Most weekends start with the same message in the group chat: what are we doing? Here are four answers.
Each one began as a single sentence, typed into the Weekend tab of the SwipeSights app. Everything below is the plan the app made from it: four cities, four moods, one weekend each. Take the ideas, or write your own sentence. For more on each city, see our guides to London, Rome, Barcelona and Bologna.
What can we do outside on a cheap weekend in London?
“Nothing expensive. Lots of walking, a market on Saturday, a pub to end it.”
Saturday starts at Borough Market by London Bridge, then follows the river along the South Bank. Dinner is fresh pasta at Padella, and the night ends where the sentence asked: a pint at the Anchor Bankside, on the Thames.
Sunday moves to Greenwich: the market in the morning, the hill in Greenwich Park for the view back over the city, then the Kings Arms. Markets, walks and parks cost nothing, so the money goes on dinner and a few pints.
What should we do on a date weekend in Rome?
“Something intimate. Nice dinners, drinks on Saturday night, time outside under a blue sky.”
The days are slow and outdoors, the evenings are for the two of you. Saturday opens on Janiculum Hill, with all of Rome’s domes below, then pizza by the slice at Alice in Trastevere. Dinner is at Old Bear, a small restaurant near Piazza Navona, and the drinks come after dinner, at Fichetto on Via della Pace.
Sunday is Villa Borghese in the morning, lunch at Pane e Salame, an aperitivo at the old wine bar on Via della Croce, and dinner at ADEVA.
What should we do for a big night out in Barcelona?
“Beach in the day, tapas, dancing late on Saturday, a slow Sunday.”
Saturday is Barceloneta beach until lunch at La Cala by the port. Tapas start at eight at Bodega La Peninsular, and the dancing starts at half past eleven, at Wolf.
Sunday keeps its promise to be slow: brunch, an afternoon on Sant Miquel beach, the sunset from a rooftop terrace on Via Laietana, and dinner at Fa Patxoca in the old town.
How do we spend a food-first weekend in Bologna?
“We just want to eat well: a market, long lunches, maybe a cooking class.”
Saturday is a food crawl with room to breathe: the Mercato delle Erbe in the morning, a lunch of mortadella at Mò, an aperitivo at Marsalino, then dinner at La Taverna di Roberto.
Sunday morning is the cooking class, then a wander through the old market streets of the Quadrilatero and dinner at Trattoria Belfiore.
How do I write a sentence that plans well?
All four weekends worked for the same reason: the sentence said what mattered and left the rest to the plan.
- Start with the mood. Intimate, cheap, loud, slow: one word sets the whole weekend.
- Name the one thing you can’t skip. A market, the beach, a cooking class.
- Say which night is the big one. “Drinks on Saturday night” puts them after dinner, on Saturday.
- Mention money if it matters. “Nothing expensive” keeps every stop cheap.
- Leave the rest. Anything you don’t like, you swap.
What are some more weekend ideas and activities with friends?
Sentences to copy for the next one:
- “A slow Sunday: brunch, a long walk, an early dinner.”
- “Something active. A hike in the morning, a big lunch, a sauna after.”
- “It’s going to rain. A museum, a long lunch, a cosy bar.”
- “Live music on Friday, a market on Saturday, nothing planned on Sunday.”
- “Cheap and cheerful: street food, a park, a pub quiz.”
Planning it with friends? Share the weekend and everyone swipes the places; their picks become the plan.
Frequently asked questions
What are some fun weekend ideas with friends?
Pair something outside in the day (a market, a park, a beach) with a long meal and one plan for the evening: drinks, live music or dancing. The four weekends here show how that looks in London, Rome, Barcelona and Bologna.
How do I plan a weekend with friends quickly?
Write what you feel like in one sentence in the Weekend tab of the SwipeSights app. It plans your days by morning, afternoon, evening and night, with real places in your city.
Can I change the plan?
Yes. Every stop has a Swap button for the next best place of its kind. You can also move a stop to the other day, take it out, or add something.
Does it work in my city?
Yes. Weekend plans with places in whatever city you pick, so it works at home and anywhere you happen to be.
What's your sentence?
Weekend is in the SwipeSights iPhone app. Update it, or get it on the App Store.
SwipeSights: plan the whole group trip together, and the weekends in between.
