As we head towards spring and travel restrictions start to ease, it might be time to dust off your suitcase and start planning some exciting city breaks.
City breaks are a great way of experiencing a small slice of city life in a new destination, in a short period of time. A long weekend should give you enough time to check out some of the best attractions, landmarks, restaurants and culture hotspots in the city you're visiting.
There are several city breaks you can do from Cardiff Airport that are just a short hop from Wales, including Belfast, Paris and Amsterdam. Some of these destinations have direct flights and others will require a connection.
You can search for the best flight deals for you on Skyscanner and if you aren't sure where you want to go, you can use Skyscanner's 'everywhere' option to inspire you.
Remember to check the latest travel restrictions and also check the Foreign Office's overseas advice before booking international travel.
It's also worth checking the cabin bag allowance and what the luggage fees are for each airline. This can help you budget better for your trip.
Read more: The Welsh mum who's designed cool cabin bags to help you beat airport charges
Cardiff Airport is an important hub for travellers in and out of Wales, situated just 30 minutes from Cardiff city centre, it's convenient to get to for a European city break and beyond.
Spencer Birns, CEO at Cardiff Airport said: "Customers can fly to a number of exciting city breaks from Cardiff. Following the impact of the pandemic, we're delighted that our airlines have re-started direct flights to the vibrant cities of Amsterdam, Dublin, Edinburgh and Paris, which are perfect for a romantic getaway or to watch some live sport.
Vueling also operates flights to Malaga, Alicante and Palma de Mallorca, which are perfect destinations for a short break in the sun and to enjoy the Spanish culture."
Birns also points out that many other international destinations can be reached from Cardiff via connecting flights. He said: "It's also easy to connect to a wealth of incredible cities from Cardiff, including New York, Dubai and European cities like Budapest and Venice with KLM via a connection in Amsterdam. Plus you can fly to Florence, Barcelona and Rome via Paris with Vueling.
"We pride ourselves on being a friendly and convenient Airport with a smooth customer journey, making it easy to jet off on short breaks and longer holidays."
Here's our round-up of some of our favourite city break destinations that you can fly to from Cardiff Airport.
1. Paris
With world-class galleries, bookshops, boutique shopping, iconic landmarks and exceptional dining, Paris is the ultimate city break in Europe.
A long weekend in the city of lights is an ideal length of time to see some of the main highlights including the Eiffel Tower, the lovely Latin Quarter, Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Montmartre and Musée du Louvre.
If you have enough time in Paris, you can even plan a visit to Disneyland Paris, which consists of two parks, hotels, restaurants, rides and attractions.
It's easy to combine a city break with a trip to Disneyland Paris as it's only located around 20 miles (32kms) outside of Paris. You can stay in central Paris and just get the train to Disneyland Paris from Paris Gare du Nord by taking the RER A train to Marne-la-Vallé Chessy.
Fly there with: Vueling
2. Amsterdam
The Dutch capital has plenty to offer visitors seeking out history, art and culture. You can lose many hours just wandering or biking the canal-woven streets, lined with historic and distinctive Dutch architecture.
Some of the main highlights include the iconic Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Vondelpark, Foodhallen and of course, the moving Anne Frank Museum.
Amsterdam is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world so one of the best ways to explore the city is by renting a bike and getting around like a local.
Spend some time stopping at cafes, boutique stores and galleries as you bike along the excellent cycle paths in the city. Make sure to read up on the rules of the road here as bikes are seen as just as important as cars. Pop into Amsterdam's Tourist Information Centre to find out more about how to bike in the city and what guided biking tours you can book.
Fly there with: KLM
3. Belfast
Music, food, culture, history and proper pubs can all be found in this compact city in Northern Ireland. Belfast has become a tourism hub of Europe known for its famous hospitality and most recently, its Game of Thrones connection.
Most Thrones fans will know that many of the iconic Game of Thrones scenes were shot in Northern Ireland. Around 80% of the popular series was filmed there and Belfast has been quick to capitalise on visiting fans by offering many GOT tours that strat from the city.
Outside of film tourism, Belfast also has an incredible nightlife scene and an abundance of bars and clubs for visitors to explore. Many venues also have modern and traditional live music, creating a wonderful sense of Celtic ambience.
History enthusiasts can also check out the Titanic museum, as well as murals, the peace wall and go on one of the legendary 'black cab tours', to learn more about Belfast's political history.
Fly there with: Eastern Airways and KLM
4. Faro
Faro is the gateway to the Algarve and while many people just fly there and head straight to the resorts and beaches, the city itself is also worth exploring.
The city offers history and culture as well as cafes, restaurants and bars serving delicious Portuguese cuisine and local tipples. As it's not a huge tourist hotspot, you can explore the historic centre in relative peace, away from the Algarve crowds.
Spend a day wandering the cobbled streets looking for neoclassical architecture, historic cathedrals and the impressive range of chic boutiques, cafes and great value seafood restaurants. You can also hop on a bus to Praia de Faro [Faro beach] if you fancy a spot of sunbathing.
Faro is also an excellent city base from which to explore the wider Algarve region and you can do many day trips and organised excursions from the city.
Fly there with: KLM and Wizz Air
5. Rome
You can fly to Rome from Cardiff airport via Paris, so there's scope to do both cities in one trip if you're feeling adventurous. With its mix of ancient ruins, romantic cobbled streets, busy piazzas, alfresco restaurants and world-class coffee, Rome is a fantastic city break in Italy.
Whether you love history, architecture, art, or you fancy yourself as a bit of a foodie, there’s a huge range of things to do in this historic city. Highlights include the Roman Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, the Spanish steps and the Vatican, a city-state surrounded by Rome.
One of the best ways to see the city sights is by going on a walking tour. With its sheer breadth of history, architecture and culture, you really need an expert to guide you around to paint a picture of Rome through the ages. There are many tour options in the city including free walking tours, private tours, evening tours and even foodie tours.
A food tour is recommended for foodie fans who want to get to know a city through its cuisine. A quality food tour will take you to Rome’s gastronomic delights and street food finds to feast on pasta, gelato and pizza!
Fly there with: KLM
6. Alicante
Alicante is an underrated port city on Spain’s southeastern Costa Blanca and is the capital of the Alicante province. Its old town, Barrio de la Santa Cruz, is known for its b narrow streets, colourful houses and energetic nightlife scene.
The main port also has an impressive range of restaurants, bars and pubs serving local dishes including seafood and tapas and Spanish wines.
Summer is a perfect time to visit the city to make the most out of the beaches and to enjoy the cultural events, al fresco dining, concerts and street theatre.
The Old Town Quarter is where you'll find an array of historic architecture including Gothic cathedrals and medieval castles. Lots of the city's landmarks are free to enter and guided tours are also available.
Fly there with: Vueling
7. Edinburgh
This student city is the place to go for traditional Scottish pubs, buzzing nightclubs, whisky bars and of course, the famous Edinburgh festival.
History and culture are plentiful here with castles, Georgian buildings, alongside modern restaurants and galleries and a labyrinth of side streets and winding cobblestone alleys to explore.
Edinburgh is also known as the home of Harry Potter and the city has capitalised heavily on this connection to the wizarding world. You'll find Wizard-themed shops and specialist Harry potter tours.
Fans can also make a pilgrimage to The Elephant House, the coffeehouse and cafe where it's said that Potter creator JK Rowling did much of her writing.
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