An Amsterdam canal with boats and historic waterfront buildings — Photo: Airam Dato-on / Pexels

TRAVEL NOTES

The details make the difference.

Planning a city break or a day at a famous sight? Find advice on getting around, what to bring and the details worth checking before you go.

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Before you go

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Before you go · Barcelona

Things people forget when visiting Barcelona

Barcelona can turn a short city break into a mix of architecture, uphill walks and time by the sea. These easily missed details help you prepare for the day you actually want, rather than carrying a bag for every possible activity.

Basel Münster’s twin towers and patterned roof above the Rhine, with the Roche towers beyond

Visit planning · Basel

Basel Münster: church, tower or a Pfalz terrace view?

The Münster offers several different visits: a church interior, a paid tower climb and a riverside terrace. Decide which suits your group before assuming every door and staircase is open.

Mittlere Brücke and its small bridge chapel spanning the Rhine in Basel

First visit · Basel

A first weekend in Basel: old-town lanes, the Rhine and public art

Give Basel two flexible days: one for its old-town hill and riverbanks, another for public art and a chosen museum. Leave room for a food-hall lunch and keep boats optional.

Painted facade, astronomical clock and projecting figure at Basel’s red Town Hall

Neighbourhood walks · Basel

Basel old-town walk: Marktplatz, Spalenberg and the Pfalz

Connect the red Town Hall with the smaller lanes around Spalenberg, then finish above the Rhine at the Pfalz. This is a street-and-square walk with optional interiors, not a ticket bundle.

Mittlere Brücke spanning the Rhine beside Basel’s historic waterfront

Getting around · Basel

Basel on the Rhine: ferry crossing, bridge walk or panorama cruise?

A small cross-river ferry and a longer sightseeing boat solve different problems. Choose a simple crossing for your walking route, or a cruise for time on the water, and check the actual season first.

Curving steel plates of Richard Serra’s Intersection outside Theater Basel

Local sights · Basel

Basel public art: Tinguely, Serra and an optional museum

Start with moving water and curving steel around Theaterplatz, then decide whether to add a museum. This compact art outing works without buying every ticket or crossing the whole city.

Georgian terraced houses beside a lawn in Bath

First visit · Bath

A first weekend in Bath: Roman history and Georgian streets

Split a Bath weekend between the Roman Baths and Abbey area on day one and Georgian architecture on day two. Keep the river and Holburne Museum as flexible additions, with a proper lunch break each day.

The curved Georgian terraces of the Circus in Bath

Walking route · Bath

A Georgian Bath walk from Queen Square to the Royal Crescent

Link Queen Square, the Circus and Royal Crescent in one walk with an optional historic-house visit. The route goes uphill, but you can shorten it at the Crescent and leave the return flexible.

The River Avon, weir and stone buildings in Bath

Walking route · Bath

Pulteney Bridge to the Holburne: a Bath river and art walk

Start with the Avon and Pulteney Bridge, then follow Great Pulteney Street towards the Holburne Museum and Sydney Gardens. Choose whether the day is about exterior architecture, an art visit or both.

A statue and historic architecture in a landscaped Bath park

Weather alternative · Bath

A rainy day in Bath: choose two interiors that fit together

A wet Bath day can still feel varied if you pair archaeology with art or a Georgian house. Choose a small number of interiors, check their tickets and leave room for lunch between them.