How to Make the Best of Your Weekend City Break

Going away at a weekend for a couple of days is a great way to end one week and to start the following week.

How to make the best of your weekend city break

Going away at a weekend for a couple of days is a great way to end one week and to start the following week. You can fill your days with adventures and feel fresh before starting your next week at the office or home.

A short city break, for example, could help you to discover new things to do without so much time off from work and without having to save for long before you can afford it.

You can follow these tips to maximise your next weekend city break.

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1 / Choose your destination wisely

Before making any bookings, take your time to choose and decide what you want to do on your city break. For example, are you interested in museums, architecture, arts and entertainment, or does the idea of shopping and food and drink capture your imagination? Obviously a lot depends on where you live and your starting point. London and other large cities usually have excellent transport networks including international airports to help you on your way. Your main consideration however will be what type of activity most interests you. All European cities have a mix of cultural and shopping options. Do your research first, remembering to check that a particular gallery or shop is open on the weekend when you plan to visit.

2 / Book in advance

Once you have decided the choice of your destination and things you want to do, it is time to book train or flight tickets. You may find the cheap weekend deals. Make your booking earlier - at least three weeks before your actual travel departure date. If you have already chosen a definite destination, try to be flexible with your dates in order to obtain the best price for your travel.

After you have booked your train or flight ticket, the next thing is to look into other necessary travel expenses. These travel expenses include travel insurance, accommodation, food, entrance fees and transport to get around. To find the best price you should use different sources to search best offers and deals or maybe you want to use comparison websites. A price comparison website can help you to find the best price or deal or offers. For example, the travelsupermarket.com website compares everything from flights, car hire to hotels.

To ensure that your weekend gateway goes smoothly and efficiently, remember to make early reservations for restaurants if your special choice is likely to be busy, and buy entrance tickets in advance to skip the queues etc. Organising these things in advance will help to make sure you are able to see the things you want to see and do.

3 | Manage your time efficiently

Time is precious. To get the most out of your trip, spend some time planning how each day might look. This doesn't mean slavishly organising your itinerary down to the last minute, but you could pencil in places you want to see in half-day slots. If you want to try some new food, research recommended restaurants but again build in some flexibility to just follow the crowds.

Packing your luggage. My golden rule is to plan in advance and travel as light as possible. Large luggage should not be needed for your break; why not opted for hand luggage instead? It is very convenient to take with you rather than a big case. You can skip the queues at the airports without waiting for your luggage and go straight to the taxi rank, train or bus station to the city.

Let's say for example that you arrive early before your hotel check-in and you want to be able to explore the city without dropping off your luggage in the room - leaving a small case or carry-on bag at the hotel reception is so much easier and a lot less effort.

In addition to all of the above, you should sort any necessary documents or electronic devices you'll be taking with you in advance before the actual day of your travel. Charge your mobile phone, tablet and camera so that you are able to use them later that day. This means that you will not waste your time recharging and waiting for your gadget to fully charge. Do download your ticket and flight boarding pass if you are flying and save a map onto your phone. Don't forget to check the location of the restaurants, cafes or other places that you want to go. By identifying the location earlier you will be able to manage to get to from one place to another more efficiently.

4 | Plan your itinerary

Outline your city break itinerary early for your own convenience and for timing, especially if you know what you want to do in the city and where you want to go to. To save your time, decide in advance the places you want to visit, places to eat and other things you may want to do. This itinerary will help you explore the city efficiently and save your time without searching and then deciding things to do and see.

5 | Become a local

If you travel to a city where English not the first language, you may like to learn a few words in the native language before you depart. Language barriers can be a problem if you do not learn some basic words.

Check out in advance local transport options in the city. Using a local bus or tram can be daunting: do you need to buy a ticket in advance, do you buy a number of tickets together to save money, or must you pay in cash when you board the bus or tram. Check out what other travellers have written about the city's transport and arrive prepared.

Go off the beaten track. Sometimes, and even when you have planned every detail of your break, it can be fun just to follow your instincts. If you pass a local café that is almost full with local people eating and drinking and opposite is a TripAdvisor recommended restaurant that is almost empty - which one will you choose? Why not go some adventure and try to squeeze into the busy café?