1 essay down, 5 summatives still to go? If the need for a weekend shot of some serious R&R has meant googling pictures of St Lucia whilst 'researching' and trawling Jet2's pages instead of Facebook, it probably means you should refocus yourself and wait until the Easter holidays. Or does it? No-frills airlines such as Easyjet have started to increase the number of flights to Eastern Europe, meaning that you can book a relatively cheap flight abroad and yet have next to no living costs. Finally, the idea of a weekend away in the middle of term two is a viable one!

But where to I hear you cry? Europe is likely to be pretty cold all over come February and March, so it's probably best to mini-break to a city, without much expectation of beach life. Newcastle flies to Paris with Easyjet for as little as £80 return over a weekend, and to Barcelona for just over £100. Both of these cities have cheap accommodation (hostelworld.com) and have plenty of cafes, boulongeries and street side bars to accommodate the budget traveller.

For a real mid-term treat however, I would suggest a trip to Budapest. Although devoid of beach and warmth at this time of year, the city is full of steaming bath houses with thermal pools and aggressive masseurs, cafés serving strong Hungarian coffees and pastries and late night Jazz bars that line the Danube. Accommodation can be found for as little as £3 a night, and most of the cheaper accommodation is in beautiful old courtyard houses with big high ceilings that line the main roads in the centre of Pest. 'Home made hostel', despite its rather dubious name provides a bed in a split-level 6 person dorm for only £11 a night. A beautiful modern kitchen, a sofa area to sit and chat with other guests and the biggest DVD collection ever make it the perfect place to warm up after a day's sightseeing.

Split into two halves, Pest is the most lively area, full of students, parliament buildings, shops and bars. As well as the huge national gallery there are smaller art rooms such as the G13 on Kiraly Utca which juxtaposes food with art, and the Terror House, a fascinating and interactive look at Hungary's occupation first by the Nazis, then by the Soviets. After all that art there are cheap cafes, with mains from about £1 at some of canteens-relics of Soviet communal eating. After food, what better way to relax than a thermal bath? Avoid the Gellert Baths, and head to the Rudas or Kiraly baths, built in 1563 by the Ottomans. With ice pools, steam rooms, warm pools and red hot waters, these are guaranteed to relax even the achiest bodies. These are hubs of city activity, and check for men and women-only bathing times before you show up. After all that lying down, a hike up to the top of the citadel is the best way to see the whole of Budapest. The most vertiginous climb in the whole of Eastern Europe, the view from the top is breath-taking. The last time I climbed up there was a Romany troupe playing accordions and dancing with young Budapest locals.

Budapest can be reached from London Gatwick flying out Thursday and returning Sunday evening for just over £80.