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Weekend break ideas...

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited January 2023 in General Chat
Looking for suggestions for weekend break ideas, must be a low cost airline destination if possible or even the UK.

just looking for ideas.

ruling out amsterdam, prague, riga, and bratislava. already been there.

i will be going with the lady so will need to be couple friendly.

considering venice, milan, barcelona or vienna.

been to barcelona years back, and vienna recently, but didnt really see much of vienna due to being too pissed all the time and found it rather expensive, but open to suggestions.

:thumb:
Post edited by JustV on
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was going to say Amsterdam but then I saw you ruled it out... couldn't hurt to go again though, amazing place...

    Other than that, Salzburg or Innsbruck in Austria for the weekend would be nice although you'd really need more time to explore the beautiful countryside and the Alps that surround the cities.
    I went to Venice for a weekend with my parents and I had a great time, stick away from the really touristy areas if you can, too many crowds. Go and visit the more secluded and in my opinion more beautiful areas of Venice.
    Munich is a great city to visit aswell, beautiful buildings, the Alps in the distance, loads of beer halls including the Hofbrauhaus which is absolutely huge and definately something you need to experience.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Venice, Rome, Milan, Paris.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Granada in Andalucia, Southern Spain.

    Ryanair flies there, not that many tourists, there's a very old quarter protected by the world heritage organisation. You can visit the Alhambra which is beautiful. Cheap, loads of nice tapas bars, restaurants, clubs etc.

    I had a lovely time there and want to go back, think it would be great as a romantic break.

    Oh and if you want to you can go to the costa del sol to the beach in about an hour, or to Gibraltar (if you really want some fish and chips and beer!)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I would just get on the Ryanair website and check where your nearest Ryanair airport flies to. If you are planning to go anytime soon, getting accommodation shouldn't be a problem as the schools aren't off so just see where the cheapest flights are going!

    If you choose to go with Ryanair though- just make sure you check how far the airport is from the city that you are going, you don't want to waste time and extra money on that.

    I personally recommend Gothenburg as it is only about 20 minutes from the airport to the city on the bus.

    Good luck finding somewhere nice!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Right!

    i am of the opinion that nearly everywhere can be made romantic as long as you are with the right person and don't book a terrible hotel.

    However my suggestions of top places to go and visit are as follows

    Paris - terribly predictable but actually really lovely
    Warsaw - you can fly there on Wizz from Liverpool and hotels are really reasonable
    Graz - Ryanair
    Verona - go and hang out in Romeo and Juliette Land - fly to brescia on ryanair or verona with BA
    Lubijana - wizz and easy jet - but can also get there easily from trieste - below
    Koln - gernam wings
    Seville - I think easyjete but I might be wrong
    Trieste - ryanair
    Nimes - ryanair.

    I have also heard good things about Berlin and Munich.

    However I would really advise starting by seeing where you can get cheap flights to and then seeing if you can find a nice hotel in budget.

    Good places for finding good hotels are to look for deals of hotel and flight togeather - plus also the hotel things on the cheap airlines websites - but

    i-escape
    escapio - for spain and italy
    silence hotels - for france
    Logis hotels - for france
    Plus the usual expedia etc etc - alpharooms is usually the cheapest but has the crappest photos etc etc.

    xxxxx
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Where would you be flying from? On the off-chance that you might be flying from Bristol you can go via easyjet to two of my favourite cities - Madrid and Hamburg :heart:

    I'm not sure if you've been to either before, but both are an absolute must if you haven't.

    Hamburg has a touch of the Amsterdam/Eastern Europe laid-back vibe (very cutting-edge in parts, lots of bohemian types) while not being as overexposed and full of arseholes from Byker ;) It can be very romantic and lovely for couples - there are so many different areas of the city so it covers every type of ground imaginable and it is all set around two lakes surrounded by fantastic architecture. There are loads of daft things to do like riding bikes through the tunnel under the River Elbe and outdoor-indoor skiing (difficult to describe). There are loads of harbour boat tours etc you can do, and there's a really good zoo too. Depending on how long you're there can take a short train journey [dead cheap, too] to the northern coast of Germany, specifically St. Peter-Ording which is this fantastic windswept beach. They have huge parties and festivals there in Spring and Summer or if you go at a quiet time it's just you, the sand, the sea, the view over to Denmark and the odd van selling fish frikadellen. Obviously if you want to party, Hamburg has the Reeperbahn which shits all over Amsterdam in my opinion. It's not remotely seedy (unless you start venturing down winding backstreets) and has the craziest clubs and pubs I've ever been in. If you do ever go then there is a club/bar by the docks at Landungsbrucken/St Pauli called The Golden Pudel. We used to stay there until the sun went up and then wander down to the Fischmarkt for coffee and rolls. Them were the days, can you tell I miss it :razz:

    Madrid, on the other hand has so much to see and do, and is just one of those places that it is essential to experience.

    If you went to either of these places or anywhere in Germany [or Sweden for that matter] and need a hotel rec. then give me a yell :thumb:

    I loved Venice but I remember it getting a real slagging on here, I guess it depends on where you go, stay etc as Wyetry said.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    briggi wrote:

    Hamburg has a touch of the Amsterdam/Eastern Europe laid-back vibe (very cutting-edge in parts, lots of bohemian types) while not being as overexposed and full of arseholes from Byker ;) It can be very romantic and lovely for couples - there are so many different areas of the city so it covers every type of ground imaginable and it is all set around two lakes surrounded by fantastic architecture. There are loads of daft things to do like riding bikes through the tunnel under the River Elbe and outdoor-indoor skiing (difficult to describe). There are loads of harbour boat tours etc you can do, and there's a really good zoo too. Depending on how long you're there can take a short train journey [dead cheap, too] to the northern coast of Germany, specifically St. Peter-Ording which is this fantastic windswept beach. They have huge parties and festivals there in Spring and Summer or if you go at a quiet time it's just you, the sand, the sea, the view over to Denmark and the odd van selling fish frikadellen. Obviously if you want to party, Hamburg has the Reeperbahn which shits all over Amsterdam in my opinion. It's not remotely seedy (unless you start venturing down winding backstreets) and has the craziest clubs and pubs I've ever been in. If you do ever go then there is a club/bar by the docks at Landungsbrucken/St Pauli called The Golden Pudel. We used to stay there until the sun went up and then wander down to the Fischmarkt for coffee and rolls. Them were the days, can you tell I miss it :razz:


    Now I love Germany and Austria with all my heart, but I wasn't too fond of Hamburg. It was a fun city to visit, don't get me wrong, but I much preferred Munich, Bremen, Berlin and Koln.
    Oh, and the Reeperbahn does not shit all over Amsterdam ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Oh and I forgot to mention Copenhagen, great place.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    briggi wrote:
    I loved Venice but I remember it getting a real slagging on here, I guess it depends on where you go, stay etc as Wyetry said.

    I loved venice as well - I thought it was lovely - however I have failed to persuade the other half to take me there as yet - but I really want to go!

    Oh and also I forgot sophia - you can fly there on wizz as well and I have heard its great!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    briggi wrote:

    I loved Venice but I remember it getting a real slagging on here, I guess it depends on where you go, stay etc as Wyetry said.

    I also remember it getting a real slagging and I'll say now what I said then.
    Tourists that go to Venice always flock to the stupid sights like St Marks square. Yeah I guess if you go to Venice you have to see these places, but don't spend too long there because the masses will piss you off. Also don't bother queing up for anything because you know you'll get ripped off anyway.
    The REAL Venice is away from all the crowds, the quiet canals with locals going fishing and the little secluded restaurants. Stunning stuff.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well, pill 'ed, each to their own I guess :p I lived and worked in Cologne for four months and I thought it was very dull indeed compared to Hamburg [and Berlin, but I didn't mention that as I don't think it's the best for couples].

    Northern Germany [in particular the extremes like Hamburg] has a far different identity and attitude to the south - more Scandinavian I would say (particularly quite similar to parts of Denmark). I really didn't like the atmosphere in Munich and Bavaria anywhere near as much [parochial], though I adore Austria - funny, that, I guess. I (and other people I know who know both cities) do think Hamburg is very similar to Newcastle in a lot of ways, so I suppose that has quite a bit to do with why I took to it so much. I will also say - having lived there - you have a much better experience of a place when you know where to go and what the craic really is. I lived above Burger King on the Reeperbahn - you don't get much more front and centre than that. Obviously everyone has different experiences of cities but I would say that people who visit both and maintain that the 'Dam is better than Hamburg probably went to the wrong places. It has everything that Amsterdam has and more except its "coffee shops" (the lamest aspect of Amsterdam, imo) :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    briggi wrote:

    Northern Germany [in particular the extremes like Hamburg] has a far different identity and attitude to the south - more Scandinavian I would say (particularly quite similar to parts of Denmark). I really didn't like the atmosphere in Munich and Bavaria anywhere near as much [parochial], though I adore Austria - funny, that, I guess. I (and other people I know who know both cities) do think Hamburg is very similar to Newcastle in a lot of ways, so I suppose that has quite a bit to do with why I took to it so much. I will also say - having lived there - you have a much better experience of a place when you know where to go and what the craic really is. I lived above Burger King on the Reeperbahn - you don't get much more front and centre than that. Obviously everyone has different experiences of cities but I would say that people who visit both and maintain that the 'Dam is better than Hamburg probably went to the wrong places. It has everything that Amsterdam has and more except its "coffee shops" (the lamest aspect of Amsterdam, imo) :thumb:

    Very true I suppose, I mean to be fair I only spent about 2 days in Hamburg whereas I spent alot longer in the other cities.
    I stayed with a family in Elmshorn, Shleswig-Holstein and I stayed with a family in Fussen, Bavaria and I much preferred Bavaria but I did stay there for longer and I'm used to Austria and Bavaria.
    I loved Munich and Berlin the most out of all the cities, I would like to visit Hamburg again and spend a bit longer there, but the time I did spend there I couldn't really find anywhere to go, I had a tour of the buildings on the docks and it was so boring. But in my opinion, you can't beat the scenery of Bavaria and Austria.

    :shocking: Coffee shops, lame?
    Nooo, they come second place, along with the clubs, after the legal Mushrooms! :yes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    pill 'ed wrote:
    The REAL Venice is away from all the crowds, the quiet canals with locals going fishing and the little secluded restaurants. Stunning stuff.

    Bien sur with Venice as in all other places you need to throw the badecker into the ayer

    Which reminds me - how about florence!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    pill 'ed wrote:
    Very true I suppose, I mean to be fair I only spent about 2 days in Hamburg whereas I spent alot longer in the other cities.
    I stayed with a family in Elmshorn, Shleswig-Holstein and I stayed with a family in Fussen, Bavaria and I much preferred Bavaria but I did stay there for longer and I'm used to Austria and Bavaria.
    I loved Munich and Berlin the most out of all the cities, I would like to visit Hamburg again and spend a bit longer there, but the time I did spend there I couldn't really find anywhere to go, I had a tour of the buildings on the docks and it was so boring. But in my opinion, you can't beat the scenery of Bavaria and Austria.

    Nah, I see your point, Hamburg is a difficult one to find your groove in. I remember when I arrived there myself thinking "what the fuck?". I was lucky that my brother had been living there for two years already and we're into the same stuff, so he knew the craic. Those were some mad times, back in the day. I had fun in Munich but it just wasn't quite my thing, and I thought the nightlife was a bit... flat, for want of a better word. Berlin is another story entirely, what a mad, mad place :D

    With Amsterdam the coffee shops in themselves are ok, but they're not very entertaining for very long, I just find it a bit pathetic when that's all Amsterdam is about for a lot of people. Amsterdam is beautiful and interesting (and very romantic, actually, I have to say) so it's just a bit of a shame that the long shadow of drugs pushes that all into insignifigance for 99% of tourists there. Oh, you have to go to The Golden Pudel before you claim that the clubs there are better than Hamburg by the way. It's half-dingy-little-backstreet-club and half al-fresco dancefloor/all-round den of debauchery out on the docks.

    Florence would be fantastic, and Rome is obviously very beautiful and interesting too but we had our eyeballs torn out through our arseholes in terms of prices and generally being ripped off. Our own stupid faults though, obviously, just have to be on the ball :(
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    briggi wrote:
    With Amsterdam the coffee shops in themselves are ok, but they're not very entertaining for very long, I just find it a bit pathetic when that's all Amsterdam is about for a lot of people.

    Yeah I see what you mean there. I think the Anne Frank house is a must to anyone visiting Amsterdam, a really quite emotional place. But as you said, most of the tourists ignore it, and the Van Gough museum and smoke their holiday away in the Grasshopper.
    Not only do the Grasshopper and the Bulldog's sell shit quality weed at high prices but as you say, there is so much more to the city.
    There are some really beautiful canals with some really nice restaurants, interesting museums, beautiful architecture and the clubs are insane in the membrane.
    Then of course there is the Red light district where you can go to eye up (or in some people's cases, sleep with) prostitutes, have a wank over some porn in a sex shop or risk getting mugged by buying some Cocaine or Ecstasy from the sreet dealers, which is so easy to get hold of, it's funny.
    The coffee shops are great, but as you said, don't entertain you all day. The biggest problem I found in Amsterdam was getting so mashed in the coffee shops that I had to force myself to go out clubbing in the evening or to visit anything (easily solved with a few lines and pills though). The best coffee shops are the smaller one's, just outside the city centre. Fuck the Grasshopper and fuck the Bulldog's.
    The mushrooms are where it's at though :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i can fly from any airport up here or near the ladies so we've got a choice of:

    Liverpool, manchester, doncaster, birmingham, leeds, bristol, cardiff. so should be somewhere nice to go.

    i fancy Poland myself, but im not sure the missus would be up for that unless i went for a top notch 5* place. The ww2 stuff over there would be very appealing to me...hmmmm

    obviously has the cheapness factor too

    germany is a good shout, i think i'd go for Berlin or munich if i was going there tho, im gonna look into that one.

    im ruling madrid out now, one of the lads from work went there and hated it with a passion and he's a similar person to myself, we usually like the same sort of places. probably wouldnt go anywhere in spain except Barcelona if im honest.

    Paris would be ok, but she's been and ive heard its dear.

    good ideas people, keep them going.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    koe_182 wrote:

    germany is a good shout, i think i'd go for Berlin or munich if i was going there tho, im gonna look into that one.
    :thumb: You'll have a great time in both of those. Although if you're taking your partner, then I think Munich is more romantic.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    pill 'ed wrote:
    :thumb: You'll have a great time in both of those. Although if you're taking your partner, then I think Munich is more romantic.

    cheers man, i'll take that into account...ive been the majority of places i want to go, so i'll come up with a few ideas and let her choose i think. obviously with some persuasion from myself ;)

    hope she doesnt read this now....
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    My friends had a good time in Dublin last month. I would have gone too if I hadn't had to work. :grump:
  • BunnieBunnie Posts: 6,099 Master Poster
    koe_182 wrote:
    cheers man, i'll take that into account...ive been the majority of places i want to go, so i'll come up with a few ideas and let her choose i think. obviously with some persuasion from myself ;)

    hope she doesnt read this now....

    READ!!

    I do love the way you know me so well, I will not be going to Poland unless we have a VERY nice hotel. So far though, I do like all of the suggestions, but pretty much anywhere we go, I would like a nice hotel.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    briggi wrote:
    Well, pill 'ed, each to their own I guess :p I lived and worked in Cologne for four months and I thought it was very dull indeed compared to Hamburg [and Berlin, but I didn't mention that as I don't think it's the best for couples].

    I dunno, I love Berlin and finally got my boyfriend to go over there with me for a few days and we had a whale of a time. We stayed in a double room in the CityStay hostel for EUR50 a night - it was right by Alexanderplatz. There's lots to do, including coupley things (a meal up the TV tower is always good for a romantic evening), more museums and galleries than you can shake a stick at, cheap restaurants and bars (check out the 'happy hours' that last all night!) and - if the weather's passable - the walking tours of Berlin are fantastic. Go go go!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bunnie wrote:
    I do love the way you know me so well, I will not be going to Poland unless we have a VERY nice hotel. So far though, I do like all of the suggestions, but pretty much anywhere we go, I would like a nice hotel.

    I dunno, as long as it's nice and clean and preferably with en-suite and/or shower, as you'll be spending much of the time sight-seeing, sleeping or shagging, you probably won't be in any hotel long enough to really appreciate any perks of luxury. And in most posh hotels (I mean the posh chain ones) the breakfasts are rediculously expensive, whereas smaller local ones will probably include continental breckie. As I said in the previous post, it's also worth have ing a look for the hostels that do double rooms.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bunnie wrote:
    READ!!

    I do love the way you know me so well, I will not be going to Poland unless we have a VERY nice hotel. So far though, I do like all of the suggestions, but pretty much anywhere we go, I would like a nice hotel.

    i didn't know you 2 went out?! :o
  • BunnieBunnie Posts: 6,099 Master Poster
    i didn't know you 2 went out?! :o
    yup :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    aww!!

    since when?!

    :D:heart:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Rome, Brugge (sp? -Belgium anyway)
  • BunnieBunnie Posts: 6,099 Master Poster
    aww!!

    since when?!

    :D:heart:
    its been over 8 months now :D Im very happy (but sshh dont tell him that :p)

    icey wrote:
    Rome, Brugge (sp? -Belgium anyway)



    I have heard it is nice actually, and I have an odd feeling I have been before...its not really up to me however, it is up to him! :razz:
    Rome would be nice, but I can imagine it to be rather expensive!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Brugge is actually really nice, strange being such a pretty city in Belgium :razz:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    well i thought oh they seem friendly but i never realised when you mentioned your other halves that you meant eachother! yay! :hyper:
  • BunnieBunnie Posts: 6,099 Master Poster
    well i thought oh they seem friendly but i never realised when you mentioned your other halves that you meant eachother! yay! :hyper:
    Aww I am glad you are pleased, I still feel a bit odd occassionally...I have never done anything like this before (ie meeting randoms off the internet :p) but it has all worked out well :D
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