Five family-friendly cities for weekend getaways

While my bucket list of places I want to visit is vast, right now, overseas trips just aren’t on the cards for us. So I’ve been thinking about trying to fit in a few weekend breaks, visiting some of the cities around the UK and soaking up the great sights that our country has to offer. With Lola in school, we can’t just up and go mid-week anymore, weekend breaks would be perfect for us – giving us a couple of days away from home and the chance to explore somewhere new to us. I’ve been looking at apartments to stay in, as I think that would suit us better than a hotel.

After a little research for weekend getaway ideas, I’ve narrowed it down to our top five for now. Hopefully, we can fit in a few weekend breaks over the coming year.

1| Liverpool

Only an hour away from us, and somewhere we often go for the day, Liverpool is a city I love and one I’d like to spend more time in. We usually only have a few hours, not quite enough for a proper explore. It’s a great city for families – the Walker Art Gallery has their ‘Big Art’ room for kids – full of art based activities, crafts and dressing up! The Albert Docks are a great place to walk around, grab a bite to eat and visit the Tate or the Maritime Museum. Chinatown is worth an explore, and Liverpool One is great for a little shopping!

2| Manchester

I haven’t been since long before I had kids, and again, it’s not a long train ride away. There is the Legoland Discovery centre that the kiddos are bound to love, as well as the Museum of Science and Industry. Affleck’s Palace is high on my list of must-do’s, Lola would love to go to the Etihad Stadium, and there is also a CBBC tour at MediaCity that would be a great addition to the weekend.

3| Bristol

We’ve been once a few years ago and we all loved it. I’m determined to get back for another weekend soon. Brandon Hill was a spot we loved, as well as walking across the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Cabot’s Tower gave amazing views over the city, and we loved the M Shed.

4|London

While you could easily spend a week {or two} in London, a weekend is probably enough hustle and bustle for me. The British Museum and Natural History Museum are top of our list. I’d love to re-visit Camden after spending many happy times there as a teenager. THe kiddos fancy a visit to Buckingham Palace and no trip to London is complete without a visit to Hamley’s!

5| Nottingham

Somewhere I haven’t been since I was a teen, I’d love to explore Nottingham again. Nottingham Castle tops our ‘must visit’ list, as well as the City of Caves. Beastie would love a trip to Stonebridge CIty Farm and the Ghost Walk sounds exciting if we’re brave enough!