Affordable Ski Destinations in Europe
With many areas reopening or easing Coronavirus restrictions, you may be thinking of a ski holiday. Here are a few of the cheaper options.
If you avoid the commercialised places in France and Switzerland, skiing in Europe is one of the most affordable areas to ski.
Willingen in Germany has a one-day ski lift price across Europe at just €34 (at time of writing) with 18 downhill runs, with the longest being a mile.
Harrachov in the Czech Republic, which is just 2 hours from Prague, has a one-day ski lift price of $24. Two lifts and a rope tow serve the five main runs. These are long runs, and a cross-country ski course is available.
Our final destination is Borovets in Bulgaria. This is Bulgaria’s oldest ski resort and dates back to the 1800s. One day’s use of the ski lift will cost €35, and you can start skiing from an altitude of 1390 meters.
Beaches in the UK – Barry, Wales
Barry Island, in Wales, is a popular destination for daytrippers and holidaymakers, There are four beaches in Barry which are Whitmore Bay, which I will highlight more below, Jackson’s Bay which is a quiet sandy beach where dogs are allowed, Watch House Bay has golden sand with rocks around the edge and is very quiet and Cold Knap which is a quiet pebble beach.
Whitmore Bay Beach is the main beach in Barry Island and has become a famous tourist designation thanks to the TV series Gavin and Stacey.
The beach is crescent-shaped with soft golden sand and plenty of space to play and relax when the tide is out.
In the Summer months and Bank Holidays, there is a lifeguard patrol. Colourful beach huts are available next to the beach and are available to hire.
Whitmore Bay Beach has plenty of nearby parking and also backs on to Barry Island Pleasure Beach.
Five of the Best Beaches to Visit in Cornwall
With the impact that Coronavirus has had on the UK and the difficulty and uncertainty of travelling abroad right now, it may be beneficial to visit UK locations for your holidays this year. One place of incredible beauty and gorgeous beaches is Cornwall. Cornwall also has some incredible history and tasty pasties.
Five of the Best Cornwall Beaches
1. Fistral Beach- also is pet friendly and allows surfing
2. Godrevy- has lighthouses, surfing, great viewpoints and excellent for spotting wildlife
3. Watergate Bay- lovely beach that also allows surfing
4. Towan Beach- is pet friendly, so is a great beach for dog walking
5. Great Western Beach- great for families, surfing and also has caves to explore
All five of these beaches offers beautiful views and are excellent locations to go and enjoy some summer sunshine. So, if you have been thinking about where to travel this summer, try a Cornwall holiday.
Tips When Considering a Canal Boating Holiday
Once COVID restrictions lift, one interesting holiday idea is canal boating! The great news is, you do not even have to have prior experience to hire a narrowboat! In the UK, one fifth of canal boat hirers are new to canal boating. When meeting other boats on the canal, stick to the right. The canal systems are the opposite of how we drive on the roads.
Canal Boating Tips
1. It is not required to have a licence to steer a canal boat as a tutorial is provided in many holiday packages, but you can also find the Canal Boaters Handbook video on Youtube.
2. To steer, push the tiller left to go right and right to go left. Then to stop, simply put the engine in reverse.
3. Be sure to use your horn to warn other canal boats that could be coming towards you at sharp bends or when entering a tunnel.
4. When using a lock, always ensure the steerer is on the boat to keep it forward of the cill (step) and share the lock with other boats if possible, to save water and share lock operation steps. Be sure to close all paddles and gates after using a lock, unless another boat is approaching.
Five Money Saving Tips for Travel
Having an adventure and seeing something new is all the more important after spending the majority of this year cooped up indoors. However, travel can be expensive and you may be thinking a holiday abroad is not an option due to finances. With a few handy tips, you can travel and stay within a budget, here is how:
1. Plan off-peak trips. Everything from airfare, hotels and entertainment venues can be more expensive during Peak times of the year.
2. Bring your own food or snacks on a flight. As long as they are sealed and are not liquid, they can get through security.
3. Save on baggage fees. Why not pack light and wear your most bulky items on your travel days so they do not take up extra space in your luggage.
4. Use local communal transportation. Getting taxis from the airport to your hotel can be a huge chunk of money. Try planning your route so that you use a bus or train (depending on convenience and price) and also walking some of that journey so you can see more of your destination.
5. Don’t eat out for every meal! Try going to the local grocery stores and buying things like snacks, drinks or certain meals that you can have at your hotel. This will save SO much money.
Autumn Holiday in the Great Smoky Mountains
The Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, USA are an enjoyable and beautiful place to travel any time of year but the autumn feels even more magical and intimate. The weather is gorgeous and warm, with a cool breeze, the fall colours are incredible and the mood is relaxed.
The nice temperature make it ideal for outdoor activities like hiking, zipling or just strolling the streets of downtown Gatlinburg. It is also typically the driest part of the year, with only the occasional rain shower.
October is usually the best for enjoying the fall foliage and wildlife. What better way to enjoy the views than by the Ober Gatlinburg Aerial Tramway that takes you on a breath-taking 2.1-mile journey, over the trees along the mountainside.
There are several fun fall events including Harvest Festivals and Oktoberfest celebrations. This area is also very family friendly with a plethora of amusements and museums. Also, don’t forget to eat at one, or two, or three of the pancake houses that you will come across along the way.
A holiday in Pembrokeshire
The Uk is blessed with beautiful scenic locations like Cornwall and the Highlands, however, Pembrokeshire, offers plenty of charm and picturesque scenery, as well as stunning beaches. Pembrokeshire is littered with grand castles – some ruins, as well as some wonderfully preserved mansions – that remind us all of the forgotten times. It may be as far west as you can get in Wales, but the coast’s picture-postcard towns and villages have an identity like no other. You may even encounter tales of pirates and smuggling while there are so many stunning places to eat and drink, as well as venues to enjoy and attractions never to forget. Pembrokeshire has a bit of everything, so if you’re looking to holiday in the UK this year or perhaps next summer, Pembrokeshire is a fine choice.
What is so great about Lanzarote?
You have probably heard people heap praises on Lanzarote. It gets so much attention which hardly goes unnoticed. For instance, Lanzarote got considerable media coverage when the former Prime Minister, David Cameron, spent Easter with his family on the Island. So, what is so great about Lanzarote? Why do people like it so much? Why do tourists who have been there always want to revisit the island?
To start with, the island has great weather all-round the year. The average temperature of the sunny island is 22 degrees Celsius. This makes it conducive for sunbathing and swimming. The glamorous island whose unique geology fascinates tourists also boasts of spectacular volcanic landscapes with extraordinary rock formations. On the island, you get to visit places designed by great Cesar Manrique, a famous visionary architect, and environmentalist. One such place is his home which is built in a lava field.
The island can be described as an upmarket destination with eco-friendly places to stay. Such places offer unobstructed views of the landscape’s endless beauty.
Why you need to consider walking holidays in Italy
A trip to Italy is among many peoples’ list of places to visit at some point in their lives. A walking holiday through Italy will surely give you a chance to see many things that you would not see if you were stuck in a tour bus taking you around Italy without giving you the chance to mingle with the locals as you walk through the cities within Italy. Think of it this way you can go for a self-guided walking tour or go through the mapped out walking tour provided by the travel company of your choice.
Walking through great cities like Venice, Milan and Rome will give you a chance to take countless and superb photos of your tour, it will also give you plenty of time to interact with the locals, sample their cuisine and learn a thing or two about their culture and country. You can never be wrong by opting for a walking tour of a city or country you would really like to visit.
Are 3 days sufficient for a city break?
When you’re going on a city break, it’s quite normal to go for a ‘long weekend’, so perhaps you will have 3 full days to explore the city, but is that enough?
It does depend on how much of the city you want to see and of course, you can’t explore a whole city in the space of three days or even four or five. Well perhaps you could but you wouldn’t have much time to stop and think! So 3 days is probably enough if you already know the places are that you want to see and explore, and this is why it’s so important to create a plan of action before you go. You don’t exactly have to have the plan down on paper, but by doing a little research on the city, you can begin to look into activities and locations that peak your interests, and you will then get a taste for what you want to see and do. But yes, we believe that three days is just about perfect for a city break.