You don’t have to go far from your holiday villa in the Costa del Sol to get some grub the food in certain resorts such as Torremolinos, Benalmadena and Fuengirola offer a distinctly British affair, with the streets and promenades packed with British-style pubs and expat-owned cafés, where you can enjoy full English breakfasts, roast dinners and steak and kidney pies. However if you like to go on holiday and enjoy traditional local cuisine, fear not because the Costa del Sol and southern Spain is where the Spanish food of Tapas was born. You can enjoy traditional Spanish favourites such as their spicy chorizo and their albonigas which are meatballs in tomato sauce or jamon Serrano which is traditional salt-cured ham and yummy deep-fried, lemon-drizzled squid rings washed down with ice-cold sangria.

Jamon Serrano Tapas

Picture courtesy of Kazutaka NAKANO

If you do stay in self catering holiday villas in Spain, it a great opportunity to go out and try all these local flavours, you can also pop to the local markets and have a go yourself at cooking tapas. You can also enjoy trying out the fresh local produce such as giant lobsters and big cheeses.

There are also plenty of places to go for a night on the town no matter what you’re looking for, some quieter resorts like Frigiliana, Marbella and Estepona have a great laidback vibe if you want to just chill out and enjoy great food, drink and local music. If you want to be a bit more energetic you could visit Torremolinos, Benalmadena and Fuengirola which have plenty of vibrant bars, clubs and pubs that offer plenty to keep you going.

Sangria

Picture courtesy of andriesss

When you’re not enjoying the beaches here there is plenty of places to shopping here in the Costa del Sol, in some of the resorts like Marbella and Puerto Banus for example, you will find big designer-name boutiques. Over in Torremolinos and Benalmadena however you will find cheap and colourful gifts as well as the Costa’s holiday favourite blue and white Andalucian dishes, as well as handmade soft leather bags, straw baskets and flamenco shawls.

If you want to enjoy the sun, you don’t have to go away for a holiday during the summer, when many prices are highly inflated,  later on in the year destinations such as the Caribbean, Mexican Rivera, Mediterranean and South America are great to go to because you still get the sun and some great cruise deals if you book now. If you suffer from the winter blues a cruise holiday to the Caribbean will be just what you need to give yourself a much needed boost, around November/December time the weather in the Caribbean can reach an average high of 84.9 degrees in November and December.

There is a wide range of different cruise holidays to the Caribbean to choose from, with most cruise lines offering their own itineraries, there are over 7,000 islands in the Caribbean Sea and although many of them are uninhabited you will get to visit some of the best. Most Caribbean cruises will include places such as Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, St Kitts, Dominica, St Lucia, Barbados, Curacao, Aruba, Cuba and Mexico. You can choose from a fly, cruise and stay holiday, a fly and cruise holiday or a cruise from a UK port holiday and your holiday duration can be as long or as short as you like to the Caribbean, they start at 8 nights all the way up to 35 nights.

Many of the cruise lines now also offer time on their own private beaches so you can spend time relaxing on the golden sand, or if you like a bit more hustle and bustle then you can always explore the local ports you stop off at enjoying history, local crafts and local foods. You don’t have to worry either how to spend your time at sea, there are many exciting actives that you can take part in on board, as many cruise lines now offer busy day schedules as well.

If you currently in the process of looking for a last minute summer holiday somewhere, but not decided on a destination yet, then the world is your oyster! Travel these days has made it so much easier to see never, seen before places in far off lands, it has also made it easier to see what we have here in the UK. You can look for cheap flights to London, Glasgow, Belfast or Dublin to see the Best of British or last minute seats on flights further afield, like Turkey, Italy, America or even Australia, online and compare prices offered to make sure you get the best deals, it’s also just as easy to find accommodation for your holiday too, many places drop their price if they have a couple of rooms left to get them filled up.

The top travel destinations for 2010 are:

Turkey
Egypt
Mexico
Tunisia
Greece
Majorca
Cuba
Croatia & Montenegro
Morocco
Costa Rica

Many people warmer climes for their summer holidays because here in the UK we generally don’t get much sun over our summer, so going somewhere hotter means you can enjoy the sun you have been longing for all year and with cheap flights and bargain hotels it’s never been easier!

The Costa del Sol region in southern Spain that is made up of small coastal towns and communities which stretch from Almeria to Tarifa and this area is a much favoured holiday destination here in Europe, every year thousands of people travel here to enjoy a holiday in the sun. The Costa del Sol is an all year round destination with a large offering of fine, sandy beaches and calm Mediterranean waters, with a mild climate that means you can enjoy the beaches and a wide variety of outdoor and water activities all year round.

Torremolinos Beach - Costa del Sol

Picture courtesy of manuelfloresy

For an exciting family holiday or a relaxing get away break the resorts of the Costa del Sol like Benalmadena, Fuengirola Torremolinos, and Marbella, will have something for everyone no matter what you are looking for. There are many holiday villas in the Costa del Sol that can sleep anyone from couples to large families, either as part of a resort complex or somewhere a bit quieter out of the way. You can choose to stay self catering or go for some which are part of a complex that offer bed and breakfast, which ever best suits your needs. Many of the resorts in this area are easy to get to, especially with the new Autopista del Sol granting access from Malaga to Estepona and beyond to Gibraltar. The International Airport has regular flights to most key cities and is located just 10 minutes from Malaga City center, and within half an hour by car from most other popular resorts on the coast.

Marbella - Costa del Sol

Picture courtesy of ppz

The Costa del Sol has become one of the most developed part of the coast, with many of the town been developed to cater for the tourists needs near your holiday villa or cottage, many have modernized their boardwalks, or ‘ paseo maritimos. The area boasts plenty of tourist attractions but it is also known as “The Costa del Golf,” thanks to the many golf courses that line the area. If golfing isn’t your thing there are plenty of other activities to keep you entertained when you’re not relaxing on the beaches, for families and children there are theme parks, including water parks, safari parks and go-karting. There are also many beautifully landscaped public gardens to enjoy in many of the resorts, so you can take time to unwind.

Torremolinos

Picture courtesy of Gert Mewes

If you’re looking to take a cruise holiday, whether it be your first or your 10th you will be able to have an adventure and see some amazing destinations in style on a Princess Cruise. With cruise ships for all the family and some exclusively for adults you will be able to find something to suit especially with the choice of destinations they offer:

Alaska
Asia
Australia & New Zealand
Canada & New England
Caribbean
Europe
Hawaii, Tahiti & South Pacific
Mexican Rivera
Panama Canal
South America
World Cruise

Princess Cruises have a fleet of 17 including 3 small cruise ships, ranging from capacity of a grand 3,100 to just a more private capacity of 680, they have spacious state rooms that have inside cabins or with a balcony and ocean view. There are plenty of activities during the day that you can enjoy during time spent at sea, like their Scholarship@Sea which offers classes including:

Wine tasting
Ice carving
Digital photography
Cookery demonstrations
Ceramic painting
Computer skills

You can also spend day lazing around by the pool or having a relaxing treatment in the on board spa. Onboard there is also plenty of entertainment to keep the little ones happy and the not so little ones happy with arts and crafts activities, entertainment, games, Playstation 2, karaoke, movies, giant TV screens and more.

Princess Cruises also offer plenty of choice for eating and drinking on board their ships, such as five-star gourmet dining to speciality restaurants as well as buffet selections or dining in your state room. Your children can also enjoy their own dining experience with specially designed kid’s only dinners.

So whether you’re looking for a cruise holiday for the whole family to enjoy or a romantic getaway for two, you will be able to find something to suit your needs from a Princess Cruise.

Many people are choosing again to enjoy a ‘staycation’ for their summer holiday plans, so many tour operators have found that their bookings are low again this year, which is good news for those who want a last minute holiday away abroad.

Many families are still worrying about the economic problems as well as the low value of the pound and fears about travel disruption, which is why many have opted to stay here in the UK, which is a great boost for UK tourism but not so for travel companies who offer holidays abroad. Compared to last year short-haul holiday bookings for this summer are down by 213,000 compared with this time last year, taking the figure to 1.739million, which continues the trend seen in 2009 where 10million fewer foreign trips were taken compared with 2008.

Many prices have been cut by a third so looking for a last-minute trip could save up to £800 on a Mediterranean holiday, with the Greek islands, Turkey, Egypt, Spain and Portugal offering the best bargains. Some of the best prices found were for the Greek island of Paphos, where the figure for a one-week family holiday was down £796 to £1,521.

Trevor Davis, who is the Co-Op Travel’s director of retail distribution, said: ‘This year has seen a number of incidents and occurrences that have created a unique scenario for the travel industry. It began with the heavy snow that stalled the traditional early booking period and grounded planes, and continued with an earthquake in Chile, riots in Bangkok, civil unrest in Greece, BA strikes and finally the unprecedented volcanic eruption in Iceland, which brought the industry to a standstill for a week. ‘The continued effects of the recession, the election and the football World Cup also impacted negatively on bookings. As a consequence fewer holidays have been sold, so prices have dropped to encourage more bookings.’

The Co-Op’s research found the biggest savings in eastern Mediterranean resorts, in particular Paphos, which is 34 per cent cheaper than a year ago, Crete, which is down 29 per cent and Zante at 26 per cent less. On top of that the price of holidays to Turkey is said to be down by almost a quarter, 24 per cent, compared with a year ago.

If you want to take your family away this summer for an exciting action packed holiday this year then there are a huge number of destinations to choose from, you can tailor make your holiday to your specifications. Holiday rentals are great for those who want to holiday at their own pace, you are not tied to a hotel schedule and can come and go as you please, they are also great if there are a large group of, many rentals, either holiday cottages or villas can sleep anywhere between 4 and 20 people. They will include all the necessary amenities and if you are going to destinations in hotter climes you can also enjoy the luxury of your own pool in some. 

You can choose to be right in an action packed resort or you can opt for somewhere quieter and out of the way, if you are looking to stay here in the UK there are many places either in land or in coastal resorts. You can stay near places of interest either somewhere historical that offers castles and grand houses to explore or somewhere that offers thrill’s and excitement like a theme park.  You could opt for a city break and explore the Capital with many days out to choose from.

If you want to take your family further afield then Europe is a great option and staying in a holiday cottage or villa and enjoy the freedom mentioned above. You can choose a drive holiday to France or a fly drive holiday to Spain opting for favourite family destinations or somewhere a bit quieter off the beaten track.

If your tailor making the holiday yourself you can normally find better prices and could get it cheaper than a package holiday, comparing rental prices as well as travel prices for air, rail and sea, so why not have a look for yourself today and get on your way to creating those oh so important memories.

European destinations such as France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands to name a few, can provide an interesting and insightful holiday for those who do not wish to spend their time away sat on a beach.

If you have a keen interest in history then a visit to Berlin in Germany will be right up your street, not only do you have the well documented history from the past 100 years but also the history before World War 1 & 2 to get into. You can easily get a flight to Berlin, and there are many cheap hotels to stay in around the city, which will make a great base.

After the Berlin Wall fell the city began a long journey to rebuilding and regenerating itself, however still not forgetting key parts of its history such as the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, Check Point Charlie and the remaining Wall so no matter where you go you will always be able to find some history.

This is a city for everyone, with a huge amount of history to take, unbelievable architecture, old and new as well as contemporary shops and clothing boutiques which open until 8pm – 9pm and also shops selling traditional German clothing. To top notch restaurants or simple snack bars that sell traditional German fare including a Berlin staple the currywurst. Berlin is also very easy to get around with highly efficient public transport and roads you will find it a shock to the system.

For many, especially families, the elderly or infirm airport trolleys are a necessity however many travellers this summer will be shocked to find the cost of hiring one this summer has gone up, if you are flying from London Luton Airport and Bristol Airport you will be hit by soaring coasts, with the price of hire rising from £1 to £2 pound this week.

Travellers will also find that this charge is also non-refundable, according to a Luton Airport spokeswoman, she said: “London Luton Airport notes that Bagport, the company running our trolley concession, has increased the fee it charges to hire a trolley from £1 to £2. This has been done at Bagport’s discretion and London Luton Airport has neither asked for this increase nor will it stand to benefit from it financially.”

This new charge will also hit those travelling from Cardiff Airport in the next few coming weeks as well as other airports over the course of this year.

A spokesperson for Bagport who offer the airport trolleys said: “This sterling price increase brings the charges in line with the current euro charge of 2. This price increase enables Bagport to continue to provide a quality service after the heavy shortfall of passenger traffic in the European aviation industry since autumn 2008. The new charges of £2/2 are also reflecting the international market leading prices as airports, for example in the US, are charging between four and five dollars per baggage trolley and they represent the cost increases to run the business since its introduction.”

Sitting around on a beach on holiday is not everyone’s cup of tea, some people like to get out and about and explore the sights and sound of this world, if you’re not looking to travel too far for your summer holiday and want to take in some history and culture then why not hop on a flight to Belfast and explore this fascinating city and its surrounding area.

The capital of Northern Ireland, Belfast is its largest city which is steeped in history, it is mainly remembered for the Troubles that dominated Northern Irelands Politics for nearly three decades and scarred many people’s lives over there and here as well. Although Belfast is still coming to terms with the aftermath of the peace process which was instigated by the 1998 Good Friday Agreement the city itself is starting to turn itself around, undergoing major redevelopment and trying to attract tourists.

If you have a keen interest in history then you will find plenty to keep you occupied, learning how the city began back in the early 1100’s as a cluster of forts, and how it developed its self from then on to become what it is today. Some places of interest include: St Anne’s Cathedral, Odyssey Leisure Centre, Ulster Museum and the Botanical gardens to name but a few.

Belfast also offers many great places to eat offering a wide range of cuisines as well as typical Irish food and drink you can also have a great night out in the city with many fun bars and clubs. For those who like some retail therapy you can indulge in some shopping too from designer goods to highstreet buys as well as local crafts and art so you have plenty to keep you occupied during your visit.

Northern Ireland is easy to get around and Belfast makes a great starting point to visit the rest of the country.