City Guide to Paris...

The largest city in France, Paris is the one of the most visited holiday destinations in the world, receiving around 45 million tourists each year. Known as “the City of Love”, Paris is the perfect holiday destination for couples seeking a romantic break and also offers plenty of fascinating attractions for those who love exploring.

Paris has many popular landmarks, the most famous being the Eiffel Tower. Constructed in 1889, the Eiffel Tower receives more visitors than any other monument in the world. In addition to providing stunning views of the city, the tower also has two restaurants.

Those interested in exploring the history of Paris and France may wish to visit Place de la Bastille, a district that was previously the home of the Bastille Prison. The prison was attacked in 1789, an event known as “the storming of the Bastille”, marking the beginning of the French Revolution. Today, the area contains a harbour and is the location of the L’Opéra Bastille, an opera house.

In addition to Place de la Bastille, Paris offers many historic areas. The history of Paris and France can also be explored in a number of museums, the most popular being the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN), also known as the National Museum of Natural History. The museum offers a wide variety of art galleries and artefacts, making it the ideal attraction for those wishing to learn about the history of Paris and France.

Paris offers a thriving nightlife. There are a variety of bars, clubs and venues offering live music. The city is also known for its wide selection of theatres and opera houses. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes to choose from, most of which offer French and English cuisine.

Whether you are looking for a romantic break or a destination that has a strong history and plenty of culture to explore, Paris is sure to be the ideal destination.

Holiday Apartment and Villa Rentals in Spain...

Spain is one of the most popular destinations for apartment and villa rentals. Holiday apartments and villas in Spain are available in a wide variety of sizes, some of which sleep up to seven people. Spain’s luxurious apartments are ideal for those looking for self-catering accommodation that is suitable for families.

One of the most popular locations for renting out holiday apartments in Spain is Barcelona. Barcelona is also an ideal location for those looking for holiday apartments for sale. There are a wide variety of fascinating medieval villages in the area, making it ideal for those who love sightseeing.

Spain’s apartments offer everything you need to make your holiday enjoyable. With spacious bedrooms and a cosy living area, these apartments are the perfect choice for those looking for plenty of luxury and comfort. You will also be able to keep in touch with friends and family back at home, as the majority of Spain’s apartments are equipped with Wi-Fi.

Another popular location for holiday rentals in Spain is the city of Marbella. Marbella offers a wide variety of luxurious apartments, each equipped with a fully fitted kitchen, furniture, sun loungers, air conditioning and internet access. In addition to these stunning villas, Marbella also offers a variety of beautiful beaches and gorgeous scenery, making it the perfect holiday destination.

Whether you are wishing to take a short break or looking to buy a holiday home, you are sure to find everything you need in Spain’s luxury apartments and villas.

Cruise Deals for Exploring Europe...

Are you thinking of going on a cruise somewhere in Europe?  If you are you have countless different destinations to choose from.  A cruise also beats the usual package holiday deal that sees you going to the same beach every single day.  With lots of different countries and destinations packed into the same cruise, you can really enjoy a great holiday.

Watch out for cruise deals when you are considering a European cruise.  These are often available online, and you should be open to different cruise companies as well.  Some may offer similar packages that visit the same places, and if you can find good cruise deals you can save a lot of money.

Obviously the longer you go for, the more money you can expect to pay.  So before you book anything make sure the dates you want are available, and decide whether you can be flexible to any degree.  Work out what length of time you want to be away for as well, and consider which European destinations you want to see the most.

Once you have all these aspects firmly set in your mind, you can sit down and look for the latest cruise deals that are available.  Search engines can help you find the best options in this situation, and they make it easier to find all the best cruise companies as well.

If you want to find a different way of touring Europe, cruise deals could provide you with the answer you are looking for.

Travelling to Egypt...

The words ‘holiday cruise’ may conjure up images of majestic ships such as the QE2 and the mighty oceans, but cruise companies also use smaller ships that travel on internal waterways.  These cruise holidays are becoming increasingly popular with tourists from around the world.

The Nile has always been vital to the economic success of Egypt and the survival of the people. Travelling on this important river in the comfort of a cruise ship is a great way to visit the country and to experience the treasures of one of the world’s most fascinating ancient cultures.  Tourists visit sites such as Kom Ombo, which is a temple situated on the banks of the Nile around 30 kilometres to the north of Aswan. Dedicated to two gods, Sobek the crocodile-headed god and Horus the falcon-headed god, the temple has some splendid reliefs including a detailed set of medical instruments. Mummified crocodiles are also visible and the well preserved bases of the walls give an indication of how they were originally constructed.

Luxor is Egypt’s tourist capital and is home to many of the best known temples and tombs. The town can be explored by either taxi or a caleche (a horse-drawn carriage). The West Bank is home to the tombs of the Valley of the Queens’ and the Valley of the Kings’ and includes Tutankhamen’s tomb.  The tombs’ hieroglyphics still retain their beautiful colours.

Other places of interest are Queen Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple, the Colossi of Memnon, the Ramesseum and the Habo Temple. On the East Bank is the Kranal Temple, which is comprised of three main temples that were built and enlarged over a period of 1300 years.

Experiencing Beirut...

Beirut is the capital city and the largest city in Lebanon. A popular way to get a feel for the city of Beirut is to take a guided walking tour of the neighbourhoods of West Beirut.  The guides provide visitors with a great deal of the history of the city through story telling.  Another interesting attraction is the Jeita Grotto which is an underground cavern which can be explored on foot or by boat.  The attraction is typically busy on the weekend so it is better to visit on other days of the week.  To the northeast of Beirut are the ruins of the Roman temple complex of Baalbek.  The temples were built to honour the gods Jupiter, Mercury and Venus. Another impressive sight in Beirut is the Churches of Harissa.  Visitors can enjoy incredible views of the city and Jounieh Bay and see Our Lady of Lebanon, which is a 15-ton statue of the Virgin Mary. 

Beirut has several museums which can be enjoyed by visitors.  One of the historical museums is the National Museum which has over 1,300 ancient artefacts on display.  Some of the artefacts are more than 3000 years old. The Sursock Museum features displays of Japanese and Islamic art.  Beirut also has a science museum in Planet Discovery which is great for children. 

Flights to Beirut are available from many airports in the United Kingdom.  Those interested in travelling to the Middle East can search for cheap tickets using an online search engine.

Villas in England...

The best way to take full advantage of the beautiful English countryside, especially if you’re going as a family, is to hire a holiday home for the duration of your stay. The advantages of choosing this over hotel accommodation are many and varied. Not only do you get the complete flexibility you need, without being tied to set dining times, but it usually works out much cheaper as well.

Many English families use their second homes for holidays themselves and rent them out the rest of the year, so they have all the comforts of a real home, with books, games, TV, internet connection and fitted kitchen, to make your stay a true home away from home experience.

Renting through the owner ensures you don’t end up in a complex with other families, and special arrangements can be arranged with the owner beforehand if necessary, so your break can be tailored to suit your needs.

Separate bedrooms for the kids means they can get up early and watch TV or play games without causing trouble to the rest of the group, and day trips can be planned at your own pace.

With a vast range of cabins, cottages, farm houses, apartments and villas to choose from, you’re certain to find the place that fits your holiday requirements, and use it either for the duration of your holiday or simply as a base for exploring the surrounding region. England has plenty to offer, and renting a villa or other holiday home there makes perfect sense to ensure an enjoyable stay.

Going ashore on your cruise holiday...

Cruise holidays have become very popular with families, although they are not suitable for babies and toddlers, three to 16 years are the best age. On most cruise lines, children are not permitted to stay on board if their parents go ashore.

All cruise lines offer shore excursions, which can be arranged by the tour staff on board. Shore excursions are becoming much more adventurous. To name just three: Royal Caribbean Cruises offers adventure tours, Carnival Cruises offers kayaking through the jungle in Belize, and Princess Cruises offers kayaking, hiking and snorkel adventures in the Caribbean. Some popular excursions are in high demand, so it is best to book these well in advance. However, it is possible to go ashore to explore independently. Taxi fares should be negotiated before setting out. You must also ensure that you return in good time for the ship’s departure.

The port is usually the main destination, although in some places the main sites of interest are not on the coast, and are only accessible by train or coach. For example, Mediterranean cruises that visit the port of Livorno in Italy give passengers the opportunity to visit Florence or Pisa. The length of time the ship spends in port varies depending on the cruise.

When the ship docks in a port, the passengers usually leave by the gangway. However, in some places, the ship has to anchor some way from the shore. In this case, passengers are taken ashore by launch. The launches are free, and there is a frequent service to allow passengers to come and go as they please. Anchor or tender ports will be indicated in the itinerary, but this can change depending on the weather and how busy the port is. 

Ski Alpe d’Huez – perfect for all the fami...

Ski in Alpe d’Huez, one of the premier resorts in the French Alps with superb skiing holidays for all abilities and a wide variety of night life! This is a true skier’s paradise and is considered France’s big hitter, with first class piste design, lift system and snow. With an exclusive focus on excellent ski holidays, Alpe d’Huez is blissfully easy to use and continuous investment and dedication keeps it State of the Art.

The slopes are friendly to all levels of skier beginners have vast nursery slopes close to the resort centre. There’s an array of wide, gentle greens to potter on before venturing further a field where you’ll find beautiful, endless, wide-open pistes. For the better skier up to intermediate standard, they can cover the area on cruising blues or testing reds that usually have a black alternative. Alpe d’Huez ski holidays give experts all the challenge they can handle, including the longest black in Europe and some fantastic challenges from the top of Pic Blanc at a height of 3300m you can ski black runs almost all the way to the village at 1860m!

Snowboarders are not forgotten either, they have plenty of opportunities in Alpe d’Huez with a couple of boarder-cross parks and snow parks with ramps, jump and rails. They also have vast powder fields and natural gullies. Skiing and boarding Alpe d’huez is a must for your next winter sports holiday.

Renting a Holiday Apartment in Tuscany...

It goes without saying that the Tuscany hills are sumptuously beautiful and almost surreally serene. But if you’re planning a holiday there, you’re going to need accommodation which won’t have the effect of undoing the soothing and soul-boosting effects of the region’s natural beauty. This is where an established company such as ‘To Tuscany’, which has won glittering accolades from reviewers in the British Telegraph and Daily Mail, can come to your aid.

There is little point in seeking solace, comfort and recuperation in the beauty of Tuscany if you’re doing so in accommodation so primitive it makes you want to curl into a foetal position and rock. With established tour operators like ‘To Tuscany’, you can rest assured that you’ll have a magnificent variety of options to choose from depending on your tastes and pocket – you could stay in anything from a modern self-catering villa to a fairy-tale castle. There are plenty of villas, farm houses and holiday cottages in between to choose from, too. Companies like this take care to hand pick the accommodation they’re willing to put their name against. For less than £800 per week, you could be experiencing the majestic natural splendour of Tuscany in a 12th century stone farmhouse with 21st century equipment installed.

Just make sure that, whichever Tuscany apartment operator you’re exploring, there are plenty of photographs of the properties (inside and out) available online and downloadable background information – ‘To Tuscany’ also includes detailed floor plans.

Tel Aviv – The White City...

For a first time visitor, Tel Aviv may come as a wonderful surprise. Instead of plodding camels and ancient ruins, they will find a contemporary Mediterranean metropolis filled with culture, boutiques, chic cafes and a busy nightlife.  A long kept secret of jet-setters, Tel Aviv is an edgier destination than the tourist traps along the Mediterranean basin.

Tel Aviv began as a sleepy little town settled in 1909 by Zionist pioneers, and was a source of Levantine, Oriental and Central European influences with haphazard streets. In the 1920’s Jaffa’s commercial centre moved to Tel Aviv and the city planners laid out a new street grid to modernize the city.

Tel Aviv is filled with life, from the seductive creativity pouring into its arts and theatres, to the laughter that spills out from the sidewalk cafes, and the non-stop party atmosphere of the summer months. The nightlife is vigorous and can even include dancing on the bars themselves.

The greatest architectural influence came from the German Jews who migrated to Tel Aviv during World War II. These architects were trained in the Bauhaus International or Modern style, and this style is reflected all over the city today.

Tel Aviv is the home of the symphony orchestra of Zubin Mehta, along with many art galleries, theatres and an opera house. The city boasts open air minstrels, poetry readings, experimental theatres, avant garde jazz performances and galley exhibitions.

The sun is usually shining in Tel Aviv, but the summers can be hot and humid. Visit in the spring when the days are warm enough for the beach and the nights are cool enough for a sweater.

Cheap flights to Tel Aviv are available from most international airports.