Heading For A City Break This Spring?

Cover yourself with our travel insurance

Gone are the days of booking your trips via teletext, and visiting the travel agent is much less common to find the best deal for your holiday. Instead, we find ourselves scouring the internet for the best prices and getting the most for our money.

So when you’re looking for your spring holiday, why not consider a city break? Short breaks away means you can visit cities that you would usually never think to visit.

So which European cities are hot on the list for a spring break?

Spain - Is extremely popular for city breaks in Spring especially, with the number of holidays made by UK residents shooting up 87% in 20 years. Popular TV shows such as “The Only Way is Essex” and “Benidorm” could have influenced travel to the seaside resorts of Marbella and Benidorm, while other popular cities include Barcelona and Madrid with visiting the football stadiums being a significant draw for sports tours and fans from the UK.

France - But more specifically, Paris is an obvious inclusion. From the art galleries to the tourist hot spots of the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral, there are also plenty of chic boutiques to meander around and many cute restaurants to grab a bite to eat. The easy transport links to visit just about any French city from the UK make it a popular destination.

Germany - Spring is a beautiful time to explore the world, when the trees begin to leaf and flowers bloom. There are 16 national parks in Germany so you can take in all the sights and smells of the regrowth, with three located in Germany’s number-one tourist location, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (86 miles from the capital of Berlin) which will provide a great setting for a spring break stroll around the beautiful white cliffs of the Jasmund National Park, or hire a boat or canoe to explore one of the many lakes in Müritz National Park if you’re looking to avoid the city for a day.

Sweden - A second city, but not one to be overlooked, Gothenburg can be considered a hub for creativity due to its industrial background – so if you’re a fan of the “hipster” scene, Gothenburg should be high on the list for your spring break. The city itself is nicknamed “Little London”, which is helped by the amount of quirky bars and craft beers on offer, but it was actually due to the amount of trade with Great Britain over the North Sea, and donations received from wealthy businessmen who contributed to the city Library, Hospital and University.

Why should we make the most of Easter week?

Not only is it half-term, so travel options for families are increased, it’s also the first 4-day Bank Holiday weekend of the calendar year in the UK. Families, Couples and Friends all over the UK are looking for their first taste of milder climbs, meaning destinations in some parts of southern Europe are high up on the list.

Easter week is a great time to visit any city or town in Spain, the celebration of “Holy Week” brings together the townspeople for processions, marching bands and celebrations. Different parts of the country have their unique ways of celebrating however, in Valladolid, the Good Friday processions are considered an exquisite and rich display of Castilian religious sculpture, with Easter being one of the most emotional fiestas, but in Malaga, Easter celebrations are full of happiness and cheer, with people applauding the tronos (floats) as they pass by in the procession.

Things to think about before you travel

1. While your EHIC (European Health Insurance) card will give you access to any medically-necessary (state) healthcare, it should never be considered as an alternative to travel insurance. Your insurance policy will cover return flights and lost/stolen items as stated on the policy wording – so ensure you have selected appropriate cover for your trip.

2. For EU Citizens, you do not need to (currently) apply for any additional visa if you are visiting a country within the EU (European Union). However, if your travelling legs want to wander further abroad, you will need to do your research on tourist visas for your destination. Non-EU Citizens will need to apply for visas for the countries you wish to visit. For full details, contact the consulate or embassy for the country you are visiting 

3. The Easter week is going to be busy, especially around Europe – so be sure that you’ve pre-booked any excursions or favourite restaurants that you’d like to visit during your city break. The last thing you want when you arrive is to find that everything you researched before your trip is fully-booked.

So now you’re ready to take a break and explore the cities of the world, safe in the knowledge that with our travel insurance, we’ll be by your side every step of the way.