Every so often I like to challenge myself to do a city break for less than £100, to show that travel doesn’t have to be super expensive. Yep that’s right – flights, accommodation, activities, EVERYTHING – all for under £100.
Here’s my 48 hour Łódź £100 itinerary with all the details about what I got up to and how much each bit cost.
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My £100 holiday challenge
When I recently looked for cheap flights online, I found some for Łódź – Poland’s third largest city – that were super affordable, so I decided to make it my next £100 destination.
I’ve actually done this before, to cities like Copenhagen, Bucharest and Tirana. But with fuel costs and ticket prices rising higher than ever, are the days of ultra-cheap city breaks fading? I made it my mission to test this out.
48 Hours in Łódź: My £100 itinerary
Here’s everything James and I got up to in Łódź – scroll down for how much it all cost us.
And if you want to see what we got up to, you can watch the video over on YouTube.
Day 1 in Łódź: Morning
Fly to Łódź
James and I were up bright and early to catch our flight to Łódź from London Stansted.
To find these flights, I used Skyscanner, searching ‘everywhere’ from London to find the cheapest options. Central and Eastern Europe are usually the cheapest spots to fly to, so when I saw return flights to Łódź for £34, I booked them right away.
When we landed in Łódź, we took a bus to the city centre. Now we actually didn’t end up paying for this, because the ticket machine on the bus wasn’t working. Luckily we didn’t get a fine! But the ticket would have cost us £1.13.
Return flight with Ryanair – £34
Bus from Lodz airport to city centre – £1.13
As we rode on the bus I watched the world go by – Łódź has a blend of lots of different types of architecture, from industrial areas to beautiful townhouses.
Łódź isn’t a popular international tourist destination quite yet – it’s more of an up-and-coming place. And you can definitely notice this – some parts are actually quite run down, and you might find these right next to more elegant streets that have been upgraded and rebuilt.
Grab lunch
Our first stop in Łódź was to find some lunch, which we did on the city’s main drag, Piotrkowska Street.
We went to Bar Mleczny Łodziak, a traditional milk bar. A milk bar is a type of affordable cafeteria-style restaurant that traditionally offered subsidised meals – here you get a filling, nutritious meal for an affordable price. James and I shared a bowl of chicken noodle soup and dumplings.
Lunch – £3.03
Check in to our hotel
Next, it was time to check into our hotel PURO Łódź Centrum – and get our free upgrade (have you tried my free upgrade request template yet?!)!
Our room looked out over a grand palace housing the city’s museum, and inside we found complimentary sparkling water, juices and macarons waiting for us.
The room was just £27 each, so £54 for the night. The hotel also had a sauna, a lounge area, plus a coffee machine offering unlimited drinks that we could take away. I stayed in a PURO hotel in Krakow and I really like this hotel brand – their properties are modern and well-designed with nice decor – and they’re great value for the price.
Hotel – £54 for the night (£27 each)
Want to book Łódź accommodation?
Read our guide to the best hotels in Łódź for every budget
Day 1 in Łódź: Afternoon
Explore Łódź
In the afternoon, we followed a street art trail using a free app – Łódź has lots of cool public artworks, like murals and sculptures. We also wandered through the Rose Passage, an alley covered entirely in mirror fragments, and explored Manufaktura, a huge shopping complex set inside a former factory complex.
Self-guided walking tour – free
Day 1 in Łódź: Evening
Have dinner and drinks
By dinner, we were sooo hungry – and we needed to get maximum food for minimum budget. The good news is that there are loads of places in Łódź with happy hours and set menus, so by arriving at Przyjemność restaurant just before 6pm, we got a main, soft drink and dessert (a huge slice of tiramisu!) for an absolute steal.
After dinner we went to OFF Piotrkowska, a former cotton mill that’s now home to a bunch of independent bars and restaurants. Cocktails were out of budget, but the wine wasn’t – so we each had a glass of fizz.
Back at the hotel, we rounded off the night with free hot chocolate.
Dinner – £7.46
Drink – £3.84
Day 2 in Łódź: Morning
Hop in the sauna
The first thing we did the next morning was hit the hotel sauna. It was free for guests, and felt very luxurious given the budget for our trip.
Sauna – free
Eat breakfast
We found a bakery called Maka for breakfast, where I chose a salted caramel banana bun. It was huge and delicious – and easily half the price of what I would have paid in London.
Breakfast – £2.12
Let off steam at Hopa Lupa
Now in order to succeed in my £100 holiday challenge we only really had the cash for one attraction. I wanted to do something a bit different, so I hit upon Hopa Lupa. A tram ride from the city centre, it’s the largest indoor amusement park in Europe. Here they have trampolines, a climbing wall, obstacle courses, arcade games and more.
I had to convince James it was a good bet – his go-to activity usually involves a cocktail on a roof terrace. But for £12.91 each, we got two hours in the trampoline park and we had a great time!
We were soon messing about like little kids – although nothing truly humbles you in your thirties like attempting to run for that long. And by the time we left, James admitted he loved every second – even if he’d never have chosen it himself.
Hopa Lupa (2h slot with locker) – £12.91
Tram to Hopa Lupa – £0.89
Day 2 in Łódź: Afternoon
Eat lunch
We had time for a final meal before leaving, sharing a pepperoni pizza and enjoying a pint of beer for lunch.
Lunch – £6.48
Get back to the airport
It was time to return to the airport to catch our flight back to London. We used the last of our funds on the airport bus.
Bus – £1.13
Final spend: £99.99 per person
48 hours in Łódź : The final cost breakdown
So there we go! I successfully did a 48 hour trip to Łódź for less than £100.
Here’s a recap of my spending:
Category | Cost |
|---|---|
Public transport | £3.15 |
Flights | £34 |
Accommodation | £27 |
Food and drink | £22.93 |
Activities | £12.91 |
My Ultimate 48 Hour Łódź Itinerary: Final Thoughts
Some of the best trips I’ve taken have been to places I knew almost nothing about – and Łódź is definitely on that list.
Now of course £100 is a very strict budget, and you’ll probably want to spend more to make the most of the city. However, with average flight and holiday prices rising higher these days, I wanted to show that it is still possible to do a city break for cheap.
So if you’re looking for a destination that’s very affordable for a night or two away, then give Łódź a try. Let me know if you visit – I’d love to know what you think!
