Help planning first solo holiday!

Lon3xplorer

Hi everybody, new MSE here.
I'm planning to go away for the weekend sometime in October just for a short break as I've been meaning to have one for ages but never had the courage to try going on my own. The only problem is: I don't know how to plan any of this; I've never been on a holiday on my own before and it's impossible to know where to start. I've been thinking of Belfast as it's a fairly large city close to the UK by flight and that it should be good for a short long weekend.
I've got no idea of how to plan any of this- what's cheapest and easiest in terms of booking flights/ hotel without too much stress/ trouble.
So far, I've looked at flights, they seem pretty reasonable but trying to work out a budget (I've got a fairly decent amount but I'm trying to make sure I save for next year too!). I'm looking at cheap but cheerful.
Hope this makes sense and thanks in advance.

I'm hoping to go on a small sightseeing tour of the city and see a few landmarks, nothing too epic. Any recommendations for simple, no trouble touring companies?

siobhantravels

I work in travel so hopefully I can offer some useful advice!
If you want to stay close, Edinburgh is lovely in the autumn and there's plenty to do, even on your own. Dublin is also great for a long weekend away and you find that most people don't plan their itinerary in advance but just wander through the city and soak up the atmosphere - great if you want something laidback.

If you want to go further afield, Bruges in Belgium is very beautiful and quaint with lots of history (and amazing Belgian waffles), plus it's not too far away. The locals are really friendly and most of them speak English if you're worried about the language barrier.

In terms of booking, you have a couple of options. Budget airlines are the best choice if you don't want to break the bank and airbnb is good for accommodaiton on a budget. On the other hand you could try TransferTravel.com where you can buy other people's holidays that they can't use anymore, which means your trip is planned ahead for you.

Not sure if this is what you're looking for but let me know if you have any questions. Hope it helps!

NelliePie

Sky scanner is great for looking at flights as you can look at a wide variety of options.

Also I'd recommend using websites such as trivago/laterooms/booking.com to search for hotels and find one you like in your price range but then try to contact the hotel directly rather than book through these sites as sometimes the price is slightly inflated.

Good luck!

ETA: Don;t forget that if you're booking your own flights and hotel, you'll need to sort out a transfer. In Belfast that's pretty easy as there are plenty of taxis at the airport and won't cost too much as the city isn't huge and the airport is close. If you go somewhere else make sure to factor that in.