AIBU to ask you all to recommend a weekend destination?

[titchy]

OK not really an AIBU but plenty of traffic here!

We have a sudden child-free weekend at the end of the week, so we need destinations - within an hour's drive of Guildford. Bit of naice shopping maybe, a naice restaurant and maybe a bit of hippy-dippy live music? Or a pub crawl?

Not really into spa weekends, prefer to be doing something.....

Any thoughts?

Bath?

Brighton?

I LOVE Brighton

Rye?

The New Forest is lovely. Might be just outside your travel zone, but worth the trek...
I would veto Brighton, unless you want to see drunken fights and brawling hen weekends. They do have a good music scene, so you could plan a weekend around something you wanted to see, but the hotels are such bad value for money.

Or... London! Not necessarily hanging around in the tourist-y centre, but some of the 'villagey' areas have everything you've said you want

Well we both work in London so don't really want to schlep in again! And we go to Bright quite often...

What's in Rye?

Bath's a thought too - will have a look...

Thanks!

I'd say Bristol but it's more than an hour from Guildford.
What about Portsmouth for shopping, a schlep over to the IOW on the hovercraft, then a walk in the New Forest on Sunday?

Canterbury - plenty of history and there is often something on at the University or the theatre.

Quaintness. That's what's in Rye

What about Canterbury?

Great minds think alike!

Oh Chaz

It would be Brighton every time for me, we never get sick of it.

I think once you've explored the antique shops, Rye might be a little quiet. It is lovely though. You might have more luck with live music in Hastings. Eastbourne is nice (not just pensioners).

Canterbury is lovely; loads of pubs and restaurants and there'll always be a band playing somewhere. The shopping is ok, but not brilliant. You can do a boat trip down the river, have a mooch about the cathedral and Howletts is just down the road in Bekesbourne. If you do choose Canterbury, I'd really recommend eating at The Cricketers pub. They stop doing food quite early, but it's delicious. And if you've got room after that, go to Patisserie Valerie for pudding.

About 1 hr 45 min away, Cambridge.
I was lucky to spend a summer there courtesy of work. We had such a great time.

Another vote for Bath.

Canterbury is gorgeous. Lots of shops, parks, restaurants, historic attractions, and decent theatre too. It's a beautiful city, and easy to get to from London. Whitstable is nice too.

Went to Rye recently and looked about town on our way to the sand dunes at Camber Sands. The George looked really lovely. Knoops makes the best chocolate milkshakes I've ever tasted, btw.

Bradford on Avon. Dunno about the music but I spent a pleasant weekend there just sauntering about not doing very much. Dinner at the Three Gables

Bath

Bath. I wish I could go.

Or fly to Amsterdam from gatwick. That's an hour away

Midhurst. Gorgeous little country town with a castle and Ye olde pubs, plus close to the South Downs.

Bath or Oxford are both nice - Cheltenham is on my list but may be a little too far?

Another vote for Whitstable here. Lots of good places to eat and often live music in the pubs. There's a music venue down on the harbour, but not sure how often they have things on. Lovely coastal walks. We did a pub crawl there one Valentine's night! Hotel Continental on the seafront is kind of shabby chic (good few years since I stayed there though so can't really recommend), they also have fisherman's huts for hire - very quaint.

No way is Whitstable an hours drive from Guildford!

Paris! willfully ignores parameters