Help me with holiday ideas!

[StolenThunder]

I've been working way too hard recently and I feel like a holiday. I think I can get the last week of March free but I'm not sure where I want to go for something like six to eight days.

I was wondering if anyone here had good ideas. To set some boundaries, or maybe open them up a little, here are a few bits of useful information:

I'm in my mid-twenties.
I'll be travelling alone (but I don't mind this).
Budget is something up to £1500 (approx $2200 USD).
I typically go on city-sightseeing holidays.
I don't drive.
Home is Scotland.
There's probably not time for extensive vaccinations, complex visa applications.
I like looking at things/walking about.
I'd probably rather a degree of comfort (but not luxury) in terms of accommodation on this trip (i.e. good three or four star hotel, not camping this time).

I suppose I'd rather go to places I've not visited before. That rules out, in terms of major cities anyway: Paris, Nice, Berlin, Barcelona, San Sebastian, Rome, Basel, Cologne, Brussels, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Reykjavik, Luxembourg, Vienna, Minnesota, New York, Hong Kong and some others that I'm sure I'm forgetting.

At the moment I'm thinking about Tokyo. I was in Hong Kong at the end of the summer and really enjoyed a wee Far East experience. It certainly fits the bill, but maybe you guys have better ideas?

I also say I'm keen on cities, but if someone suggests a quaint New England beauty spot or a relaxed North African beach, that's fine too!

Tell me!

 

[sojourner]

I think the flight to Tokyo alone would use up your budget.

 

[Finn]

I think the flight to Tokyo alone would use up your budget.

Looks like it

 

[Holdfast]

I've been working way too hard recently and I feel like a holiday. I think I can get the last week of March free but I'm not sure where I want to go for something like six to eight days.

I was wondering if anyone here had good ideas. To set some boundaries, or maybe open them up a little, here are a few bits of useful information:

I'm in my mid-twenties.
I'll be travelling alone (but I don't mind this).
Budget is something up to £1500 (approx $2200 USD).
I typically go on city-sightseeing holidays.
I don't drive.
Home is Scotland.
There's probably not time for extensive vaccinations, complex visa applications.
I like looking at things/walking about.
I'd probably rather a degree of comfort (but not luxury) in terms of accommodation on this trip (i.e. good three or four star hotel, not camping this time).

I suppose I'd rather go to places I've not visited before. That rules out, in terms of major cities anyway: Paris, Nice, Berlin, Barcelona, San Sebastian, Rome, Basel, Cologne, Brussels, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Reykjavik, Luxembourg, Vienna, Minnesota, New York, Hong Kong and some others that I'm sure I'm forgetting.

At the moment I'm thinking about Tokyo. I was in Hong Kong at the end of the summer and really enjoyed a wee Far East experience.

Tokyo is a great, great city. I loved it.

A few things to be aware of though: 1) it's a really long flight from UK. Personally, when I fly that length, I prefer a longer break than 1 week, because jet lag becomes a factor. If this doesn't bother you, no problem. 2) unless you speak Japanese, it can be a little isolating. And the culture shock is quite marked. So, depending on what kind of traveller you are, it helps to have a travelling companion to share the amusement/bemusement with. Much more so than travelling to any European city, where you can usually speak a few words of whatever the local language is, understand a menu easily, etc, etc. Put it this way, I'm a very self-sufficient person and don't mind holidaying alone at all, but was glad to have someone else with me on that trip. 3) Flights are not cheap, and Tokyo hotels can be equally so. So your budget may struggle if you want a genuinely 4* experience. You should be able to find a 3* within your budget though. Things have probably changed in the decade plus since I was there, but the Ueno Park area had lots of reasonably priced clean hotels with easy transport links. 4) This is a big plus point in Tokyo's favour: if you're very lucky with the weather, the last week of March might just coincide with the start of the cherry blossom season. I was lucky enough to be in Tokyo during the Sakura festival around this time, and it really is special.

 

[Miss Lemon]

Considering you're planning to go in March, I would suggest going to Istanbul. There are many beautiful things to see, including the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace. I would also recommend taking a boat tour on the Bosporus and visiting the Grand Bazaar.

If you're into hiking, I would recommend Madeira because of its diverse landscape and mild climate. It's relatively unspoiled and visited by hikers and British elderly only.

 

[Holdfast]

Considering you're planning to go in March, I would suggest going to Istanbul. There are many beautiful things to see, including the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace. I would also recommend taking a boat tour on the Bosporus and visiting the Grand Bazaar.

This is a very good recommendation. I thought Istanbul was a lovely city for tourists when I visited (probably 5+ years ago now), and would place the Topkapi Palace in the top tier of museums I've visited, for the amazing setting as well as the content. There's something quite magical about getting to stand where the Sultans did, looking out over the Bosphorus.

Get a traditional Turkish bath at Cagaloglu while you're there. I had a thing where my neck would click if I craned it too far in one direction. After the massage, it completely went away and hasn't recurred since!

Finally, I believe the Turks have finally completed their renovation of the Agia Sophia, so the internal scaffolding that partly marred truly revelling in the experience of the interior space when I was there should now be gone.

The old city is ideally located for the tourist stuff, and the hotels are well-priced. One tip re this: try the Seven Hills, just by the Four Seasons. It's 4* rather the 5* of the Four Seasons but is a mere fraction of that hotel's price so the value for money is amazing (good sized rooms & bathrooms, and back when I went, you could negotiate quite a bit off the room rate on the day).

 

[PKTrekGirl]

I've worked and played extensively in Tokyo (and around Japan in general - I used to work about 5 weeks a year in Japan) and I don't think it's a good idea right now, given your restrictions. First, because you would lose 2 of your 6 days on airplanes, leaving you only 4 days on the ground in Japan. Tokyo is a wonderful city...but the really big events on the itinerary of any trip to Japan are to be found in Kyoto...and you simply do not have the time to spend time in Tokyo and do Kyoto properly. Better to do Japan when you have more time (and money). Between touring Tokyo, visiting Kyoto (and maybe Mt Fuji and Himeji Castle), and perhaps adding Hiroshima/Miyajima, you need 11-12 days minimum on the ground, plus 2 days traveling time.

I like the Istanbul idea a lot better, given your restrictions. Japan is wonderful...but not given your current restrictions.

 

[Kestra]

I've always wanted to visit Prague, and I don't think you listed it. Don't know about prices or anything though!

 

[iguana_tonante]

Prague is pure awesomeness. It's not exactly cheap, but it can be done on a budget.