planets

BRISTOL is the best place to live in Britain.

Ok I might be biased as it has become my adopted home after moving here 12 years ago from London.

But it has everything the capital has to offer – just less busy and hectic.

Banksy has made it famous with his brilliant and funny graffiti.

His seminal painting of the naked man hanging out of the window of his mistress, takes pride of place at the bottom of the city’s Park Street.

And if you wander around the docks – once a thriving hub of trade at the heart of the Industrial Revolution – you can spot his iconic Girl with the Pierced Eardrum.

Read more on travel inspo

TAKE OFF

Nine bargain city breaks just over an hour from UK with cheap flights & £1.25 beer

SUN SWAP

I’ve visited Florida 50 times… my holiday costs less than a European all-inclusive

The city, with a population of 500,000, has just been named as one of the top 50 destinations to visit in the world because of its street art.

It ranks alongside stargazing in New Zealand for an experience according to the experts at Lonely Planet which said: “No city in Britain uses its urban landscape as a canvas quite like Bristol, with some of the best street art anywhere in Europe.”

I even have a graffiti mural on the side of my house, painted by a brilliant Italian artist that was done as part of Upfest, Europe’s biggest graffiti festival.

Dozens of other homes and shopfronts in the city are also adorned with all sorts of quirky and irreverent artwork.

But it is not just the street art scene that makes Bristol great.

It has everything from sport, to music, theatre, architecture, and some of the best restaurants in Britain.

It’s host to the mighty Bristol City and Bristol Bears football and rugby teams, as well as Gloucestershire Cricket Club.

And arguably England’s most famous cricketer, WG Grace, lived and played on the city’s many grounds.

Other famous residents included Archibald Leach – better known as movie star Cary Grant.

Bristol was also where “drum n’ bass” was invented, is home to brilliant bands Massive Attack and the Idles, and in its Bristol Beacon has a world class music venue which has hosted everyone from the Beatles to Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Coldplay, and Adele.

Its Motion and Lakota nightclubs are also world famous.

And the people, with their West country burr, are some of the friendliest on the planet.

Many are also radical freethinkers who are at the front of counter culture, and lead the way on environmental and equality issues.

A group famously banded together to pull down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston and throw it in the harbour.

The statue was pulled out later and put in a museum.

Its famous Clifton Suspension Bridge – built so the posh residents of Clifton could cross Avon Gorge and get away from the smog for a walk in the countryside – is one of the most iconic bridges in the world.

It was built by Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, whose genius also gave the world the Great Western Railway with its long and complex tunnels, and the then fastest steamship in the world, the SS Great Britain.

On still days, residents are often treated to the spectacle of hot air balloons floating over the city.

The ubiquitous orbs end up landing randomly, including once on a cricket pitch in the middle of a match.

The annual Balloon Fiesta also attracts thousands of visitors.

And one of the greatest advantages of the city is its location and how quickly you can get to some of the best countryside in the UK.

In less than three hours’ drive you can be on the sandy beaches of Cornwall or the rugged coastline of West Wales, with masses of beautiful countryside in between.

There is also a glut of brilliant places to eat with cafes, bars and food shacks, and three Michelin starred restaurants.

One of my favourites is a newly-opened kiosk on the waterfront – near the famous Old Duke jazz pub which has live music every night – called Soft Buoys selling grilled cheese sandwiches and mind blowing ice creams and affogato.

Bristol has a lot going for it, which is why it is believed to have a higher retention rate of university students going on to live in the city than anywhere else in the country. 

Bristol University is one of the best in the world and it is just completing a mega new Enterprise campus near the train station, Temple Meads.

I could go on but you get the picture. 

It has its bad sides too, as does any big city, but they are too few to bemoan and the benefits massively outweigh them.

It definitely rains less than Manchester.

So yes I agree Bristol should be on the list of the top 50 destinations in the world to visit next year.

Just don’t all come at once or it might get too hectic and it would be like living back in London.

QUIDS IN

Pay rise for half a million workers from TODAY as Real Living Wage increases

FREE HOLS

I want taxpayers to pay for my mini break – I need a rest from life on the dole

If you are looking for a place to stay in the city, then there is a central Bristol hotel with a riverfront restaurant and revamped rooms.

Plus, great UK city breaks for half term with the kids – that are cheaper and easier than London.

ONE European spot with 17C winter temperatures has been named among the top 25 places to visit in 2026.

The ancient port city of Cadiz, in Spain, is surrounded by the sea on three sides and is full of history dating back to the 16th century when the city was used as a base for exploration and trade.

Today visitors can still see more than 100 watchtowers across the city, which were used for spotting ships.

Naming the city one of the top 25 places to visit across the globe in 2026, Lonely Planet revealed that Cadiz is best for Carnaval, fine food and flamenco.

It stated: “Cádiz’s Carnaval is Spain’s biggest annual party, bringing extravagantly costumed revelers to its streets for 10 days of parades, fireworks, singing and dancing in February or March, to the accompaniment of more than 300 local murgas (bands).

“Pack a costume and book your accommodations months in advance or commute from nearby El Puerto de Santa María.”

Read more on travel inspo

SHOW BOAT 

I tried new Omaze-style draw for superyacht holidays & lived like a billionaire

CHEAP BREAKS

UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks and pubs

As for the city’s food scene, visitors will often find fresh seafood dishes and many restaurants serving traditional Andalusian tapas.

Typical dishes include tortillitas de camarones – crispy fritters made with tiny local shrimp.

One top restaurant in the city is Fogón De Mariana, which serves dishes that “tell stories of their orchards, fields, and pastures, bringing you slow-cooked moments”.

Alternatively, head to Mercado Central de Abastos which is Spain‘s oldest covered market.

Inside, you can grab some fresh produce or something to eat in the gourmet food court – Rincón Gastronómico.

As for things to do in the city, there is something for everyone.

If you venture to the waterfront, you will find the domed, 18th-century Cádiz Cathedral.

The cathedral is known for its mix of baroque and neoclassical architecture and it took more than a century to build.

Inside, you can explore a crypt, museum and climb the clock tower to see panoramic views of the city.

For another amazing viewpoint, head to Torre Tavira – one of the city’s watchtowers.

Inside is also a cámara oscura (dark room) which projects live images of some of the city’s top spots.

Then in El Pópulo – Cádiz’s oldest quarter – you will find a maze of narrow alleys and archways, dating back to the medieval period.

Many of the winding alleys boast cosy tapas bars and shops as well.

It is this area that led to the city earning the nickname of ‘Cuba of Europe‘, as the narrow streets look like Little Havana and much of the architecture resembles buildings in the Cuban capital.

The city has many places to stay including Hotel Playa Victoria Cádiz – a beachfront hotel with an outdoor pool and beach sun terrace.

It costs from around £80 per night.

Of course, the city is also home to golden beaches.

La Caleta is one top spot, with a number of bars nearby that come alive at night.

One recent visitor said: “It’s a great spot to grab some food and wine and watch the fisherman’s boats on the water.”

Or you could opt to bathe on Playa de Santa Maria del Mar, which is accessible from the centre of Cadiz.

The beach features two stone piers that give it a shell-like appearance and it also has great views of the city’s old quarter.

It is the ideal spot to enjoy a bottle of wine, costing as little as €1.45 (£1.26) for a bottle from a local supermarket.

Or you could head to one of the local bars, where a glass of wine will set you back around £2.18.

Temperatures during the winter reach highs of 17C and lows of 10C.

Some airlines offer seasonal routes to Jerez Airport, which is just under 27 miles from Cadiz.

Alternatively, there are year-round flights to Seville Airport.

In November, return flights to Seville from London cost £32, from Birmingham they cost £43 and from Edinburgh they cost £46.

Once in Seville, Cadiz is about an hour and 20-minute drive away.

Alternatively, you could jump on a train that takes about an hour and 25 minutes, costing from £15 each way.

NOT KIDDING

Tutoring job with £180k salary for 1-year-old labelled a ‘nightmare’ by parents

HEATING UP

The swirling rumours about James Martin and his stunning PT girlfriend, 39

For another Spanish destination, you could head to a quaint Spanish town 30 minutes from Benidorm – it’s still warm in October and has £14 flights in half term.

Plus, Jet2 has launched new holidays to one of Spain’s cheapest cities known as the ‘Garden of Europe’.