Please recommend a late-October city break.

[ColdExtremities]

Flying from Dublin airport and ideally looking for somewhere within about 3 hours.

Two adults. Would like somewhere that’s easy to walk around, nice restaurants, bars, and sights.

Going for either three or four nights.

I've just come back from Thessaloniki, was there for a conference but would definitely go back. It's a fabulous city, lots to see and do, loads of cafes/bars/restaurants that stay open until 2-3am.

Or Venice, that's my favourite place in the world and I try and go once a year. I've always had nice weather, even in November and February.

Nice

It's interesting how everyone thinks differently.

I was just chatting to a couple who recently had come back from Venice.

They told me that they had hated the place.

There are so many varying opinions of a place, you really have to go yourself to see.

Well, November is when we most of us start turning the heating on. It´s usually around 12-13C during the day and nights are cool around 5-6C. I´m 40 km further North so a couple of degrees less for each.

I used to live in Madrid. In late October it would be about 13-15 degrees.

But it's not a horrible, damp cold like in Ireland (I'm Irish), with misty rain. It's a beautiful, crisp, dry cold, with bright blue skies, and full of light.

You could sit outside and have a coffee (while wearing a coat).

You could go to Bad Reichenhall in Germany (it's near Salzburg so you could fly in there or to Munich).
It's a lovely small spa town in the mountains. You could go to the thermal baths, take the cable car up the mountain, wander the streets, there's a lovely old part of the town, get the train to Berchtesgaden for a day out, or the bus to Königsee which is beautiful lake and will be quieter at that time of year.

Malaga, Palma, Valencia

I liked Alicante too .

Not sure what people found 'British' about it - but I went in between Christmas and New Year so perhaps a different vibe .

Ah sorry I think you were talking about Benidorm with the British bit - I misunderstood.

Yes - we've also just returned from that area and it's beautiful . Hotels are mainly a bit outside of the old town but it's very easy to get Ubers to get around. I recommend the Elaphite islands boat tour.

Malaga. Beautiful old town, loads of good art galleries, a variety of beaches, good food.

Florence is lovely but the weather at the end of October is very variable, it went from 25C to 16C when we were there. I love Venice but I'd check the weather, I think by October it'll be wet. If you go off the main tourist route from St Marks to the Rialto it's lovely.

Also, the last week of October is half term in England, but not in Scotland. So check the school holidays in Ireland, you want avoid the school holidays if you can.

A bit later, but I was there in early Dec and it was wool winter coat and a hat weather for outside, but sunny and dry.

I quite like the idea of Florence in winter. I’ve only ever been in summer, and saw loads of cosy little basement restaurants that weren’t what I wanted at the time at all, but looked like they’d be brilliant to settle down in with something slow cooked and a bottle of chianti.

Did you choose anywhere yet OP?

Still researching!

Leaning towards Venice.

I went to Venice in November some years back.
The weather was fabulous, we were able to have lunch sitting outside.
Go for it @ColdExtremities.

Rome, Lisbon, Valencia, Malaga

Another vote for Dubrovnik or Venice if you haven’t been. Both cities are hot and heaving with tourists in the height of summer, but an autumn break would be perfect.

Florence, we went on honeymoon and would love to go back

Yes, I think it would be lovely in winter, even at the end of October you could tell they were beginning to hunker down and it was magical in the evenings. I went to Madrid in December and it was quiet in the museums but the city was all Christmassy and lovely.

Venice in the winter is magical. 🥰