Getting Tickets For The Olympic As Well As Paralympic Games May Have Been Difficult, Yet Finding An Affordable Hotel Room In London May Be Even Harder.
Maybe the Olympics and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee will entice one to stay at home this year… or perhaps they’ll cause you to long to escape. Whatever you choose, here’s your lowdown on 2012’s holiday features…
FOR FAMILIES
Mark Warner’s 2nd five-star hotel will be opening about May 19 on the Greek island of Rhodes. Set right on the sands of the resort of Afandou Beach, each of the 80 contemporary rooms have whether balcony or a terrace – eight even have their own personal swimming pools.
There will be the usual selection of activities, kids’ clubs and spas. Seven nights’ half-board starts at L765pp including BA flights from Heathrow. For more details go to www.markwarner.co.uk or contact 0844 273 5010.
Fancy doing something a tad bit more adventurous with the family this year? Virgin Holidays has launched a whole new range of trips that are tailored for adults and children and give the chance to explore more exotic corners of the world.
Worldwide Journeys offers holidays throughout China, India, Costa Rica, Tanzania and Egypt, with itineraries that encompass pursuits kids will love, while mothers and fathers will get a fascinating insight into community life and culture. The tours range from eight to 15 days and cost from L1,295 to have an Egyptian Family Adventure. Notice www.virginholidaysjourneys.co.uk
Drive the boat out with no making waves in your financial institution balance when you stay at Keycamp’s new Body of water House at Chateau des Ormes parc throughout Northern Brittany. It’s built on a floating platform, so you can float the thatched-roofed property – complete with double your bed, bunk beds and decked terrace – out on to the lake and then punt back.
Book by February 29 and two nights inside Lake House followed by a few nights in a Villanova mobile home (sleeps two adults and two children six-12) will cost from L300 including Dover/Calais crossings about May 19. Go to www.keycamp.co.uk or contact 0844 406 0319.
HOTEL STAYS
On the home of Faro airport, the Palacio Valverde Resort & Health spa in Portugal is due to open throughout November, making the Algarve an excellent choice for a weekend break.
Your accommodation will have 158 rooms dotted between lakes, beautiful gardens and swimming pools with buildings designed to create a palace feel. Notice www.conradhotels.hilton.com
Further afield you can combine natural beauty and wintertime sun with a trip to your Southern State of Kerala. Teletext Holidays is offering a 5 Star high-class trip to Kerala staying at the Leela Kempinski just for L1119 per person.
Getting seat tickets for the Olympic or Paralympic Games might have been difficult, but finding an affordable hotel room in London may be perhaps harder. Grab a bargain through booking a room at the fresh Travelodge in Stratford, right in the heart associated with Games territory, which unwraps in March. Doubles commence at L59 per night, and there are also family rooms which sleep up to four. Publication on www.travelodge.co.uk
Get up close to the wildlife once you stay at one of eight fresh lodges at Whipsnade Zoo, Beds. Opening in April, each and every sleeps up to four with prices from L115pp including breakfast time, an evening barbecue and a twilight tour of the zoo.
Routes
Berlin opens a brand new air port in June next year, producing Germany’s most exciting and diverse town easier to get to. Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.co.uk) will launch everyday flights to the city from Birmingham and Manchester if the airport opens.
And easyJet (www.easyjet.com) has five fresh routes starting this summer. Initially Naples will be accessible from Edinburgh and Bristol (starting April 18 and May 12 respectively) while travellers from Scotland will have fresh flights from Edinburgh to be able to Dalaman (from April 17). A new route between Southend and Jersey will begin on May 2, while from March Thirty-one you’ll be able to fly from Luton to be able to Corfu.
More good news for Scottish travellers from Jet2 (www.jet2.com), which commences flights from Glasgow to Barcelona three times a week and two plane tickets a week to Murcia from March 29.
Manchester gets 3 new routes – 4 flights a week to Paris from March 29, twice-weekly to be able to Milan Bergamo (starting May 16) and three flights a week to be able to Toulouse (May 12).
HOLIDAYS
Cruises from the UK have become increasingly popular in recent years as they prevent the hassle and cost of soaring, and P&O is set to increase it’s departures from Southampton this year, with seven new cruises.
The new itineraries incorporate a 28-night trip to the Caribbean on Adonia, along with cruises to the Canary Islands, your Western Med and the Atlantic Coast. From next winter 3 ships – Oriana, Oceana and Adonia – will sail year-round from Southampton. Check out www.pocruises.com for more.
Disney Cruises is setting breeze from three new plug-ins in 2012, meaning that it is not just kids who have each of the fun. From May Twenty-five, Disney will be sailing from New York – as well as Seattle and Galveston in Texas – making a couple of nights inside Big Apple the perfect way to spherical off a child-friendly cruise. Visit www.disneycruise.co.uk
Nice thing about it for Irish cruising fans: MSC Vacation cruises is adding Cork and Dublin to be able to four new itineraries in August and September. Customers may embark and disembark from your luxurious MSC Lirica, with itineraries that take in the German port of Hamburg along with Amsterdam and the Shetland Isles. More info with www.msccruises.co.uk
Croatia also has beautiful coastlines and offers excellent value money compared to various other Mediterranean resorts. In Croatia the most beautiful cities are Split,Dubrovnik and Makarska. Try this 7 evening cruise along the Dalmatian Coast just for L699 per person. Saving up to be able to L200pp.
RAIL BREAKS
Holidays through rail are gaining popularity, and Great Rail Journeys carries a number of new itineraries, including a number of in the British Isles. Discover Scotland’s stunning countryside and vibrant cities on the nine-day Western Highlands and Hebrides tour (from L825pp), or take a short break in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales (from L448).
More high-speed trains are making Europe more obtainable by rail than ever before, and GRJ has new trips towards the continent including a 10-day trip to the spectacular Harz Mountains and Rhine Gorge throughout Germany (from L1,298pp), and the possiblity to explore lesser-known Southern Italy, with a 13-day trip to Puglia and Basilicata (from L1,925pp). More details at www.greatrail.com or perhaps call 01904 521936.
Spoil your loved one about Valentine’s, or surprise your mum on Mother’s Day with a particular journey aboard the Navigate Express, writes tagza.com. Superbreak is offering an array of day trips across the UK about sister trains the British Pullman and Northern Belle from London and other cities. The Valentine’s Day round-trip costs L195pp on the Northern Belle from Manchester or Liverpool which includes five-course dinner, champagne and 50 % bottle of wine. Book at www.superbreak.com or call 0871 222 3055.