City Breaks

Faro might be known as the gateway to the Algarve, but there’s much to discover in the town itself. If you stick around to explore you will be surprise at what you will find.  A delightful mixture of Moorish remains and 18th-century Portuguese architecture, Faro’s cobbled streets and old city walls offer glorious sights wherever you turn.  And, with the temperatures still in the mid-20s throughout September, it’s the right place for those wanting a last minute summer get away.

If you’ve ever been to the Spanish capital of Madrid in the sweltering heat of summer, you’ll know that the idea of actually doing any sport there is enough to make you feel sick. “Nueve Messe de invierno, tres messe de infierno,” (nine months of winter, three months of hell) the locals say ruefully, before sinking another glass of iced water and fanning their face with a rolled-up copy of Marca – a local football magazine.

Norway’s cities offer much more than the more obvious city break destination they combine cosmopolitan culture with spectacular scenery and the great outdoors. So they are the best of both worlds, the city and the countryside.

Oslo, Norway’s buzzing, cosmopolitan capital epitomises Scandinavian chic with its trendy shops and restaurants and striking Italian marble Opera House which resembles a glacier sliding into the fjord.

What do you look for in your ideal city break? Well, if it’s just for a few days or the weekend, you must be able to get there quickly and easily.  The city also has to offer memorable experiences, amazing sights, great culture, wonderful cuisine, warm hospitality and tick all the boxes that make it a must visit destination. Because of its closeness to the UK and the rest of Europe, its great holiday experience or short break that won’t break the bank.

Dubai is the sort of place you think you know even if you’ve never been – it conjures up images of opulent hotels and towering sky scrapers.  Most of our experience of Dubai is a stopover destination; however, it is so much more. It has some of the most luxurious resorts - the world’s only seven star hotel, world class restaurants, pristine beaches and a great place for a family holiday.  Even if you choose to use it as a gateway to your next destination, make your next stopover a bit longer to enjoy what of what Dubai has to offer.

Irish hospitality is legendary – it even comes with its own vocabulary whether in Belfast to the north or Dublin to the south. Enjoying ‘the craic’ is part of the culture, and these cosmopolitan, cool and  charismatic capital cities charm the visitor with their history and heritage, good food, great nighlife, live music and amazing museums.  Plus, at this time of the year, there’s fantastic festive markets to add to the list.

One of the undeniable must-sees in the north is the state-of-the-art Titanic Belfast, housed in an iconic six-floor building, right beside the historic site of this world-famous ship’s construction.

Many of us might have saved all year to buy our love ones that special gift for Christmas or we want to treat ourselves for the hard work we have doing all year.  This year why not treat yourself and fill those stockings from the shopping mecca of Milan. I am sure those gifts will not find themselves in the charity shops or being passed on as gift the following year.

Milan might not have the charm of Florence or Venice but it is famous as a destination for designer shopping, it is also a treasure trove of quirky boutiques, tucked away down bohemian side streets.  Whether they are selling fashion, food or furniture they are mouth wateringly chic.  A trip to this austere Lombardy city for your Christmas shopping is worth every penny spent on a plate of pasta, designer handbag or clothes or even just taking in the atmosphere of the city.

Venice is Italy’s most romantic city and one of the jewel of the Adriatic.  Its glorious mix of Renaissance and Byzantine architecture, gondola-lined canals and beautiful bridges has inspired poets and painters through the ages.  For centuries Venice was one of the grandest cities in the world. Modern day Venice still is impressive, packed with lavish palaces, ornate churches and great works of art, and it wonderful watery landscape hasn’t changed much in three hundred years.

There is no generally accepted definition of what exactly Eastern Europe is. The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania often identify themselves as Northern European and seem keen to distance themselves culturally from their soviet past. At the southern end of the continent, in the Caucasus, it can be debated whether Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan should be geographically classed as a part of Eastern Europe, despite many of the population very definitely identifying themselves as European. Russia, of course, is mainly geographically in Asia, but its best-known cities, St Petersburg and Moscow, are firmly rooted, both culturally and geographically, within the traditions of Europe.