6 great weekends away

Split your town time between the medieval and Georgian Edinburgh, including a detour to the old port city of Leith to see the Royal Yacht Britannia and enjoy a Michelin-star dinner at the Martin Wishart or The Kitchin, returning by frequent bus number 22.

Keep Sunday for an outing by Scotrail to North Berwick. Besides its golden beaches, the Victorian-Edwardian resort hosts the Scottish Seabird Centre, which celebrates the Firth of Forth's avian population. Or take a boat trip to the volcanic Bass Rock where 150,000 gannets nest - a phenomena described by Sir David Attenborough as 'one of the 12 wildlife wonders of the world'.

Where to stay: The Balmoral

Joining the line-up of interesting Belfast sights – from the Grand Opera House to the Crown Liquor Saloon, the Ulster Museum to the Botanical Gardens – is the Titanic Museum, located on the slipways where the ship was built.

For a big day out, rent a car and follow the shores of Belfast Lough via the pretty seaside town of Carrickfergus to Larne. Continue north along the Causeway Coastal Route, which passes through an untamed landscape of hills, forests and glens, as well as castles and gorgeous stretches of water. The Giant’s Causeway, with its 40,000 basalt stepping stones, is iconic, but save time for the Mussenden Temple, an 18th-century folly on the edge of a cliff.

Where to stay: Contact Tourism Ireland

Fancy turning your weekend into a tale of two cities? Head to the South West and share your sightseeing pleasures between Bristol, and the Georgian architecture and Roman Baths of Bath.

In the former you’ll find Brunel’s SS Great Britain (the world’s first ocean-going liner) and Clifton Suspension Bridge, the boutique-y neighbourhood of Clifton, Bristol Zoo, the hands-on exhibits at explore@bristol and the new history museum, M Shed, in the Harbourside area.

Bath is an easy hop by train or, for a more active outing, rent a bike (from Blackboy Hill Cycle Hire at the top of Whiteladies Road, for example) and follow the 14-mile dedicated cycle path created by the charity Sustrans as part of the National Cycle Network. It’s mostly flat and tarmacked and follows the disused railway track.

Where to stay: Hilton Garden Inn 

The city’s cultural attractions are riveting, topped by the Baltic Centre – converted from the old Rank flour mill into the biggest gallery of contemporary art outside London, and The Sage Gateshead music centre, both located just across the Tyne. If you’re travelling with the family go to Life, a hands-on museum giving science all the fun of a fairground. Then there’s the Discovery Museum and the Laing’s collection of mostly 18th and 19th-century paintings, with a high quota of pre-Raphaelites.

On Sunday, hop aboard the 9.30am AD122 bus from Newcastle Central Station and alight (90 minutes later) at Housesteads Roman Fort, perhaps the most complete example in Britain with a fascinating new exhibition. Then follow the four-hour Hadrian’s Wall circular walk to appreciate the scale of this 84-mile World Heritage Site.

Where to stay: Hotel Indigo 

More or less everywhere in Holland lies within a day-trip radius of Amsterdam. Destinations include The Hague (seat of the Dutch Government, the International Court of Justice, foreign embassies and the Dutch Royals), Scheveningen (the Brighton of Holland), Delft (famous for its blue porcelain), and historic Utrecht.

However, my pick would be Enkhuizen. Once a fishing port that sheltered the biggest herring fleet in the country until they dammed the Zuiderzee, it was saved from decline by its museum, which tells the story of the struggle against water. It has ships, buildings and a costumed cast in a turn-of-the-century time warp, mending nets, smoking fish, operating the steam laundry, stirring the soup and selling plates of ‘naked children in the grass’ (runner beans sliced, boiled and served with mashed potato and white beans) and home-made horse sausage.

Where to stay: The Wiechmann 

On a crisp, sunny English day on the South coast of Dorset, you can often feel like you are in the tropics of Europe. With its rolling hills inland, its sandy beaches on the coast and the world’s second biggest natural harbour, the county of Dorset has a lot to offer to suit ramblers, sunbathers and family explorers alike.

The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site is a must see, in particular Lulworth Cove. Considered to be one of the world’s finest examples of a cove, it is easy to see why it is so popular among tourists. They are some beautiful walks to be taken in this area. Read our walking holiday guide to the South West Coast.

In addition to rural attractions, Dorset is home to many vibrant towns including Poole, Bournemouth, Dorchester and Weymouth.

Where to stay: La Fosse, Cranborne

Some might consider it sinful to abandon the city if you are only there for the weekend. But that’s what Sun King Louis XIV did when his colossal palace at Versailles became the seat of French power.

Just a hop from Paris by RER train, this lavish masterpiece of French classical architecture remained home to three French kings right up to the Revolution. Aside from the spectacular Hall of Mirrors, it can be disappointing inside, but Le Nôtre’s gardens are superb. If you have time, also visit the Grand and Petit Trianon palaces, the latter part of Marie Antoinette’s rural retreat from the rigours of the court.

Where to stay: Le Bristol

For more great holiday ideas, visit goodhousekeepingtravel.co.uk