Once the lock-down eases and we are all able to get back out there again, I’m guessing that some people might want to take it slow, rather than travelling as far as you can! Therefore, I thought this guide might be helpful, as it gives you suggestions on places you might travel to for a short break.
When we first mention a short break, we think about a long weekend away; something along the lines of 48 hours away and usually people tend to leave on a Thursday night and come back on a Sunday evening, ready for work on Monday. However, sometimes it can be cheaper to book on Saturday morning and arrive on a Monday to help save a few pounds! This means you can spend a bit more on your actual trip and visits a few more places whilst keeping within your budget.
Here are my top 5 short breaks suggestions:
Scotland
Now, when we mention Scotland, we instantly think about Edinburgh or Glasgow. As lovely as these cities are, I would recommend something a little further up and suggest you visiting Aberdeen. This place genuinely surprised me in the 48 hours that I stayed there last year, to celebrate my son’s 1st birthday.
We hired a car from the city and drove through the Balmoral mile. The scenery was breathtaking! I never knew Scotland to be so beautiful! The valleys were out of this world! Whilst driving through, we stop off at the Balmoral Castle to make quick “stately” visit and then headed into the distillery for the Prince’s tipple. When in Scotland tasting the whisky is a must!
This trip was a beautiful experience and my words on here cannot describe how much we enjoyed it. We are planning to go back in the summer sometime soon, as I have never taken in so much fresh air. That is why they sometime joke and say they would bottle fresh Scottish air, as it’s so pure!
Paris Chez Paris….is one the most romantic cities of the world and so we spent our anniversary there, last November. Paris is a lovely getaway and the food is wonderful. However, it is an expensive city, so I would recommend saving up for this little treat!
Although people travel for shopping, we went for the food and sightseeing and we thoroughly enjoyed it. For all those Instagram lovers, I would recommend heading to the Eiffel Tower in the evening, to see the flashing lights and also, if you wish to eat in the Tower it is recommended that your pre-book the fine dining restaurant and take photos from the roof bar! However, children will not be able to dine within the top two restaurants but will be allowed in restaurant at the bottom which is more for casual dining!
Prague Prague, I did this trip within the winter month’s a few years back and I would recommend this for a short break. It is a lovely city, influenced with medieval architecture. The beer is cheap and there’s plenty to see. I would recommend using the Segway tour (if you can) as it’s a fun way to see the city sights.
The nightlife is amazing in Prague and is very safe. I would recommend heading towards the old town area, and there will be plenty to do when to sun goes down and the lights come on.
Nice This was one of my favourite short breaks, as I did it whilst I was six months pregnant. I would recommend staying close to the city centre as possible, as it will be mean you will save on taxi fares. We stayed at the Best Western and although it was a boutique hotel the convenience of having everything nearby outweigh the small rooms. However, the service was impeccable.
Nice has some beautiful bars and restaurants and I would highly recommend going around May, as it’s not too hot. The other advantage of staying near the city is that the trail station is nearby so your able to hop on the train and travel to Cannes for a day trip. We were lucky that we manage to catch the last day of the Cannes Festival, so it meant that we had a good day, celebrity spotting!
If you plan to stay in Cannes, then I recommend booking the Hotel Martinez or the Hotel Barriere Le Majestic Cannes. These are two 5* star hotels and is a place where you can sit celebrity spot all day long. Cannes is beautiful, and I hope to return one day to complete my French Rivera tour of Monaco and Corsica!
Barcelona Barcelona is one of most popular cities of the world when it comes to football. However, the city’s best features is La Sagrada Familia, which is currently being patched up by unsightly cranes and scaffolding, graffiti.
La Sagrada Familia is of course the crowning glory and it really is worth braving the queues to get up close and personal with this towering cathedral, built along the architectural principles of Mother Nature, which intrigued Gaudi as a boy.
The other places to visit apart from the famous football round is the art galleries. Gaudi and Dali both remarkably interesting to visit and not to forget the trip to La Ramblas, where you will find all the happening bars and restaurants.
Barcelona also has many beaches that you can take a stroll along, if you need to get away and from the buzzing city and need some sea breeze!
