Photo: Hulki Okan Tabak on UnsplashBath
Roman baths, Georgian crescents, and a bun with your name on it. Compact enough for one very full day.
City break days out
A city is a day out with everything packed close together — a cathedral, a museum, somewhere good for lunch, all within a walk of each other. When you want variety without a lot of driving between stops, a city does the work for you.
These are the places worth the trip for the centre alone, from cathedral cities to cultural capitals. Some are a train ride away and better for it. Tell us your starting point and we'll find the ones you can reach and still have a full day.
Find city break days out near you →
Popular city breaks & days out
Photo: Hulki Okan Tabak on Unsplash
Photo: K. Mitch Hodge on UnsplashBelfast
Titanic Quarter, the political murals by black cab, St George's Market, and the Cathedral Quarter after dark.
Photo: Callum Parker on UnsplashBrighton
The Lanes, the Pavilion's onion domes, the pier, the people-watching. London-on-Sea, unapologetically.
Photo: Mikey Harris on UnsplashBristol
Brunel's SS Great Britain, Clifton Suspension Bridge, street art, and the harbourside on a sunny day.
Photo: Ham / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia CommonsBritish Museum
Eight million objects and free entry — the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon marbles, and the Great Court's roof.
Photo: JohnArmagh / Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsBury St Edmunds Abbey Gardens
Ruins of the great shrine-abbey in award-winning gardens, beside the cathedral and a proper Suffolk market town.
Cambridge
Punt the Backs, gawp at King's, and let someone else steer if you value your dignity.
Photo: Peter Thomas on UnsplashCanterbury
The cathedral that anchors English Christianity, medieval lanes, and punting on the Stour.
Photo: michael schaffler on UnsplashCardiff
Castle in the middle, arcades either side, bay at the bottom. Very walkable, very good value.
Photo: John S Turner / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia CommonsChester
Complete Roman-medieval walls you can circuit, the two-tier Rows, and racing on the Roodee in season.
Photo: Jason Murphy on UnsplashCork
The English Market, Shandon's bells (you can ring them), and the real capital, if you ask a local.
Derry~Londonderry
The only complete walled city in Ireland, the Bogside murals, and the Peace Bridge. The rail approach along the Foyle is lovely.
That’s 12 of 46 city break days out in our guide. See them all matched to your location →