If you live in Liverpool, you’ve got GREAT options for European flights right on your doorstep. Today’s blog will introduce you to the top destinations that you can fly to from Liverpool Airport.
A variety of cheap airlines go from Liverpool including easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2. Some of the top destinations from Liverpool include Rome, Paris, Vienna and Madrid. There are even some of the newer airlines that popped up since the Covid-19 pandemic such as Icelandic Budget airline ‘Play’ that has now started to include some US cities including Boston and New York.
But for me, it’s all about the pictureque European Old Towns and some of the fantastic European cities that are a direct flight from Liverpool. Here’s my list of the 21 top destinations from Liverpool Airport.
21 Top Destinations to fly to from Liverpool Airport
#1 Porto
Porto makes it to number 1 on my list of Top Destinations from Liverpool Airport. What can I say about Porto? It’s my second home! The centre of Porto is easily explored on foot – it’s one of the most walkable cities in Europe. Take a walking tour (most start at Avenida dos Aliados on Freedom Square) and your guide will introduce you to the history of the city.
Enjoy sipping a port in Gaia in one of the Port Houses overlooking the river Douro, or even take a river cruise. Be amazed by the stunning Igreja de Santa Clara more commonly known as the ‘Church of Gold’. Porto is an amazing city for food and wine. You have to try the Francescinha – a calorific meaty sandwich cooked in a beer sauce and topped with an egg! Porto feels like one of those cities that you could easily just ‘fit in’ and never go home!
Country: Portugal
Flight time: 2 hours
Airline: Liverpool to Porto with Ryanair
How long to spend there? 3-5 days
#2 Barcelona
Barcelona – so many people’s all time favourite city! If you love art and architecture then Barcelona is your city. Explore the exquisitely designed art Nouveau in Barcelona including Casa Mila and Casa Batllo. Head to Park Guell for a stunning display of Gaudi outdoors – grab a photo with his ceramic salamander!
Also don’t miss Montjuic – go up in a cable car to get a fantastic view of the whole city. And if Churches are your thing, head into La Sagrada Familia in daylight hours to see the sun magnificently pouring through the stained glass windows. There are also some amazing things to do in Barcelona at night. Finish your evenings with a meal in some of the most fantastic restaurants like La Canete or grab cocktails in Paradiso, one of the most famous bars in the World. And tapas….tapas to die for!
There are two airports in Barcelona that Ryanair flies to – Barcelona El Prat and Barcelona Reus. Don’t book your flight to Reus – that airport is quite far out. El Prat is well connected by public transport.
Country: Spain
Flight time from Liverpool: 2hr 20mins
Airline: Ryanair to Barcelona El Prat
How long to spend there 5-7 days (I would spend 3 weeks!)
#3 Amsterdam
Amsterdam makes for either a really good weekend whatever you’re into. If you want a weekend of drinking, space cakes and debauchery, of course head to Amsterdam! But this city also has a lot to offer in terms of history and art. You may want to visit the Van Gough Museum, Anne Franks house and the Rijksmuseum. If you are interested, there is a ‘secret Church’ hidden away in one of the tall Amsterdam buildings (Our Lord in the Attic Museum). It was built in an old canal house in the 1660s when Catholicism was not allowed in Amsterdam.
Oh, and if you want to hit up the sex shows and dildo museums then head to the Red Light district! Be warned there are prostitutes in skimpy clothing on display in shop windows! You can easily get ‘space cakes’ and ‘special hot chocolate’ in Amsterdam with a hint of weed! Remember NOT to bring any back to the UK with you – you will get done by customs for drug trafficking!
Country: Netherlands
Flight time from Liverpool: 1hr 25mins
Airline: Easyjet
How long to spend there? 3-4 days
#4 Copenhagen
Copenhagen was a very pleasant surprise to me. The architecture is really beautiful and anyone is allowed to walk around the grounds of parliament buildings and see the palace guards. One of the most impressive buildings is the old stock market . Although the ‘Little Mermaid’ statue is rather underwhelming, it is near to some phenomenal Churches and a star shaped fortress (Kastellet). What Copenhagen is famous for isn’t necessarily the best it has on offer.
If you want really good food, head to the meat packers district where you will have a great choice of local and international dishes for reasonable prices. Oh and thrill seekers and theme park lovers should head to TIVOLI for a day – one of the oldest theme parks in the world!
Looking for peace, love and street art? Explore the ‘hippy haven’ that is Freetown Christiania. Just be warned that this ‘city within a city’ has it’s own set of rules – never run in Christiania and never openly ask for drugs especially when police are raiding!
Remember that the Nordic countries of Europe are not cheap – expect to pay in excess of £9 per beer!
Country: Denmark
Flight time from Liverpool: 1hr 55mins
Airline: Ryanair
How long to spend there? 3-5 days
Check out my article on how to spend 5 days in Copenhagen here.
#5 Krakow
Next on my list of 21 Top Destinations from Liverpool Airport is the Polish city of Krakow. Krakow has one of the most beautiful Easter European Old towns I have ever scene and it’s one of my best cities in Poland. The old cloth hall Rynek Główny has now been converted into a souvenir market.
The Jewish Quarter is full of history. If you are interested in WW2 history you can visit Oskar Schindler’s factory where he saved 1200 Jews in the holocaust and also you can see the streets where Roman Polanski’s ‘The Pianist’ was filmed. If you can (and I believe that everyone should) you should try to do a day trip to Auschwitz. It is harrowing and shocking, but something that will help you to understand the history of Poland as well as the atrocities of humanity.
Country: Poland
Flight time from Liverpool: 2hr 30mins
Airline: Ryanair
How long to spend there? 2-3 days
#6 Sofia
Sofia, the Bulgarian capital is surprisingly friendly to solo travellers. It one of the top destinations from Liverpool airport because it has an easy to navigate city centre with a great nightlife and a large student population. Sofia is rich in Roman ruins – go underground in Serdika Metro station and you will see that they even unearthed Roman ruins as they were digging for the subway route! There are also some great day trips from Sofia including Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa. The Sofia nightlife is amazing – head to The Barn, The Apartment and The Art Hostel for some serious socialising and chill time.
Country: Bulgaria
Flight time from Liverpool: 3hr 20 mins
Airline: Ryanair
How long to spend there? 3-4 days
#7 Rome
Rome is a romantic classic. This Italian capital is most famous for the Trevi Fountain, the Coloseum and the Pantheon. Not to mention the Vatican Museums and the stunning ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. One of my best friends has been to Rome about 5 times! There are layers to Rome like peeling back layers of an onion. Each time you return you travel deeper – discover more underground and overground.
Country: Italy
Flight time from Liverpool: 2hr 45mins
Airline: Ryanair
How long to spend there?
#8 Milan
Another Italian stunner appears next on the list – you’ve never really been shoe shopping until you have shoe shopped in Milan! Milan is well worth a weekend shopping and sight seeing visit so you could fly out from Liverpool on a Thursday or Friday and return on the Sunday and it would still be worth it. Don’t miss the Gothic Duomo di Milano cathedral and the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent, housing Leonardo da Vinci’s mural of “The Last Supper”.
Country: Italy
Flight time from Liverpool: 2hr 10mins
Airline: Ryanair
How long to spend there? 2-3 days
#9 Tallinn
Visiting the Estonian capital of Tallinn is much like walking into a medieval fairytale. Estonia is a country that is very Digital Nomad friendly and was one of the first countries to introduce a digital nomad visa. Some of the best things to do in Tallinn include visiting Raekoja Plats (Town Hall Square), Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and Toompea Hill and Toompea Castle.
There are also some great museums in Tallinna such as The Estonian Open Air Museum and Lennusadam Seaplane Harbour (where you can actually go inside a WW2 submarine!).
Country: Estonia
Flight time from Liverpool: 3hr 15mins
Airline: Ryanair
How long to spend there? 2-3 days
#10 Paris
Paris is an all time classic. I would recommend staying longer than a weekend in Paris or you will feel rushed. Also take plenty of funds – Paris isn’t cheap. But if you have the time and the money it’s an amazing city to explore. You will need a day exploring what is in and around Monmatre with the beautiful Sacre Couer (Church of the Sacred Heart).
Take a walk along the river seine or even better take an evening Seine River cruise when you will see the Eiffel Tower and many other famous buildings all lit up. On the evening have a night out in Pigalle and check out the Moulin Rouge and clubs in the surrounding areas. If you have extra time you may decide to spend a day travelling out to Versailles.
Country: France
Flight time from Liverpool: 1hr 20mins
Airline: Ryanair
How long to spend there? 5-8 days
#11 Madrid
The Spanish capital of Madrid has so much to offer in terms of architecture, tapas and nightlife. It’s one of the most bustling European capital cities. Although you can see a lot in a long weekend, it’s great to take a week there!
In the historical centre of Madrid make sure that you check out Plaza de Santa Ana, the Royal Palace of Madrid, Fuente de Neptuno and the Almudena Cathedral. In fact, getting a Tuk-tuk tour is a great way to see the historical centre of Madrid!
If you are interested in Art then you should not miss Prado National Museum which is full of pantings from the 16th-19th Century European masters.
There are also some fantastic day trips fro Madrid that are well worth doing including Toledo and Segovia. For me, even a full week in Madrid is not enough!
Country: Spain
Flight time from Liverpool: 2hr 35mins
Airline: EasyJet
How long to spend there?
#12 Vienna
Vienna is one of the first cities I visited in mainland Europe and it is one of phenomenal Baroque palaces, museums and Churches. The most popular tourist attractions in Vienna is Schönbrunn Palace with it’s well preserved residential and state rooms and stunningly kept gardens. The historical centre of Vienna has well-preserved architecture and is lined with buildings, monuments and parks. The artistic and intellectual heritage of the city was shaped by great minds such as Beethoven and Sigmund Freud. In the Museums Quarter you can enjoy the art of Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt. Also in Vienna, don’t miss St Stephens Cathedral and The Hofburg (the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty).
Country: Austria
Flight time from Liverpool: 2hr 20mins
Airline: Ryanair
How long to spend there? 3-5 days
#13 Sibiu
Sibiu in Romania is one of the less well known destinations on list of top destinations from Liverpool Airport. It’s a great place to explore architecture – start with the main square and work your way out. When you walk through the passage underneath Turn Sfatuliuyou will come to Piata Mica which is the ‘small square’. It’s certainly not small, but it’s much quieter and more serene than the big main square. The city is surrounded by a largely intact medieval wall. Explore what is known as ‘the passage of steps’ – a 13th Century complex of stairways and arches linking the upper and lower parts of the town. There are two stunning Cathedrals in Sibiu – Holy Trinity Cathedral and the Lutheran Cathedral. Sibiu also hosts several interesting museums that you can explore – check out the Astra Museum and the Steam Engine Museum.
Country: Romania
Flight time from Liverpool: 2hr 55mins
Airline: Ryanair
How long to spend there? 2 days
#14 Zadar
Most people head to Dubrovnik in Croatia and Zadar is often overlooked. But Zadar is a very quirky seaside town with a relaxed atmosphere and a cafe culture vibe. Zadar is a 3000 year old city with a stunning old town. Don’t miss the ruins of the Roman forum. If you enjoy Church architecture you should explore the 9th Century Church of St Donatus and also Cathedral of St Anastasia, with its Venetian-era bell tower. rom the city of Zadar it’s easy to go island hopping along the Croatian coastline and this is beautiful to do, especially in the summer months.
Country: Croatia
Flight time from Liverpool: 2hr 35mins
Airline: Ryanair
How long to spend there? 2-3 days
#15 Wroclaw
Wroclaw in Poland is famous for its beautiful Old Town. But it’s also a very modern technological city with efficiency and leading tech everywhere you look! Wroclaw is located on the Oder River in the West of Poland. It’s known for its Market Square, lined with elegant old style townhouses and featuring a modern fountain. he Gothic Old Town hall has an astronomical clock in a similar style to that in Prague.
Whilst you are in Wroclaw you should make the effort to visit the Panorama of the Battle of Racławice – a cycloramic painting depicting the Battle that took place during the Kościuszko Uprising (the Uprising of 1794 against the Russian empire).
Country: Poland
Flight time from Liverpool: 2hr 15mins
Airline: Ryanair
How long to spend there? 2-3 days
#16 Stockholm
One of the top destinations from Liverpool airport is the Swedish capital of Stockholm. Stockholm is literally a breath of fresh air. The city is best explored by boat through the extensive canal system as the city is located on 14 islands in total! The city is very accessible by bike and if you enjoy cycling then this is also a great way to explore the city. One thing I was NOT expecting about Stockholm was such a stunning Old Town – Gamla Stan will impress you with it’s ochre washed buildings and cobbled streets. It’s also home to the 13th-century Storkyrkan Cathedral, the Kungliga Slottet Royal Palace and the Nobel Museum.
Once you have explored the canals and architecture of Stockholm, you may be looking for more variety in your activities for that extra day or two that you have spare on your itinerary. Head to the Vasa Museum to explore a massive 17th Century war ship. Oh and if you are a fan of ABBA then don’t miss the World famous Abba Museum!
Stockholm’s Arlanda airport is very well connected by public transport – you can jump on the Arlanda express straight into the centre of Stockholm. Oh, and Stockholm is a fantastic city for solo female travel – clean, green and easy to get around!
Country: Sweden
Flight time from Liverpool: 2hr 25 mins
Airline: Ryanair
How long to spend there? 3-5 days
#17 Brussels
Brussels is one of the most beautiful cities for architecture and it’s the administrative centre of the EU. Don’t miss the Grand Place, the Royal Palace of Brussels and Parc du Cinquantenaire (a city park with art and military museums).
If you are interested in street art then you need to get slightly off the beaten-path and find the comic strip walls. Many of the paintings along here are copies of originals by street artists. For art lovers, there is also the Belgian Comic Strip Center, also known as the Comics Art Museum.
If you can stay longer than a weekend there are some fantastic day trips from Brussels such as Bruges, Ghent and Charleroi.
Country: Belgium
Flight time from Liverpool: 1hr 20mins
Airline: Ryanair
How long to spend there? 4-5 days
#17 Dublin
The Irish city of Dublin is an absolutely corker – with a great combination of history, shopping, and of course boozing! he main historic buildings are Dublin Castle which dates back to the 13th century, and the beautiful and imposing St Patrick’s Cathedral, founded in 1191. Also don’t miss Christ Church Cathedral which first opened its doors back in 1030. Make sure you take a walk along Grafton Street (to listen to the buskers) and cross the Ha’penny bridge.
Next on the agenda, for your boozy afternoon, what do you pick? The Jameson Distillery Bow St, The Whiskey Museum or the Guiness Factory?!
If you are looking for scenery and fresh air head to Howth for one of the coastal walking routes. Your evenings in Dublin will almost always end up with live music somewhere or another – be sure to take your fiddle so that you can join in!
This Irish city wins the quickest flight out of all of the top destinations from Liverpool airport with a flight time of just 55 minutes. Just after you taker off, you’re heading back down again! Dublin is doable in a weekend, but always warrants more!
Country: Ireland
Flight time from Liverpool: 55mins
Airline: Ryanair
How long to spend there? 2-3 days or more!
#19 Vilnius
Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, is an often overlooked Eastern European city. It has a gorgeous old town and a very interesting KGB Museum. If you enjoy exploring religious buildings, don’t miss St Annes Church, the Church of St Peter and St Paul and the hill of three crosses. History buffs will also want to check out Gediminas castle tower which is the remaining fortification tower of the Upper Castle in Vilnius. Two days is the ideal amount of time to spend in Vilnius.
Country: Vilnius
Flight time from Liverpool:
Airline: Ryanair
How long to spend there? 2 days
#20 Katowice
Although Katowice is though of as quite an industrial city, it makes a refreshing change from the intensity of Krakow. You will see less tourists here and have more opportunities to connect with the locals. The best things to do in Katowice include Christ the King Cathedral, the Old School Building (minus the Synagogue which was sadly destroyed in the Second World War) the Spodek (sporting arena) and Nikiszoweic – the old Historical Miners Estate. In the evening head to Mariacka Street to share a few beers with the cities student population.
It’s easy to travel to Krakow as a day trip from Katowice too so you could kill two birds with one stone here if you don’t mind a bit of overland travel!
Country: Poland
Flight time from Liverpool: 2hr 25 mins
Airline: Wizz Air (read this Wizz Air Review)
How long to spend there? 2 days
#21 Kaunas
Last on the list of Top Destinations to fly to from Liverpool Airport is Kaunas. Lithuania’s second city is home to a big student population and also is famous for it’s inter-war architecture. Kaunas is on it’s way to getting recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage centre.Don’t miss Kaunas castle, Pažaislis Monastery and Kaunas town hall. Kaunas also has some great museums on offer including the KGB Atomic Bunker Museum.
Country: Lithuania
Flight time from Liverpool: 2hr 50mins
Airline: Wizz Air
How long to spend there? 2 days
I hope that you enjoyed my blog on the Top Destinations from Liverpool Airport. Which one are you exploring next? I’d love to hear your comments – please leave me a message below! Are there any that you feel I should add to this list? If so please feel free to recommend them!
You might also like to read: The best things to do in Liverpool