Three trips worth taking, picked every Friday, plus a 48-hour plan for every city worth the journey.
30 October – 1 November
28 Oct – 1 Nov
Northern Ireland
Derry Halloween: often called Europe's biggest Halloween festival.
28 Oct – 1 Nov
Lucca Comics & Games: Europe's biggest comics and cosplay festival takes over the walled town.
28 Oct – 1 Nov
Salon du Chocolat: the world's biggest chocolate show, at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
Full write-up on FridayPast weekends
Christmas marketsMulled wine, carols and lights in the old town36 weekends
Winter sunBlue skies when home is grey11 weekends
Food and drinkCities worth the trip for the table alone43 weekends
By trainWeekends you can reach without flying20 weekends
Romantic weekendsCandlelight, views and long dinners23 weekends
Beaches and coastSand, sea air and harbour lunches17 weekends
Castles and historyFortresses, ruins and Roman stones21 weekends
Wine weekendsVineyards, cellars and the regions behind the bottle19 weekendsSpain48-hour guide
Two days of winter sun on the Costa del Sol: a Moorish fortress, a castle with the best view in town, Picasso's birthplace, a 19th-century market and a seafront promenade.
Germany48-hour guide
Gendarmenmarkt's craft tents, a palace market in Charlottenburg, skating round the Neptune Fountain, a Nordic market in an old brewery and a medieval one in Friedrichshain, with a two-day plan.
Belgium48-hour guide
More than 150 chalets from Sint-Baafsplein to the Korenmarkt, a big wheel by the Graslei, skating under the Stadshal and a city that stays open into January, plus a two-day plan.
Portugal48-hour guide
Two days in Portugal's northern capital: tiled stations, a two-deck iron bridge, port tastings in Gaia's lodges and a vintage tram to the Atlantic at Foz.
Netherlands48-hour guide
Two Christmas markets inside marl caves, a lit-up parade through a small Limburg town and an easy train ride from Maastricht, with a day plan and verified 2026 dates.
Spain48-hour guide
Two days in Tenerife's capital region: a lively food market, La Laguna's colourful UNESCO streets by tram and a cable car ride up Spain's highest peak, with reliable winter warmth.
Closures, new rules and openings that change a weekend plan.
In the order they open.
Bristol Christmas Market
Santa Pauli
New reels every weekday: 48-hour routes, food worth the trip and what’s on this weekend.
