Each year we get 52 weekends to help us rest and reset. But, let’s be honest, they never seem long enough. By the time we’ve finished work on Friday, done a food shop, washed the car and visited family, it’s not realistic to make every weekend count.
But there’s a strong argument that a few times a year we should break from reality and invest in an experience away from home.
Organising a weekend break can feel overwhelming, but a three-or-four-day trip is both cheaper and quicker to arrange than longer trips. What’s more, they’re proven to be good for your health.
Surveys have revealed that stretching our weekends to incorporate Friday and even Monday is just as, if not more so, effective at reducing stress and boosting our productivity as taking a week-long holiday.
Many of us, families included, will have to time our long weekends to coincide with bank holidays, but an increasing number of employers now offer flexible working hours, or a hybrid working-from-home set up – that proliferated during the pandemic. Many professionals can now work from anywhere and hours that would be wasted commuting can be accrued, adding an average of six days to their potential travels.
Favourite weekend destinations include Lisbon, Amsterdam, Paris and Prague, but don’t restrict your adventures to the classics. Rail networks are better connected than ever and budget airlines fly to some unusual outposts, allowing us to travel to unexplored regions of Europe with ease.
To help you on your way, we’ve rounded up the best long weekend getaways in the areas of wellness, luxury, adventure and sun, plus a few wild-card options to help you make the most of 2024. You’ll be amazed at what you can squeeze into 72 or 96 hours.
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A royal stay in Hillerød, Denmark
Under an hour from Copenhagen by train, the Danish island of North Sealand was recently declared the “Danish Riviera” thanks to its spread of beaches, lakes and forests. And with Denmark crowning a new king in 2024, we suggest basing yourself in the historic city of Hillerød.
It’s home to three royal castles, including the jaw-dropping Renaissance Frederiksborg, which houses Denmark’s Museum of National History and an exhibition on Queen Margrethe II’s 52 years on the throne. Enjoy gastronomic meals at the new Rhubarb Farm and kayak in Royal North Zealand National Park with a chance to spot sea eagles.
How to do it: The brand-new Zleep Hotel is located right next to the castle and a standard double room costs from £80 per person. Fly to Copenhagen with British Airways from £53 return.
Roman Nîmes by rail, France
Dubbed the most Roman city outside Italy, sunny Nîmes is one of France’s most underrated weekend breaks. With an amphitheatre second only to Rome, which plays host to the annual Great Roman Games, the Pont Du Gare aqueduct spanning the Gardon River and the glittering mosaics inside the Musée de la Romanité, it’s a time-travel city. Also on offer are master paintings at the Musée des Beaux-Arts, the colourful Feria flamenco festival and summer months abuzz with painting and pottery workshops and markets perfect for picking up picnic supplies.
How to do it: Ffestiniog Travel (01766 512400;) offers a four-day rail break to Nîmes from £1,150 per person, based on two sharing. Includes first-class rail travel from London and three night’s B&B accommodation.
Capital of Culture, Bodø, Norway
Previously dismissed as “Boring Bodø” – served only as a gateway to the over-Instagrammed Lofoten Islands a half-hour flight away – this working fishing town in northern Norway is undergoing an exciting renaissance and was selected as one of the three Capitals of Culture for 2024. Enjoy hikes amid snow-dappled mountains, cold-sea plunges followed by a harbourside sauna, witness Saltstraumen, the world’s strongest tidal current, fuel up at first-rate eateries and learn about Sámi culture. Check their online calendar for a host of music, theatre, film and workshops.