Best European city for weekend break?

[PaulB]

The Christmas present my wife wants is for me to book a city break somewhere in Europe. By that, I mean, SHE means, somewhere in Europe that will require the boarding of a plane. My choice is always Liverpool as I don't think there's anything better or more vibrant but she say no.

So which ones have you been to that you liked? I had the misfortune to suggest to a colleague I was thinking of Prague but he began by outlining its shortcomings and ended up declaring his personal fatwa on the place, he hated it so much.

We like music, lots and lots of live stuff (modern, none of that pretentious German warbling), good food but not too fancy-pantsy, a vibrant city centre with lots to see and lots to do. And reasonable weather for late Feb/early March.

Amsterdam, Venice, Barcelona and Vilnius are out due to either having been and not liking, or crime levels.

 

[TVC]

Nice. Close to an airport and reasonably cheap to stay. Monaco is a quick bus ride east, and Cannes is the same going west.

 

[vernon]

Budapest. Great food, shopping, thermal baths, bars, museums and galleries.

Spent the last three days of my summer tour there and was reluctant to leave the place.

 

[ceepeebee]

san sebastian - my favourite city in europe (excluding UK)

 

[Archie_tect]

You didn't mention Paris... ?

 

[PaulB]

Nice. Close to an airport and reasonably cheap to stay. Monaco is a quick bus ride east, and Cannes is the same going west.

That's in my personal top three and could well win. The other one I'm thinking of is Brugges. Anyone been?

 

[PaulB]

Budapest. Great food, shopping, thermal baths, bars, museums and galleries.

Spent the last three days of my summer tour there and was reluctant to leave the place.

Went there for work one time. Silvio Berlusconi was staying in the same hotel. We were all in agreement though that in the five days we were there, we didn't have one decent meal despite the efforts of the staff looking after us. We stayed in the Kaplinski or something like that.

 

[PaulB]

[QUOTE 2210211, member: 259"]It's really nice but it's really very small and it's not 'vibrant', and the weather's not very good in Flanders in your chosen months.[/quote]
And people from there say they don't have a language, they have a throat disease! I've been told that by several Flemish and Dutch speakers themselves!

 

[vernon]

Went there for work one time. Silvio Berlusconi was staying in the same hotel. We were all in agreement though that in the five days we were there, we didn't have one decent meal despite the efforts of the staff looking after us. We stayed in the Kaplinski or something like that.

You were unlucky with the food. Me and my touring partner loved the street food, cafe food and restaurant food nothing duff at all.

 

[PaulB]

You were unlucky with the food. Me and my touring partner loved the street food, cafe food and restaurant food nothing duff at all.

No, it was a unanimous vote from more than 50 people over five days (a company kick-off meeting) and the biggest complaints came from our American contingent. To get something palatable, we would sneak out at lunchtime and go to McDonalds, THAT'S how bad we found the grub. And we didn't get a decent beer either, as I recall. For January though, the weather was warm and sunny.

 

[Hacienda71]

Krakow. I went for new year and it was minus 15. So the weather may rule it out for you.

Rome was also excellent but pricey. You can do a lot on foot as the historic city area is quite compact. The Pantheon is a real eye opener. The temperature was fine for t shirts in December.

 

[gavgav]

Bruges or Dublin for me. Bruges was simply gorgeous, but probably better nearer Christmas to take advantage of the Xmas markets. Dublin is nice, plenty to see, but try and stay somewhere near the centre. We stayed at Holiday Inn which I thought was central but was in fact a LONG walk to the main areas!! Hated Amsterdam, other than a gorgeous Chinese restaurant on the water.

 

[dellzeqq]

Paul.......you want culture, you want excitement, you want great architecture, great art, , great music, history, fine walks, a diverse population bent on fun and adventure and an equable climate - there is only one answer to your question........

London

 

[dellzeqq]

(oh, Dublin and Nice are so-so.....)

 

[PaulB]

Krakow. I went for new year and it was minus 15. So the weather may rule it out for you.

Rome was also excellent but pricey. You can do a lot on foot as the historic city area is quite compact. The Pantheon is a real eye opener. The temperature was fine for t shirts in December.

Sorry, should have included Rome in the 'won't be going' list. Had some serious grief there in the past and the last time I went was to another company kick-off meeting and I was robbed by a taxi driver who pulled a knife on me when I gave him the quoted cost to the airport and tried to walk away. And that wasn't the first time knives have been pulled on me in Rome, either. And then several of us had our credit cards cloned by what was identified as the hotel's card machine. So Rome is a no-go for me.