City breaks

Heavy traffic, check-in queues and delays are all too
familiar when it comes to flying, and with air traffic on the
increase – not to mention security checks – the
frustration is set to continue. Nowadays the shortest part of a
trip is often the bit actually spent in the air. With Paris,
Amsterdam and Rome now firmly ticked off many people’s
wish-lists – holidaymakers are starting to put in the extra
mile to land somewhere more exotic.

Just two more airborne hours could have visitors swapping Madrid
for Marrakesh, Rome for Riga or Innsbruck for Istanbul. “City
breaks are maturing as much as package holidays to Spain or
Greece,” said Superbreak Mini Holidays sales director Ian
Mounser.

“As soon as clients have been to Paris, Amsterdam and Dublin,
they look for alternatives, and while mid-haul is generally more
expensive for flights it’s often cheaper for accommodation
and food and drink”.

To help you choose your clients’ next weekend break, we have
selected five mid-haul city breaks with a flying time of between
three and eight hours.

Why go? Russia’s old capital is an
easily-negotiable warren of squares, cobbled side streets and wide
promenades, lined with spectacular baroque-style architecture.
Throw in some of the best ballet in the world, beef stroganov and
cheap vodka, and your clients are laughing. A winter wonderland
during the miserable months, visitors can skate on Lake Neva and
then escape the sub-zero temperatures in one of the city’s
fabulous museums. In the summer, the gold-topped roofs glimmer in
the sun and clients can take the hydrofoil to the Peterhof Palace
and Gardens.

When to go? St Petersburg is popular at any time
of the year, but temperatures do plummet severely in the winter to
as low as -20C.

What not to miss? The Hermitage Museum, the
Mariinsky Theatre – home to Russian ballet – the
dome-topped St Isaac’s Cathedral and the Pushkin Museum of
Fine Arts.

Who would it suit? Couples and independent types
who enjoy culture.

Sample product: Thomson offers a four-day,
three-night city break from £584 per person twin-share
including flights, three-star accommodation and breakfast.

Minimum spend: visas are mandatory and cost a
minimum of £30 if booked three weeks in advance (see:
rusemblon.org). Flights with British Airways start at £218
return and £253 with Aeroflot.

Four-star accommodation averages around £75 per person per
night. Eating and drinking is extremely cheap on arrival. A
three-course meal can be had for as little as £4.

See also: Riga in Latvia (three hours) or Tallin
in Estonia (three hours).

Why go? There aren’t many cities within
four and a half hours’ flying time of Heathrow where you can
be totally immersed in a different climate, landscape and
culture.

Home to the only surviving wonder of the world, the Pyramids
– voted one of the must-see attractions of a lifetime –
history is the obvious attrraction in the Egyptian capital but
there’s also a relaxed café culture and many
souks.

The Nile is a focal point for day trips or for longer journeys to
Aswan. Those who crave luxury can swim, play golf or drink
cocktails overlooking the Pyramids at the Oberoi Mena House Hotel,
contender for the best hotel room view in the world. Prices with
Cresta start at £443 per person for two nights. Hayes and
Jarvis offers a Magical Cairo tour from £18 per person
including a visit to artist workshops and a felucca trip on the
Nile at dusk.

When to go? Avoid the stifling heat of mid-summer
from May to August.

What not to miss? The Pyramids, the Egyptian
Museum, a cruise down the Nile and Cairo’s café
culture.

Who would it suit? Anybody who loves shopping in
local markets or has an interest in history and archaeology.

Sample product: Kuoni offers a four-day,
three-night city break from £562 per person twin-share,
including flights, four-star accommodation and breakfast.

Minimum spend: return flights start at £345
with BA and £382 with Gulfair. The relatively high cost of
flying is compensated with low prices on the ground with a night in
a four-star hotel leading in at £30 per person person per
night and cheap food and drink.

See also: Fes in Morocco (three hours) or Istanbul
in Turkey (four hours).

Why go? With casinos on top of sky scrapers,
man-made islands, seven-star hotels and more than 30 shopping
malls, Dubai rightly markets itself as a man-made wonder. But
despite the longer flying time, it is a very popular city
break.

Spend the day on the beach or by the pool and the evening sipping
cocktails in swanky, air-conditioned bars or shop the night away
for cheap electronic goods or perfumes.

For cooling off, Wild Wadi is one of the world’s most
advanced water parks or, for experiencing the real Middle East.
There are also souks in Bur Dubai selling anything from spices to
hookah pipes for a song.

When to go? Summer – from May to September
– can be unbearably hot (40C) but prices drop
accordingly.

What not to miss? Visit the 18th century Al-Fahidi
Fort – now a museum – and the Grand Mosque. Take a
cruise on an Abrah (water taxi) on the Creek, go Wadi Bashing
(four-wheel drive through the water) or Dune Bashing (4WD in the
dunes).

Who would it suit? Dubai is opulent rather than
classic and definitely not for the historian, but couples, families
and those looking for an upmarket, luxury holiday will love
it.

Minimum spend: return flights start at £429
with Emirates or £336 with BA. Four-star hotels start at
£75 per person per night. Going out costs about the same as
the UK but because of its tax-free status, consumer goods are much
cheaper.

Sample product: Travel 2 offers a four-day,
three-night city break from £432 per person twin-share,
including flights and four-star accommodation.

See also: Singapore (eight hours).

Why go? Toronto is often overlooked as a city
break, but as a sprawling cosmopolitan metropolis with numerous
parks, a lively waterfront, a good live music scene, art galleries,
shopping and fine dining, it has more to offer than some other
cities within the same flight time. With noticeably seasonal
weather – hot summers, crisp autumns and snowy winters
– it’s great for pre-Christmas shopping or a summer
activity break, but it’s never so busy you’ll knocked
over by other tourists. It’s also pretty, easy to get around
and close to Canada’s biggest tourist attraction, Niagara
Falls.

When to go? Anytime, but Ontario gets a great
display of autumn colours and there are bargains to be had before
Christmas.

What not to miss? Go to the top of CN Tower
– the world’s tallest building, head to Niagara Falls
and see one of the world’s most famous natural attractions,
shop in Yorkville, dine in the Distillery district and visit the
Art Gallery of Ontario.

Who would it suit? Couples, families and those
looking for a hassle-free city break.

Minimum spend: flights start at £292 with Air
Canada or £236 (from May) with Canada Flights and Holidays.
Four-star hotels start at £36 per person per night.

Prices on the ground are generally cheaper than western Europe, and
usually the US too.

Sample product: Travel 4 offers a four-day,
three-night break from £423 per person twin-share, including
flights and four-star accommodation.

See also: Boston (six hours) or Chicago (eight
hours).