Five of the best long-haul city breaks

If the UK is your starting point, the idea of jetting off to Thailand or America for a long weekend might seem a little crazy, but new planes and new technology mean that we can now reach far-flung destinations quicker than ever before.

Here are a few ideas for a truly out of the ordinary city break that will take you far beyond Europe:

Montreal

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A mixture of French and British heritage gives Canada's second city its unique flavour and nowhere is this more apparent than in Old Montreal. The old quarter's cobblestone streets, lively port and magnificent churches, including the opulent Basilique Notre-Dame, wouldn't look out of place in any of Europe's most beautiful cities.

The Musee de Beaux Arts shows off the very best of art in all its forms, whether it's paintings, sculpture, or the finest of antique furniture. The artistic heart of the city, the museum has works by Picasso and Rembrandt, which sit alongside an unrivalled collection of exhibits by home-grown artists.

Stay in style: Chateau Vieux Montreal, Ritz Carlton

For fine dining: Les Deux Singes de Montarvie, Bouillon Bilk

Flight duration: 7h 30m

Cape Town

South Africa may have a troubled history, but Cape Town stands out as a beacon of proud diversity. Named the Daily Telegraph's best city in the world in 2014, Cape Town's melange of African and European cultures is reflected in the eclectic range of food, music and architecture waiting to be discovered around the city.

Hardy weekend travellers can scale the city's famous Table Mountain with a three-hour hike to the summit. The less adventurous can plump for a speedier ascent by cable car.

Stay in style: Taj Cape Town, Ellerman House

For fine dining: La Colombe, The Test Kitchen

Flight duration: 11h 30m

Bangkok

Thailand's capital might be a favourite with gap year travellers who spend months on end finding themselves, but it can be reached from London in just over 11 hours.

The city's Banglamphu district has rightly become famous for its street stalls, bustling eateries and colourful signage. Slip off the tourist-heavy main drag and into the quieter, leafy backstreets to get a feel of the "real" Bangkok.

A short distance from the city centre, the enormous Chatuchak market – one of the largest in the world – sets up every weekend. It has more than 8,000 stalls selling everything under the sun, from vintage clothes to homeware and pets.

Stay in style: Mandarin Oriental, The Siam

For fine dining: Blue Elephant, Savelberg Thailand

Flight duration: 11h 20m

Mumbai

A city of contrasts, where Bollywood producers and stock market millionaires mingle with rickshaw drivers and street sellers, Mumbai can be reached from London in under nine hours.

After a long day taking in the grand colonial architecture and sprawling bazaars of India's biggest city, unwind with a stroll along Marine Drive, a three-mile-long promenade looking onto the blue waters of Back Bay, before checking out the city's cosmopolitan night life as the sun goes down.

Don't forget to try the street food of Mumbai, especially the hugely popular vada pav – a spicy fried potato fritter, usually served in a bread roll with chutneys.

Stay in style: The St Regis Mumbai, The Taj Mahal Palace

For fine dining: Peshawri, Indigo

Flight duration: 8h 45m

Boston

In a true testament to the American melting pot, Irish-American, African-American, Jewish and Italian-American communities have all left their mark on Boston. The city has been at the centre of US history since the 1600s.

Follow the city's Freedom Trail to see some of the key landmarks of the War of Independence, including the site of the Boston Massacre and Bunker Hill, where colonial troops clashed with British forces in one of the first major engagements of the war.

Boston is proud of its status as one of America's intellectual strongholds. Visitors can stop off at the city's museums and art galleries – of which there are dozens – before taking a break from culture with a trip to Fenway Park, the spiritual home of baseball.

Stay in style: Boston Harbor Hotel, The Four Seasons

Fine dining: Ostra, Mistral

Flight duration: 7h 45m