The twelve cheapest
1. Cardiff, Wales — $200–$350. Cheap, compact and loud, with the Brecon Beacons an hour away for the recovery day.
2. Kraków, Poland — $200–$350. The lowest per-head cost on this list without feeling like a compromise.
3. Liverpool, England — $220–$380. The best value big night in Britain. Everything is walkable and nothing shuts early.
4. York, England — $220–$370. Medieval streets, an absurd number of pubs, and everything inside the city walls.
5. Bristol, England — $230–$390. Street art, harbour bars and a hot-air balloon if you get the morning right.
6. Manchester, England — $240–$400. Northern Quarter for the day, Ancoats for dinner, and a choice of about forty places for after.
7. Newquay, England — $240–$400. Surf all day, fire pit all evening. The British answer to a beach weekend, weather permitting.
8. Budapest, Hungary — $240–$420. Thermal baths by day, ruin bars by night, and the cheapest big weekend in Europe.
9. Prague, Czechia — $240–$420. Beautiful, walkable and cheap, with beer that costs less than water.
10. Brighton, England — $260–$430. An hour from London, and the only British seaside town where a big group in fancy dress raises no eyebrows.
11. Galway, Ireland — $260–$430. Small, musical and on the edge of the Atlantic. Better for a group that wants scenery with the pints.
12. Lake District, England — $280–$470. For the group that would rather swim in a lake than queue for a club.
Where the money actually goes
Accommodation is the lever. One house or apartment for the whole group is almost always cheaper per head than rooms, and it removes the awkward conversation about who is paying for the nicer room.
The second lever is the number of nights. Three nights is the standard and two is often better — a two-night trip costs a third less and nobody has run out of things to say by Sunday lunch.
The third is what you book in advance. One paid activity is usually enough. Groups routinely book four and cancel two.
What you give up at the bottom of the range
Under about $300 a head, you are cooking at least one meal and the accommodation is functional rather than nice. That is a perfectly good weekend.
What you do not give up is anything that matters. Nobody remembers the thread count. They remember who was there and what happened on the Saturday night.
