Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Weekend away, inspiration please

32 replies

FixItDuck · 30/04/2023 13:47

DH and I want to go away for the weekend to celebrate a big anniversary in July and I'm trying to think of ideas. Would welcome any suggestions. Criteria as follows-

  • UK or abroad
  • Doable from London leaving Friday and returning Sunday evening
  • Not Brussels, Berlin or Amsterdam as we've done these recently
  • Suggestions for hotels and restaurants would be great- we are pushing the boat out
  • City break would be lovely or somewhere with unusual and spectacular countryside
  • We like art, architecture, music, walking, nature. Not interested in shopping or sport.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

OP posts:
emmathedilemma · 30/04/2023 14:01

Edinburgh

Allforit · 30/04/2023 14:04

Lisbon? No time difference and a really easy 30 min metro from airport to town centre. Cobbled streets, trams, great food though will be hot

TheWeeDonkeyFella · 30/04/2023 14:13

Gibraltar - lots of walking, nature and wildlife on the rock (but check the port cruise schedule to see if any big ships will be in port during your stay).

Reykjavik - interesting small city in its own right but very easy to take a day trip from, possibly two, to see some spectacular scenery and sights including geysers, waterfalls, glaciers (look up Golden Circle, Snaefellsness, Jokulsarlon as examples). You can do a bus tour or hire a car.

Orkney - fly up then hire a car, you could cover a lot of the mainland and even one of the smaller islands in a weekend. Amazing neolithic history, standing stones, cairns etc and nature. (but ditto re cruise ships these days, check the port schedule).

dietcokelime · 30/04/2023 14:17

Copenhagen is beautiful and is Vienna! Both lovely at that time of year too.

Copenhagen - tivoli is a must, the boat tours out in Nyhavn are fab, there's castles and palaces to go and see (christiansborg palace and Rosenberg castle are beautiful) and the food is fab (the meat packing district has lots of nice independent restaurants)

Vienna - the cathedral and catacomb tours are fascinating, the schnitzel and marzipan is delicious, the Schonbrunn palace and zoo is beautiful - the imperial treasury is stunning as well!

Both full of lovely helpful people, enough to keep you occupied and just all round lovely places.

VioletCharlotte · 30/04/2023 14:26

If it was me, I think I'd go to Barcelona or Copenhagen. DS has just got back from Barcelona and loved it. Or for something about look at Lake Bled in Slovenia.

turquoisediamond · 30/04/2023 14:28

Bruges - gorgeous city and can be done Fri - sun. Can fly or Eurostar

York / Bath / Bristol / Cambridge/ Canterbury - all lovely and only a couple of hours on the train max from London.

Fivemoreminutes1 · 30/04/2023 17:07

Prague or San Sebastián

Lovetotravel123 · 30/04/2023 17:16

Seville, Prague, Malaga, Tallinn

WhatWouldTheDoctorDo · 30/04/2023 17:50

Lisbon, and take a day trip Sintra.

PicpoulDeMeNay · 30/04/2023 17:51

I went to Lisbon recently - absolutely loved it! My favourite European city to date by far.

TizerorFizz · 30/04/2023 17:53

@FixItDuck
What about the Cotswolds. Around Chipping Campden is glorious. Plenty of very good hotels near Stow on the Wold too. Great villages with pubs. Walking, nature and architect - all ticked! Find out where Giffords Circus are for a bit of music! Restaurants? So many very good ones. Big plus: easy to get to and no sitting in airport lounges! Alternative would be Bath. Or South Devon.

Choconut · 30/04/2023 17:59

Porto - great for a really short break like that and gorgeous.
Palma de Mallorca - my favourite city in Europe by a mile again again the old part is small enough to really explore in a short window like you have.

Tilllly · 30/04/2023 18:02

TizerorFizz · 30/04/2023 17:53

@FixItDuck
What about the Cotswolds. Around Chipping Campden is glorious. Plenty of very good hotels near Stow on the Wold too. Great villages with pubs. Walking, nature and architect - all ticked! Find out where Giffords Circus are for a bit of music! Restaurants? So many very good ones. Big plus: easy to get to and no sitting in airport lounges! Alternative would be Bath. Or South Devon.

Definitely go with this!

WarningToTheCurious · 30/04/2023 19:08

Porto
Lisbon
Stockholm
Vienna
Copenhagen
Edinburgh

grayhairdontcare · 30/04/2023 19:17

Venice

DancedByTheLightOfTheMoon · 30/04/2023 19:21

York is lovely.
I personally couldn't be bothered with all the faff of going abroad just for weekend.

TheEverdelightfulsamantha · 30/04/2023 22:10

Fly to Aberdeen, hire a car and drive through the Cairngorms National Park to Braemar - stay at the Fife Arms - of a bit cheaper Craigendarroch Hilton near Ballater - Spectacular scenery, amazing walks - maybe bag a Munro (Lochnagar would be easy to get to), or the Cairns walk around the Balmoral estate. Or walk on the Mar Lodge estate from the Lin of Dee - Perhaps fit in a distillery tour….

MayDayMay · 30/04/2023 22:26

We stayed at the Four Seasons in Prague last New Year and really enjoyed it.
Also it’s slightly trickier to get to but I recommend Granada and visiting Alabama Palace.

DibbleDooDah · 01/05/2023 09:28

The Dauro Valley in Portugal. Beautiful scenery, walking and really foodie with great local wines. Push the boat out and stay here:

https://www.sixsenses.com/en/resorts/douro-valley

Cheaper alternatives

https://www.quintanova.com/en/

https://www.lamegohotel.pt/

I honestly think the quality of the hotel really helps when celebrating special events though. One of my most memorable breaks was staying at the Mandarin Oriental in London and eating at “Dinner” - even though we live in London!!

Four Seasons hotels in European cities would be a good shout.

Quinta Nova, Douro, Vinhos, provas, experiências, Relais & Châteaux, Restaurante Terraçu's, Aeternus, Grande Reserva, Referência, Terroir Blend, Unoaked, Grainha, Pomares

Quinta Nova Nossa Senhora do Carmo producing quality Douro and Porto wines, a pioneer project in Douro wine tourism. Available all year, the Quinta provides tastings and experiences for the whole family.

https://www.quintanova.com/en/

NotThisWeekSatan · 01/05/2023 09:33

Of places I’ve been and would recommend:
Lisbon
Seville
Valencia
Bruges
Paris
Palma
Florence
Rome
Prague
Granada

Places I’ve heard are good but not been:
Porto
Venice
Budapest

wondabar · 05/05/2023 07:21

Just did a similar trip to Barcelona. Cheap flights and lovely city!

Lunaballoon · 05/05/2023 07:27

Bath. Very easy to get to from London. Beautiful Georgian architecture. Excellent walks in and around the city and along the Kennet and Avon canal.

We’ve done a couple of weekends there and I can’t wait to go again. The Doubletree Hilton is a good place to stay, very central.

gettingolderbutcooler · 05/05/2023 07:57

Rye

reluctantbrit · 05/05/2023 08:02

I wouldn't go abroad for such a short time, I recently looked up a flight and hotel and found it too expensive.

I would say stick to the UK, Edinburgh, York, Bath, Chester and surrounding area, Cotswolds, Belfast and drive up the coast

TizerorFizz · 05/05/2023 08:59

@FixItDuck Did you make any decision?

Swipe left for the next trending thread