It was when I began to blindfold my boyfriend that I realized things might be getting a bit out of hand in my bid to win him round on cheap travel.
My partner James has, in recent years, become a complete holiday snob. He loves luxury, good hotels and anything remotely premium. I wanted to show him you can still have a genuinely brilliant trip on a budget. He already thought it was a terrible idea – a £100 per person, one night stay in a city he couldn’t pronounce, on a Ryanair flight. Not James’ idea of quality holidaying.
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And now I was leading him, eyes covered, down a street in the Polish city of Łódź (pronounced ‘Woodge’), building up the suspense. The sticking point for James had always been the accommodation. In his mind, a £100 all-in holiday meant one thing: a hostel. I’d had several failed attempts to make him stay in one and had finally given up. So I whipped off the blindfold. Standing in front of us was PURO Łódź Centrum – a sleek, modern four-star hotel. One of the top-rated in the city. His jaw dropped before we even checked in.
This was my fourth time attempting the challenge, where everything from flights to food has to come in under £100 per person. I’d had success in Tirana, Copenhagen and Bucharest but this was my first time doing it with someone else, and I had something to prove. And in 2026, that’s getting harder. With rising fuel costs and ticket prices, the days of ultra-cheap flights are fading. But using Skyscanner, I searched ‘Everywhere’ from London and looked for the cheapest options. Central and Eastern Europe are usually strong contenders, and when I spotted return flights to Łódź for £34, I booked immediately.
POLL
Would you take on a £100 budget travel challenge like this one?
Yes!
No
I had £66 left for everything else. We kept costs down by sticking to a small underseat bag, no seat selection, and with snacks packed from home. James and I were sat 16 rows apart, but for the price, I wasn’t complaining. Because low-cost airlines are only cheap if you don’t add anything on. And despite rising costs, I still think budget airlines are incredible value.
After landing, we jumped on the bus into the city. I was instantly intrigued. As we got closer to the centre – paying £1.13 for the bus – we passed industrial warehouses, art nouveau villas and eclectic townhouses. It felt like a patchwork of architecture.
I immediately understood why Łódź is often called ‘The Manchester of Poland’. Starting along the city’s main artery, Piotrkowska Street, lunch was our first stop. We headed to Bar Mleczny Łodziak, a traditional milk bar. We shared a bowl of chicken noodle soup and dumplings. The total was 30 zloty, which between the two of us worked out at £3.03 each. Result. Then it was time to check in. Not only had I managed to book a room for just £27 each, but we were upgraded for free thanks to sheer luck.
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. There was also a sauna, a lounge area, plus a coffee machine offering unlimited drinks that we could take away.
The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring for free. We followed a street art trail using a free app, wandered through the Rose Passage, an alley covered entirely in mirror fragments, and explored Manufaktura, a huge shopping complex set inside a former industrial space. By dinner, we were starving. Timing was everything. Łódź is full of happy hours and set menus, and by arriving at a restaurant just before 6pm, we managed to get a main, soft drink and a huge slice of tiramisu for only £7.46 each.
Later, we headed to OFF Piotrkowska, a trendy area filled with bars and restaurants. Cocktails were out of budget, but a glass of fizz for £3.84 felt like a win. Back at the hotel, we rounded off the night with free hot chocolate. The next morning started in the hotel’s free sauna, feeling very luxurious for a budget trip. For breakfast, we stumbled across a bakery called Maka, where I picked up a salted caramel banana bun for £2.12. It was enormous, beautifully made and easily the kind of thing you’d pay more than double for in London.
Then we hopped on a tram for 89p and headed out of the centre to Hopa Lupa, Europe’s largest indoor amusement park. 
James was sceptical, his go-to activity usually involves a cocktail on a rooftop terrace. But for £12.91 each, we got two hours in the trampoline park, complete with obstacle courses, foam pits and climbing walls. We were soon laughing like kids, although nothing truly humbles you in your thirties like attempting to run for that long. By the time we left, James admitted while he’d never have chosen it himself, he loved every second.
We squeezed in one final meal, sharing a pepperoni pizza and enjoying a pint of beer for £6.54 each, before heading back to the airport. 
Our final spend came to £99.99 per person. I’ve travelled this way for years, focusing on the overall value, such as the hotel, food and activities, rather than just the cheapest flight, which is even more important now with prices rising across the board. Some of the best trips I’ve had have been to places I knew very little about beforehand, and Łódź is firmly on that list. As for James, I think I’ve fully won him over – which might be my biggest budget travel success story yet. The next challenge will be convincing him to stay in a hostel – but we might need a bigger blindfold for that.
Cost break down
DAY 1
Return flight from London Stansted to Lodz – £34
Bus to city centre – £1.13
Lunch at Bar Mleczny Łodziak – £3.03
Hotel PURO Łódź Centrum – £54 / 2 = £27 each
Street Art Tour Street Art Cities’ App – Free
Rose Passage and Manufaktura – Free
Dinner: Set menu (Main, Tiramisu and Soft Drink) at Przyjemność – Tiramisu&Vino – £7.46
Alcohol: Spółdzielnia – glass of fizzante – £3.84
Hot chocolate at hotel – Free
DAY 2
Coffee at hotel – Free
Sauna at hotel – Free
Brunch at Maka – caramel and banana bun – £2.12
Tram to Hopa Lupa – £0.89
Hopa Lupa 2 hour entry + private locker hire – £12.91
Late Lunch at Pizza Truck Garage – Half a Pepperoni Pizza and pint of beer- £6.48
Bus to airport- £1.13
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