Taking a City Break; The Relaxing Way

Long weekend city breaks have rapidly become one of the most popular short holiday choices for the British public. Cities such as Amsterdam, Prague and Barcelona are filled throughout the year by tourists looking for a weekend escape. However, fitting in all the local culture, nightlife and rushing to airports and catching flights twice in a short space of time can leave the average visitor needing another break to recover!

One way to enjoy a city break in the slow lane is to change your method of transport. Instead of rushing through traffic to catch flights why not glide across to your holiday destination on a luxury cruise liner? To many this is simply an idea they have never entertained but mini cruise breaks have become a fantastic alternative for people looking for a short break - without breaking the bank.

An overnight cruise gives you a chance to relax and enjoy some great on-board entertainment. They really let you unwind into your holiday as opposed to finishing your work one minute and being stuck in a foreign city trying to have fun the next. With live cabaret entertainment, restaurants, bars, cinemas, swimming pools and health spa's there are plenty of activities to help you unwind before relaxing in your own en-suite cabin.

Although there are many choices when it comes to mini cruise breaks perhaps one of the UK's best known firms who offer trips is P&O. One of their most popular cruises is upon the majestic "Pride of Bilbao" ship which sails regularly from Portsmouth to the famous Basque city. The city certainly has a great deal to offer visitors - perhaps the highlight being the world famous Guggenheim Museum.

One possibility at this time of year is to turn your cruise weekend into a pre-Christmas shopping break. Christmas shopping is never fun and escaping the winter crowds in the UK to do your shopping in beautiful cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam could leave your friends green with envy! Amsterdam is the city of antiques, books, diamonds making it a great location to find Christmas gifts for your friends and family. Rotterdam is also an excellent choice as a weekend shopping break with the famous area of "Lijnbaan" which contains all of the major high street chains, and smaller fashion boutiques - enough to satisfy even the most dedicated of shoppers!

Many companies (such as Travelocity Click Here) offer some fantastic mini cruise packages that combine both 2 nights on board, plus a couple of nights in a great hotel in the heart of great cities across Europe. To be honest the benefits of traveling in this fashion are numerous. While the speed and convenience of air travel cannot be rivaled, if you have an extra day to spare then the adventure and luxury that traveling by boat can offer really will leave you relaxed and enjoying the traveling part of travel!
 

About the Author

Robin is a freelance travel writer and also webmaster for www.travel-tips.co.uk.