otherwise stay an evening here to really enjoy the small town. You can also stay close by, in one of the wineries, for example the fairly reasonable priced Chateau La Grande Clotte.


7. Bologna and Modena

If I want to travel somewhere and eat good food, I'll go to Bologna, no question about it. The restaurants and bars hold a really high level and there are a lot of places that offer aperitivi, where you pay for a drink and then can eat as much snacks/sandwiches as you want. The city centre in Bologna is full of covered walkways, which protect you from the sun in the summer and the rain and cold in the winter.

Bologna is best when combined with something else though. If you're really into history, stay a night in Ravenna or Florence, but otherwise, head for Modena instead, which is about 20 minutes away by train. The city houses the best restaurant in the world, Osteria Francescana. If you don't feel like spending 500+€ on food and drink in an evening, the chef also has a bistro with more reasonable prices, Francheschetta58. And if you're into cars, don't miss the Ferrari museum.



8. Bilbao and San Sebastian

Another one for the food lovers out there. Bilbao has a lot going on. The old city is beautiful, the sights are amazing, and the food is top class. What I liked most about the city however was the sense of revitalization i felt in the city. Old port buildings are turning into something new and the city is expanding towards the sea. I can't wait to see how it will look in ten years or so.

Bilbao is best paired with its neighbor San Sebastián, that's even more well known than Bilbao for its food. With 10 restaurants with Michelin stars in a city of 200.000 people, this is the most awarded city in the world per capita! Hotels are usually a lot more expensive than in Bilbao, so the best is to do two nights in Bilbao and one in San Sebastian.


9. Tirana and Ohrid

Tirana, Albania usually has cheap flights from most of Europe. The city has a few sights, but it's not enough for a city break on its own. However, starting here and then going to the small town of Ohrid in North Macedonia gives you a fun and a bit different mix of cities. In Tirana, one of the top sights is the former secret underground bunker Bunk'Art, which is situated a few kilometres outside of the city. It was in use into the 2000's and opened up as a museum in 2014. Also, you shouldn't miss the Pyramid of Tirana, which was the build by Albania's dictator during the 80's, then fell into disrepair, but has now become a center that focuses on teaching youths about programming and robotics.

From Tirana it's a 140 km drive to the city of Ohrid in North Macedonia. The city is situated next to lake Ohrid. There are a few hotels right next to the lake, with its own sandy beaches, but to get the best feeling of Ohrid, stay in the old town. There's a lot of good restaurants all around the city and the price level is most likely the lowest you'll encounter in Europe.



10. Prague and Cesky Krumlov

Prague is a wonderful city on its own, and if visiting for the first time, you should absolutely stay here for the full trip. The city is a top destination whether you're into party, culture, history, craft beer or more or less anything else. Walk from the Strahov Monastery through the castle, over the Charles bridge, down to the old town Square and finish off at the Weneclas Square, and you have a good tour of the city and can then figure out what you want to see more of.

But, if you've been to Prague before and want to come back to see something more, there's nothing better than the city of Cesky Krumlov. The city, which is about two hours drive south of Prague, feels like a fairytale city, with a river surrounding most of the old town. There's going to be a ton of tourists coming here on day trips from Czechia, Austria and Germany, which is the main reason why I think you should stay a night. Then you can explore the centre in the morning or evening without the crowds.