The stampede by low-cost carriers to exciting new destinations is good news for short break travellers, says Ken Bennett. He offers some tips on this year's best destinations... FANCY an unusual weekend away? A spot of retail therapy in Toronto or sightseeing in a city you've only seen as a dot on a map?

The onslaught of new flights by UK-based operators is producing a huge demand for a different breed of city break options, says a major study in trends by American Express Travel.

Low cost carriers, many operating from regional airports, are opening up new frontiers to a stimulating range of less known cities, particularly in Eastern Europe and Spain.

And, as a healthy counterpoint, aggressive marketing and cost cutting campaigns by scheduled airlines has contributed to the increased growth and popularity for more established breakaways including Prague, Budapest and Nice.

All in all, this is only good news for travellers looking for alternative, exciting options away from our gloomy weather!

The survey reveals the holiday picture is changing rapidly with 60 per cent of American Express Travel agents saying customers are dropping conventional short-break packages in favour of booking with low-cost carriers.

However, the number of accommodation-only bookings through their offices has doubled and accounts for about 40 per cent of all short breaks booked.

The little known cities of Riga, Tallinn, Bratislava and Krakow are increasing in popularity.

And a deluge of new direct flights to Valencia will see this lovely Spanish coastal city boom too.

The top three favourite short break destinations (see my chart) are still held by Paris, New York and Amsterdam, the same order as last year.

However, Rome, a fabulous city packed with stunning architecture, moves to forth place, pushing Prague down to sixth, with Barcelona (one of my favourite cities) remaining firmly in fifth place.

But the biggest changes come in the fickle shopping break market. America takes six out of the top ten places with New York still Number One.

And the plunging dollar against the pound brings a whole new meaning to pound-stretcher!

Cotton goods, designer clothes and footwear rate among the best buys anywhere across the pond. And you'll certainly find you have a few dollars more if you take along a pocket calculator and do some instant price conversions. But DO remember the plight of soccer ace Wayne Rooney's fiancee who fell foul of customs. She returned from the US, her cases bulging with duty-free goods, only to find she had to fork out lots of hard cash to comply with tough government laws.

There are strict limits on the amount of duty-free goods you can bring in from abroad - so check with your local Customs and Excise office before you fly off to avoid nasty shocks on your return!

Meantime, shrewd bargain hunters have hand-bagged Dubai into second place ahead of Boston and Paris, third and forth respectively.

And no wonder. Less than six hours flying time from the UK, Dubai really is a destination that offers the very best of both worlds without the jet lag.

Dip into some of the eye-wateringly cheap deals on gold and jewellery without ever leaving the air-conditioned shopping malls at the airport.

But if you are looking for designer goods, including handbags, watches and necklaces, head off to one of the downtown souks and haggle.

And to cool your heels after your shopping spree, stop over at the sublime 42-storey Shangri-La Hotel, with seven restaurants offering a taste of exotic from around the world. Click on: www.shangri-la.com for more information.

Alternatively, you could have a real old fashioned tea party in Boston, the US city that in some way is more English than England.

Toronto moves to seventh place in the shopoholics choice and I predict Canada - still a novelty to many short-breakers - will continue to rise in popularity. Watch out for Vancouver - another exciting place to shop until you drop!

Top Ten destinations for short breaks

1. Paris (1) 2. New York (2) 3. Amsterdam (3) 4. Rome (6) 5. Barcelona (5) 6. Prague (4) 7. Dublin (8) 8. Madrid (10) 9. Dubai (7) 10. Venice (9)

Top Ten destinations for shopping break

1. New York (1) 2. Dubai (4) 3. Boston (3) 4. Paris (2) 5. Barcelona (7) 6. Rome (-) 7. Toronto (10) 8. Chicago (9) 9. San Francisco (-) 10. Minneapolis (8)

Figures in brackets denote previous placing

To check out duty free allowances and advice, click on the customs and excise website: www.hmce.gov.uk