Ireland’s historic and infectiously upbeat capital city is good craic all year round, but it really sparkles in winter. Spend the shorter, chillier days exploring Dublin’s rich literary legacy in hidden bookshops and historic galleries, or blowing away the cobwebs on a bracing walk in its surrounding countryside. Throw in a handful of artisan whiskey READ MORE

Ireland’s second city is full of history and packed with pubs – and you can often explore both at once. Once known for shipbuilding, dairy and the wool trade, today Cork mixes past and present in fine style, with hip coffee bars and top art galleries standing alongside narrow alleys and ancient waterways. Pubs have READ MORE

Liverpool is a big city with a big reputation. Famed for The Beatles and football, it is home to more museums and galleries than any other UK city outside of London, the second-largest theatre in the country and more than 2400 listed buildings. It isn’t difficult to find a decent pint in the city either. READ MORE

Lovely, lively Seville is Andalucia’s capital, and southern Spain’s biggest city. Here you can visit the home of flamenco, eat some of the country’s best tapas, tour the biggest Gothic cathedral in the world and marvel at Moorish architecture. Throw in a bar and club scene that reaches past dawn and some of Spain’s wildest READ MORE

Sandwiched between North and East London, Stoke Newington has long been popular for green spaces like Abney Park Cemetery and Clissold Park, as well as its alternative vibe. The neighbourhood has smartened up considerably in recent years, especially on Church St, where you can find increasingly swanky boutiques, delis and restaurants. But there are some READ MORE

With its honey-hued brickwork, sweeping Georgian crescents and rolling surrounding countryside, Bath is frequently cited as one of Britain’s prettiest cities. Sitting on the edge of the Cotswolds, this stylish spa town was founded in the 1st Century by the Romans as a thermal spa, but it was the Georgians who transformed it into a READ MORE

Reading’s finest nature and history are accessible to the public for free, while a plethora of excellent museums offer great options for an affordable day out. With the North Wessex Downs to the north and the confluence of the Thames and Kennet rivers at its heart, natural beauty is not far from the streets of READ MORE

Valencia is an old city with a youthful, energetic heart. That dynamic seeps into the city’s coffee culture, with the classics available right alongside the latest filtration methods. Here’s how to get your day started the right way at some of Valencia’s best coffee shops. Ordering a coffee in Spain requires the right lingo. Although READ MORE

History? Check. Beautiful buildings and huge castles? Check. Excellent, cheap beer everywhere? Check. Hip, youthful neighbourhoods packed with art and culture? Check. Prague, as you might have worked out by now, is a backpacker’s dream destination. Prague has much to offer the budget traveller, not least of all, a high number of clean, good-value hostels. READ MORE