Where to go for a really nice short birthday break?

[Thepeopleversuswork]

I've got a significant birthday coming up and DP has offered to take me away on a short break.

Looking for some recommendations on places people have been for one to two nights which they have been really bowled over by.

I'm ideally looking for somewhere reachable with a short plane journey (UK and Ireland, western Europe fine but not longhaul). Also relatively affordable (not more than about £500-600 for everything). I've been to most European capitals, happy to go again but know Rome and Paris pretty well so looking for something a bit different. Also very open to interesting UK cities. I'm in London so probably not somewhere in the South East as it doesn't feel that different.

Ideally a quick city break in a nice city and dinner in a lovely restaurant with nothing much on the agenda except eating and wandering.

Gothenburg
Lyon

Porto is really nice

I’m also in London and love a short break away! These are the places I’ve most recently enjoyed, that fit easily into a weekend, and would be within budget. Though, disclaimer, I don’t do posh restaurants or boutique hotels. I go for clean and comfortable stays and local eateries.

UK -

Belfast with a day trip out to Giant’s causeway.
Isle of Wight.
Portsmouth.
Sleeper train to Scotland plus one night there (booked for the novelty experience of spending the night on the sleeper train).

Europe -

Aarhus
Odense
Talinn
Riga
Gibraltar
Porto
Florence
Seville

I recently went to Belfast for the first time, and it’s so lovely, would suit perfectly. It’s really friendly, walkable, nice hotels, a big food market at weekends, and I caught a gig too, by chance! Lots of nice restaurants too. Ora wine and tapas (more small plates, not Spanish) was particularly nice

Ljubljana would be great for a short break.

With just 1-2 nights I'd stick to the UK as you lose a lot of time in airports and getting to and from them if you fly anywhere, so it's not worth it unless you have at least 2 full days (so 3 nights) IMO. Lincoln is lovely. Also York, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff. Brighton is south of England but absolutely lovely if you get nice weather.

Faro on the Algarve?

York is lovely

I went to Biarritz for a significant birthday and it was fabulous. We found a well priced Airbnb and the airport is very close to the city so you can really maximise your time.

I’m heading to Valencia on Friday - will report back!

St David's in Wales, Oxford, Cambridge and Lincoln are all great for UK short breaks. Bristol and Bath worth a visit too.

Get the Pullman service from Paddington to Plymouth - a first class ticket entitles you to book a table in the restaurant, where you can enjoy a really lovely lunch.

Plymouth is a great place to wander round, with plenty of places to eat and drink.

https://www.thisispaddington.com/article/pullman-dining-gwr

Ljubljana. Dinner at Julija 👌

Berwick-upon-Tweed
They have a caravan park which you can use as a base. Its lovely there

Berwick upon tweed is ok for an hours visit! Definitely not for a special birthday!

... and I certainly wouldn't want to be staying in a caravan for a special birthday!

Venice
Malta
A Castle hotel in the UK

Ghent

Yes, we really liked Ghent, it's less touristy than Brugges but still beautiful with plenty of nice things to do (boat trips, castle, cathedral, lots of bars and restaurants in the old town and along the canals).

I’ve not been but Seville always seems to come highly recommended. And I’m a massive fan of Austria - Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna?

Ljubliana is beautiful. It’s also the only place where I have ever eaten tripe, the result of pointing randomly at the menu because there wasn’t one in English (or any other language that I could understand.) That was in 1995 though.

We loved Porto, Barcelona, Venice or Edinburgh

The place I’ve most enjoyed recently in the U.K. (assuming you’ve been to Bath, York, Edinburgh etc) was Chester! It is really interesting historically, has great shopping,
interesting old pubs, good restaurants and a beautiful river you can walk along.
Shrewsbury is also a lovely town with lots to do and lovely riverside walks.

Bristol
Bath
Chester
Cardiff
Canterbury
Portsmouth

Valletta
The Hague
Prague
Madrid

I have another suggestion

train or drive to Warwick, eat in the Michelin star restaurant Hem, spent some time walking around this medieval town and there is a fabulous castle. Not sure were is good to stay in the town but plenty of choices and just out of town there is a hotel Mallory Court which has a spa onsite.

Travel to Stratford upon Avon, plenty of great bakeries and some sight seeing if you wish, visit the birth place of Shakespeare, a boat ride along the river and a theatre trip if you wish

A short drive to The Cotswolds where you have a quieter Bourton on the water or Chipping Camden, Stow on the Wold on Monday if you are taking a long weekend