Weekenders head for Dublin

Dublin has become a favourite destination among Britons for a city break, according to a travel survey. For the first time, the Irish capital has reached the top 10 in a list of most popular overseas breaks, compiled by holiday company Travelscene.

"Five years ago, Dublin was not even in the top 20, let alone the top 10," said a Travelscene spokesman. "The latest figures show how far the cities market has developed over the years," he added.

Other big upward movers in the top 10 table are Prague, where demand is continuing to outstrip supply, and Lille, which has been boosted by the Channel Tunnel Eurostar service.

Other cities coming back into the top 20 are Nice (17th), Milan (19th) and Athens (20th).

Paris and Amsterdam once again keep their positions at the top of the table and together with Rome, Madrid and Venice, are survivors from the top 10 of 10 years ago. Of the 1987 top 10, Berlin and Luxembourg are no longer even in the 1997 top 20.