Where would you go for a city break?

Chichester is good, and Lewes.

I have a friend who lives at the other end of the country to me and we often get together for a weekend away. Shopping one day and sightseeing the next. We've really enjoyed Oxford, York, Warwick, Leeds and Stratford. Maybe surprisingly we also had a great time in Birmingham. Next destination is Winchester. It's worth looking out for offers with Hotel chains such as Holiday Inn and Hilton. We've had some good deals from them - 2 nights B&B with dinner on one night.

Not a city, but I've just returned from a weekend in Skipton and had a great time. Stayed at the Town House b and b which we booked from seeing on the web. It is in the town centre, and somewhere you would completely not find or stay at unless recommended. However I can tell you it was lovely. I have to admit that first impressions from outside were quite a disappointment, but after we met the owners and were shown to our room we were completely NOT disappointed. If anyone wants to stay in Skipton at a reasonably priced B and B which has been completely refurbished and is immaculately clean well, this is the place for you. I would not hesitate in recommending this place to anyone who wants central modern accomodation. Don't be fooled by the exterior, go and check it out! Immaculate and well worth the money.

We are also looking for a city break in barecelon but have found the prices to have gone up considerably and cant find a three to four day break for less than £1000 for two - seems excessive to me.

I love Paris for a weekend break.
Didnt like Prague depressing but went in November.
Edinburgh can be lovely depending on weather.
Canterbury is a lovely place with a lot to do in surrounding countryside. London of course so much to do but congested and expensive.
Newcastle has lots to do and again the Northumbria cost is stunning.
Recently went to Cirencester (went to Highgrove lovely visit) quaint little town.
Harrogate is disappointing but lovely countryside.

UK -Canterbury is great - wonderful pedestrianised shopping area and the cathedral is stunning.
Abroad - Bruges, as mentioned earlier, is very compact and beautiful. Can see everything in a long weekend. The boat-trip is a must, but be sure to take comfy shoes as many of the streets are cobbled.

Keswick in the Lake District, York, Edinburgh.

Amsterdam, Paris, Prauge.

Thanks for bringing that up Stansgran. There are often reductions for EU residents too so it is as well to have something which proves your place of origin. In Venice recently, my husband was offered the pensioners 10% discount in a supermarket if he could prove his age.

And yes remember to take a copy of your passport sightseeing in Europe as pensioners can go free in most state run places and reduced in private stately homes

How about Durham in the autumn-beautiful cathedral-walks along the river bank,a castle and September is good before the students arrive and their parents fill up the hotels. Loads of fantastic castles in Northumberland. Abroad cracow is as cheap to get to as prague and food is goodand masses to see.

I endorse Jenjax's suggestion of Seville. I had a few days there in November and it was delightful - a surprise round every corner in the Santa Cruz quarter and great pottery shops across the river. The Alacazar is free to EU pensioners. The flamenco museum does a great show, quite brief but stunning. Oh, and all the bars have different tapas specialities.

I enjoyed Venice and found four days just enough,last year DD and I
spent 5days in Las Vegas on a shopping trip and got some amazing
bargains as the sales started on our 2nd day,the day after thanks
giving and we travelled out of state for a day and really enjoyed the
experience,but I find that there are so so many places in UK worth
taking in for a short break,as suggested Chester(which is 1/2 hr from
me and Liverpool 1/4 hr away, I love Colchester and visited alot when
DS was at Sir John Moores Barracks the Church there is lovely.I am
going to Glasgow to stay with friends this September and am looking
forward to that.

Bruges is lovely and full of interest. I took my daughter and her best friend there for a week to celebrate her first big 0 (10th birthday). We had a great time walking about, riding in carriages, travelling on the canals, visiting museums – to my surprise, they were fascinated by the lace museum – and trying all the different types of pancakes. Padua is a magical place and sometimes overlooked as a tourist destination and everyone should visit Venice before she sinks beneath the sea. Rome's good too if you're at all interested in things historical – ancient and modern history side by side – and wonderful for buying clothes. It's also small enough to walk from one end to the other but take care crossing roads.

I am reading all your suggestions with interest- thank you all very much for replying!

Yes I would recommend glasgow and pitlochry but I am biased being from scotland.

I'd add Dubrovnik to the list and maybe Berlin

In the Uk we enjoyed Cardiff when we went in April. Edinburgh is excellent and whilst there we went by train to Glasgow and Stirling,both less then an hour away.

If you like Roman history, try Chester, very interesting city and much less a tourist centre than York. Colchester is also good for Roman history, but as it is on my doorstep I tend to overlook it.

I agree with Em, if you are staying within the UK, the scenery around Pitlochry is stunning. The first time I went to that part of Scotland, and tried to descibe it to others, one of the things that I kept coming back to was "how big the sky was"!

I was told that the sky is the same size wherever you are, but I swear that in some parts of Scotland the sky is bigger, just like it can seem to be in Africa, iykwim?

As others have said, Bruge is beautiful, lots to see and I would also recommend Bath for a great city break in this country.

I'm just back from COPENHAGEN and loved it. The Gudrun clothes shopping was great (do you get her catalogue?) The art galleries were stunning, my favourite was LOUISIANA modern art gallery, you need a whole day. Cafes & food were good. Cant fault it. HOWEVER I live in London and think it is just the most exciting city in the world, especially around the Southbank

Try Pitlochry - beautiful scenery, excellent choice of restaurants and pubs,great walks and a fantastic theatre which in summer has a superb repertoire of the classics.

York; Edinburgh - both fab.

Abroad - Paris, easy to get to, loads to see.

I am going to also fly in the face of convention and suggest Milton Keynes!
A great shopping centre, all under one, clean roof with lots of restaurants and coffee shops. Indoor skiing/snowboarding and skydiving - for the active amongst us. A very successful theatre. And still in town, lovely canal walks, cycle paths and Bletchley Park.
Within half an hour's drive we have a number of NT treasures - Stowe, Waddeson Manor, Ascott House, Claydon House and Canon's Ashby. The first two are huge sparkly jewels in the NT crown and the others minor gems. Not forgetting Woburn just down the road, with safari park, deer park and the Abbey. Be astounded by the fact that they have hung onto the property and paintings etc since Tudor times. Only the queen has more Canalettos.

For a UK break try Bath, a beautiful city with lots of fascinating things to see and do. Someone has already mentioned York (where I live). For a smaller UK destination there is Rye in Sussex, very picturesque and full of history, and the surrounding counryside is very flat, so is ideal for walking! Abroad, Paris of course, Nice if you want to go further and warmer, Bruges for something smaller but with plenty to see and do ...

Malaga is surprisingly nice. Most people go to the airport and straight to the Costa.
Malaga has a large almost traffic free centre , within the walls of the old Arab town. The Picasso Museum. A cracking modern art museum (both are of moderate size). A castle. A great market. Little backstreets. Nice people. Shops. A lovely sea front promenade. Loads of churches and a cathedral. Interesting English cemetary (everyone who wasnt a Spanish catholic was buried there) Very un-touristy. Nice cheap taxis. Proper Spanish food. My sister had a flat there for a while but alas, credit crunch forced a sale. Miss it. Liked watching the Spanish people walking too and fro to weddings on a Saturday. And probably cheap flights.

Can recommend Seville, the Alacazar is amazing, we went in April and the gardens were beautiful and of course the tapas were fantastic. Going back in November to celebrate our 43rd anniversary.