A week just for me

[Lavenderfowl]

Next May DS goes away with school for a whole week. It'll be the first full week I've had to myself in years, as XH deliberately won't have DS for more than a few nights to try and stop me having a life.

I need to be within an easy couple of hours travel of Liverpool (just in case), and I'll be on my own. Not got a huge budget but I'll probably manage £1.5k-£2k if I save hard. Could possibly try and find more for something really special. Have been thinking a spa break at a hotel with a great restaurant but...where? But just that all week might get boring?

I'm not sporty or especially fit, I love reading, cultural/arts things, could maybe learn something new, don't mind a communal experience so long as accommodation and food are really good. UK or short haul Europe.

Suggestions please - possible activities or locations, or both.

TIA 😊

Have you any hobbies or interests?. Perhaps something that you would like to try?

I always think the yoga retreat type stays, especially in Spain or Morocco look great for a restful week away, with others.

A friend of mine did a cycling your in France, again part of a small group of individual travellers and couples.

What about searching for events in May, a literary festival perhaps?

The above wont be for everyone though.

In your position I would go to Paris - easy to zip back on th Eurostar if you need to. Otherwise, spend the week walking around, visiting museums, lingering, people watching, eating good food … !

I had a wonderful week on my own recently in malaga. I don't know if that is close enough for you?

I basically just mooched and did touristy stuff. The food was fab except for one evening and the hotel I stayed in had a rooftop pool so I did a bit of pool stuff too.

Craxton Wood Hotel near Chester is nice with a good spa and restaurant. They have package deals too. Chester is good for shopping so you could have an indulgent stay and treat yourself at the shops.

Malaga or Palma in Majorca . Both great places for mooching.Under a 2 hour flight away.

Ragdale Hall is probably just about within 2.5 hours I would say. Bloody lovely and luxurious! But not sure I could do a week, would get bored. 3 days maybe.

What about something like a lovely hotel in the peaks with a swimming pool / spa attached and where you can go on some nice hikes?

Copenhagen. Just checked and you can gets flights + nice hotel for under £1k. Loads to explore, especially for art things, saunas, everyone speaks English, you can nip over to Denmark (!!) too. Weather should be v pleasant.

York? Direct train from Liverpool I believe, loads to see just wandering around the city.

The Grand Hotel is in the city centre and has a spa.

I'd be tempted to make the most of the opportunity and have two x three night breaks, one in the UK and one in Europe.

Malaga or Palma (also Barcelona, Alicante or another European city eg Paris, Reykjavik, etc, loads of choice) would be good as loads to see and do and likely at least one flight, possibly two a day from Liverpool or Manchester so good for flexibility and peace of mind in the unlikely event you need to get home quickly.

(some replies are a bit SE centric, the OP isn't flying to Malaga or getting to Paris on the Eurostar in a couple of hours but I'd think she can go further afield than Chester, which is a quick afternoon out from Liverpool).

Some very lovely ideas here thanks everyone...especially for places and activities I hadn't even considered; Copenhagen sounds amazing and Morocco is also appealing...I will do some investigating re activity weeks as well...maybe a writing retreat...there are bits of the UK I want to explore as well, I'll enjoy researching it all as well; anticipation is half the fun!

If you are in Copenhagen you are in Denmark. I think you mean Sweden via the Oresund bridge.

@squashyhat Yes! Geography-blank there, thank-you.