Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands and one of the most popular short break destinations in the World. Visitors can fly into Amsterdam Airport which is one of the world’s busiest airports. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is located roughly 15km from the city centre.

Whilst people visit Amsterdam all year round the best time to visit is in the summer due to the better weather and longer day. If you are visiting in the winter be prepared for 8 hours of daylight and very chilly showers.

Aerial view of Amsterdam

Amsterdam’s city centre is great for walking as it is flat, relatively small and has all the key tourist destinations within walking distance. Another popular way to get round the city is by bike. You can rent a bicycle for around 10 euros a day and the city is very cyclist friendly with separate cycle lanes. Make sure you secure it with a lock when you leave it though as Amsterdam is notorious for having one of the highest rates of bike theft in the world.

Make sure you don’t leave Amsterdam without having taken a ride down one of the city’s hundred plus canals. There are a number of companies that offer canal cruises that usually last a couple of hours.

Another experience not to be missed is a visit to one of Amsterdams many Coffeeshops.  These coffeeshops sell Marijuana and other soft drugs. Make sure you don’t take these with alcohol or on an empty stomach.

Antalya located on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey is fast becoming one of Europe’s more popular destinations due to the great weather and the low cost of living.

Antalya has a rich cultural and artistic history and there are plenty of historic buildings to see.

In the summer when temparatures reach as high as 40 °C people flock to Antalya’s beaches.

The closest airport serving Antalya is Antalya Havalimani. it is located around 10km from the centre of Antalya. You can get direct flights from most major European cities. See airlines flying to Antalya. Alternatively you can fly into Antalya Airport from Istanbul for as little as $50.

Accommodation in Antalya is modestly priced. Visit Antalya Hotels to compare prices.

One of the reasons Antalya has surged in popularity is the low cost of living. The price of eating out is very cheap with meal costing as little as $3. Make sure you try ‘Piyaz’, Antalya’s signature dish made with tahini garlic, walnuts and boiled beans.

Piyaz

Madrid, Spain’s capital and largest city has a population over 3.2 million. Spain experiences a continental climate with very hot dry summers and fairly cold wet winters.

Madrid is popular the world over for it’s artistic and cultural history and it houses some of the world’s best Museums.

If you’re flying in to Barajas Airport just outside of Madrid you can get to the city by taxi for around 25 euros. Alternatively you can take the Metro line 8.

Madrid has excellent rail links and there are regular direct trains from cities such as Lisbon and Paris making it easily accessible.

Madrid’s public transport system is one of the best in Europe. The bus and underground system is integrated to run off the same tickets making it cheap and easy to get around.

Whilst Madrid has an excellent range of hotels to suit different travellers hotelss are often fully booked up during busy periods. Therefore it’s important to book your hotel well in advance. If you find that you’re visiting during a particularly busy period a self catering apartment could be a good alternative. Visit Madrid Hotels to compare prices online before booking.

If you are staying for over a week you may find it cheaper and more convenient to book a self catering apartment.

Vienna is Austria’s capital and with a population of 1.7 million it is it’s largest city. In 2001 Vienna’s city centre was designated a UNEsCO World Heritage site and it’s not hard to see why.

Vienna is situated in north east Austria and has a humid continental climate and in the summer temparatures can reach 30°C +.

One of Vienna’s popular sites is Belvedere Palace located south east of Vienna’s centre.

Belvedere

The easiest way to get to Vienna is to fly to Vienna International Airport. However there are a number of smaller airports within a few hours drive of the capital that are served by budget airlines including Ryanair.These are Linz, Graz and Bratislava which whilst in Slovakia is still only a short bus ride from Vienna.

The other option when travelling to Vienna is to go by Train. As Vienna is one of the most populated cities in the EU it has excellent rail links to most major European cities. You can take overnight trains from places like Munich, Madird, Lisbon, Amsterdam and Prague.

Getting around once you are in the city is easy. Vienna has great public transport with an underground, trams as well as excellent buses. Another popular option is to cycle and there are many cycle paths.

Hotels in Vienna 1010 (the central district) can be expensive during peak times so it’s advisable you book well in advance. As you’d expect from a city of Vienna’s size ther is a huge range of accommodation from budget to luxury. Check out Vienna Hotels for prices or to book online.

For it’s size Vienna is one of the world’s safest cities and there are no specific parts that you should avoid. Take precautions though as you would when visiting any capital.

Athens is one of the worlds oldest cities dating back around 3400 years. The Greek capital has a population of 3.7 million and it dominates the Attica Periphery.

Despite it;s size the most popular tourist spots are within a short distance of each other making the capital very ‘travel friendly’.

One of Athens best sites is the famouns Acropolis of Athens and is a sight not to be missed.

The best time to visit athens is in either Spring or Autumn as in the Summer the heat can be unbearable. Athens hotels are cheapest however if you visit in the low season (winter).

Your entry point to Athens will most likely be the new Athens International Airport. See a list of airlines flying to Athens.

The most popular way to get around Athens is to use the new Athens Metro but Athens is also very easy to get around on foot.

Seville or Sevilla as the spanish call it is Spain’s fourth largest city and the capital of Andalusia (Andalucia).

The city is more than 2,000 years old and steeped in history. Seville’s fascinating Roman and Islamic architecture along with it’s classical Andalucian charm make it the perfect short break destination.

One of the key attractions of Sevilla are the many thousands of tapas that fill the city. The choice of food in these bars is extensive ranging from seafood to sausage.

You can get direct flights to Sevilla Airport from the UK with a number of airlines including Ryanair, Iberia and Air Berlin.

Which airlines fly to Seville from the United Kingdom?

If you are visiting Seville in the summer be sure to book your accommodation in advance becuause due to the favourable Meditteranian climate tourists flock to Sevilla in the summer months.

Seville Hotels

Whatever you decide to see on your visit to Seville be it a Bull Fight or the Fine Arts Museum make sure you don’t leave without taking a walk up the Seville Cathedral.

The Cathedral of Seville was built in the 1400s to show of Seville’s wealth and is a site not to be missed. Catedral de Santa María de la Sede as it’s known in Spanish also servees as the burial site of the great explorer Cristopher Columbus.

Lisbon, Portugal’s capital and largest city is located at the mouth of the River Targus. Lisbon is the westernmost capital in mainland Europe situated on the Atlantic coast.

As Lisbon has a Mediterranian climate with hot dry summers this is the most popular time to visit. But be warned if you’re visiting Lisbon in the Summer public transport in particular gets very crowded.

Lisbon is renowned for it’s nightlife the world over with bars in its most popular districts including Bairro Alto and Docas open till as late as 4am.

The main entry point for those visiting Lisbon is Lisbon Portela Airport. As you would expect with it being one of the busiest airports in Southern Europe there are large number of airlines operating between Lisbon and the UK including BA, KLM, EasyJet and bmibaby. See a full list of all airlines flying to Lisbon.

Once you get to the airport you have a number of options for getting to one of the many Lisbon Hotels in the city cente. You can either get a taxi to the city centre (usually costs around (10 euros) or by far the most popular option is the AeroBus. You can take the AeroBus (line 91) which costs 3.5 euros and departs every 20 minutes between the hours of 7am and 9pm.

If you’re looking for a delightful short break destination steeped in history then you should seriously consider taking a trip to Dubrovnik.

Located on the Adriatic coast in south Croatia Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik Airport is located just outside of Dubrovnik and is a short flight away from the UK (2-3hours).

Lord Byron called Dubrovnik the Pearl of the Adriatic after a visit and it’s not hard to see why. The view from the old city walls are nothing short of spectacular.

Dubrovnik Old Town views from the city walls

Airlines flying to Dubrovnik from the UK include budget airlines Jet2, EasyJet and Thompson as well as national carriers British Airways and Croatia Airlines.

Full list of Airlines flying from the UK to Dubrovnik

When booking accommodation in Dubrovnik it is essential to book well in advance particularly if travelling in the summer months.

Hotels in Dubrovnik are considerably more expensive during peak times.

Dubrovnik Hotels

When visiting Dubrovnik don’t miss taking a walk around the city walls (entry fee 50 Kuna Adults, 20 Kuna Children).

If you have the time also consider taking a boat trip to visit the many islands off the coast of Dubrovnik.

Islands off the coast of Dubrovnik