5 OF THE BEST CHILD-FREE HOLIDAYS FOR BURNT-OUT PARENTS

BEST SPA BREAK

County Antrim,

Northern Ireland

Unwind at Galgorm, a beautiful spa hotel on a 163-acre estate in rural Northern Ireland. Enjoy champagne alfresco in a hot tub to gaze at starry skies and make the most of the Thermal Spa Village, which includes salt and steam rooms, and woodfired cabanas overlooking the River Maine. Snuggle up in a booth at the hotel’s chalet-style Gillies Grill for comforting brasserie classics.

Galgorm (028 2588 1001; galgorm.com) offers double rooms, including breakfast, spa access and one treatment per stay, from £300 per night. Fly from London Heathrow to Belfast City with British Airways (ba.com) from £80 return.

Berlin (above) has a mellow café culture, vibrant nightlife, endless art and culture, fascinating history and lush greenery, making it almost impossible to run out of things to do – or talk about. Stay at the stylish, high-ceilinged Gorki Apartments in the heart of Mitte, the old centre. Breakfast at House of Small Wonder, a nearby café with a light-filled courtyard and Japanese-inspired menu, before ambling through the cobblestone streets.

Gorki Apartments (00 49 30 48496480; gorkiapartments. com) has serviced flats from £144 per night for two. Fly from Manchester or London Gatwick to Berlin Brandenburg with Easyjet (easyjet. com); from £95 return.

BEST MOUNTAIN BREAK Vals, Switzerland

Escape to a 12th-century mountain village tucked at the end of a wild, rocky valley dotted with shepherd huts in the Swiss canton of Graübunden. The mineralrich land surrounding Vals makes it a hikers’ paradise, while the striking thermal baths, designed by architect Peter Zumthor, are an added bonus. Stay in the calm of Brucke 49, a stylish, pared-back bed and breakfast. While the building is old, it hides strong contemporary interior design. The alpine views are superb.

Brucke 49 (00 41 81 420 49 49; brucke49.ch) has double rooms from £200 per night, including breakfast and half-price access to the thermal baths (£45). Fly from London Heathrow to Zürich with British Airways (ba. com) from £118 return.

BEST BEACH BREAK Puglia, Italy

Masseria Torre Coccaro in Puglia is a white-walled, 16th-century farmhouse set among olive groves with its own chapel. Breakfast includes an entire table of homemade cakes, eaten beneath a pergola of bougainvillea and jasmine. Le Palme Beach Club, with its excellent restaurant serving ceviches and wood-fired pizzas, is a 10-minute drive away. Should you ever tire of the beach, there are plenty of atmospheric towns to explore nearby, including Cisternino and Locorotondo. Masseria Torre Coccaro (00 39 80 482 93 10; masseria torrecoccaro.com) has double rooms, including breakfast and access to Le Palme Beach Club, from £270 per night. Fly with Ryanair (ryanair. com) from Edinburgh to

Bari from £152 return; or from London Stansted from £120 return.

BEST BRITISH WEEKEND BREAK

Bath, Somerset

The Pig (above) is a glorious Georgian manor set in the limestone landscape of Somerset’s Mendip Hills just a 20-minute drive from the city of Bath. Wander around the hotel’s walled kitchen garden, sink into a fireside leather sofa for cocktails and sleep deeply in quiet, rustic-chic rooms with comfortable beds. Pop into the ancient city to explore its stunning terraces, squares and crescents, and luxuriate in its beautiful spas.

The Pig near Bath (01761 490 490; thepighotel.com/ near-bath) has double rooms from £189 per night, including breakfast.

BEST CITY BREAK Berlin, Germany Dynamic yet relaxing,

i Stay at Masseria Torre Coccaro in Puglia and enjoy a day of sailing