UK City Break Ideas

Best of British: the UK city break

The start of a new year means it’s time to hash out our travel plans for the coming 12 months, and as I prepare to move to Dubai in a few weeks (eek!), I’ve been thinking about the things I’ll miss about Britain. Having been brought up on an island, I’ve really enjoyed living on the ‘Mainland’ for the past five years because the UK has so many ideal city break destinations.

My heart will always yearn for warmer countries, but you have to give it to good ole’ Blighty: it’s easy to see a lot of it in a short amount of time. Hopping onto the train after work on a Friday evening with your overnight bag and a few cans of G&T is so quintessentially British, and I’ll miss the ease of visiting different cities when I desert England for the desert. See what I did there?

I think that in the battle to balance work and wanderlust, UK city breaks are vital for our health and we should all do our best to escape our everyday reality once in a while.

My three favourite places in the UK for a city break

A Luxury break in London

No article about UK cities would be complete without Londres. I’ve only visited London three times so far, but I have the feeling that I could go back again and again and still never run out of things to do and see. Last time I was there, I gazed into the window of a chocolate restaurant and made a mental note to return and sample the menu one day. London is actually the only place I’ve visited ‘Down South’, which needs to change!

A weekend of shopping in York

I’ll always sing this cute city’s praises. Where else can you stroll around feeling like a (hopefully) slightly less bushy haired Hermione Grainger? Yep, amble down The Shambles in York and you will literally feel like you’ve stepped into Hogsmeade. Betty’s Tea Rooms are a must for your York city break itinerary, and a visit to the exquisite York Minster is also compulsory.

Where to stay

Tom and I stayed at Marmadukes Town House Hotel last year when we were in York and had the most romantic city break.  The four poster bed made me feel like Sara in A Little Princess, and the breakfast was unreal. Read my review of Marmadukes Hotel in York.

Experiencing Scotland’s finest in Edinburgh

Oh Edinburgh, I miss you so. Your cobbled streets where the wind carries the faintest aroma of the breweries and the unmistakable sound of bagpipes, your skeletal architecture that never fails to blow me away and the warm welcome in your many pubs. There are so many reasons to visit Edinburgh for a city break, and it’s lively all year round – not just during the famous Fringe Festival.

Where to stay

I’ve always told myself that the day I can check in to The Balmoral for a luxurious city break is the day I’ve made it in life. I walked past the imposing building every day while I was a student in Edinburgh and it just symbolises pure decadence to me. Maybe one day, eh?

Other places in the UK that make for the perfect city break: Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds and Newcastle. I feel like I should list every city in the UK so as not to offend anyone, but this is the best I can do I’m afraid! I haven’t been everywhere but rest assured, your city is on my list.

Do you have any weekend getaways scheduled for the year ahead? I’m always on the hunt for new UK destinations to visit, so let me know if there’s someplace special to you. I’d love to add it to my list!

Click here to join my UK Travel Deals group on Facebook. We share lots of great ways to save money on UK trips and fun ideas for days out and places to visit in the UK.

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This is a collaborative post but all views, wanderlust and words are of course my own.