Help please- 50th Birthday city break.Your fav city break?

x__Indigo_x

Hi all,

My mum is the big 50 in mid dec and as a treat the whole family want to pull together and pay for her and my dad to go for a 2 night (probably) city break maybe end of feb? ( xmas she will have no money and jan is always a struggle) As daughter i have been put in charge of organising it.:p

she has never been to any European city so any suggestions will be taken into account...obv being on MSE i want it cheap as possible

They can travel any days...not just weekend.

First ideas i had was Rome? Madrid?
Dont think Paris as too expensive?

They are very relaxed and LOVE sitting with a coffee people watching/browsing local markets then having a meal outside and sitting for a few hours before heading back to bed.

Can anyone recommend a city break? What was your favorite city break? Where did you stay?

Thank you so much! help make my mums 50th one to remember!:T xx

EDIT : after all that has happened me mum really wants to go away been 9th dec- 13th dec- for two nights .

It can be UK- YORK? London? Or europe city break.

I reallllllllllllly reallly need help to find somewhere cheap ish.... Ive looked at Edinburgh and looks about £150 for return trains and £72 for travelodge. London I cant find hotels cheapish :S

Ideally i think she would prefer somewhere like Prague or somewhere cold with christmasy markets so they can stroll around and just have mulled wine hehe

xx

luci

Have you considered Barcelona? It's a great city with loads to do.

I would also dismiss Paris. Although it is also a great city, it is very expensive to eat and drink there.

Obviously_the_best

I really like Budapest, just right I thought. Not too busy, but not too quiet.

You could try Instanbul as well. They're both lovely cities.

For flights, https://www.skyscanner.net is really useful, and for hotels, https://www.hotels4u.com are great.

Doshwaster

I really like Lisbon - it's like a smaller and cheaper version of Barcelona and with far fewer pickpockets. The only problem is that it is quite hilly so maybe not ideal if your parents have mobility problems.

Valencia is also nice for the weekend. It has one of the oldest medeival centres in Europe, excellent public transport and a decent beach.

Personally, I prefer Madrid to Barcelona. The captial may not have the achitecture or the beach of it's Catalan cousin but it just feels more laid back and less of a tourist rip-off place - plus they speak "proper" Spanish there

knightstyle

My wife arranged a surprise trip to Berlin for my B'day. Great choice, lots to do and see with great shows in the evenings, we were warn out after 5 days but still say it was great.

vivatifosi

If you're looking to go in Winter, I'd look in southern Europe and pick a city that has plenty to do even if it rains.

Lisbon is a great choice, particularly if you're able to take a side trip to Sintra, which is my DH's favourite little town on the planet. Barcelona is lovely too and there's plenty to do on a rainy day if you don't get lucky with the weather.

cabbage

HI

I had to check for a minute you were not my child as I will be 50 in mid December lol!

I really love Barcelona and also Dublin. Dublin might be a bit cold in mid December.

Barcelona has a unique feel to it. Friendly and local but also cosmopolitan too. There is the beach, the architecture and everything is fairly easy to get to. We used the hop on/hop off buses to get a feel of the place and then they can plan where they want to re visit or stop off.

Having said that, a weekend away anywhere will do. Just being away from home with someone else doing the cooking and washing up is heaven.

totallybored

Istanbul! It's my favourite city in Europe. Loads to do and quite cheap once you're there. As the OPs parents like markets there is the Grand Bazaar and the spice market. Loads of cafes and coffee shops for people watching, the fish stalls on an evening down by the ferries are great for fish sandwiches and people watching too.

Other cites I love are Lisbon (great custard tarts and bars!), Amsterdam (what's not to like), Berlin (good bars) and Milan (good handbag shopping!).

I wouldn't recommend Paris, Dublin or Venice as they're expensive. I also prefer Madrid over Barcelona (less tourists and pickpockets and better galleries) and Feb is probably a bit too cold for Eastern Europe.

If getting Eurostar, Cologne is not bad for a few days or Antwerp for something a bit less touristy.

x__Indigo_x

thank you all for the response...cabbage i know my mum isnt on MSE so unless i have two mummys hehe!

my mum and dad have no mobility problems , they love walking

i hadnt even thought of istanbul...only because the travel time seems far just for 3 days/2 nights??

xx

I

moneysavvy35

I'll also chime in with Barcelona...loved this city - also been to Madrid which I loved, but prefer Barcelona for the beaches. My favourite city break for people watching and sipping coffee was Athens, such a lovely city, has the old and new. coffee bars, architecture, beach life (30mins on tram). Been thier twice during the so called riots and was no problems whatsover. If you were ever to consider this please don't take too much on re the negative press!!

I myself am looking at a taking a city break and am now looking at either Rome or Malta - they seem really nice.but can't comment if they are nice or not. Malta may be up your parents street.

x__Indigo_x

i have just had a quick look and can fly easyjet tues 26th-thurs 28th £90 return arriving about 3.20pm and leaving similar times.

new question - is two nights enough??

hotel i looked at the top on on tripadvisor? - Artrip Hotel ? about £120 for two nights.

edit barcelona seems much more expensive hotel wise?

x