Recommended a 3/4 day break?

big_drive

I'll have a week off either end of February/start of March.

Could anyone recommend a nice 3/4 day break this time of year?

I'm open to any type of holiday/city break

I'm living in Cork so if from Cork airport great but not essential.

There is nothing essential I want such as activities, etc so any suggestions welcome

orangerhyme

Basque country or Andalucia in Spain.

Cheap, plenty to do, nice climate, food, culture.

elperello

If you've never been, Venice.

You'll be there before it gets really busy.

Stay in the city walk and use the water bus.

It'll blow your mind.

HeidiHeidi

Dubrovnik is perfect for a short stay/long weekend.

big_drive

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121721751#Comment_121721751

Have heard good stuff about it alright

KanyeSouthEast

Valencia, Seville, Malaga all great cities and at least 2 possible from Cork airport.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121722175#Comment_121722175

Great spot, you won't go far wrong there either.

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121721751#Comment_121721751

Can you fly direct from Cork to Dubrovnik??

CuriousCucumber

I'm planning to go to Tromsø this time next year

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121722203#Comment_121722203

No, just checked and it'd have to be from Dublin. Still worth it though!

cute geoge

London ,could do it in about 4 hours door to door

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121722238#Comment_121722238

I just might consider it then... Dublin airport gives me the shivers though, ugh! Thank you!

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121722278#Comment_121722278

I know what you mean - I absolutely HATE the place, but live in Dublin so no option really.

I've heard fantastic things about Seville and Lisbon and Porto, if any of those were options direct from Cork? Never been to any of them, though - but people whose opinions I would rate have raved about them.

I was going to suggest Ibiza, which you can get super-cheap flights to and from if you're flexible - but it's deadsville until Easter so unless you want a really, really quite time of it, maybe not this early in the year.

I have to agree Venice is brilliant in March. It’s lovely and quiet, not thronged out by tourists.

Seville is great too, and you can visit the Doñana national park and the extraordinary “wild-west”’ town of El Rocio by bus, and try and spot Lynx.

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121722303#Comment_121722303

I've been to Lisbon before, LOVED it, I'd recommend (bring sensible shoes)!

I'm heading to Amsterdam in two weeks time for two nights, brilliant city... my first time out of this country since pre-COVID times.. can't wait! 😊

big_drive

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121722261#Comment_121722261

Yeah I love London but been 3 or 4 times recently enough so was thinking about some place new

Gusser09

Albufiera or vilamoura are nice too. Lovely weather and cheap.

danfrancisco83

Carcassonne, flights from Cork and it's the perfect 3/4 day break. You could get the train to Collioure one of the days also. I spent a week in Toulouse and got the train to Carcassonne one of the days and it was the highlight of the trip.

HeidiHeidi

Lyon is another place I loved, I haven't been there for years, but it's lovely to wander around, with great food and wine.

Or Prague.

But Dubrovnik, if you haven't been there, is just amazing, and would be quieter this time of year - I believe it's absolutely heaving during the summer months these days which would put me right off. A nice airbnb somewhere near, or even in, the old town, and just soak it all up, walk the walls, a day trip into Bosnia to see Mostar and that bridge if that would interest you, a boat taxi down to Cavtat nearby, a spin out to any of the nearby islands - God, I want to go back now!!!

WishUWereHere

somebody mentions Carcassone above, I can vouch for it.

But for me, a 3/4 day break I’d opt for Porto or Lisbon. Only downer is I think You have to get to DUB.

big_drive

Some great suggestions there, thanks all

VG31

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121722278#Comment_121722278

What exactly is so bad about Dublin Airport? It's not the best airport in the world but it's perfectly fine. I've been to a lot of airports in Europe and Dublin is definitely above average. Most British airports are very unpleasant places.

VG31

Gdansk is a beautiful city and is perfect for about 3 days. You can fly there from Cork. The Solidarity Museum is excellent and is well worth a visit if you have any interest in that period of history. I didn't have time to go but the WWII museum there is also supposed to be very good. We did a trip on the Black Pearl pirate ship to Westerplatte and back which was very enjoyable. There's a great selection of cafes and restaurants and it's cheap.

Gdansk is definitely one of the nicest small European cities I've visited (along with Ljubljana, Tallinn and Salzburg to name a few).

igCorcaigh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121723864#Comment_121723864

It's more the extra travel and the expense of possibly staying in a hotel or waiting for hours in the airport.

Discod

Rome, Florence,

Valencia, Seville, Malaga

Nice, Cannes

pavb2

Another vote for Florence I also enjoyed Biarritz and Santander or Bilbao

endofrainbow

Lille is an often overlooked city. Great connections by TGV from Paris and Brussels.

Masala

Any good accommodation recommendations for Dubrovnik ?.. or any of the others?

it’s getting good accommodation that is the killer for me as my wife doesn’t like to ‘rough it’!

pavb2

We stayed in the Radisson Blu resort about 20 minutes outside Dubrovnik right on the coast with about 3 pools couldn’t ask for better the hotel offers a shuttle bus into the city.

samo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121725776#Comment_121725776

We stayed in an AirBNB overlooking the sea about 2 mins away from the Pile Gate right beside Dubrovnik old town and castle walls. Trying to remember what hotels were nearby but that location was fantastic for 3-4 days and sounds of the sea and proximity to everything in walking distance.

Also recommend Dubrovnik, as well as Valencia, Madrid and Porto as great city breaks

gipi

Stayed in the Boutique Hotel Porto in Dubrovnik in 2022. It's near the harbour where the cruise ships come in, and about 10 mins by bus to the old town.

A lovely modern hotel, staff were excellent (I was ill while there and they arranged for a doctor to visit me).

You can read more about it on booking.com