Skip to main content

The UK’s Opposite Cities for a Staycation Switch

While many of us love where we live, there are times when switching things up can do wonders for your soul. Whether it’s visiting a new restaurant, hanging out at a different pub from your local, or trying a new hobby, spending time in a new location just hits different.

But what about travelling farther afield to explore something new?

Spoiler alert - you don’t have to hop on a plane! The UK is blessed with a vast range of towns and cities, each unique and providing the perfect base for a staycation.

At FlixBus, this got us thinking. We wanted to find out the total opposite UK cities so you can explore a new destination that feels worlds away from your normal. Using measurable data insights, we identified city pairs before analysing and scoring several factors out of ten, including:

  • Tripadvisor activity counts for restaurants, things to do, nightlife, museums, outdoor activities, theatres and concerts, sports centres, shopping, and sports stadiums/arenas
  • % of green space
  • Distance from the sea
  • % of buildings from pre-1900

Keen to find out what we discovered? Start your staycation switch here 🔄

Cardiff ↔ York

Cardiff and York offer distinctly different experiences for a staycation, with our analysis uncovering the opposing factors as:

  • Theatre & concerts vs outdoor activities
  • Coastal access vs museum culture
  • Nightlife vs a quieter vibe

The capital of Wales, Cardiff, is a vibrant city renowned for its dynamic mix of modern and historic attractions. In contrast,York is a walled city steeped in medieval history and old-world charm.

Visitors to Cardiff from York can switch up outdoor activities for theatre trips and concerts 🎤. For Cardiff natives, a trip to York provides the opportunity to be at one with different natural scenery to those found in the Bay.

Cardiff sits right on the Bristol Channel, providing an opportunity for inland Yorkshire folk to experience a vastly different landscape. Conversely, visitors travelling from Cardiff to York can enjoy the cobbled streets of The Shambles, imposing architecture, and a journey back in time.

When it comes to nightlife, Cardiff provides a multicultural food scene and lively nighttime activities - perfect for those seeking a fun-filled trip. In York, the vibe is a little slower with a heritage-rich calm that makes the city ideal for relaxation and unwinding 🧘‍♀️.

Brighton ↔ Sheffield

Brighton and Sheffield offer compelling staycation experiences for visitors from the opposite city, and with our our data analysis, we found the main differences to be:

  • Seaside vs green space
  • Nightlife vs scenic hikes
  • Arts culture vs a foodie scene

Perched on the southern coast of England, Brighton is known for its bohemian vibe, pebbled beaches, and iconic pier 🌊. In contrast, Sheffield, on the edge of the Peak District, is defined by its green spaces and industrial heritage. While both cities offer plenty of outdoor activities, a trip from Brighton to Sheffield or vice versa ensures vastly different landscapes.

For indoor activities, Brighton is home to an abundance of museums, theatres and concert venues, giving visitors from Sheffield plenty to do. Sheffield, on the other hand, offers a wide variety of restaurants, outdoor activities, and sports centres.

If you’re keen to explore the city by night during your staycation, Brighton is renowned for its buzzing nightlife, seaside venues, and progressive food scene. In Sheffield, the university city lends itself to a thriving music scene, indie venues, and relaxed bars 🍻.

Newcastle ↔ Cambridge

The northeast city of Newcastle and east England’s Cambridge couldn’t be more different from one another. Our analysis uncovered the key differences between the two as:

  • Nightlife vs museum-rich days
  • Sports stadiums vs riverside scenery
  • Restaurant culture vs historic shopping streets

While  Newcastle upon Tyne is widely regarded as one of the UK’s party capitals, Cambridge is home to a tranquil, scholarly pace of life. In Newcastle, Cambridge locals can explore a blend of bars, industrial heritage and modern culture, a vast contrast to the charming college courtyards and historical museums found in Cambridge.

Football is a local love for Newcastle residents, so for those seeking exploration out of season, Cambridge offers a welcome change. Punting is the name of the game in Cambridge, giving travellers from Newcastle to Cambridge an opportunity to wind down and relax along the River Cam.

In Cambridge, historic streets are a haven for staycationers keen to explore independent boutiques and historic shopping streets 🛍️. Conversely, Newcastle is big on restaurant culture, with our data showing that the city is home to more than double the number of eateries than Cambridge.

Bath ↔ Manchester

While both Bath and Manchester are rich in culture, the two cities offer dramatically different backdrops, alongside a distinct tone and tempo. From our data, we discovered the marked differences between Bath and Manchester are:

  • Classical architecture vs modern stadium energy
  • Museum strolls vs dynamic sports and live events
  • Spa culture vs urban green spaces

Known for Georgian architecture and Roman heritage, Bath provides Mancunians the opportunity to step into a new kind of history. While Manchester has its own unique history, visitors from Bath to Manchester can expect industrial heritage, Victorian buildings and iconic modern stadiums like Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium - both temples for football fans ⚽.

For Manchester visitors to Bath, there are plenty of museums to see. From the Jane Austen Centre to the Fashion Museum, the city’s cultural offering takes cues from classical art and literature.

As a musical capital, Bath visitors to Manchester will be treated to legendary music venues such as the Albert Hall and Band on the Wall. Live music is not in short supply here, with arenas like Co-op Live and the Manchester Arena both regularly playing to thousands of music fans 🎸.

Bath is also renowned as a spa city, a place to unwind and relax with wellness treatments and rooftop thermal bathing. A stark contrast from Manchester, where a more fast-paced way of life can be found, as well as urban green spaces, canal-side walks and close proximity to the Peak District 🌲.

Liverpool ↔ Edinburgh

For a refreshing change of scenery, Liverpool and Edinburgh offer plenty of differences that make each city an equally fantastic staycation. Our data revealed that the main contrasts between the two include:

  • Club nights vs hill climbs and historic hikes
  • Concert halls vs castle tours and art galleries
  • High street shopping vs artisan and indie stores

Liverpool is a city famed for clubbing, energetic nightlife and a thriving music scene. After all, it is the birthplace of the Beatles. Edinburgh , on the other hand, provides an opportunity to wind down a little, with cobblestone paths and historic hikes along the Royal Mile or Arthur’s Seat 🥾.

Culture is a common theme across both cities but in a slightly different way. Edinburgh natives visiting Liverpool can enjoy performances at concert halls like the Philharmonic Hall and Echo Arena 🎫. Those travelling from Liverpool to Edinburgh can embark on majestic castle tours, see historical sites like Edinburgh Castle, and explore world-class galleries. Edinburgh is of course also home to the world’s largest performance arts festival, The Fringe, which transforms the capital into a vibrant culture hub for the month of August, offering 550 shows spanning comedy, dance, theatre and music 🎭.

If shopping is on the cards, Liverpool offers a sleek high street experience, with Liverpool ONE providing big-name brands and fashion boutiques. In contrast, Edinburgh has a quirky, intimate side, where shoppers can discover indie bookstores, local crafts, and rare finds along hidden shopping streets.

Switch up your staycation with cheap bus tickets from FlixBus

Switching your city for a staycation is a simple yet rewarding way to explore something new, and with FlixBus, we can take you there. Our cheap bus travel is available across the UK , providing you with a convenient way to unlock new destinations sustainably and with ease.

Offering multiple pick-up locations, and excellent on-board amenities , bus travel is the perfect way to explore everything the UK has to offer. Purchase cheap bus tickets online, directly with your driver, or on the app .