Rome, Dubrovnik or Porto?

[NCTDN]

Looking for a city break in October for adults. If you have been to all of them which would you recommend and why? Thanks

Or Iceland?

For a longer break, say 3 days then Rome, we had 3 days and didn’t do everything.
Dubrovnik for a 2 day break, it’s very compact.
Venice is my all time favourite place for a short break but I know people who weren’t impressed.
We’ve also enjoyed Kracow and Berlin.

Of the three, I'd say Porto. I've not been personally but my sister in law is Portuguese and she and my brother have been lots. My brother is really taken with it :)

Rome is nice too.

I’ve been to Iceland, Rome and Porto but not Dubrovnik.

Iceland is my favourite but has a very different feel to a typical city break.

I think I’d choose Porto over Rome for a return visit. It’s a really delightful city.

I'd say Rome, or Porto if you want bit more relaxed (boozy if you're into port wine!). I'd go to Iceland bit later in the year.

I've been to all those places except Porto and I really want to go so I vote there 😁
Rome is amazing - food, drink, sites, scenery, culture, the people, everything. I agree Dubrovnik is small so anymore than a couple of days would be too much. Reykjavik is also small but Iceland is beautiful.

Rome no contest.

I’ve been to all 😀

Rome Rome Rome! So much to see and do, adored the history and beauty.

Had a fab time in Porto too - but it can’t compete with Rome.

Dubrovnik is more for party goers I think. Huge night clubs.

iceland is incredible. But you need to take A LOT of spending money! Everything is incredibly expensive.

I have had really good city breaks in: Helsinki (also expensive but I remember loads of restaurants in the city were participating in some sort of October promotion for cheaper food/drink deals that definitely helped), Riga, Warsaw, Brussels and Paris.

Rome was amazing. And everything in walking distance or tube which goes left or right! So easy! Do the Vatican museum. The trevi fountain is amazing. I stayed in thenbarberini region and it's a 2 min walk from trevi fountain, Spanish steps , and there is a park rigtt hot in the middle of Rome which is also amazing. Eat the ice cream . Not an ice cream fan here but omg ! The Vatican museum is a
Must . See the ceiling of the cistene chapel - it's so moving .
I loved Rome - my dd took me for my 50th and I'd go back in a heart beat .

Been to them all. Rome. Hands down. Every which way. Loads to do and see and all close to each other. It's got a bit of everything. 🇮🇹

There is just so much to see in Rome - feel like it's a place everyone should visit. October good time as well as it's so hot in the summer.

It probably depends on how long you are going for, and actually why. I've been to all three, although Dubrovnik 30 years ago before the war, Porto and Rome in 2018. Each one is good in its own right, all of them are "touristy" although less so in October. Rome has the most to do (at a price) - it is also the biggest by far with all of the issues that causes, although some breath-taking buildings and monuments (although shuffling round St Peters and the Sistine chapel was not a high point from a comfort point of view, I was still glad I went) . Porto is very hilly, haphazard, but extremely pretty. Cheaper than Rome, it has a smallish centre with a nice (v touristy) bit down by the river. We went out to the coast on the bus one day, and it was lovely. Have to say, I preferred Lisbon, just as beautiful, more to do, and at least the tourists were spread out. Long time since I have been to Dubrovnik, remember being overcome by the unexpected classical beauty of it, and when I went it was cheap, but remember it being small (compared with Rome, very small) and I expect it would be "porto-like" in terms of tourists. I would echo a PP about Poland - Poznan, Krakow and Gdansk are all lovely and perfect for a weekend/ long weekend, and very reasonable price wise.

I was thinking about this again and remembered that we once spent a long weekend in Stockholm in early November and it was lovely :) A bit expensive, though we were there to shop for my husband's wedding suit so that might have contributed to my feelings re that 😂

Rome! Just recently returned from there and while I loved it all, the night before we came home we visited Piazza Navona after dinner and the vibe in the bars and restaurants in that area, as well as on the Piazza itself, was exactly what I'd been searching for during our other evenings in Rome! Bliss

I haven't been to all but I loved Rome and really want to go back. An amazing city.

I've been to all three. And we're going back to Porto next month.

Dubrovnik is a great place to wander. It's very compact. But there's not actually huge amounts to do. And weather could be iffy in October

Porto is lovely too but again is a small city. Great for port estate tours.

Rome is a major world capital. There's really no comparison. You could be there for a week and only touch the surface. But it can be tiring and frustrating if you don't plan ahead.

Bologna would be a great option. Watch Stanley Tuccis Italy on bbc iPlayer.

Porto is lovely for a laid back vibe. Not that much to do but fab to wander around eating and drinking.
Rome much more to actually see

Dubrovnik is next on my list.

On a recent European road trip Dubrovnik was top of our places to go for a weekend mini-break- it's fabulous. However, we had already been to Rome, so were looking for somewhere smaller and more accessible.
If you haven't been to Rome, it's a magical must visit destination. If you want a combo of a beautiful historic city with sea and relaxation go for Dubrovnik.

I love Rome

Rome esp if you’ve never been - beautiful, walkable, so much to see and so many stories round every corner - great food, perfect weather wise in October - we went for 5 days in October iirc and loved it, and also for a long weekend in November. Would go again in a shot.

Dubrovnik is much more a weekend space - 2-3 days and you’re ‘done’ - also didn’t rate the food as much, although location wise it’s lovely and some stunning architecture but nothing like the same wow factor.

I hear good things about Porto, but, we’ll, it’s not Rome!

I thought porto was shit. There's nothing to do. Iceland is like nowhere else on earth, that will always get my vote.

I have only been to Dubrovnik, and that was 9 years ago but it was my bucket list destination and I would go back in a heartbeat. Everyone is saying it's a 2 day place but we actually went there for 10 days and thoroughly loved every minute. We didn't rush anything; we did boat trips to a couple of different islands, the view from the cable car is an absolute must (despite my terror of heights I forced myself to do it). We walked the walls of the city, sat in lazy bars overlooking the sea, another bar built inside a cave, went on a pirate ship sail one evening (touristy as hell but absolutely loved it). Hands down my best holiday with spectacular memories. I don't know what the weather would be like in October - we went in August and it was HOT. Lots of walking - we stayed near the new harbour but walked into the old town lots.

Thanks everyone. I'm not sure you've helped though as I wanted a decisive conclusion where everyone said the same
Now debating a short cruise as an option - it's for a big birthday celebration and a med cruise would let us see what we think of doing a longer one in the future.

Rome. Always something new to see or a new district to discover. Dubrovnik is small, lovely and absolutely packed: more of a day out than a base for a 3-night weekend. Felt like a real tourist trap when we were there. Porto's lovely but we felt we'd seen enough by the end of the second day.

I had to go to Helsinki several times a year for a couple of years in the noughties and found it rather dull and provincial and too often grey and damp. It wouldn't be high up on my list of places to visit.