Tallinn Image by Noiisha CC0

What makes for a great place to enjoy a bank holiday break abroad? We think there are four things that could make a destination the ideal getaway for a long weekend. It either has to be easy to get to, not far to travel to, feel totally different from the UK, or the journey must have a distinct air of adventure. Here are four destinations to tick each box!

Easy to get to:  Tallinn, Estonia

Forget choosing a destination with a lengthy transfer the other end of a tiring flight – go to Tallinn, the city centre is just 3 miles from the airport! You’ll be out of baggage and in the hub of this gorgeous cobbled old town in as little as 20 minutes. Tram No. 4, departs every 6 minutes, and Bus No 2 every 20 minutes and both cost just 2 euros to ride.  The flight from the UK is approx. 4 hours.

What’s so great about Tallinn? It’s got a fairy-tale feel, uber-Instagrammable architecture, is the best-preserved Medieval city in Europe (and a word heritage site), and has just the right mix of peaceful, with a vibrant cultural feel.

Not far to travel: Amsterdam

Your options here are a 40-ish minute flight, which handily puts you just outside the city, or to spend just under 4 hours on just one train that takes you right to the centre. The reasons for Eurostar-ing it are compelling – no liquid restrictions, no extra luggage charges, no waiting in an airport lounge or baggage collection (likely to add an extra 3 hours to the flight time anyway!), and impressively, the train emits 80% less greenhouse gasses per passenger than a flight.

What’s so great about Amsterdam? The city is small, so it is easy to experience all the delights it has to offer on a weekend break. Top of the list would be the canals, the coffee shops, the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House. If you are feeling thrifty, take a look at the things you can do for free in Amsterdam.

Venice Image by Free-Photos CC0

An adventurous journey: Venice

Sleeper trains are the new cool. Romantic – if you ditch a couchette for a private compartment, better for the environment and less stressful than flying, great value for money because your ticket price pays for travel AND accommodation, and it is the most effective use of precious time on a short break. The Thello sleeper train to Venice departs Paris in the early evening – a short ride from London on Eurostar. Travellers tend to get their sleepy head on with a glass of fine wine to compliment the views. Arrival in Venice is perfectly timed to enjoy one of the city’s unique treats, frittelle and a coffee as a late breakfast, great fuel for a full day ahead.

What’s so great about Venice? Apart from being considered the most beautiful city in the world. Four hundred bridges connect 118 islands, all formed by canals in a shallow lagoon. There are no cars whatsoever in this Gothic water world, everyone and everything goes by boat or on foot.

Feels totally different to the UK: Sicily

The ancient Roman ruins along with many other World-Heritage worthy sites gives Sicily a distinctly far-flung-shores feel for a relatively short flight time of 3 hours. It’s also blessed with 1,000km of dreamy coastline comprised of sandy beaches and dramatic rock formations. The long, hot and sunny days of spring, summer and autumn are distinctly different to the UK, but avoid winter as the weather tends to be wet and windy.

What’s so great about Sicily? The diversity of architecture and culture. Greek, Italian, Arabic and Spanish influences are abounding in the cuisine and in the sights of Sicily. A walking street-food tour comes highly recommended where you can chomp on chickpea fritters, stuffed rice balls and a local delicacy – the veal offal sandwich.

Image by stux CC0

What makes a great party destination? It’s a tricky question to answer, since a night of fun is often down to the company you keep. However, there are some destinations where the party clientele is more open – where meeting people is easier. And when you balance party people (24 hour or otherwise) with great bars, clubs and festivals – not to mention idyllic beaches or eye-popping cityscapes – you may well have a shindig worthy of your memoirs.

This year, we think you should consider the following party hotspots…

Athens

While you may think Greek parties are typified by the sambuca-drenched beaches of Mykonos, the capital Athens is actually the true party heart of Greece.

That said, it’s not easy to pinpoint exactly where you can expect the party to happen. Great parties seem to flare up suddenly – so you’ll need to root out where the action is. Bear in mind that things don’t even get going until 1am. It’s worth pencilling in a few Athenian nights to seek out some memorable evenings, and in the unlikely event you don’t find any, you can console yourself – and your throbbing head – with a delicious Athenian gyro (a kind of Greek taco).

Marrakech

Morocco in general is a conservative country, but that doesn’t mean you can’t track down a superb party. Take the Oasis Festival, for instance, a boutique music event on the outskirts of Marrakech that runs from mid-September 2019. In the unlikely event you don’t like the tunes, you can stare in wonder at the mighty Atlas Mountains in the distance. If you just fancy a music-centric bar or club, Marrakech has a good deal, such as L’envers which specialises in underground sounds. There are also numerous pool parties organised at hotels around the city (where the general public can’t see or hear what’s going on) by the likes of Moroko Loko.

Haad Rin, Thailand

Thailand’s monthly Full Moon Party has attained legendary status, thanks to the host town’s ravishing beaches (Haad Rin on Koh Pha Ngan), together with the sheer scale of the party and hedonism on display.

Many Full Moon veterans say it was one of the best parties they’ve ever had – yet often it’s a once-is-enough kind of vibe due to the costly and hard-to-get accommodation, and the general lunacy of it all.

But for those who desire large-scale beach-side mayhem, the Full Moon Party is a must-do. Afterwards, you can recuperate elsewhere, perhaps in one of Thailand’s numerous national parks, or a quieter corner of Koh Pha Ngan itself.

Mexico City

For a real taste of the Mexican party scene, we don’t recommend Cabo or Cancun (although they are fun in their own right). We say explore the nation’s capital city which, when the sun goes down, plays host to a myriad of EDM clubs, as well as cosy little bars where ice-cold beers combat the balmy temperatures. Best of all, Mexico City is considerably cheaper than the beach resorts, where the Mexicans you meet aren’t just serving drinks at the party – they are the party.

French Concession, Shanghai

The Gallic grandeur of Shanghai’s French Concession is a treat in itself, but behind the elegant façades are a plethora of super-cool clubs and laid-back beer-holes. Consider Tattoo Family, which combines cocktails and tattoos, for sure a risky business model – especially for the clientele. For more social beer-tasting head to the dive-esque Dada, or the retro-video-game-themed Arcade, offering low-cost cocktails which are ideal before you head to a club. Speaking of which, mid-size Arkham is one of the best-loved, attracting big-name DJs and cool bands. The French Concession is staying true to the uniqueness of its colonial-quarter past, with an ever-growing number of bohemian bars and European-style clubs that are a rarity elsewhere in the city. Visit it in 2019 – it could be quite a year!