fiona

I only need 40 tier points to take me to silver so am looking at 3 or 4 days away over New Year. Anyone recommend a European destination with loads to see and do? Recently been to Prague and loved it. Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Rome, Athens, Berlin- are previous city breaks I have done. Never actually done any city break in winter ( apart from Las Vegas and Bangkok!)

corporate-wage-slave

If you liked Prague then perhaps consider Kraków, Budapest and Vienna. KRK is the smallest but the Christmas activities go on forever there. Vienna makes a huge fuss over New Year. Salzburg or Innsbruck perhaps? You can do Salzburg at least one way direct from GLA on the new BA service from there. Thessaloniki or Dubrovnik if you want somewhere with warmer weather and a congenial café life set-up.

fiona

I initially wanted somewhere warmer but then I don't suppose anywhere in Europe can guarantee good weather. I had actually thought about Budapest and Vienna. OH is off to run a marathon in Krakow next month ( when I am working). Dubrovnik and thessaloniki - must check those out. Also thought about Malta- anybody been over new year?
Thanks cws

rapidex

Paris and Amsterdam are 2 of my favourites,or Malta for some warmth.

bibbju

If you want warmer, why not look at Morocco??

I was going to suggest Washington DC as BA Holidays have some VERY good prices over New Year but that fails on both European and warmer.

Personally I'd avoid Malta (unless you know people there) as it's pretty dead in the off season.

rjhcambs

Give me MLA IN THE "dead" season anytime!! Either MLA or RAK for warmth. Or Lisbon, perhaps - always plenty going on.

fiona

It doesn't have to be somewhere warm. I would love to long haul but really need a free week to justify the jetlag I always suffer from. Amsterdam- have been but might be good again.
Malta- just how dead is it?

corporate-wage-slave

I can't see you getting to jetlag to TLV, AMM, or even Muscat, Oman, with a few sensible precautions and pre-planning. Oman would be a good option. People traditionally don't get jetlag to South Africa either.

Prospero

I second Dubrovnik. It is such a delightful corner of the world (aptly named the Pearl of the Adriatic) everyone should enjoy at least once in their lifetime. If you visit during the summer months, you’d be forgiven for thinking the entire planet had descended as the late-medieval walled city, its picturesque squares, Baroque chapels, the Franciscan Monastery and every conceivable cafe are completely consumed by tourists who arrive in massive waves from mega cruise ships docked just a few miles north of the city. Not so in late December, which is an ideal time to immerse yourself in the city’s historic architecture, local cuisine at your own pace unfettered by hoards of other tourists.

The Hilton is a great base, remarkably good value in late December too.

If you are looking for somewhere more vibrant, I recommend Istanbul.

corporate-wage-slave

Yes, that's one of my favourite hotels too, The Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik is just outside the Old City gate, and it is worth paying / redeeming for a good room there with balcony. On my first visit they gave me one of their best suites as an upgrade and I'm still grateful for that several years on. If you have seen The Grand Budapest Hotel it reminds me of that ever so slightly!

fiona

Thanks all. I am going through the recommendations now. I can't unfortunately get Dubrovnik as there seem to be no flights in January.
Even if I could escape jetlag I can't goto places such as South Africa as this is a holiday we shouldn't really be doing. Been, or going to, India, Vietnam, Thailand, prague and barbados this year and we should really be spending some money on the house. But that's too sensible

fiona

Well I now have a week to explore Malta

Quarky Quark

Vienna has a nice Xmas market from memory, with the added bonus that Bratislava is one hour away by train.
Of course you have a good chance of snow, which for me is still mainly a novelty rather than a nuisance. If you feel the same then VIE definitely worthy of consideration.

tuff

Berlin is good at new year. Plenty of Christmas markets and the fireworks over the Brandenburg Gate are usually very impressive but you need to get there early for the best view. The whole of the avenue between the Gate and the Siegessäule is closed off and there are fairground rides, stalls, bars etc.