City breaks (or other ideas)

[Tamworthram]

OK, so for the first time that I can remember, my wife and I are struggling to agree as to where to go on holiday this year (apart from Northumberland in September).

My wife want to go to Paris for a week followed by a few days chilling out in Northern France (near Calais for an easy journey to the tunnel for coming home). I'm happy to go the Paris (we've been there numerous times but not for a few years) but that, followed by Northern France, doesn't quite feel like enough for our/my main holiday.

So, here's the thing, she doesn't like travelling much and I have muted the idea of me going away for a few days on my own in order to visit places that don't interest her and allows me to indulge a little in my photography hobby. I think I could just about convince her to let me go somewhere for a week in return for agreeing to her Paris idea.

I'm thinking of either an interesting city (not for nightlife and bars etc but for historic sites etc) or maybe an interesting area for scenery (and, again, maybe historic sites). I've done Paris (obviously), Rome, Venice, Verona, Florence, Bruges and Amsterdam.

Any suggestions folks? Not too far away though as it would only be a week.

[Srg]

Berlin, Bratislava, Vilnius

[EtoileSportiveDeDerby]

In Valencia as we speak, very nice but Sevilla is a lot nicer. Sevilla is very pretty and pleasant.

[Ram-Alf]

Vienna, A bus/coach right outside the airport which takes you straight to the Westbahnhoff train station/shopping centre 30mins, Right at the top of the Mariahilferstrasse where there's plenty of Hotels off this.

Trams on time every time, A City I've been too many times😊

 

[Srg]

14 minutes ago, Ram-Alf said:

Vienna, A bus/coach right outside the airport which takes you straight to the Westbahnhoff train station/shopping centre 30mins, Right at the top of the Mariahilferstrasse where there's plenty of Hotels off this.

Trams on time every time, A City I've been too many times😊

 

Go Bratislava instead. Less than 20 euros on the train to Vienna (closest two capital cities in Europe) and less than an hour. Infinitely cheaper to fly and stay there than Vienna.

[BatRam]

I dont like city breaks tbh , always busy and cant relax as such , have a good'n tho 

[sage]

Said it before on here, you'll struggle to beat Bilbao and San Sebastian.

Beaches, history, heritage, arts and the best food on the planet. Not the cheapest accommodation in San Seb but worth every penny.

 

[ram59]

Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but I finally made it to Krakow last year. I couldn't say that I 'enjoyed' the experience, but I found it fascinating and although I 'knew' all about the holocaust, actually being there added a new dimension.

The town itself is delightful and has so much more to it's history than just the holocaust. A trip down the salt mines is not to be missed either.

 

[BaaLocks]

3 hours ago, BatRam said:

I dont like city breaks tbh , always busy and cant relax as such , have a good'n tho 

Probably not the thread for you then tbh 🙂

[Grumpy Git]

1 hour ago, ram59 said:

Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but I finally made it to Krakow last year. I couldn't say that I 'enjoyed' the experience, but I found it fascinating and although I 'knew' all about the holocaust, actually being there added a new dimension.

The town itself is delightful and has so much more to it's history than just the holocaust. A trip down the salt mines is not to be missed either.

 

Agree 100% (went last autumn).

[ariotofmyown]

Some great suggestions, I'm going for a couple that are further away, but fine to go for a week, I've went to all of them for less.

Istanbul: there are loads of sites to see here, probably equivalent to Rome in terms of places I've been. Reasonably priced, great food. Get a Turkish Airlines flight and enjoy a bit more comfort than a budget airline.

Marrakech (maybe with Fez too): Budget airlines fly there, could get train between two I think. Both places are really different to Europe (and Istanbul). Could do a trip into Atlas mountains from Marrakech too. Loads of crazy things to photograph, like snakes charmers.

[Tamworthram]

14 minutes ago, ariotofmyown said:

Some great suggestions, I'm going for a couple that are further away, but fine to go for a week, I've went to all of them for less.

Istanbul: there are loads of sites to see here, probably equivalent to Rome in terms of places I've been. Reasonably priced, great food. Get a Turkish Airlines flight and enjoy a bit more comfort than a budget airline.

Marrakech (maybe with Fez too): Budget airlines fly there, could get train between two I think. Both places are really different to Europe (and Istanbul). Could do a trip into Atlas mountains from Marrakech too. Loads of crazy things to photograph, like snakes charmers.

Yes, Marrakech is a place I’ve been thinking about.

[Archied]

7 hours ago, Tamworthram said:

OK, so for the first time that I can remember, my wife and I are struggling to agree as to where to go on holiday this year (apart from Northumberland in September).

My wife want to go to Paris for a week followed by a few days chilling out in Northern France (near Calais for an easy journey to the tunnel for coming home). I'm happy to go the Paris (we've been there numerous times but not for a few years) but that, followed by Northern France, doesn't quite feel like enough for our/my main holiday.

So, here's the thing, she doesn't like travelling much and I have muted the idea of me going away for a few days on my own in order to visit places that don't interest her and allows me to indulge a little in my photography hobby. I think I could just about convince her to let me go somewhere for a week in return for agreeing to her Paris idea.

I'm thinking of either an interesting city (not for nightlife and bars etc but for historic sites etc) or maybe an interesting area for scenery (and, again, maybe historic sites). I've done Paris (obviously), Rome, Venice, Verona, Florence, Bruges and Amsterdam.

Any suggestions folks? Not too far away though as it would only be a week.

Naples

[Tyler Durden]

Pisa - can spend a few hours there then get the train to the Cinque Terre one day then Siena another day.

Naples is another good shout as you can get the train to Pompeii and Herculaneum.

I know it sounds a bit far off but a flight to Cairo is only about 4-5 hours, due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza the flights there are dirt cheap I got a Wizzair flight from Luton return for 120 quid. 

Can then spend a day in Cairo/Giza then potentially get a flight to Luxor, I paid about 90 quid one way for an internal flight, is about an hour.

[TomBustler1884]

Warsaw, Krakow, Vienna, Carcassonne, Berlin, Munich, Swiss cities.

Alternatively, do Normandy. Tonnes of war-related places to visit, beaches, Honfleur, Caen, Pont Audemer.

Or the Loire Valley - beautiful scenery, castles, abbeys, royal burial sites.

[Tamworthram]

27 minutes ago, Tyler Durden said:

Pisa - can spend a few hours there then get the train to the Cinque Terre one day then Siena another day.

Naples is another good shout as you can get the train to Pompeii and Herculaneum.

I know it sounds a bit far off but a flight to Cairo is only about 4-5 hours, due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza the flights there are dirt cheap I got a Wizzair flight from Luton return for 120 quid. 

Can then spend a day in Cairo/Giza then potentially get a flight to Luxor, I paid about 90 quid one way for an internal flight, is about an hour.

Yes, I forgot. I’ve done Pisa as well but, as you say, it’s probably only justifies a few hours. Done Pompeii as well. Not sure about Naples after watching Gomorrah. Only kidding of course.

When we did Tuscany, I actually enjoyed Lucca much more than Florence. We didn’t make it to Sienna.

Edited March 20 by Tamworthram

[Tyler Durden]

1 minute ago, Tamworthram said:

Yes, I forgot. I’ve done Pisa as well but, as you say, it’s probably only justifies a few hours. Done Pompeii as well. Not sure about Naples after watching Gomorrah. Only kidding of course.

I didn't see Barcelona on your list of places already visited definitely worth at least a day there 

[Tamworthram]

Just now, Tyler Durden said:

I didn't see Barcelona on your list of places already visited definitely worth at least a day there 

Been to Barcelona but that was only a day trip and an awfully long time ago when I was only about 17. Probably worth another visit sometime.

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

11 hours ago, Tamworthram said:

OK, so for the first time that I can remember, my wife and I are struggling to agree as to where to go on holiday this year (apart from Northumberland in September).

My wife want to go to Paris for a week followed by a few days chilling out in Northern France (near Calais for an easy journey to the tunnel for coming home). I'm happy to go the Paris (we've been there numerous times but not for a few years) but that, followed by Northern France, doesn't quite feel like enough for our/my main holiday.

So, here's the thing, she doesn't like travelling much and I have muted the idea of me going away for a few days on my own in order to visit places that don't interest her and allows me to indulge a little in my photography hobby. I think I could just about convince her to let me go somewhere for a week in return for agreeing to her Paris idea.

I'm thinking of either an interesting city (not for nightlife and bars etc but for historic sites etc) or maybe an interesting area for scenery (and, again, maybe historic sites). I've done Paris (obviously), Rome, Venice, Verona, Florence, Bruges and Amsterdam.

Any suggestions folks? Not too far away though as it would only be a week.

My sister went to Croatia recently Dubrovnik and Zagreb and some place called Pula which has lots of Roman stuff.  She's pretty much been more places than Phileas Fogg and rated it very highly.  

[1of4]

Toured numerous European cities with many more still on my bucket list. But Berlin and Athens are first and second on the list of cities I'd happily revisit.