Kate Wickers

From my home in the seaside town of Deal it is eighteen miles to Canterbury, and I’m lured there often by my love of its tangible history and show-stopping 11th century cathedral, ever the marvel no matter how many times you’ve stepped through the magnificent Christ Church Gate. But this isn’t a city stuck in the past. Canterbury University students keep the café and pub scene on its toes, and brilliant new restaurants are opening all the time. So here are its best things to do; from cutesy tea-rooms and classy cocktail bars to wondering through the living museum of its Medieval back streets. –Kate Wickers RECOMMENDED:🎡 The best things to do in Margate🐟 The best things to do in Whitstable🍃 The best things to do in Kent🏖️ The best seaside towns in the UK Kate Wickers is a writer based in Deal, Kent. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Over the past fifteen years I’ve watched Deal blossom from just another Kent seaside town to one of the UK’s most desirable coastal weekend boltholes, luring DFLs (the name given to those Down from London) away from the capital with the promise of beach walks, vintage shopping and proper fish and chips. Along the award-winning High Street, you’ll find a wealth of independent shops, bars, and restaurants, but it’s Deal’s sedate (yet uplifting) atmosphere that remains its biggest draw. Ten miles from Dover, this is a town beside the sea, rather than a seaside town (for kiss-me-quick amusements, head to Margate): it’s creative, classy and also happens to be one of the UK’s top hidden foodie destinations. Here are the best things to do in Deal, right now.  RECOMMENDED:🦪 The best things to do in Whitstable☀️ The best things to do in Canterbury🚂 The best day trips from London🏖️ The best things to do in Kent Kate Wickers is a writer based in Deal. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

When it comes to planning a city break in the UK, a lot of places will probably spring to mind: London, Manchester, Edinburgh. Don’t get me wrong – these are all brilliant cities in their own right, but they shouldn’t always overshadow the other excellent destinations which are slightly more off the beaten path.   This country is home to sprawling metropolises, cobbled mediaeval towns, foodie hidden gems and cultural hotspots which double as gateways to stunning countryside. So how do you choose the top spots? To put together this list, we asked our team of editorial staff and expert local travel writers based all over Great Britain to tell us their recommendations for fantastic city breaks. From Scotland to Stoke, here are the best UK city breaks, chosen by us.  What is the cheapest UK city break? It’s widely known that London is a pricey place to visit. Edinburgh isn’t much better these days. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a decent hotel room in any large UK city for less than £100 a night, so if you’re looking to save on cash, we’d recommend heading somewhere a bit smaller. Sheffield, our top UK city break, generally offers one-bed Airbnbs and hotel rooms for less than £100. Wells, Stoke and Dundee also offer more affordable accommodation – just bear in mind you’ll probably have to spend a little bit extra to get there, if you’re coming from London. What is the best UK city to get to by train? If you’re travelling from the capital, you’re less than two hours on the train f