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VOTING in the 2019 Britishtravel Awards is now open.the People is proud to be the media partner of the BTAS, the only travel industry accolade voted for exclusively by the public. And if you vote in any (or all!) of the 83 categories, you join a draw with £30,000 of travel prizes, including vouchers for villas, cruises and package holidays. Visit britishtravelawards.com SOARING spires, cobbled lanes, serene canals and music wafting across cafe terraces. Share these settings with a loved one on an anniversary, or just on a whim, in this selection of romantic city breaks in the UK and Europe.
Dreamy spires Cambridge
It may not get quite as many international tourists as Oxford but Cambridge is a more contemplative and delicate creature, in a gleaming-spired world of its own. Climb to the top of Great St Mary’s Church tower to get a good look over those historic rooftops. Have a pint in the 16th century Eagle public house, where Watson and Crick announced the discovery of DNA. Go punting on the Backs, a stretch of the river Cam which earns its name from all the backs of the colleges which it passes through. And walk out through the meadows to Granchester, inspiration of poets and TV programmes.
GO: Titan Travel offers a group tour short break to Cambridge, which includes four nights accommodation, eight meals and two excursions. From £599 per person. See titantravel.co.uk.
Yes, Minster York
This old Roman city, encircled by original ancient walls, has a history that stretches back at least 2,000 years. It also has that essential ingredient of love, chocolate. York’s magnificent Cathedral – aka Minster – has a fascinating story of restoration from a huge fire back in 1984. A team of stonemasons are still working on the building even now. The city’s almost traffic-free centre is a lacework of cobbled medieval alleyways, one called the Shambles, with old-world overhanging houses. This is the home of Rowntrees, so there is a chocolate museum. There is also a famous Betty’s cafe, if you’ve got room left for cake.
GO: With wonky beams, sloping floors, and a Georgian staircase, the quirky medieval Minstergate apartment is a perfect fit with York’s centre. Sleeps three – three nights from £355. See nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays.
Water palaces Venice
You can’t have a listing of romantic cities without Venice – quite unlike any other place in the world. Its combination of peaceful waterways and enchanting palazzos, ornate bridges and serenading gondoliers is completely intoxicating, provided you can avoid absolute peak times, particularly those when the cruise ship passengers descend en masse. Things you must do are have a coffee on St Mark’s Square, keeping an eye out for celebs. Ride a gondola, or at the very least a vaporetto, the equivalent of a city bus. Kiss on the famous Rialto Bridge. But most of all dive away from the main drags into the side streets to find the real neighbourhood charm that still exists in Venice.
GO: Three nights B&B in the dreamy 14th century San Cassiano Residenza d’epoca, which overlooks the Grand Canal, plus flights from London Stansted costs from £359pp. See loveholidays.com. be stylish and romantic. So Le Touquet’s el elegance should come as no surprise. The town, w which sits at the back of a five-mile long sandy be beach just the other side of Boulogne, comes al alive through the summer months and at w weekends. The beach fills with sand-yachts and yo you hear the tinkling of glassware from the fish re restaurants and the seaside bars.
GO: G Le Touquet is a 45 minute drive from the C Channel Tunnel, eurotunnel.com. Hotel options in include the British-sounding Le Westminster, do doubles from £133, see hotelsbarriere.com, or th the cheaper Hotel Castel Victoria, doubles from £8 £81, see castelvictoria.com.
RRT Tallinn T Russian around Sea n’ style
Le Touquet, France
It is a safe bet that anywhere which is chosen by Parisians for their weekends away is going Estonia’s Es capital Tallinn has been one of the citybreak ci success stories of recent years, a