Top 5 UK destinations for last minute city breaks

Got a long weekend coming up and you find yourself not having any plans for it? Or do you have this sudden urge to get away that you just can’t ignore and you want to leave right this minute? Whichever it is, going on a last minute city break is just what the doctor ordered. A near-instant change in scenery is a good use of that unexpected time off. You don’t have to leave the UK for your trip too. The UK has many great destinations for last minute city breaks, and here are 5 of them.

Dive into the offbeat on last minute city breaks to Bristol

If you’re craving for some colour in your holiday, find a holiday rental in Bristol and stay there a few days. Bristol is astounding in its vibrance and offbeat charm. One way you can experience this charm is a tour of the city’s bold street art, lovingly preserved by the community. Another way is to go on a pub crawl and enjoy the city’s fabulous craft brews. The music scene is flourishing, as are the arts – Bristol is home to a wide range of live performance venues, including the renowned Bristol Old Vic and Redgrave Theatre. If you’re the outdoorsy type, you can visit Avon Gorge or hike through The Downs. Exploring the city on a bike can be delightful too; on a bike, you can tour Bristol’s unique architecture, marvel at the Clifton Suspension Bridge and climb the city’s many hills.

Travel through time on last minute city breaks to Cardiff

Cardiff is a city that’s firmly rooted in the past even though its modern buildings look straight out of the future. Although the Doctor is frequently sighted in Cardiff whenever they’re not gallivanting through space and time, you don’t have to beg them to be their companion or steal the TARDIS to experience Cardiff’s tumultuous past. From your holiday rental, you can visit treasured historic gems such as Cardiff Castle, Castell Coch and St. Fagans Castle. Then you can continue your sightseeing to more modern structures like the Wales Millennium Centre and Principality Stadium. If you want to breathe fresh air, you can go on long walks through Cardiff’s numerous parklands; Cardiff reportedly has more green space than any other city in Europe.

Manchester last minute city breaks aren’t just for football

Manchester is a mecca for football fanatics, especially for fans of the highly decorated Manchester United. But you don’t have to love football to fall in love with the city on a last-minute city break there. You can use your holiday rental as a base for exploring the city’s wealth of Victorian and Edwardian architecture. If you’re into art, you can tour the city’s numerous museums and galleries, particularly Manchester Art Gallery, home to one of the most significant collections of Pre-Raphaelite paintings in the UK. For a city that has given birth to the British indie music, you can expect the music scene in Manchester to be alive and kicking and you won’t be disappointed. If you’re the literary type, you can amble about the city and understand how it had inspired works like Charles Dickens’ “Hard Times,” Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre,” Frances Hodgson Burnett’s “The Secret Garden” and Anthony Burgess’ “A Clockwork Orange.”

Live for the night in Newcastle last minute city breaks

Newcastle-upon-Tyne is considered to be one of the best cities for nightlife in the UK, thanks in no small part to its large student population. If your nightlife has become rather routine, last-minute city breaks to Newcastle can give you something new to experience. You can crawl the pubs in the areas around Quayside, Times Square, Jesmond, Collingwood Street, Bigg Market and Newcastle Station for the best nightlife the city has to offer. You can listen to music at the clubs and halls that once hosted Sting and The Police, Dire Straits and The Animals. Even if you’re not a night owl, there are plenty of things you can enjoy in Newcastle in the daytime. You can travel back in time by visiting Castle Keep and Black Gate, the Norman fortifications that gave the city its name. You can wander through the city on a bike and admire its architectural gems from different periods. You can eat your way around the world too, as Newcastle has plenty of restaurants serving international and ethnic cuisines.

Make merry at a festival on Glasgow last minute city breaks

Attending a festival is as good an excuse as any to go on last-minute city breaks to Glasgow. The city has at least one festival running every month of the year, with many of them happening in the summer. Some of the best known of these events are the Glasgow Film Festival, Glasgow Art Fair, West End Festival and Pride Glasgow. Even if there isn’t a festival scheduled, you can visit the city for its lively music and food scene. The city also has a stunning collection of intact medieval buildings, most notably the Glasgow Cathedral. If you’re feeling brave, you can admire the Victorian architecture and statuary in Glasgow Necropolis at night.