We all need a break once in a while, but finding the time and money to get away from it all can be tricky. Enter the mini-break. Whether you’re eyeing up a three-day weekend or an extreme day trip, the fact the UK is so well-connected makes them both possible and, occasionally, very affordable. We’ve put together a list of five family friendly destinations that are perfect for a short holiday.
For each we’ve included some tips from locals on things to do and places to eat, transport suggestions and the environmental impact of travelling there. This is given per passenger in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), which is a unit of measurement used to compare the climate impact of greenhouse gases. According to Curb6, every person has to limit themselves to about 1.5tonnes of CO2e a year, if the Paris Agreement’s objective of maintaining global temperature warming “well below” 2°C is to be met.
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Cluj-Napoca has a lot going for it. The towering St. Michael’s Church is the second largest in Transylvania; rock and electro musical festivals are a year-round staple; the Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden is excellent and costs around £2.50 to get in; it is home to the very cool Steampunk Transylvania museum. Head out of Romania’s second city to the magnificent Turda Salt Mines. Perhaps above all that, it has cheapness. Travel to, food, drink and entertainment in this bustling, growing city are hugely cheap. Perfect for a slightly different family break.
Don’t miss: A spooky tour Hoia Baciu, ‘Europe’s creepiest forest’, which sits just outside Cluj.
Eat: At Bunt Bistro, which does excellent plant-based dishes and smoothies.
Flight: 8.05am – 1pm Wizz Air flight from Luton to Cluj, 8.05pm – 9.15pm return. January 25. £38.
Environmental impact of flights: 742KG CO2
Have you been on an extreme day trip? Email [email protected]
Bruges, Belgium
The perfect no-flight destination welcomes you to a fairytale like wonderland. Bruges is a beautiful small city, easily explored within a few hours. Old houses towering over a meandering river that carves its way through the centre of the city, is the ideal location to enjoy Belgian architecture.
Don’t miss: For those who want to hear more about local history, jump on a boat trip down the city’s arteries, the intricate network of canals. A guide will take you on an approximately 30-minute tour, telling you about the history of the city and its buildings, whilst offering a different perspective from the water
Eat: At Café Vlissinghe, the oldest inn in Bruges with a cosy atmosphere and rich history
Train: Eurostar 6.04am – 9.14am & 9.22pm – 10.27pm return, London St Pancras Int’l to Any Belgian station for £103 on January 16.
Environmental impact of flights: 1.3kg CO2e
Bath, UK
Home to Bridgerton, Bath is the ideal city to visit to pretend you’re a Regency main character and to introduce children to locations used as film sets, British history and beautiful architecture. The city is easily accessible from most places in the UK, and benefits from a great bus network. The Jane Austen Centre is an excellent visit for children who love reading and want to learn more about the author.
Don’t miss: Bath Abbey, where you can climb the tower and once at the top, enjoy panoramic views of the city as well as admiring the stunning Gothic architecture and stained glass windows
Eat: At Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House. Try the iconic Sally Lunn Bun, a Bath specialty
Train: 7.42am – 9.29am & 7.50pm – 9.55pm Birmingham New Street to Bath Spa return via Bristol Temple Meads for £34.49 on January 18
Environmental impact of flights: 5.5kg CO2e
Warsaw, Poland
Malgosia, a TourHQ guide in Warsaw, argues that ideas of the city as a grey remnant of the Eastern Block are all wrong. “It’s one of the greenest capitals in Europe,” she says. The Baroque Saxon Gardens are a good example of that, while a walk along the Vistula River Boulevards shows off Warsaw as a bright, modern capital. The Browary Warszawskie hammers home the point further, as the last factory in the center now turned into a bar and shopping zone post 21st-century closure. Warsaw is cheap, friendly and easy to navigate for a family.
Don’t miss: The magnificent Palace of Culture and Science, the sixth-tallest building in the EU and an impressive monument to Soviet-era architecture.
Eat: Find wooden timber galore in Stary Dom, a traditional joint dating back to the 1950s. Try the hare and cherry tiramisu.
Flight: 8.25am – 11.50am Luton to Warsaw Wizz Air flight, 5.20pm – 7.05pm return on February 20. £55.
Environmental impact of flights: 580kg CO2e
Climate friendly alternative: 17 hours from London St Pancras, three changes, from £130.
Stockholm, Sweden
Spacious. Light. Green. Surrounded by water. Very functional. Stockholm is a Scandi dream that’s easy to explore in a day and very accommodating of English speakers. The weak krona means it’s also cheaper than you might think. In summer Stockholmers head lakeside, spreading out on the rocks after work for a sunbathe, drink and dip. The reclaimed sunken ship Vasa and world’s oldest open air museum Skansen are must visits, while young and old will love the island based theme park, Gröna Lund.
Best thing to do: Millesgården sculpture gallery overlooks the city below, the stunning and weird works of husband and wife Olga and Carl Milles memorials to them in the place they called home.
Best place to eat: Max Burger! Sweden’s own McDonald’s is a fast food delight packed with plant options.
Flight: 6.25am – 9.40am Ryanair flight from Stansted, British Airways 6.05pm – 7.50pm to Heathrow return for £72 on January 18.
Climate impact of flights: 576kg of CO2e