Advice and Information for the World Traveller on Many Destinations

Archive for December, 2009

Flights to Aberdeen land at the Aberdeen International Airport, about 11 kilometres north west of the city centre.  Once you’re on the ground, the sights and sounds of Aberdeen are just a short bus or taxi ride away.

Outside the arrivals concourse you’ll find several transportation options to help you get started on your Scottish holiday.  Buses are affordable and will deliver you directly to the city’s central area.  For faster service, hail a taxi from kerb side at the terminal.  You’ll be in Aberdeen in no time at all.

Once you’re there, you’re sure to find something to interest you.  Very popular is the Aberdeen Art Gallery, featuring some of the work of famous local and Scottish artists; the trendy West End with its clubs, cafes, and hip music; or the variety of fantastic restaurants throughout the city.

After you’ve rested a bit from your flight to Aberdeen, get out and explore more of what the city has to offer.  Take a leisurely walk along Union Street to Provost Skene’s House, a medieval townhouse that was once the residence of the mayor of the city.  Take in the gorgeous architecture and atmosphere at Marischal College, with its local history museum, and then head on to the harbour for some fresh seafood.  For a dose of history, venture into Old Aberdeen to see the massive towers of the 15th century St. Machar’s Cathedral.  You can also do a bit of shopping at the Academy Shopping Centre.

Read a book.  See a film.  Look at pictures.  No matter how you try to envision the city of Venice, these secondary descriptions will absolutely pale in comparison to the experience of actually being there in person.  Millions of curious visitors book flights to Venice every year; why not become one of them?

Nearly 1500 years of history are neatly packed into this amazing city, and you can experience all of it.  There are the classic sites like the Basilica di San Marco, Palazzo Ducale, and brilliant museums like the Guggenheim and the Gallerie dell’Accademia.  But don’t forget the lesser-known attractions like Ca’ Pesaro, Ca’ Rezzonico, the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, and Arsenale.  It’s these not-so-famous landmarks that will give you a true sense of Venice.

One of the best parts about Venice is that you really don’t need a plan.  A veritable maze of interconnected avenues and by-ways, the city is made for wanderers.  It’s surprisingly easy to find a bit of peace and quiet amidst the bustling tourist centres, so seek out the enchanting inner districts of the city and discover a hidden gem!

The busiest tourist seasons are May through September, Christmas and New Year’s, during the February Carnevale, and at Easter.  If you want a peaceful visit it’s best to book your flights to Venice around these busy times.  But the city certainly comes alive during the height of tourist season, so if you want a charmingly overwhelming experience, don’t let your flights from Venice depart before taking in the sights and splendour of the holidays.

Royal Caribbean Cruises promises guests “an undeniable exhilarating onboard experience” and have certainly been trailblazers of the cruise industry, bringing the cruise holiday experience up to date in the 21st century.

The company was the first to incorporate such innovative entertainments as a rock climbing wall and surf simulator into their onboard experience package and continue to strive to serve the changing needs and demands of the modern cruise holiday passenger.

The company operates 22 luxurious liners to and from popular port destinations across the globe.  Their fleet includes such jewels as the Allure of the Seas – offering such features as two story loft style staterooms and a full-size onboard boardwalk carousel, and the Oasis of the Seas, which is cleverly divided into a selection of seagoing neighbourhoods, each with its own distinct character and assets.

Choose to cruise to traditional destinations from Alaska to Asia and everywhere in between. Or why not opt for the innovative repositioning option, joining the ship as it breaks free from traditional itineraries and moves between ports not usually offered as options on a classic cruise? Wherever you go with Royal Caribbean you can take advantage of a great selection of shore excursions allowing you to get the most out of each of your stops along the way.

Wanting to do something different for the holidays? Then why not opt for a holiday cruise holiday? Royal Caribbean offers a great range of festive cruise packages allowing you to get away from it all and enjoy the end of the year.

Bruges is perhaps the most picturesque city in the country and many visitors who book flights to Belgium take a trip here. Set on a canal and not far from the North Sea, Bruges is full of immaculately preserved medieval architecture. One of the best ways to see the sites is by canal boat.

Antwerp is a historic city that’s easily accessed by rail from Brussels. The largest city in the Flanders region, Antwerp is often overlooked by tourists, but is well worth a visit. The Grote Markt is in the city centre and is surrounded by the town hall and guild houses. During the summer, a lively outdoor market operates here, while in the winter the town square becomes a public skating rink.

Ghent, in East Flanders, features Gravensteen, a castle dating back to the 12th century that sits right in the middle of the city. The former Counts of Flanders built massive castles with turrets and moats in all the largest towns in Flanders, but Gravensteen is the only one that still remains.

Binche, a small town in Hainaut, has the most popular carnival celebration in the country and is a major attraction for visitors taking flights to Belgium. Added to the UNESCO World Heritage registry in 2005, the carnival is a once in a lifetime event.

You’re sure to sample a few of Belgium’s more than 250 types of beer while you visit.  Get recommendations from the locals or just set out on your own Belgian beer tour.

The Amalfi Coast runs along the southern edge of the Italian Sorrentine Peninsula.

It stretches between the eastern Vietri sul Mare and the western Positano areas.  Due to its sumptuous scenic qualities, diversity, rough terrain, and postcard perfect village towns the area that makes up the Amalfi Coast is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The entire area offers stunning views of the azure blue sea from lemon tree gardens that are located up steep slopes where you will also find houses and hotels along the terraced coastal backdrop.

Notable sight seeing areas along the Amalfi Coast are the Duomo cathedral, the Fiordo di Furore paper mill in the municipality of Furore, and the San Luca and San
Gennaro churches which offer spectacular interiors and even more stunning viewing points.  There are also many other churches scattered between the many distinct villages that are worth seeing.

The best way to travel along the coast is via the bus services that run along the coast from Amalfi to both Sorrento and Salerno.  Tickets must be purchased in advance from newsagents, bars, and local village shops.

Scooter hire is also a popular way to get around on the Amalfi coast, although this is not necessarily the safest way to get around.

Flights from Moscow journey regularly to destinations all over Europe and the rest of the world. The airport is one of the biggest in Europe and has the ability to handle millions of passengers passing through the gates. Moscow is also a stopping off point for some of the biggest airlines on their way to other destinations.

The cost of a journey from Moscow to London will be in the region of 107 euros or roughly between £50 and £60 pounds sterling. This price will obviously vary with the class in which you choose to travel, and will also depend on the airline that you decide to use.

British Airways run regular and high class services into Moscow and offer some of the best in-flight entertainment when travelling to the Russian capital city.

You can also book flights from Moscow as part of package deals. These are very popular but it can mean that you will have to pay a little more for the return flight than if you booked it yourself directly.

Moscow airport is one of the tightest for security in all of Europe so do not be alarmed if you are subjected to random customs searches at the airport on more than one occasion. It is just a matter of security and the quicker you allow the security staff to do their job, the sooner you will be able to continue with your trip.

Why fly to a ski resort in Europe when you can take the train? Using the train when you book your ski holidays has tremendous advantages an example is not spending hours in the airport queue humping bags to one check in desk and skis to another, which has to a reason good enough to make you think about it, and it is a lot more comfortable and can be fun too. Another big plus is that airlines, almost without exception, charge for skis and often hold luggage, booking seats to sit together often incur extra charges. On the train there are no such fees, and there is plenty of room to store your bags.

Let us look at train travel for your ski deal and then you can consider whether it is the best option for your ski holiday to the European Alps or the Pyrenees. Train carriages are spacious, with ever changing scenery. Soon the flat terrain of Kent and Northern France whiz past, giving way to lakes and mountains, you are on your way. Most trains have restaurant or buffet cars and you can even have lunch in Paris, difficult on your through flight to Geneva!

More families are now taking a ski holiday and it is a fact, like most sports, the younger you begin the better you eventually become. With the “snowtrain” children are welcomed and better catered for than is possible on an aircraft. The tiny ones have space to stretch their legs, while older children will amuse themselves for hours, reading, watching DVDs or playing games. Under-4s travel free on all trains, and under-11s get generous discounts, adding to an already great ski deal for you and the family.

Why not extend your great ski holiday by a couple of days at no extra charge? This is the way that it works. By travelling overnight and sleeping in a couchette or a two-bed compartment, you’ll reach your resort at around 8am or 9am after a comfortable journey for the first of two extra days skiing. Leave your bags at your hotel or chalet, get changed and you’re ready to ski. After your week when your mates are on an early transfer back to the airport, you can be up the slopes enjoying another day of skiing, you can take your time as you pack your bags, put them into storage and then head out for another day on the slopes. With plenty of time to spare you can arrive back at the train station for your overnight journey home.

Imagine romantic and secluded beaches, stunning surroundings and just the two of you to experience the magic of a cruise. Cruises are great holidays to take as a couple and although the cruise liner will probably have hundreds of other passengers aboard, you may feel like you are the only two on the ship.

You can be as sociable as you like on your chosen cruise, but what matters is that you two have the most fabulous cruise experience. You can indulge yourselves in complete relaxation in the onboard spas, dine in the gorgeous restaurants, see stunning parts of the world or just sit and sip fine wine while enjoying the view from your private balcony.

There are plenty of activities to take part in as a couple on a cruise ship, dance classes, cooking classes and various sports to name but a few, if you are an active couple, you will find plenty to do aboard a cruise ship.

You might choose to have your perfect wedding onboard the cruise and the captain can even marry you. Most cruise liners have packages specially set out for your wedding, which will include everything you could think of to ensure the perfect day. To get married on a cruise ship, you must be at port or no more than three miles from land. Whether it is just the two of you or the entire family, a cruise ship wedding is magical for all involved.

A Caribbean cruise would be the perfect way to take a romantic getaway, white beaches, blue seas and multi-coloured cocktails.

Flights to Manchester are growing in popularity and frequency owing to the cheap journey prices that can now be obtained by millions of customers. The city is seen as a stop off destination on longer journeys to the north of England and Scotland. Internal United Kingdom flights to Manchester are relatively cheap.

Budget airlines offer cheap flights, with prices from around the £10 pound mark for some UK airports. However, the disadvantage of flights like this is the fact that you will miss out on a lot of frills and in-flight entertainment that the likes of British Airways and larger airlines can provide.

You need a passport if you are travelling internally as a means of identification only, it will not be stamped. You are well advised to book early because often flights to Manchester will become fully booked quite quickly.

You can fly to Manchester from a number of other UK airports and there are flights into the city from a limited number of worldwide destinations. Most likely when you are trying to get back to the city from an international trip, you will have to fly into a London airport and then fly directly into Manchester from there.

So, consider flying from Manchester if you are travelling within the UK or are embarking on a long haul trip.  Booking is quite simple via the airline websites on the Internet or through a local travel agent.

Northern Ireland is situated in the north east of the island of Ireland and is politically part of the United Kingdom. The country has an estimated population of just slightly fewer than two million people.

Northern Ireland shot into the headlines in the early 1920s when it separated from the Irish Free State to form a separate country. This came about because of the conflicts that were breaking out between many Roman Catholics in Ireland and the Protestants who were being persecuted for trying to spread their views that were contrary to the historical religion of the country.

The capital city of Northern Ireland is Belfast, which is the location of the country’s main airport, Belfast International Airport. Many tourists can fly direct into Belfast although some choose to fly to other parts of the Republic of Ireland and then use the M2 Motorway to get into the country.

The country has been subjected to many terrorism attacks that prove the religious conflicts are still ongoing and it is still hoped by some of the combined Irish population that one day the two countries will again unite.

The biggest industries in the country are fishing off the eastern coast and cigarette production, with distribution taking place to countries all over Europe. Northern Ireland also has a football team that is ranked among the top 100 in the world.

The country is also admired for the preservation of its landscape and coastal facilities, and this alone attracts thousands of visitors every year.