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Travelling on a shoestring? Our pick of budget breaks and bargain holidays will help you getaway without breaking the bank...

European charm... PORTO, PORTUGAL

Portugal's second city is something of a hidden gem. Since tourists rarely think of it, its streets have remained free from the usual tourist trappings and offer an authentic, relaxed Portuguese experience. It's cheap too, with flights around £150 return and accommodation coming in at around £45 per night for a three star hotel and £85 per night for a five star hotel. Get lost in the meandering backstreets of the city, sit out in an open air cafe with a coffee, explore its UNESCO World Heritage site or enjoy the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art.

FACTS: Try Just The Flight for an overview of cheap flights to Porto and Hotels Combined for good accommodation deals.

Spa on a shoestring... OCEAN HOTEL

This £20million Butlins spa has enough cheap chic to satisfy spa cravings while still catering for the needs of young families. Based in Bognor Regis, the spa is made up of a hydrotherapy pool, footspa, sauna, steam rooms, heated beds, Snow Cave and 'disco' showers. Two hours in this colourful haven is mere £19, while treatments start at £23 (a 25 min back massage). Dads, meanwhile, can enjoy a massage while watching football highlights projected on the wall. Kids are well looked after with the usual Butlins sports, pool and craft activities, leaving you to relax on the cheap.

FACTS: A four night stay in a family room is around £180. Tel: 0845 070 4730. www.butlins.com

Generous getaway... THE NATIONAL TRUST VOLUNTEERS

Fancy yourself as a bit of a do-gooder? The National Trust's working holidays will suit you to a tee. In exchange for manual labour, you get cheap accommodation and meals. Activities range from fence fixing and drystone walling to gardening, organic farming, helping with fundraisers, assisting on education programmes and working with natural habitat. Most holidays involve plenty of free time to explore, and lots of glorious outdoor activity.

FACTS: Working Holidays range from two to seven days and from £90 a week including food and hostel-type accommodation. See www.nationaltrust.org.uk for more info.

Escape the Eurozone.... BUDAPEST

The capital of Hungary uses the forint and, while the exchange rate isn't quite what it was, you can still bag around 300 forints to the pound. To put that into context, a glass of house wine is about 700 ft. Bargain. Still, you'll probably have better things to do than quaff wine all day. Budapest boasts two UNESCO World Heritage sites, Roman ruins, St. Stephen's Basilica, gothic architecture and myriad thermal baths. If the baths interest you, stay at the art nouveau Gellert which doubles up as the city's most famous thermal spa.

FACTS: For bargain offers try My Budapest where you could bag four night city break in three star B&B accommodation (including flights) at around £150.

Cool camping.. PLATJA D'ARO, SPAIN

There's something special about camping alongside a beach. Zip open your tent in the morning and there's the sea! Platja D'Aro on the north east coast of Spain (above Barcelona), is an idyllic campsite offering pitches for tents, caravans and motorhomes right on the beach. There are free hot showers, a playground and washing machines, plus the nearby town of Girona is perfect daytrip material featuring Roman fortifications and a quaint old town.

FACTS: Camping ranges from €8.90 to €21.60 for a pitch, plus more per person. See Camping Sa Cova for more info.

Cheap culture... METZ, FRANCE

Another little known European city, Metz is currently a secret getaway in the north east of France. Watch out though, as Mezt is about to become very well known in the wake of the new Centre Pompidou-Metz (open May 2010). The contemporary art gallery (sister to the Pompidou in Paris) will ensure the city doesn't remain a secret for long, so head over before the rush to enjoy local prices at great restaurants and bars as well as cheap antique markets.

FACTS: Jump on some budget flights to Paris and then take a high speed TGV to Mezt (90 minutes, around £35 return), or take the Eurostar and change in Paris (5 hours, around €100 return)