The summer holidays are over and the kids are back in the classroom. And that means mums and dads, well any adult really, can get away kid-free and enjoy the tail end of the summer, all at a reasonable price. Here’s our pick of 5 great cities all at their best when school’s in.
Our glorious featured image of Istanbul, above, is by Matt Krause.
Istanbul, Turkey
Having kids in tow sometimes means forgoing the culture that you’re desperately seeking.
Famously the point where West meets East, Istanbul is a great destination for adults looking to indulge their minds with museums and taste buds with exotic fare all on a schedule not oriented around meal and nap times.
Lisbon, Portugal
Young palates aren’t always the most accepting of adventurous foods. And that can be a real drag in a city like Lisbon, known for its fresh and exotic seafood. Take the chance to savour local delicacies like goose barnacles with a nice glass of house white.
Barcelona, Spain
One of Europe’s cultural jewels, Barcelona attracts a lot of tours, not least from school parties. You can avoid the bulk of them with a trip at the beginning of the academic year, when barely any schools make trips. It might just be the only time of year you can admire Gaudi’s masterpieces (and mosaics – seen our gallery of Barcelona’s mosaics?
We featured Barcelona in our piece about the Best underground cities for spotting street art too) in relative peace (the distant and not-so-distant chorus of scooter horns aside).
Buenos Aires, Argentina
While many of Europe’s hot spots are cooling down to a comfortable temperature, Buenos Aires, the best of the Southern Hemisphere is just warming up.
September provides just the weather for gorging on a huge steak, glugging red wine by the gallon and busting out those tango moves you always planned to learn.
Beijing, China
Beijing’s got a serious number of sights. Seeing them all means rushing around, making decisions on the fly and putting aside practicalities like lunch and comfort breaks – a style of travelling that’s anything but child-friendly. What’s more, you need all the focus you can muster to take on board all that culture – fielding the questions of inquisitive youngsters doesn’t help.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
