You might be already be dreaming of a summer holiday abroad but you could be missing out on an incredible winter break away.

Whether you're looking to see Europe on a budget or you simply can't wait until the schools break up, we've got your back.

DiscoverCars.com has ranked the best European winter destinations that you can visit right now that won't break the budget. 

Their team looked at a range of factors including the average flight cost from London Heathrow to the average car rental cost for one week.

Dorset Echo: Rows of empty seats on a plane. Credit: CanvaRows of empty seats on a plane. Credit: Canva

They gave the city a score from one to ten based on these factors and ranked the locations based on their overall score which could be a maximum of 50 points.

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The full list of factors considered by Discovercars.com included:

  • Average flight cost from London Heathrow
  • Average car rental cost for one week
  • Average Cost for one adult for the most well-known attraction
  • Average overall cost of a one-week hotel stay
  • Number of 'affordable' restaurants based on TripAdvisor's 'cheap eats' option
  • The top-ranked attraction based on TripAdvisor

“For many people, their next 2022 trip will be their first holiday since before the pandemic, says Aleksandrs Buraks at DiscoverCars.com.

“For that reason, we wanted to help their trip run as smoothly as possible. Our new ranking tells you all you need to know about flight costs, car rental prices, and more.

“We want our research to help people prepare properly for their next holiday so that they can really make some 2022 travel memories.”

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What is the best city to visit in Europe in winter?

Dorset Echo: Krakow. Credit: CanvaKrakow. Credit: Canva

We aren't surprised to see Krakow topping the list of best winter destinations on the continent.

The Polish city scored an impressive 40 out of 50 and it scored highly across the board.

Rental cars are the cheapest at £141.56 and it has the cheapest average overall weekly hotel cost at £335.33.

There are 664 affordable restaurants to choose from and its biggest attraction - Rynek Glowny - is completely free to visit. 

Discover all the attractions that Krakow has in store by visiting the Tripadvisor website.

Dorset Echo: Prague. Credit: CanvaPrague. Credit: Canva

Prague came a close second on an overall score of 37, the city has an average flight cost of £120.25 from Heathrow and an average car rental cost of £225.25.

Discovercars.com notes its biggest attraction as Prague Castle but you can explore what else the city has to offer via Tripadvisor.

Rounding up the top three is Paris - the famous city of love - is an ideal location for an early Valentine's break away.

Flights cost on average £188.80 from Heathrow and its biggest attraction - the Eiffel Tower- will only set you back £22.

See what else the French capital city has to offer via Tripadvisor.

Dorset Echo: Merchant logo Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Credit: CanvaMerchant logo Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Credit: Canva

Best cheap winter destinations in Europe

  1. Krakow, Poland = 40
  2. Prague, Czech Republic = 37
  3. Paris, France = 32
  4. Brussels, Belgium = 32
  5. Budapest, Hungary = 31
  6. Berlin, Germany = 31
  7. Amsterdam, The Netherlands = 30
  8. Tallinn, Estonia- = 28
  9. Copenhagen, Denmark = 20
  10. Vienna, Austria = 18

See the full breakdown of cheap European winter destinations via the Discovercars.com website.