London's airports compete fiercely on weekend leisure routes. Barcelona, Lisbon, and Dublin stay classics under two and a half hours. Copenhagen and Amsterdam suit design-and-food weekends with excellent public transport.
Eastern Europe delivers value — Kraków, Budapest, and Sofia pair low fares with grand architecture and thermal baths. Book early Friday departures; Sunday evening returns price highest.
City taxes and airport transfers eat savings — factor Stansted Express or Gatwick Thameslink into totals. Pack liquids carefully for short trips; Ryanair and easyJet enforce bag dimensions strictly.
SnagAFlight compares all London airports side by side — the cheapest weekend city changes weekly, and switching from Luton to Gatwick can save more than the train difference costs.
