city break in january - cheap!!

iwannagoonstric

hey, my boyf is turning 30 in Jan and I would like to take him away for a few days. I can fly from NI or Dub, and any city really in Europe would be good. He's been around though,

SuperStarHoney

I love the eastern european cities, Prague, Krakow, Budapest etc. All depends on the type of city break you're looking for. If you didn't want to go too far a field, Edinburgh is a fantastic city and has a great variety of things to offer.

Seillejet

Madrid, Marseille and Amsterdam would propably be my top three.

Oh and London is pretty cool too without costing the earth.

iwannagoonstric

thanks. i know he has been to Amsterdam, Prague, Krakov already. I might look into Edinburgh. I was thinkin Rome but all the sites and museums might be closed in January? Does anyone know?

Quint

What about Cologne? I'm heading around that time, you should get a nice central 5 star hotel for under €100 per room per night too.
But Edinburgh is fantastic, you can't go wrong with it, might even get some snow

Edit: for cologne you'll fly to dusselforf, but the train brings you straight from the airport to Cologne city centre

ncmc

iwannagoonstric wrote: »

thanks. i know he has been to Amsterdam, Prague, Krakov already. I might look into Edinburgh. I was thinkin Rome but all the sites and museums might be closed in January? Does anyone know?

I don't think the main sights and museums would be closed in January, they may open reduced hours though. Rome is an amazing city, but it isn't exactly cheap. It can be hard to get decent central accomodation for less than €130 per night.

What about London? It is much more affordable than you might think. We stayed in the Travelodge Tower Bridge recently for £39 per night. It's a newly refurbished hotel, clean, comfortable and right beside a tube station so has easy access to all the sites. We flew with BMI from Belfast and paid about £125 for the two of us. If he is a footy fan you could maybe suprise him with tickets for a game?

sfmonet

Quint wrote: »

What about Cologne? I'm heading around that time, you should get a nice central 5 star hotel for under €100 per room per night too.
But Edinburgh is fantastic, you can't go wrong with it, might even get some snow

Edit: for cologne you'll fly to dusselforf, but the train brings you straight from the airport to Cologne city centre

If you fly with Germanwings from Dublin, they go directly to Cologne. We used them in June and we're very happy. It cuts all the other costs involved with Dusseldorf, etc. Just a suggestion.

eoinf

berlin

undo

I would not particularly recommend Cologne. Yes, it is big and yes, it has a famous cathedral. But that would be about it. Düsseldorf is somewhat smaller but has a lot more to offer. In the area, Düsseldorf is quite famous for its nightlife and attracts a lot of local visitors. Cologne is a bit of a tourist trap.

karma403

I vote Edinburgh, been there 3 times and would love to go back.

Dozens of b&bs on the bus routes, so saving money on accommodation is very doable!

mackey087

try malta. been there loads of times. going in january for a week. flights for 2 with ryanair 120 euro. hotels on 1800 hotels from 15 euro per room.

Slunk

Cologne would b e alright to visit for the day maybe if you went to dusseldorf. I was in cologne for a few days and didnt find that much to do. I was looking at hotels in prague for end of january and the were very very cheap. I know you say he was there before but could still be a nice break. Otherwise Berlin

tweety76

mackey087 wrote: »

try malta. been there loads of times. going in january for a week. flights for 2 with ryanair 120 euro. hotels on 1800 hotels from 15 euro per room.

What's the weather like in Malta in Jan? Any particular recommendations on what area's to stay in, might consider it!

rossie1977

tweety76 wrote: »

What's the weather like in Malta in Jan? Any particular recommendations on what area's to stay in, might consider it!

weather should be nice, i was there in feb a few years ago and it was lovely, high teens every day and sunny

as far as where to stay, st julians for nightlife, somewhere like golden bay if you want a quiet spot, valetta is the centre of the transport hub (old buses) but gets very quiet after 6pm

mackey087

weather is alright. warm and sunny. we stay in buggiba. loads of pubs and resturants nearby. bus ticket to the beaches is about a euro. great place for diving and snorkeling. blue lagoon day trip is really worth it. st julians (paceville to the locals) is more expensive but has great night clubs. been there loads of times.

tfak85

berlin, an absolutely amazing city.

bills

budapest

vixenbees

I recommend Budapest.. Just back from a city break there about 2 weeks ago and I think I spent €220 between friday and monday! Its seriously really cheap. The dearest main course in a good restaurant was €8. We found a cute little local bar on the sunday night and a double baileys was €4, the local beer €2! The thermal baths are gorgeous and good fun, only costs about €10.. The museums are cheap.. The walk up to Buda castle is free and the views are beautiful. 4 star hotel cost €206 for 3 nights.. I'd definately go back again. It might be pretty cold in January but if that wouldnt put you off def think about it.