Surprise City break for husband - Copenhagen or The Dam

Nicman

Hi there,

My husband's 40th is later this year and since he's not into the whole 40th party thing and has everything he needs, I thought it'd be nice to bring him away for a surprise weekend over the bank hol in Oct. I've looked at flight duration and cities he'd like etc and I'm pretty sure I've whittled it down to either Copenhagen or Amsterdam. I was looking at Vienna/ Budapest also but the flight time is quite long for just a couple of nights away.....any thoughts / ideas?

athtrasna

Nicman wrote: »

Hi there,

My husband's 40th is later this year and since he's not into the whole 40th party thing and has everything he needs, I thought it'd be nice to bring him away for a surprise weekend over the bank hol in Oct. I've looked at flight duration and cities he'd like etc and I'm pretty sure I've whittled it down to either Copenhagen or Amsterdam. I was looking at Vienna/ Budapest also but the flight time is quite long for just a couple of nights away.....any thoughts / ideas?

Copenhagen is painfully expensive, makes Dublin look cheap. I'd still go for Vienna and splash out on good seats on the flight so you can relax

Nicman

Really? When I looked into Vienna it too seemed very expensive? And moreso with the cost of the flights factored in...

Manzoor14

Agree re Copenhagen, but it's been 2 years since I was there. Amsterdam ain't cheap either, was there earlier in the month. May I suggest Berlin? We traveled there from Amsterdam and I much preferred Berlin. Relatively cheap, good transport, loads of sights, and flight time is around the same as Copenhagen i think.

SpaceTime

If you're thinking of heading north, maybe go to Reykjavik - it's not that pricy at all due to the currency devaluation and you can fly there from Belfast quite cheaply now too on Easyjet.

The city is quite small, but it's quite foodie and has lots of really nice bars and the scenery is mind-blowing if you do a bit of driving or take a bus tour.

(Sorry, actually the Belfast - KEF (Keflavik) flight only kicks off in December. But, you can go through Bristol or Luton quite cheaply.

?Cee?view

Was in Copenhagen a few weeks ago and I've relatives there. It's very expensive. For instance, all the cafes/restaurants seem to serve a brunch at the weekends which is salads, fruits, cold meats, pastries, tea/coffee (extra if you want e.g. a cappucino) served at a buffet. You're looking at 25 to 35 euro for that per person!

You could do Copenhagen reasonably but it would take such effort that it wouldn't suit a celebration trip.

As to Amsterdam, think standard capital/major city expense rather than anything exceptionally costly. There is loads to see and do in Amsterdam for every interest and taste.

Nicman

Manzoor14 wrote: »

Agree re Copenhagen, but it's been 2 years since I was there. Amsterdam ain't cheap either, was there earlier in the month. May I suggest Berlin? We traveled there from Amsterdam and I much preferred Berlin. Relatively cheap, good transport, loads of sights, and flight time is around the same as Copenhagen i think.

Berlin crossed my mind alright but wasn't sure if it was doable in one weekend with some time to chill out in the middle and not too much walking etc (i'm expecting as well!) I'll definitely look into it though thanks ;-)

If you're thinking of heading north, maybe go to Reykjavik - it's not that pricy at all due to the currency devaluation and you can fly there from Belfast quite cheaply now too on Easyjet.

We talked about going there before so actually it was one of the first places I looked up but the flight situation is too much hassle for us. We're living in the West so the amount of travel to and from the airport alone wouldn't make it worth it for a weekend Im afraid although I'd love to go there again some time for longer.

Thanks guys...some food for thought here, will look into Berlin again and still really fancy Amsterdam. Looks like it wins above Copenhagen for now :-)

SpaceTime

Nicman wrote: »

We talked about going there before so actually it was one of the first places I looked up but the flight situation is too much hassle for us. We're living in the West so the amount of travel to and from the airport alone wouldn't make it worth it for a weekend Im afraid although I'd love to go there again some time for longer.

Belfast-KEF will launch in December so it makes Reykjavik fairly accessible - it's an Easyjet link.

seanaway

Why not LIsbon? A lot cheaper, beautiful city with loads to do. Not that fat by plane? If you really want close then Edinburgh.

Nicman

seanaway wrote: »

Why not LIsbon? A lot cheaper, beautiful city with loads to do. Not that fat by plane? If you really want close then Edinburgh.

Thanks Sean Lisbon is fab hadn't thought of it to be honest. We were there a couple of years ago though so be nice to go somewhere different - or would you be bothered as a guy for a pressie?

dingding

Barcelona is always a great city for a break and it is easy to get from the airport into town by bus. Stayed in the Hotel Pulitzer and the Hotel Regina which is next door.

highlydebased

Nicman wrote: »

We're living in the West so the amount of travel to and from the airport alone wouldn't make it worth it for a weekend Im afraid although I'd love to go there again some time for longer.

Depending on where in the West you are living you might be able to get a good fare on Shannon-Berlin as there were some cheap ones on sale last week at least- however if it is the bank holiday weekend it might not make so much difference at all.

Nicman

highlydebased wrote: »

Depending on where in the West you are living you might be able to get a good fare on Shannon-Berlin as there were some cheap ones on sale last week at least- however if it is the bank holiday weekend it might not make so much difference at all.

Well I hadn't a chance to look into Berlin yet but didn't know there's flights there from Shannon that's great. I'll look into it today it's sounding more and more like a runner :-) thanks!

Evenstevens

I found Vienna very reasonable when I was there. Delicious Kaffee and Kuchen for approx 4 quid in fabulous old style cafes.

Yamanoto

I think Amsterdam fits the bill rather well tbh.

- Short flight from DUB & 20 mins to Centraal Station on the train

- Walkable & compact, but great tram network if you need it

- Bustling city centre, but 5 mins away the serene canals, quirky shops, brown cafes and neighbourhood restaurants of the Jordaan.

Nicman

Yamanoto wrote: »

I think Amsterdam fits the bill rather well tbh.

- Short flight from DUB & 20 mins to Centraal Station on the train

- Walkable & compact, but great tram network if you need it

- Bustling city centre, but 5 mins away the serene canals, quirky shops, brown cafes and neighbourhood restaurants of the Jordaan.

Yep, it's a toss up between there and Berlin I think now. I'd LOVE to take him to Copenhagen despite the expense but the flight times are awkward meaning we'd need to either only go for 2 nights which is a little short considering the outbound arrives at night also, or we'd have to take an additional day off work. Shame but anyway. Vienna will have to wait til I'm in better shape I reckon! A little long a flight considering I'll be 7 months pregnant by then.... Thanks so much!

brencork

Amsterdam is a great city with lots to do.

Copenhagen is clean and friendly but very expensive and doesn't really have a huge amount to see or do. Out of the two, Amsterdam would definitely be my preference.

dingding

Or into Bristol and on to Bath, about an hour on the bus, flights from Knock and Dublin with Ryanair, and Dublin with Aerlingus.

Nicman

So Budapest isn't as long a flight as I thought and given the price of fabulous hotels out there compared to other European cities I just went ahead and booked it! :-) I know he'll love it and he's said many times he'd love to go there. Ryanair were €100 cheaper than aerlingus and I got a fab looking 5 star hotel for €400 for 3 nights! Thanks for all your help everyone, hope he's a happy 40 year old! :-P My plan is to contact his boss to book the time off work as I know him, then just tell him the night before we go or something like that!

cubix

Nicman
Where did you book in the end, what is Budapest like as a city for getting around/things to do.

Nicman

cubix wrote: »

Nicman
Where did you book in the end, what is Budapest like as a city for getting around/things to do.

Hey, I booked Budapest in the end going next month. From what I've researched it looks very easy to get around as everything is quite contained either side of the river. There's hot air balloon rides outside the city, boat trips on the danube, outdoor spas and plenty of old historical buildings

cubix

Nicman wrote: »

Hey, I booked Budapest in the end going next month. From what I've researched it looks very easy to get around as everything is quite contained either side of the river. There's hot air balloon rides outside the city, boat trips on the danube, outdoor spas and plenty of old historical buildings

Like the sound of the Hot air baloon. What was the choice/cost of 5star hotels.

Can anyone advise if a rent a car is needed for a short break.

schemingbohemia

cubix wrote: »

Like the sound of the Hot air baloon. What was the choice/cost of 5star hotels.

Can anyone advise if a rent a car is needed for a short break.

Unless you plan to travel outside the city there's absolutely no need to hire a car for a trip to Budapest. The Public Transport system is cheap and very good.

okiss

I would agree with the last post. I was in Budapest a few years ago and we used the underground to get around. At the time we could buy 10 tickets for about €2/€3 - one ticket per journey.
If you want more tourist information look up www.budapest.com