7 Autumn City Breaks Under £500

Summer may be over, but your holiday hijinks needn’t be – these fantastic destinations, all within a three-hour flight from London, will keep the seasonal blues at bay.

Bergen

Everybody wants a bit of Bergen right now. Home to Kings of Convenience, the inspiration for the makers of Disney’s Frozen and, of course, gateway to the superlative fjords, Norway’s second city has Scandinavian charm well and truly in the bag.

All fairy tale-esque painted wooden houses, cobbled streets and forested mountains, it’s the perfect place to decompress.

Take the Floibanen Funicular to the top of Mount Floyen and inhale the cool Nordic air, explore one of the many museums and galleries or head to the bustling fish market, where you can catch a boat to the fjords. In the evening, loosen your purse strings (“affordable” doesn’t feature in the Nordic lexicon) at Enhjørningen, the city’s best seafood restaurant, in the UNESCO World-Heritage-listed Bryggen quarter.

Discover the World offers two nights’ bed and breakfast at Hotel Augustin, including return flights with Norwegian from London Gatwick, from £399 per person.

Reykjavik

With starring turns in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Game of Thrones, Iceland is the celluloid darling of the moment, and Reykjavik the city break on everyone’s lips.

It’s easy to see why.

Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and boasting a thriving music, cultural and culinary scene, it’s also within close proximity to geothermal hot springs, dormant(ish) volcanoes and, most thrillingly, the Aurora Borealis.

Iceland Travel combines the best of both worlds with its three-night Northern Lights package. The break includes your choice of accommodation with breakfast in one three hotels in Reykjavik, a trip to the Blue Lagoon, guided coach tour of the Northern Lights and the opportunity to make like James Bond on a snowmobile.

All for from just €430 (£335) per person, including flights with Icelandair, from Glasgow, London Gatwick, London Heathrow and Manchester.

Verona
Romance and seduction are the protagonists in this northern Italian city, but there’s more to “fair Verona” than the Bard’s greatest love story.

Whether you’re an opera freak or refusenik, there’s undoubtedly something magical about watching Turandot underneath the stars in a 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheatre.

Best explored on foot, Verona unveils architectural gems at every turn, from ancient ruins to Romanesque churches featuring frescoed interiors. Unwind over coffee and gelato in the historic Piazza delle Erbe before heading to the 14th-century Casa di Giulietta, to see the balcony where Romeo supposedly wooed Juliet (has anyone told the Italians these are fictional characters?).

Monarch is offering a three-night break to Verona in September and October, flying from London Gatwick, and staying at the luxury Palazzo Victoria in the heart of the old town, from £336.37 per person.

Dublin

There are few places where you can ask a local for his craic and not be arrested/actually given some crack (the Irish are a hospitable folk). A byword for banter, Dublin has no shortage of traditional boozers, chic wine bars and cheesy nightclubs, to satisfy revellers of all tastes.

But this is also the land of saints and scholars, so check out St Patrick’s Cathedral, with its ancient celtic grave slabs, visit the Book of Kells at Trinity College, its famous alumni including Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett and Jonathan Swift, or be dazzled by the literary prowess of Ireland’s playwriting elite at The Abbey Theatre (the Theatre Festival runs from 25 September to 12 October).

Having shaken off the vulgar excesses of the Celtic Tiger, Dublin’s now home to an emerging design scene and cafe culture. Follow the cool crowd and avail of the Autumn Escape offer at the suitably hip Marker hotel.

Doubles from €209 (£163) per night, including breakfast. Return flights from London Heathrow with Aer Lingus from around £95.

Barcelona

Michelin-starred tapas, clubs that don’t get going til 1am and a manmade beach to boot: it’s no wonder foodies and party people flock to the Catalan capital. A glorious mix of Gothic and Gaudi, Barcelona also appeals to those with an architectural interest.

Now is the perfect time to go, with flip flop-friendly weather looking set to stay until the end of October. And if you’re into all that jazz, you’re spoilt for choice as the seven-week-long Barcelona Jazz Festival kicks off on 10 October, featuring more than 100 concerts in 20 venues around the city. For downtime, hit the rooftop pool of the coolly contemporary Ohla Hotel and soak up the last of the summer sun.

Doubles from €257 (£200) per night. Easyjet flies to Barcelona from Belfast, Bristol, Liverpool, Gatwick, Luton, Southend and Newcastle, from £23.99 per person one way.

Gothenburg

Impossibly stylish residents, more bars, galleries and vintage boutiques than you can shake a Swede at, and coffee that will silence the most fastidious of bean aficionados: Gothenburg is a hipster’s Disneyland.

This is a tiny maritime city of green spaces, beautifully laid-out canals, 19th-century buildings and wide boulevards that make it a pleasure to get lost in.

Take in a museum exhibition, indulge in the Swedish daily ritual of fika (coffee and cake) then make tracks to Finnish design favourite, Marimekko, for retro-style textiles and tableware.

You’re also just a short boat ride away from the idyllic west coast islands, the ideal spot for a bracing walk. Afterwards, enjoy a restorative cocktail at Design Hotels’ achingly hip Avalon hotel.

Doubles start at £106 per night. Fly with Ryanair from London Stansted from around £60 return.

Lisbon

Offering culture, seafood and narrow, winding streets, Lisbon is a perennial favourite with British holidaymakers. And with temperatures averaging a maximum of 25 degrees in September, this colonial power is a no-brainer for those in need of a vitamin D fix.

Walking is the best way to appreciate the city. Moorish influences and orange trees abound in romantic Alfama, the oldest quarter of the Portuguese capital, while in Barrio Alto, you’ll find enough restaurants, cafes and bars to keep you entertained til the early hours.

For old-world charm with modern comforts, stay at Design Hotels’ Memo Alfama, a soothing contrast of traditional 19th-century facade and minimalist interior in white and soft greys. Watching the sun set on the rooftop pool overlooking the River Tagus is a moment just begging to be selfied.

Doubles from £116 per night. Easyjet flies to Lisbon from Bristol, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Gatwick and Luton, from £19.99 per person one way.

[Cultural Faux Pas: When Trying Local Customs Ends In Disaster]
[9 Shocking Celebrity Hotel Scandals]