How about Dubrovnik Helen or Valetta in Malta .

Salzburg is lovely too.

saville maybe

Starting with usable flights for short breaks (you live in the wrong place!) I'll go with Cardiff- Munich with BMI-Baby. Outward flights Monday,Wednesday,Friday at 07:00 (you'll have to drive to the airport!). As well as the city you have the option of (cheap)excurisons to the mountains which may still have snow. The return flights on those days are at 10:40 so you'd need to leave straight after breakfast. But if you come home on Sunday the flight isn't until 21:30 and that also opens up the option of using the same flights for Salzburg (about 2 hours by train from the airport at €28 for two - five adults each way). If you wanted to do Salzburg with one of the morning return flights you'd have to get up very early and pay more for the train, or sugarbabe61 can recommend a good hotel for one night near the airport!

Easyjet don't seem to have released schedules for next April but if they do the Bristol-Lisbon service next year (it's off during the winter) that would be good. Should be warm, I've been on the beach near Lisbon that early in the year. Nicely compact city with sights and plenty to do in evening. Airport is only about 20 minute bus ride from main hotel areas.

Give Barcelona a whirl Helen. We've just come back from there and the city is so vibrant and cultured plus the added bonus of hundreds of cafes.

It should just be warming up around April and tons of places should be open by then. You can fly from Bristol too.

BTW I'm just in the process of uploading my photo's to my Flickr page if you'd like a taster. http://www.flickr.com/photos/philip_lench/

Why not take the Eurostar to Paris and rent an apartment.

thanks all for your suggestions - I'll take them on board. I'll hang fire a bit until the cheap flights come out, then see what comes out as the best bargain.

I spent last Easter in Berlin. There was a lot to see, delicious meals to enjoy and the prices didn't break the bank. Not a lot of capital cities have this last advantage!! And the weather was excellent!

We were in Seville in the middle of May- weather was unusually cool, it's normally hot there, and they have a big fiesta at Easter. Lots to do and see, and an easy city to relax in, too.
kate