York

York needs 2 days: York Minster, the largest cathedral of its kind in northern Europe, with original medieval stained glass, on one, Clifford's Tower next to the Roman and medieval walls encircling the entire old town -walkable almost in full- on the other. April-September has the best weather. It's cheaper than London. It was the second most important city in Roman Britain and later a Viking capital under the name Jórvik, and its street The Shambles, with tilting medieval houses nearly touching overhead, is one of the best-preserved Gothic streets in Europe.