The city break can offer a welcome retreat and be just enough of an escape to refresh and rejuvenate without straining the purse strings of a full-on holiday. Paris, fast becoming a chic next door neighbour thanks to Eurostar makes a good choice, boasting both a cosmopolitan and colourful landscape to sit back and do very little in.

First stop could be the earthy, bohemia of Abbesse, a district lined with boutiques, boulangeries and its own flea market, full of Victorian gloves, vinyl, jewellery boxes and 40s heels. It’s well-worth a wonder if you’re looking for a memorable bargain, rich in Parisian history and it also acts as a good spot to sit back with a latte and people-watch, which is a money-saving and entertaining pastime. It’s a great place to shop with the locals, and sits behind the Montmartre area, a quarter full of old shabby silk shops, the Moulin Rouge and a host of bars.

If you want to upgrade your flea markets to some haute couture, then head to Saint Germain, where Chanel, and Yves Saint Laurent – Paris’ own darlings – show their wares in swanky boutiques. Saint Germain has its own sense of bohemian culture, with the Cafe De Flore and the Deux Magots cafes frequented by Jean Paul Sartre Ernest Hemingway and Picasso in their respective heydays. They still offer a chilled out coffee-stop with outside corner seating so that you can play voyeur to unfolding Parisian life.

There are of course the more obvious tourist stops, like the Louvre Museum, which once served as a palace for Louis XIV and is now dominated by the Mona Lisa in its Denon Wing. The Jardin De Luxembourg with rows of flower beds, fountains and sculptures also make a scenic stroll and boast the majestic Luxembourg Palace, and the very first model of the Stature of Liberty stands in the gardens. The city’s size and efficient Metro system make it a convenient destination for a weekend break. Paris is easily reached by Eurostar; however, for the rest of Europe’ s equally impressive cities, like Barcelona and Rome, online flight companies will be your best bet for cheap flights that’ll jet you there and back, leaving room for your weekend excursion.