Four Days in Newcastle | City Break

Callum and I have just come back from a city trip to Newcastle for Callum's birthday and I already want to return! Never having a big urge to visit the city before i didn't know what to expect but it exceed my expectations.

We decided to visit Newcastle for Callum's birthday because he has supported the team since he was four so when i asked him where he wanted to visit for his birthday, it was a no brainer for him.

We traveled down on the Wednesday and made it just under four hours which isn't to bad considering how back traffic can be on the motorway. We arrived just before 2pm so had the whole afternoon to explore the place. When we return we have a few favourite places we want to visit again.

H O T E L

We picked to stay at the Romada Encore Hotel in Gateshead which is just a bridge away from Newcastle. We decided to stay just outside of the city center just so that we could get away from it all especially as the weekend approached. We have no bad words to say about this hotel. The staff were amazing and so friendly and unlike some hotel in the area, it included a car park which only cost £5 a day. We were right next to the Millenium Bridge so it only took us 10 minutes to be right in the center of the city

D A Y A C T I V I T E S

There are so many things to do in Newcastle we never got bored once, most of them involved alcohol but hey we are on our holidays! The first place we visited on Wednesday was the St James Football Stadium of course and Callum was in his element. We had a drink in the Nine bar located underneath the stadium and had a little planning sess of the next few days. Lucky we also go tickets to the Newcastle vs Huddersfield game on Saturday so we return for the game on our last day and it was a-m-a-zing!

On from there we went to Lane 7 to play a few games of bowling, have a few drinks and fell like proper locals. The place is spaced out over 3 floors with bowling, ping pong, mini golf, a bar and a resturant. We really wanted to return before we left but we ran out of time.

Along the same line we also visited Space Golf in the middle of the centre which was a lot of fun. We first saw it while walking round one night but decided to actually go in during the day. It ended up being full of kids to maybe the evening might have been more fun with people the same age as us but we still enjoyed it.

Lastly if you are like me and Callum who love a walk, you will love Newcastle. most days we started and ended the days going on a random walk and we would end up at a random place with a cute little pub and having a drink. We also walked across all the bridges because they are so beautiful and the views from them are breathtaking.

S H O P P I N G

I love a bit of shopping but i was quite reserved while away but i did pick up a few bits. We visited the Gateshead Intu Metro Center first since it is meant to be the biggest center in England? There was loads there like food resturants and games areas as well as all the shops. Callum ended up winning me a Peter Rabbit in the grab machines which made me very happy! We had a lovely lunch in Coast to Coast which set us up for a day of shopping although i didn't end up buying anything that day.

We then visited the Newcastle Intu Center the next day and i found it so much better! I found the lay out of the shops much easier to look round ended up finding loads of bits in Topshop. I would definitely recommend the Newcastle Center to the Gateshead Center.

F O O D & D R I N K

There are so many places to end and drink in Newcastle and unlike London, there are ridiculous ques and endless waiting. We went to quite a few places for dinner and lunch including Frankie and Bennys and Coast to Coast and then we tried a few random places. We had brunch one day at Georges Great British Kitchen in the Newcastle City Center, which also gave you 20% off if you had a match ticket which drew us in. I have definitely put on weight since we have been away.

We did our fair share of day drinking while on our break (Callum more then me) and our favourite place we found has to be the The Stack in the City Center. It is made of loads of industrial containers which are made into drink and food places. You have loads of benches to site on all the levels and gas heaters attached to every table to it was lovely sitting outside. Although the weather while we were there was beautiful, it was nice to stick your face next to a heater. We ended up having fish and chips at The Stack and it was amazing!!

The last place we visited before we left was the By The River Brew and Co which is a brewery located just be the river, like the name suggests, where you can try loads of locally brewed drinks. It had a few food stalls getting ready for a busy Friday night when we arrived and we sat by the river with a heater and it was the perfect way to round off the break.

I can't wait to return to the city because it was such an amazing break. I would definitely say i prefer Newcastle to London 100% because it is less expensive, less busy and so so friendly! The only down side is that it takes me 4 hours to get there when as London is only a hours train journey away.

When we return i can't wait to explore much more of the city as i know we only saw a fraction of the place. If you have any recommendations for our next visit, leave me a comment so i can make a list of places to see! :)