Music City, Nashville

When we flew to Nashville courtesy of British Airways, they insisted we try out their Premium economy, a great opportunity to compare it to their economy and business class offering. I was very pleased with the small cabin, only 25 seats, separate from economy, quieter & more spacious. We were in the middle of the middle row, and they were still great seats and made the journey much more comfortable. We also enjoyed an ug graded meal service and this did contribute to the overall enjoyment of the trip. I’ve seen fares as low as €325 more per person return for the premium economy so definitely worth considering an upgrade to premium, if not to business, for that extra special touch.

I was so excited to head away on this trip, alongside 8 other Travel Counsellors, as well as our fabulous BA & American airlines reps. I love country music and knew that a VIP trip here was going to be something special. From the bright lights of Broadway with its abundance of live music, a host of museums to choose from as well as the iconic Grand Ole Opry there is so much to keep you entertained in this city.

All the museums we went to were very good, but RCA Studio B is something special that you should visit, it only takes around 45 minutes, but it played a major role in establishing Nashville’s identity as a recording centre through the 50’s,60’s & 70’s. Once the recording home to super stars like Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers. Did you know Elvis recorded more than 200 of his hits here?! Set just outside the town and only a small venue but the guides tell so many amazing stories that you can feel the history within the walls – make sure to pre book! Of course, we also had to visit Country Music Hall of Fame, this is a huge museum with extensive musical collections and memorabilia, you could spend hours in this museum alone, with dedicated collections to the top artists to record in Music city! The Ryman auditorium is well located for a quick visit before hitting Broadway, ready to take on the Honky Tonk that Nashville has to offer.

The live music scene here is like nothing else you will experience, some of the group favourites were Tootsies, famous for having the best local musicians as well as popular artists. Kid Rock wrap around roof terrace provided hours of live music in the sunshine. It is very hard to go wrong along the Broadway stretch, with something to suit everyone of all music tastes and ages. Of course, no trip to this city is complete without a trip to Grand Ole Opry, a live country-music radio broadcast where you are a member of the audience. It showcases country music's across the last 100 years and our behind the stage VIP introduction to the artists for the evening was super special.

With the introduction of direct Dublin – Nashville flights four times a week from April 2025, this is a top spot to spend a long weekend, or a great multi centre destination with other areas of the USA. *Side note since the direct flight was launched, I have since returned to Nashville for a second time and spent more time exploring Mid town in some of the local hot spots. This is a great area for when you have a little longer to explore, or for second time visitors. We found great local bars, eateries and breweries along an easy 20-minute stroll back down to Broadway. We went back to Assembly Hall – same concept as Time out in Lisbon (but much larger scale) – with over 30 eateries, a huge roof top as well as 3 stages. Another favourite establishment was found with Robers Western World, centre on Broadway and a really authentic experience.