December 31st is fast approaching and if all you have planned is a bottle of wine in your local club while batting away a creepy kiss from that old bloke in the corner – try one of these end-of-year escapes instead.
London
OK, so it’s not much of an escape, but with the capital offering a mere £10 admission to see the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks, it’s not a bad way to see in the New Year. Boris Johnson has been known to put on a good show and with the money raised going to Unicef, you can take in the colourful explosions while feeling pretty damn good about yourself, too.
The capital also puts on a huge parade with over 8,000 performers from all around the world on New Year’s Day, so (assuming you’re not too hungover) head to Westminster on 1 January to get a good view of the celebrations. If you’re feeling flush you can splash out £30 on a grandstand seat to ensure a top view, but if you’ve spent all your Christmas money on shots and champagne (prosecco, whatever) you can just stand and watch for free.
The party starts at midday outside The Ritz Hotel and weaves its way to Parliament Square in a three-hour blur of Disney-style floats, cheerleaders and street performers. If loud music, colourful costumes and dancing in the street is your thing, this is definitely worth a visit.
Barcelona
With lastminute.com offering return flights and three glamorous nights in the four-star Hesperia Sant hotel in Barcelona for £272, you have a perfect excuse to tell January to sod off and soak up some sun, shopping and Sangria instead.
The hotel is a short tram ride away from the town centre, where you’ll find endless boutiques, bars and nightspots. If you want a chilled night, get involved in the traditional specialities served at Alambi restaurant. But if you want to amp up your night and ring in the New Year in a festive haze of mojitos and pasta, pull up a seat and browse the menu at Bar Tast where you can get lost in Mediterranean cuisine and contemporary cocktails.
The hotel also comes with a flat-screen TV, mini-bar and access to its Turkish baths, so if you’re thinking of skipping the celebrations this year, head down to the lobby in your best bikini and detox your way into 1 January.
Berlin
If the thought of over-crowded clubs, sloppy midnight snogs and overpriced taxis fills you with dread, skip the Monday madness and head to the airport. EasyJet flies to Berlin from £229 for a return flight, meaning you can stock up on German jewels and trinkets from the markets at Mauerpark and spend the evening clutching a Pinot in Weinerei – a stunning wine bar which charges €2 for one glass and then you pay whatever you want for the rest of the night, depending on how you rate your evening!
The Happy Go Lucky Hotel and Hostel is located in the vibrant Charlottenburg district of Berlin and offers rooms from £51 over the party period. It comes with Wi-Fi, TV lounge and a buffet breakfast for the perfect opportunity to stuff croissants in your pocket if you’re hoping to cheap out on lunch.
If there’s a big group of you jetsetting this New Year, you can get rooms to accommodate six, but if you’re travelling lighter, you can get private rooms for between one and four guests with en-suite facilities.
Tallinn
With global warming heating up the climate, we’ll probably be rocking our trusty leather jacket for the party season rather than wrapping up in heaps of fur. But if all the festive cheer has got you in the mood for a white Christmas (we blame you, Bing Crosby), see in the New Year in Tallinn.
Lastminute.com is offering return flights from London Stansted and three days in the Original Sokos Hotel Viru in the Estonian capital for £308. In December, the temperature is usually around freezing and can drop to -4, so there’ll be plenty of opportunities for snow and more than enough excuses for a Baileys-drizzled hot chocolate.
The four-star hotel has two restaurants, three bars and a nightclub, so if you don’t want to brave the chill, you can simply saunter in your sequins with a hotel cocktail. But if you want to experience an authentic Tallinn New Year, take a trip to the Old Town square and watch the midnight fireworks amidst beautiful cobbled streets. Just make sure you pack a coat.
The hotel also has a spa, so you can melt the vodka fog away in a heated pool and spend your evening filling your face at Peppersack. The medieval eatery serves delicious meals from €5.50 and has belly dancers and a sword-fighting show. You won’t find that at your local Nandos.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.