London isn't the only great city we know about, Time Out writes travel guides for over 50 cities worldwide. Whether you fancy zipping over the channel for a weekend in Paris or Rome or maybe you're looking to go further afield to Beijing or Rio, all our guides are written by local experts to help you make the most of your trip.
To help inspire you we've pulled together some highlights of the world's great citybreak destinations or alternatively you can browse our full range of Time Out Travel guides.
The world’s most visited capital feels a bit like a bubble –
so compact that you can whizz from one end to the other on the constantly
renovated Métro system, and virtually free of eyesores to detract from its
centuries-old symmetry. Though you’ll have no problems finding ways to spend
money in Paris,
the city is also surprisingly friendly to those on a budget, from free
merry-go-rounds and sledging for children during the Christmas holidays, to the
immensely popular Paris Plage in summer.
Find out more about Paris >>
 |  |   |
| Notre Dame de Paris | Buy Paris | Buy Paris shortlist |
2. New York Best for shopping, art, food, nightlife
Whatever it is you want to get into, New York pretty much has it all. Chic
restaurants, renowned museums, brilliantly designed parks, glamorous cocktail
bars, historic sites, clubs to die for and operas to weep at await you at every
turn. But be warned: New York
suffers from personality disorder – it is at once beguiling, annoying, dirty,
exciting, tough, gritty and gorgeous.
Find out more about New York >>
 |  |  |
Brooklyn Bridge, New York |
Buy New York guide |
Buy New York |
3. Barcelona Best for art, architecture, food
The
more pundits insist Barcelona’s
star is on the wane, the more popular the city becomes. There can be few who
have yet to dip a toe in its balmy waters, contemplate Picasso’s early works or
scale the dizzying towers of Gaudí’s Sagrada Família, but such is the blend of
the hedonistic and the cultural that people just can’t resist a return visit.
Find out more about Barcelona >>
 |  |  |
| Gaudi's Sagrada Familia cathedral | Buy Barcelona Guide | Buy Barcelona shortlist |
4. Marrakech Best for hip hotels, exoticism, shopping
With
its Islamic faith and parallel belief in everyday magic, a medina organised
around craft guilds and medieval manufacturing methods and a trading culture
where doggedly independent mountain tribespeople interact with ancient urban
traditions, Marrakech is the shortest distance you can travel from Europe and wind up somewhere genuinely different.
Find out more about Marrakech >>
 |  |
Oranges in the Market, Marrakech | Buy Marrakech |
5. Dubai Best for shopping, sunshine, weirdness
From Abu Dhabi’s
little brother to world-leader in about 30 years, Dubai has carved out a name for itself as an
international city developing in the fastest, most extravagant way. Upcoming
attractions include ‘Hydropolis’, an underwater city, a five-acre tropical
forest housing exotic birds, 250 man-made islands modelled on the globe, called
‘The World’ and the tallest tower in the world, the Burj Dubai.
Find out more about Dubai >>
 |  |
| Burj Al Arab hotel, Dubai | Buy Dubai guide |
6. Rio De Janeiro Best for beaches, sunshine, greenery
Rio
de Janeiro hasn’t earned the nickname Cidade Marvilhosa (‘Marvellous City’) for
nothing – fringed by white-sand beaches on one side and verdant mountains on
the other, it enjoys one of the finest city locations on the planet. Life for
most cariocas, as Rio’s
citizens are called, revolves around the beach, but there are several incredible
natural landmarks a short tram or cable car ride away if you can ever drag
yourself away from the water’s edge.
Find out more about Rio >>
 |  |
Sugar Loaf and Botafogo Beach | Buy Rio guide |
7. Rome Best for history, architecture, art
No
city in the world is as beautiful as Rome,
and few as glamorous. The centre is a chaotic labyrinth of ancient and new
streets. The River Tiber cuts the city in two: most of the ruins and classical
sites lie on one side, with the Vatican
on the other. Its fountains, palaces, lush gardens and churches are looking
better than ever while exciting contemporary museums and concert halls add to
the urban mix.
Find out more about Rome >>
 |  |  |
The Coliseum, Rome | Buy Rome guide | Buy Rome Shortlist |
8. Amsterdam Best for hedonism, art, history
A
city with a sense of historical continuity, apparent in the grand canal-houses
and the imposing churches and street scenes, Amsterdam seems to have barely changed since
its depiction in paintings created 400 years ago. An illustrious past is on
show from Golden Age art in the Rijksmuseum to Dutch East India Company
warehouses around the docks. But Amsterdam
also definitely has an eye for the contemporary. Dutch design is arguably the
best in the world: think of product designer Tord Boontje, collective
Droog Design and fashion twosome Viktor & Rolf.
Find out more about Amsterdam >>
 |  |  |
Buy Amsterdam | Buy Amsterdam Shortlist |
9. Beijing Best for antiquity, architecture, the Olympics
After
China’s successful 2008 Olympic bid the pace of development was racked up.
Buildings come down overnight and are replaced by glitzy high-rise blocks and
the old is seemingly swept away. Or is it? Beijing today has become an elusive
blend of dynamism and antiquity. Juxtaposed quite literally; next to the new
still stand the remains of the old, softening the journey towards the Olympics.
Find out more about Beijing >>
 |  |
Antiquity remains in modern Beijing | Buy Beijing |
10. Berlin Best for nightlife, culture, architecture
If
you’re looking to release the inner hedonist, you’ll find nightlife
that
carries on through until morning and a gay scene that’s unusually
shameless.
While the city has always been a bolthole for the unconventional, today
it’s
also a major cultural centre, combining top-flight museums, galleries
and
concert halls with thriving alternative arts and music scenes. As one
of the most verdant cities in Europe, there are plenty of leafy spots
in which to take
a break.
Find out more about Berlin >>
 |  |  |
The Reichstag, Berlin | Buy Berlin guide |
Buy Berlin Shortlist |
1000 things to do in London
1000 Films to change your life
1000 Books to change your life
|
|
The best of London in your inbox
Up to the minute picks of the best things to do in London, delivered to your desktop.
|
|
