London is often considered the go-to for a UK city break — but our survey suggests you’ll have a better trip by heading further north
When we asked almost 4,000 Which? members to rate their favourite UK cities, London finished a very respectable sixth place. But it wasn’t your favourite city. It wasn’t even visitors’ favourite UK capital. Edinburgh and Belfast were both rated above London.
Why? London’s high costs may be setting expectations that it struggles to meet. Take food and drink, it has more and better restaurants than any other city in the UK but it was only rated three stars by visitors – suggesting many visitors feel they aren’t quite getting enough for what they pay.
The average hotel room rate of £158 was also the most expensive in the UK, and significantly higher than some other better rated cities. London was rated just two stars for value for money.
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Why visitors rated Edinburgh the best UK capital
First, a caveat: Edinburgh, your second-favourite city was almost as expensive as London, at only £6 less per night on average for a hotel stay. But the Scottish capital seems to deliver more. Like London it got five stars for its cultural sights, but unlike London it was rated four stars for value for money. There’s plenty to do in the Auld Reekie. Very few cities offer an extinct volcano, a castle, underground vaults and a nearby beach in one go. It’s also home to the National Museum of Scotland, which is free to enter and ranked among the UK’s top 5 favourite museums and galleries in our survey.
If zipping between those attractions works up an appetite, no fear – Edinburgh earned a respectable four stars for its food and drink offerings. Dining enthusiasts will certainly be satisfied, whether settling in for neeps and tatties, browsing the city’s bakeries and specialty coffee shops, or picking up a scoop from Mary’s Milk Bar – the much-loved Grassmarket gelato spot at the foot of the castle.
Why visitors rated Liverpool the best big city in the UK
Liverpool topped the table in our survey, beating London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast with an impressive 84% visitor score. The city earned five stars for cultural sights. Some visitors told us they had ‘completely underestimated’ how much there is to do. Highlights include the free-to-visit Walker Art Gallery, voted one of the UK’s top 10 favourite museums and galleries, and The Beatles Story, home to one of the largest collections of memorabilia in the world.
Using the table: Average hotel rate from Kayak.co.uk. City score Based on a combination of overall satisfaction and how likely people are to recommend the city as a holiday destination to a friend.
Where London and Edinburgh managed only three stars for accommodation, Liverpool scored four (no city rated higher), and with hotel prices 42% cheaper per night on average, it’s easy to see why it also earned four stars for value. Liverpool also ranked higher than London for food and drink, and you’ll wander the city in relative peace, too – Liverpool won four stars for lack of crowds.
