Buying your own cruise liner, renting a
private island in the Seychelles and hiring Michael Schumacher to
drive you round Yorkshire are all wonderfully romantic ways to waste
money on a holiday. However, it is possible to have a romantic break
without spending too much. Here are a few low-budget weekends away:
Bath
Saturday:
After a quick look round the old Roman Baths, walk past the main
shopping area to the Jane Austen Museum on Gay Street, down the road
from Austen’s old house. After lunch, stroll past The Circus (a
decadently pretty residential street), through Victoria Park, and
along the riverbank.
Sunday:
It’s only a short drive to Bradford-on-Avon, a beautiful little
town. In the afternoon, back to Bath for the Spa and a trip to the
Little Theatre Cinema, a cheap and cosy venue which sometimes runs
arty films.
Budget: £150-250
Brighton
Saturday:
In the morning check out the bizarre and quirky shops in the Laines,
from the antique gun shop to ‘Vegetarian Shoes’. A trip to the
beach is pretty inevitable; on the way back, you’ll pass the
Pavilion, a former holiday home for Royalty and one of the finest
Indian-Gothic buildings in the UK.
Sunday:
A long, pleasant walk (around 8 miles) along the South Downs will
take you to Lewes, a quaint town known for its antique bookshops and
Castle. It’s a quick bus or train ride back to Brighton for a trip
to the famous Duke of York’s Picturehouse, an arty cinema. Well,
it’s that or the Brighton Fishing Museum.
Budget: £100-200
Manchester
Saturday:
Whichever B&B
in Manchester you’re staying at, there should be a tram service
nearby that will get you to the city centre at a leisurely pace.
Don’t miss shopping at Afflecks, a three-floor vintage emporium. In
the afternoon, try the Manchester Art Gallery, whose collection
ranges from Turner to ultra-modern pieces.
Sunday:
There’s no charge for the Manchester Museum, which has stuffed
animals, fossils and exhibitions on ancient and modern cultures.
After that, go walking in Heaton Park and have a look around the
John Rylands Library, considered one of the best Neo-Gothic buildings
in Europe.
Budget: £100-200, depending on the
time of year. During Labour’s Manchester
conference special offers won’t apply, so avoid the start of
October.
Paris
Saturday:
Wander around Montmartre village, taking in the panoramic view at the
top of the hill. In the afternoon, check out the designer shops in
the Champs Elysses, then walk down the banks of the Seine, visiting
the two islands, the Ile de la Cite and Ile Saint Louis, if you have
time.
Sunday:
Get to the famous flea market in Saint Ouen before the bargains are
all gone, then move on to the Pere-Lachaise cemetery, where romantic
heroes like Chopin and Edith Piaf are buried. After lunch, see
whichever of the art galleries and museums you have time for, and
finish the weekend at one of Paris’ famous jazz clubs
£300-400. The Eurostar doesn’t cost
much, but the Euro is surprisingly strong at the moment, which pushes
the cost up.
Amsterdam
Saturday:
Walk round the canals, checking out the street artists, stalls and
shops; stopping off at the Stedelijk Museum if you like modern art,
or the Rijksmuseum for the old masters. The Begijnhof, a secluded
garden, is worth seeing as is the Anne Frank Museum.
Sunday:
It’s a 15-minute tram ride to Haarlem, which is full of great
architecture and upmarket shops. Back in Amsterdam, hire some bikes
and explore.
£300-400. Again, flights may be cheap,
but the Euro isn’t.
Resources:
- Budget Hotels - The Guardian picks the best budget hotels in Amsterdam
- Guide to Paris - The Telegraph explains where to go and what to see in Paris
- Guide to Brighton - Time Out on Brighton’s best destinations
