Hubby is 30, what to buy???

VestanPance

Prague is nice, but sections of the old city have been ruined over the last decade with the hen night/stag night culture and numerous strip bars that surround much it. It's still worth seeing.

Paris is romantic. Cheap to get to from the UK and if you shop around accommodation can be cheap too. The city itself can be fairly expensive though, but like anywhere else it can be done cheaply if you wish.

Berlin is a great city to explore. Plenty to see and do is actually surprisingly cheap for food and drink a major European capital. I really like the Mitte area of the city for staying in.

Amsterdam can be nice. Like Prague parts of it suffer for the sex/dopehead culture, but if you stay near Vondel Park and the Museumplien area it's very nice and a walk along the canals and exploring the Jordaan would make for a lovely autumn.

Depending on what your local airport is you can often get cheap flights to Nice. Once again not the cheapest once you are there, but a good place to explore and Monaco and Cannes are easily assessable.

Worth keeping an eye on things like Airbnb for apartment rentals too. It can often work out cheaper than hotels. I'd also suggest pricing the flights/hotels etc up individually. More often than not it'll work out cheaper and better than the packages offered.

johnandkymberley

Thanks everyone, lots of suggestions!

Our nearest airport is East Midlands

Budget is about £500+spending money, which is or can be unlimited but would like somewhere cheap to eat out and shop etc

One person Christmas sounds lovely BUT it might be more expensive

Would also like 5 or 7 nights really

Thanks again for your help

Elmiee_2

My fiancee turned 30 on 15th December We took the 2 hour drive down to his hometown in wales to have a meal with his family, had balloons, surprise cake etc and I got him a gold chain bracelet, an inflatable zimmer frame (for sale if you want one lmao) and a really cheap but lovely personlized gift of all things that happened on his birthdate back in 1982! Came with a top 20 number one tracks of the year too so I just bought a frame and looks really nice can PM if you want the link, was only 1.99 inc P&P!

As for holiday wise how about somewhere like Iceland - can see the northern lights and they have nice bars, lovely countryside, the hot springs you can go in etc! Or are you looking for somewhere warmer?

neneromanova

I went to Rome a couple of years ago in September and it was very cheap. That's because it's starting to get "colder" and less touristy.

I went on my Honeymoon in October to Sorrento for a week. It was cheap then as well as I got a last minute AI package. It was obviously "colder" than September, but the temps were still 22oC :rotfl: The nights were chilly though.

I would definitely say go to Rome though. It's lovely and the people are amazing Check Groupon as they have trips to Rome for £200 for 2 people sometimes. Especially at the time you were thinking of going

http://getaways.groupon.co.uk/

Here's a Rome one already, but obviously has to be booked before March travel. But do keep you eye on the site http://getaways.groupon.co.uk/d-15033739-Rome

My OH is 30 next year. Not sure what to get him. I was thinking of getting him his Bike Licence as he's always wanted to ride, but they've changed the law so it'll take him 2 years now.

Nottoobadyet

I'd vote for Berlin - not cliche romantic, but very fun and accessible, and quite reasonable compared to Amsterdam or Paris. Scotland can also be very romantic, and affordable - say a Edinburgh then a train out to Loch Lomond etc?

I took my OH to Zanzibar for his 30th (we live in Uganda, so its not as extravagant as it sounds!) and he still talks about how great the surprise was so its definitely worth it

aileth

Another vote for Berlin (apart from a lot of the sights can be a bit of a downer.) I went end of October last year and it cost me for three nights inc lufthansa direct flights approx £300 in a three star in Charlottenburg just around the corner from the underground. That was with Thomas Cook.

DS4215

Some more to consider - depending on your budget and preferences:

Vienna
Stockholm (expensive though)
Sousse (Tunisia)
Dublin

I would also recommend Berlin too - fantastic city

pulliptears

We were a bit skint when OH turned 40 so didn't do a lot, I did give him a little gift box though and inside it was 40 hand picked Love Heart sweets.

He loved it

ktb

Budapest is a tiny bit like Prague & would be cheaper re: travel & accom. The mineral baths are fantastic & not weather dependant.

I echo signing up for travelzoo emails - their weekly top 20 often has good city breaks.

gingin_2

Another one for Berlin. I was looking at flights for us and they are very reasonable, as are hotels. It's supposed to be a very "in" city.

I wasn't very enamoured with Bruges but perhaps that was just me.