With 2018 on the horizon, there'll be many jet-setters already planning their trips abroad. But if you need some inspiration, lastminute.com has compiled a travel bucket list to help you decide where to spend those precious holiday days.

Using the knowledge and predictions from Lastminute.com's house travel experts and by analysing data on the fastest growing destinations this year, the results reveal Tallinn as the best city break, whilst Amsterdam has seen a 15 per cent uplift in bookings with the imminent Eurostar route opening.

To help you get the most out of your trip, there is also the recommended best time to visit each destination – so you're covered whatever month of the year you want to travel.

1. TALLINN, ESTONIA

Reigo Eljas, country director at Lastminute.com, says: 'I might be a bit biased as this is my hometown, but Tallinn is the perfect destination to start the new year as you mean to go on with a warm spa break in the winter – we recommend the Swissotel Tallinn spa or Telegraaf hotel spa. Also, it's not every year a country turns 100, so join the celebrations and combine a visit here with a trip to Helsinki (just a two hour ferry ride). We think a combination twin-city break will be a huge trend for 2018.'

Best time to visit: February – to join the 100th anniversary celebrations.

2. NEW YORK, UNITED STATES

The Big Apple continues to reel in holidaymakers for 2018, with over 60,000 people searching for holidays to the US city for 2018 already. Opening next year is the much-anticipated Hudson Yards Food Hall from D.C. chef José Andrés and the Adrià brothers — the Spanish chefs famous for their work at El Bulli.

Best time to visit: October – avoid the freezing winter weather and see Central Park in the fall.

3. AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

'Amsterdam has become a hub of hot hotels and slick restaurants, with new openings for next year including the Rosewood Hotel and Q-Factory Hotel,' says Reigo. 'The new Eurostar route from London in spring 2018 will really open up Amsterdam for a more relaxed and convenient way of travel, particularly for repeat visitors, who can also include a quick day stopover in Brussels too.'

Best time to visit: June – sunny for cycling and trips down the canal.

4. BUCHAREST, ROMANIA

Lastminute.com has seen a 26 per cent uplift in bookings to the Romanian capital of Bucharest, where travellers will now find trendy cafes and fascinating museums among the unreconstructed communist exterior. It's also home to some of the most beautiful castles in the world (Peles Castle and Bran Castle in Transylvania), and the glacier-formed Balea Lake to have your Instagram followers weeping. With guaranteed snow-mountains at Christmas, Bucharest is the ultimate destination for a festive trip.

Best time to visit: December – to visit its Christmas market and for a guaranteed white Christmas.

5. DUBAI, UAE

With Emirates adding more flights to Dubai, travellers can now grab a bargain and jet off to the glamorous city for a weekend. If you're in need of winter sun, pampering spas, and Michelin-starred food, Dubai is the answer.

Best time to visit: January – for some out of season winter sun.

Source: http://www.housebeautiful.co.uk/lifestyle/news/a2826/best-city-breaks-destinations-2018/

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