United Kingdom48-hour guide
Edinburgh Weekend Guide: 48 Hours of Castle, Crags and Closes
Two days in Scotland's capital: a castle on a volcanic rock, a medieval high street, a hill walk in the city and dinner by the water in Leith.
Where to go this weekend
Three trips worth taking, picked every Friday, plus a 48-hour plan for every city worth the journey.
This weekend in Europe
30 October – 1 November
28 Oct – 1 Nov
Derry
Northern Ireland
Derry Halloween: often called Europe's biggest Halloween festival.
28 Oct – 1 Nov
Lucca
Lucca Comics & Games: Europe's biggest comics and cosplay festival takes over the walled town.
28 Oct – 1 Nov
Paris
Salon du Chocolat: the world's biggest chocolate show, at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
What kind of weekend?
- Christmas marketsMulled wine, carols and lights in the old town58 weekends
- Winter sunBlue skies when home is grey14 weekends
- Food and drinkCities worth the trip for the table alone67 weekends
- By trainWeekends you can reach without flying22 weekends
- Romantic weekendsCandlelight, views and long dinners25 weekends
- Beaches and coastSand, sea air and harbour lunches18 weekends
- Castles and historyFortresses, ruins and Roman stones23 weekends
- Wine weekendsVineyards, cellars and the regions behind the bottle19 weekends
48 hours in…
Germany48-hour guide
Stuttgart Christmas Market 2026: Decorated Roofs and Esslingen
Around 300 stalls with lovingly decorated roofs from the Neues Schloss to the Marktplatz, concerts in the Old Castle courtyard and a medieval market in Esslingen, with a two-day plan.
Germany48-hour guide
Leipzig Christmas Market 2026: Seven Squares and a Weekend Plan
More than 300 stalls across seven areas of Leipzig's old town, from the Markt and the Old Town Hall to a Finnish village and a medieval market, with a two-day plan.
Italy48-hour guide
Trento and Bolzano Christmas Markets 2026: Two Cities by Train
Trento's stalls under the castle walls, Bolzano's Christkindlmarkt on Piazza Walther and a short train ride between them, with verified 2026 dates and a two-day plan.
Norway48-hour guide
Tromsø Northern Lights Weekend: 48 Hours in the Arctic Winter
Two Arctic days in Tromsø: a cable car above the city, the Arctic Cathedral, seals at Polaria, fish soup by the harbour and dark-sky spots you can reach by bus.
Romania48-hour guide
Sibiu Christmas Market 2026: Transylvania’s Great Square in Winter
One of Europe's earliest and longest markets fills Sibiu's Grand Square from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with a big wheel, an ice rink and a Saxon old town around it.
Travel news
Closures, new rules and openings that change a weekend plan.
- Rail works around Switzerland in November 2026: Munich, Paris, Milan and Vienna trains
- Berlin Airport’s winter timetable: Edinburgh, Milan and Lapland routes
- France rail strike on 5 November: TGV, TER and RER at risk
- Italy strikes 20–22 November: general strike, trains and flights
- Spain train strikes: Renfe on 29 October, Ouigo into December
- Halloween weekend 2026: six European trips worth booking
Christmas markets 2026
In the order they open.
Bristol Christmas Market
Where to next?
New reels every weekday: 48-hour routes, food worth the trip and what’s on this weekend.