beat the brochure

It’s a common dilemma when it comes to choosing your destination for your summer holiday – do you go for the hustle and bustle of a city break in Paris or the serenity of working on your tan on a secluded beach holiday in Turkey? There are number of advantages and disadvantages to each and your choice will depend on what you want to get out of your holiday. Luckily, Beat The Brochure is here to take the legwork out of making your decision.

Take in the Buzz on a City Break
A city break holiday is ideal for travellers who want to stay on their feet and drink in the colourful metropolitan vibe. There is always plenty to see and do on a city break holiday, as cities are generally bursting with museums, galleries and other cultural sites. Cities are easy to get around, offering a number of options for public and private transport, and there’s fun to be found in traversing the streets on foot and seeing what hidden gems you can discover in the alleyways. Entertainment is always easy to find, whether you are looking to take in a theatre show, a local band or just head to the cinema. The wide range of cuisines available is also another big bonus – city breaks to New York are particularly famous for their fine dining.

However, there are downsides to this kind of trip – it’s not likely to relax you as many of the most popular city break locations are extremely busy and despite many hotels doing their best to dampen noise from the outside world, the sound of cars might not exactly lull you to sleep. Lastly, there is the expense of a city break holiday – while the initial travel and accommodation might be cheaper than a beach holiday, the cost of food, drink, entertainment and transport is likely to be far, far higher as commodities are charged at a premium.

Chill Out on a Beach Holiday
Ideal for tourists who just want a bit of peace and quiet, beach holidays guarantee a restorative experience – whether you’re lying in the sun all day, splashing in the warm sea or getting sand between your toes on those long beach walks. If you stay in a local town hotel for the traditional experience, you’ll usually find that beach holidays will be less commercialised than their city counterparts. If you’re interested in the local cuisine, beach holidays allow you to taste foods as they are traditionally made rather than a version of the dish changed to appeal to foreign palates, and in many seaside locations seafood dishes are served with fish that was caught that very day. Beach holidays offer a rustic experience for those who are interested in local history and culture as many sights have not been commercialised for tourists.

The disadvantages to a beach holiday are that you will most likely have to stay in the same town unless you can pay for private transport – taxi fees can be expensive and there’s no guarantee there will be public transport. This also generally means you will also have to make your own entertainment. You might find the language barrier an issue – residents in cities are more likely to speak at least a little English but this isn’t the case in many rural towns, so remember to pack your phrasebook!

If you still can’t choose…
A number of city break locations around the world combine the best of both worlds. For example, a city break to Barcelona offers all the advantages of a city break as well as gorgeous beaches to lie on for when you’re tired of traipsing the streets. Bear in mind though that your sunbathing session is not likely to be quite as relaxing on a city beach as it is by the sea!