Where can I go on holiday for 3 days?

[ADCisntme]

I’ve messed up with the dog arrangements. My home boarding dog walker can only have the dog for 3 nights as he is super good, my dog loves him and he’s very popular. I should have booked him 6 months ago. Kennels are not an option.

He can do 3 nights from Monday to Thursday morning (not next week but a week in the summer holidays ).

I live in Northamptonshire so not too close to an airport. Also, I don’t want to spend one day travelling, one day sightseeing and another travelling back to make sure we’re home late Wednesday evening so that I can pick up the dog on Thursday morning.

Also, no local family to help out and my close friend’s son is allergic to dogs so no help there either (this is to stop the drip feed later on).

DH has already taken that week off work (he can’t change it so we’re limited to that particular week) so we can go away somewhere. Is there any epic U.K. city break to go to that is NOT

Edinburgh
London
Bath
Oxford
Cambridge
Newcastle
York

Not spa break
Not golf break

We have a teenager as well, done CentreParks, done Bluestone.

I’m totally stuck and am not sure what to do. We can book a U.K. holiday cottage with the dog later in the summer but I am so cross with myself. Teenager is doing A levels this year so I promised them a nice holiday and I’ve left it too late and feel I’ve fd it up.

Any ideas?

Anglesey. (Although this would also be fab with dog). Beaches are amazing, lovely places to eat, lots of places to visit nearby. Teen could do the zip wire in Betws y coed if they like thrills like that. Eryri close by

How close are you to an airport with flights to Knock or Cork?

You may be able to take the dog on a canal boat (no idea). You could certainly take a friend for your teenager at no extra cost for a 4 berth.

Or Bruges by Eurostar? Change at Brussels ( bit grim tbh) but you would get two evenings and two days. Choose a really nice hotel. I think you can also do Amsterdam by Eurostar now too - about 6 hours? Again, you’d get two nights and days. We have family there and it suits all ages.

100% I'd be flying to Europe with that timescale - out of Luton or Birmingham. I frequently do city breaks for 2 nights - 3 would be a relaxed trip! Are there any European cities your DC would like to visit? My DS loved Berlin, but Barcelona/Palma/Madrid/Valencia etc etc would be great calls? Or Rome, Pisa (but I'd stay in Lucca), Bologna, Venice?

Swansea. Hopefully the weather will be good but we seem to be having our summer now.

Durham is apparently really nice for a short break

Channel islands are def a good shout though less transport options than, say, Paris or any UK city

Here's an idea.

Seeing as it's a treat for your teen, give said teen some parameters [drive up to four hours, maximum cost etc] and let them choose.

If you go somewhere within that distance you could theoretically stay Wednesday night and get up at stupid o'clock to get home for the dog-sitter.

I think I’d even do New York for 3 nights! Teens would love it.

3 nights is no restriction on going abroad. I’ve been away 3 times in the last year to Europe for 3 nights - Lyon, Lisbon and the Dolomites. No travel issues and felt like I had a good break.

North Norfolk is very drivable from Northants. You have The coast, loads of nature type walks, NatNat Trust houses for a rainy day plus visit Norwhich for a day. You train it from Sheringham.

Thank you all. I feel like I’m coming across as a bit of a dick so I’m sorry that I’m grumpy. I’m cross with myself for not organising this sooner. I appreciate all your responses. There are definitely more options than there were this morning.

I did Sorrento for three nights AI it was fun.

Naples, 6am flight from Luton.... just take a backpack with essentials.
DAY1 PM sightseeing like a palazzo the Underground or catacombs
DAY2 Pompeii & vesuvius
DAY3 AM sightseeing like city centre & cathedral and afternoon flight home.

You should be back home at around 6pm to pick the dog up.
I've done something similar last year, Naples is soo easy to get around with 2 metro lines and relatively cheap.

Do you think Vienna is viable?

Check out the flight times but it should be durable!
Just make sure you plan/ book all the essentials.

48 hours in Delft (12 mins from Rotterdam) would be fabulous.

I'd turn the fact you have limited time to an advantage. You can have an anything goes, pack-it-all-in, hedonistic approach to a couple of days away that you can't sustain for a week. Make the Eurostar part of the experience with canned cocktails, delicious snacks etc.

For a city break, I'd pick Glasgow, and you could get the sleeper train to maximise your time in the city and make the journey part of the holiday.

I think I’d start with what you/your teen enjoys and then pick your location.
By train, we enjoyed Bruges and I have heard that Ghent is very similar, but not so sure a teenage boy would feel the love.

Channel Islands? By plane or ferry
London? Obviously lots to do and plenty of Green parks if you want to enjoy some sun.
Cotswold water park?
Cornwall by air?

You could also look at flights from London City - they tend to have fewer delays ime and you could be in the South of France or Balearics in a couple of hours.,

Glasgow
Manchester
Liverpool

The problem with travelling by plane is the 2-3 hrs at the airport before the flight and the distance of airports to the main city, but if you got an early flight there and late flight home, there's Dublin, Amsterdam , Paris or even Rome.
Choose a couple of sights to see and eat local food and drink, still could be worth it.

I agree Chester is wonderful, plenty to do eg river cruise, plenty of cafes/restaurants or the zoo, roman history.

I agree but I wished I knew about the Sick to Death museum when I was there. Maybe next time.

Stratford on Avon?

Isle of Man. Either evening ferry from Liverpool or short flight. It's lovely. Just like Cornwall but much quieter

Vienna is wonderful - we spent 3 nights there a couple of years ago (but as part of interrailing rather than direct flights there/back - we flew into Munich which was also awesome!). If the flight times work, absolutely do it!

There's a wonderful outdoor swimming pool in the grounds of the Schoenbrunn Palace - I spent a lovely few hours there reading, chilling and swimming :)

Winchester? Amazing cathedral and a working almshouse; and a small but lovely nature reserve a few minutes' walk from the town centre. Also near to Romsey, which is lovely and has a Norman chapel.
Or Chichester? I haven't actually been to the harbour area but always thought it looked nice.
Lyme Regis? Beach/fossil hunting, coastal walks and a working flour watermill.