While some trips are best taken alone, others need your favourite people. The trips where you eat too much, talk until the early hours and come home feeling wholesome and restored.
Whether you’re planning a landmark birthday (a 40th or 50th perhaps), a low-key hen do that’s more about good wine than matching sashes, or the annual trip that keeps getting pushed back, there’s no denying a girls’ weekend away in Europe is good for the soul.
We’ve been covering the best girls’ holiday destinations for a while now, and these three cities – Milan, Geneva and Valencia – keep coming up for all the right reasons. Here’s why they’re the perfect places for a girls’ weekend away, especially when budget is no longer a concern and you’re ready to enjoy more of life’s luxuries. And if you’re also planning to a take a trip with your other half this year, you’ll want to browse our most romantic city breaks in Europe.
Best girls’ weekend away for fashion, art and feeling like a local: Milan
Milan looks effortlessly chic at all times of year. Of course the shopping is extraordinary: Via della Spiga alone, with Prada, Bally and every other designer name you can think of, entertain you all day. Then there’s La Rinascente department store, worth visiting even if you’re not buying: there’s the food hall on the upper floors and views of the Duomo from the rooftop terrace that are as close as you can get to the cathedral without being in it.
Speaking of the Duomo: Italy’s largest Gothic cathedral is worth a visit, too, but book your tickets in advance to avoid the queues. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, next door, is also a special place to share with your girlfriends, where you can pause for a prosecco under the extraordinary glass arcade.
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Afterwards, head to the Navigli area, where a walk along the canal is one of the nicest things you can do in the city. It’s quiet, pretty and dotted with independent boutiques and bars. Lunch at Osteria del Binari, tucked just off the canal, is a classic choice for a hearty lunch of risotto alla Milanese in a setting that feels like it hasn’t changed in decades.
For art, skip the crowds at the obvious galleries and head to the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana. It’s more intimate than you’d expect and what’s inside is impressive: Caravaggio’s Basket of Fruit, Francesco Hayez’s The Kiss and Leonardo da Vinci’s Portrait of a Musician all under one roof.
Where to stay: Portrait Milano is Milan’s most prestigious hotel, located in the heart of the fashion district, Quadrilatero della Moda, just steps from Via Sant’Andrea. Housed in a beautifully restored 16th-century seminary, the luxury hotel is owned by the Ferragamo family, and it’s only natural that it’s the place to see and be seen in Milan. Architect Michele Bönan created 73 suites and rooms inspired by the city’s grand mid-century residences: think rich materials, Carrara marble bathrooms, cardinal red accents and libraries full of books.
Courtesy of the hotel
The indoor heated pool sits dramatically beneath ancient vaulted ceilings and The Longevity Spa offers treatments with a modern approach to wellbeing – there’s a Cryosuite and LED therapy. When it comes to dining, 10_11 (Ten Eleven) is relaxed enough for a slow lunch and sophisticated enough to sip cocktails until midnight. Try the Milanese risotto and wild fish baked in salt crust. It’s perfect for sharing.
Best girls’ weekend away for luxury, chocolate and lakeside sophistication: Geneva
Geneva often gets dismissed as too expensive, too serious and too full of international diplomats in suits. Yes, it’s a luxury destination for a girls’ weekend break, but it has far more personality than its reputation suggests. The city runs along the banks of the breathtaking Lake Leman, home to the iconic Jet d’Eau. With the Alps visible in the distance on a clear day, it’s easily one of the most unexpectedly beautiful cities in Europe. Get under its skin and it makes for one of the most memorable girls’ weekends away you can plan.
Start with the Chocopass, a self-guided chocolate trail that takes you to some of the city’s finest chocolatiers. It happens to be one of the loveliest ways to get to know Geneva’s streets, too. At Du Rhône, people come for the signature Noble du Rhône praline, and you won’t want to skip Sweetzerland, known for its organic almond chocolates. Meanwhile, Faverger is where you’ll find Avelines, the famous melt-in-the-mouth pralines.
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For something beyond the city limits, book a half-day vineyard tour with Welo. It’s worth requesting the Satigny vineyards when booking, though the lakeside estates, just 10 minutes from the centre, are equally lovely. The Bio Suisse-certified wines at Domaine de la Vigne Blanche, for example, are made from Chasselas grapes with a freshness that comes from the lakeside setting. It’s a fabulous place to savour with the girls as you sip local wine and take in the peaceful ambience.
Culture-wise, the Patek Philippe Museum is worth an hour or two as the timepieces span centuries and are extraordinary to browse. And lunch at the Bar des Bergues, right on the lake, is a ritual worth joining. The kitchen is Italian, so order the veal Milanese. It comes as it should – with the bone. More than half the tables here are taken by locals – suited businesspeople, ladies who lunch, the occasional diplomat – making it an excellent spot for people-watching.
Where to stay: Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues is located by the lake, surrounded by Geneva’s boutiques and chocolate shops. The 19th-century building’s rooms and suites range from classically grand to lighter, more contemporary options on the upper floors, many with lake views.
Its Spa Mont Blanc has a heated indoor pool with a vaulted glass ceiling, perfect for a slow morning before facials (something the spa does particularly well). Be sure to spend time relaxing in the sunny post-treatment lounge before heading out for the evening.
Courtesy of the hotel
Dinner at Il Lago, the hotel’s Michelin-starred Italian restaurant, is a proper occasion: frescoed walls and a menu of Northern Italian cooking paired with exceptional wines. The raviolone stuffed with lamb shoulder and Provolone del Monaco is to die for, and the wild turbot with Gargano tomato and razor clams is a dish you’ll still be talking about on the flight home. Rooftop restaurant Izumi serves Japanese-fusion Nikkei cuisine with amazing views over the city and the lake. From seafood ceviche with a passionfruit sauce to spiny lobster thermidor and shrimp and coriander rice yaki-meshi, the menu features some of the finest dishes you’ll find in Geneva.
Best girls’ weekend away for sunshine, paella and a city surprises you: Valencia
Valencia is having a moment and it deserves every bit of it. It’s sunnier than most people realise, more stylish than it gets credit for and the food, specifically the rice dishes, is among the best in Spain. The old town is beautiful and rightly popular, but the city has enough going on beyond the obvious that you can spend a whole weekend here and still feel like you’ve only scratched the surface.
If you’re looking for a girls’ weekend away in Europe packed with culture, great dining and warmth without the prices of Barcelona, Valencia is the answer. The old town is where you’ll probably spend most of your time.
The Cathedral is stunning and allegedly houses the Holy Grail, while the recently restored Church of Santos Juanes is also extraordinary, with over 350 square metres of frescoes, gilded stuccoes and lunettes. Even if you don’t go in, the exterior of the Ceramics Museum at the Marqués de Dos Aguas Palace is absurdly beautiful. Its churrigueresque doorway is one of the most ornate things you’ll see in Spain.
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For shopping, Mercado Colón is one of the most elegant markets in Valencia, full of artisan traders selling everything from jewellery to bags, and home to Horchateria Daniel, a much-loved place for horchata, the creamy, tiger-nut-based drink, served ice cold alongside fartons, the soft, glazed pastry made for dunking. For lunch, get a taxi to Vernetta for paella (worth booking a table in advance). It’s an underrated spot loved by the locals. The paella is one of the best you’ll find in the city and is particularly delicious with a glass of cold cava.
Wander the trendiest neighbourhood of Ruzafa for independent shops and good coffee, and don’t miss the Cabanyal fishing district nicknamed ‘little Havana’ for good reason. And if anyone needs to clear their head on day two, the Turia Gardens, built in the former riverbed, is a lovely place to walk in the sun.
If you like art or need an indoor activity, check out the contemporary art at the Centro de Arte Hortensia Herrero. It’s a beautiful space and one of the most interesting recent additions to Valencia’s cultural landscape.
Where to stay: Palacio Vallier, on the historic Plaça de Manises in the old town, is a luxury boutique hotel in a restored 19th-century mansion. There are 31 rooms, each with baroque features, art deco-inspired touches and marble bathrooms. Some of the suites come with in-room soaking tubs, perfect for when you want to squeeze in some relaxation between sightseeing and dinner. The rooftop terrace is a highlight, with cushioned seating and views across the Cathedral and the domes of the old town. It’s a memorable place to enjoy a coffee or cocktail together.
Courtesy of the hotel
At the hotel’s restaurant, La Perfumería, named for the building’s former incarnation as a Roman perfumery, there’s delicious local food to try. And don’t miss the Agua de Valencia cocktails at the bar (cava, orange juice, vodka, gin). They’re the perfect introduction to the city and if you’d like to sip more of them, Café Madrid, nearby, is the birthplace of Valencia’s famous cocktail.