Find your perfect weekend break

Roman walls, medieval Rows and a riverside setting.

From Manchester: About 1 to 1.25 hours by train, or about 1 hour by car.

Estimated total: £320–£560 for 2 people, 2 nights, excluding travel

Highlights: The city walls, The Rows, Chester Cathedral

Plus where to stay, things to do, hotels and booking links in the full guide.

Green valleys, limestone scars and drystone walls.

From Manchester: About 1.5 to 2 hours by car.

Estimated total: £320–£560 for 2 people, 2 nights, excluding travel

Highlights: Malham Cove and Gordale Scar, Ribblehead Viaduct, Bolton Abbey

Plus where to stay, things to do, hotels and booking links in the full guide.

A grand Victorian seaside resort beneath the Great Orme.

From Manchester: About 2 hours by train or 1 hour 45 minutes by car.

Estimated total: £240–£430 for 2 people, 2 nights, excluding travel

Highlights: Llandudno Pier, The Great Orme Tramway, The Great Orme

Plus where to stay, things to do, hotels and booking links in the full guide.

A cathedral and castle on a wooded river bend

A hilltop cathedral city with a medieval castle

Britain's oldest seaside resort, with two bays and a castle

A colourful walled harbour town with sandy beaches

Castles, empty beaches, dark skies and Hadrian's Wall

Moorland, dramatic sea cliffs and a famous dark sky

A hilltop cinque port town of cobbles and smugglers' pubs

A medieval market town in a loop of the River Severn

A dramatic castle city of cobbled lanes, festivals and whisky

England's biggest national park: lakes, fells and cosy villages

Medieval walls, a magnificent minster and cobbled streets

Roman baths, Georgian crescents and thermal spas

Honey-coloured villages, rolling hills and country pubs

A lively seaside city with a pier, independent shops and nightlife

Golden beaches, art galleries and a pretty Cornish harbour

Roman walls, medieval Rows and a riverside setting

A dramatic harbour town with a clifftop abbey

Wide sandy beaches, salt marshes and seal trips

England's first national park, with moors, dales and stately homes

A waterfront city of music, museums and football