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 If you are looking for something to do for the day during the summer holidays, then National Express is offering some great ideas for places to go for the day, or for short trips.
They are offering no less than a quarter of a million seats on their coaches at less than five pounds per person. These include great services to places such as London, where new can walk your socks off visiting the endless attractions such as the Tower of London, Madame Tussaud’s, or perhaps a less educational but just as much fun stroll down the shopping Mecca that is Oxford Street.
Birmingham to London is available from as little as four pounds one-way, the same fare applies to trips from Cardiff in Wales to London. With Brighton to London fares starting as low as an incredible two pounds one-way, that’s a round trip for far less than five pounds.
Amazingly for as little as three quid, the people of the great city of Manchester can take a trip down to the capital. Cambridge to London return weighs in at six pounds, just three pounds each way for a day out at one of the world’s truly great cities.
 Holidaymakers that found themselves stuck in Turkey after the holiday group Goldtrail went into administration arrived back at the East Midlands airport yesterday. However, flights out of East Midlands Airport to Dalaman, Bodrum, and Corfu have all been cancelled.
Goldtrail was a package holiday operator that booked spaces for travellers on charter flights before it went into administration last Friday. This forced many holiday goers already in Turkey to stay a few extra nights.
Customers were given the option to fly into East Midlands Airport at 7:45 from Dalaman, at which point it returned to Turkey to pick up more passengers. From Bodrum a flight also departed at 8:30pm and then it also returned for more passengers.
Over 2,000 customers from across the nation that were scheduled to fly out of the UK over the weekend were affected, with about 16,00 Britons already abroad when the holiday group that specializes in Greece and Turkey travel went into administration.
The Civil Aviation Authority expected that most will be back in the UK by now, with an East Midlands Airport spokesman stating the extent will be clarified more as all companies involved in the crisis including travel agents, hotels, and airlines returned to work on Monday.
Customers with future travel plans with Goldtrail are first advised to contact their travel agent and not head to the airport until they have confirmed their accommodations and travel.
Authorities continued to reassure holiday goers that there are ways to claim back the money they may have lost booking with the company.
Many people associate holiday parks with the old fashioned television program ‘Hi-De-Hi’ and old news reports of what it was like in them when they first got popular and this has put them off going. But holiday parks all have to move with the times, just like the rest of us and the facilities they offer these days are very different to those in that old fashioned show.
The parks tend to cater mainly for families. They have a lot of activities normally including a swimming pool, stage shows, outdoor play areas and many other things. Modern children tend to need a lot of entertainment and so this is the sort of place which could be ideal for them. There are always a lot of things going on and there are normally children’s clubs where the children can be taken away to do activities to give the parents a break. It also keeps the children happy, which is always good.
The evening entertainment has been updated to please a modern audience and the outdoor areas are the same. Even the accommodation is much more up to date with new caravans and chalets and some even have hotel accommodation for those who want a bit more luxury.
It is well worth taking a look at the websites of some of the more famous holiday parks or one in the location that you wish to stay. You may be surprised at the facilities that they offer and maybe find that the prices suit your budget as well.
 The UK travel industry is getting ready for a low growth rate and continued subdued confidence in 2011 according to a new survey from the Barclays Corporate Travel Forum. Despite this fact, many travel companies are still optimistic that they will see some growth over 2012 and 2013.
The poll was spread over 110 senior travel industry executives with almost 66% reporting that they felt consumer confidence would stay the same or possibly decrease over 2011. Only 38% predicted that consumer confidence that would grow. A low 43% felt that business conditions would improve next year.
Operators however felt some confidence in this year’s prospects with 23% predicting that they would see a twenty percent increase at the end of 2011 and 35% reporting that they would see a ten percent increase in their sales.
Overall, the long term prospects for the year were high with 73% of travel companies predicting that business conditions would start to improve in 2012 over the year with 85% of those surveyed predicting that business would be better in 2013.
Chris Lee, the Barclays Corporate Head of Travel stated that travel companies are becoming more confident in long term prospects as people in the UK still consider a holiday an essential instead of just something they want.
Lee continued to say that while there is not a clear consensus on what the industry would be like in the next few years, there is still a general belief of resilience that would result in a strong industry.
There is more than one list of the very best luxury hotels in the UK. There are lists of five star hotels, four star hotels, boutique hotels, castle hotels, city luxury and country luxury, spa hotels, golf hotels and you-name-it, the UK has it. The choices are quite mind-boggling, so if you are planning a stay at a luxury hotel in the UK, it would help to narrow the options down a little.
First thing to decide is what area of the country you prefer, what time of year you will be going, how long you plan to stay, and what activities, if any, you most enjoy. It is certain that you can find the perfect spot at a price you can live with if you’re willing to spend a little time on the Internet first.
To give you a starting point, here is a brief description of just a handful of choices that may fit your requirements for the ideal getaway. Note that in any case you will want to check out any special offers a particular establishment has available, especially if your schedule is fairly flexible.
With four red stars, the Nare Hotel is the highest AA-rated hotel in Cornwall. This is a ‘country house’ on the Roseland Peninsula, surrounded by National Trust lands. The Nare offers a huge, beautiful beach plus individually decorated rooms, private spas, two excellent restaurants and proximity to a wonderland of Cornwall’s natural attractions.
If you would like to spend the night in a 500-year-old castle, Thornbury Castle in Gloucestershire is the only Tudor castle in England that has been opened as a hotel.
Not only does it boast the largest bed in any UK hotel; a visitor can walk the same ornate hallways and garden paths enjoyed by Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Some of the wines in their lavish cellar come from grapes grown on the grounds of this magnificent estate.
For the ultimate up-to-date experience, check into the Bonham, just a five minute walk from Edinburgh’s West End, and voted ‘one of the coolest’ hotels in the world by Conde Nast Traveller. The Bonham is Victorian splendour transformed to contemporary splendour, combining the best of both worlds. The Bonham restaurant is world-class, and you will want to indulge in one of their ‘Boozy Snoozy’ dinners on a late Thursday night.
One of the finest of many small privately owned hotels, the Combe House Hotel in Devon has only 15 bedrooms, each one a work of art in terms of comfort and a unique mix of antique and contemporary décor. This is an Elizabethan country house set on 3,500 acres where pheasants and Arabian horses roam free. If that’s not enough, visitors can explore the nearby Dartmoor or just walk a mile to the “ideal English village” of Gittisham.
Almost anywhere in the UK you are close to one or more of the vast and diverse number of luxury hotels. All you need to do is to make up your mind which of their special attractions appeals to you most. Then take a trip to that perfect destination for an experience you will treasure for a lifetime.
 If the idea of a holiday in the UK or a return trip to the same European tourist spot has left you wanting more, how about considering a trip further afield?
If you or your family are cricket fans, later this year England will take on Australia Down Under in what is predicted to be a hotly contested Ashes series. And with the five tests spread between November and January, travelling supporters have plenty of time to combine the cricket with time on sun-kissed beaches or spotting Australia’s famous wildlife.
Whilst you may think you know Australia, there is actually a diamond waiting on the west coast to delight all who choose to Western Australia is a veritable feast of stunning landscape and whatever your budget you are sure to find something to suit your holiday style. Whether it is swimming with the world’s biggest fish, the whale shark, at Ningaloo Reef, sampling some of the fine food and wine in Margaret River, camping in the Kimberley outback, one of the world’s last wildernesses or watching the Ashes at Perth’s famous cricket ground, the WACA, you’ll wonder why you never went there before.
David Gower, cricketing legend is a man who has visited Western Australia many times. Touring the state as a young cricketer before scoring his first century in Australia at the WACA, Perth’s riverside ground. And he’ll be back in December for the Ashes as well as some marine adventures along WA’s pristine coast.
Log on to this live webTV show with David and adventure travel journalist Richard Madden to find out why a visit to Western Australia this year will set your pulse racing both on and off the playing field.
For more information visit www.westernaustralia.com
It sounds great. Zooming around the country to various meetings, staying in hotel rooms night after night; all the excitement of departure lounges, air miles mounting up. But Business travel can be tiring, expensive and extremely frustrating. We have pulled together some tips to try and take the strain out of arranging your journey to that all important meeting.
Flights and Train travel -Make sure you pre book your seats and print out all travel itinerary documents, as systems do fail. The earlier you book your ticket the better the price, so as soon as you know your travel dates get on the internet and use one of the flight search engines to get the best deal. Factor in any transfers, changes, or cross city journeys you have to make while booking so that you have allowed enough time.
Driving – Sat Nav is marvellous, But should your computer friend fail you try the old fashioned method of printing out a route planner as a back up, this will also give you an idea of how long your journey will take. Have the traffic warning alert turned on your car radio, It will scan into the nearest station as you drive and can warn you of any impending hazards on route.
Hotels – The Internet is full of sites offering hotel cost comparisons. If your company doesn`t have an in house preference then use one of these and keep the accounts department happy by saving some cash. Remember that nearly all hotels even budget ones now offer an internet connection in the room and tea and coffee making facilities so let location be your guide rather than star rating.
Travel light – If flying you want to be taking hand luggage only unless your stay is for a few day,so make sure you pack sensibly and that all your toiletries are in a clear plastic bag and below the 100 mil guideline for hand luggage liquids. Don`t be tempted to send your laptop into the hold, it may not come out in one piece.
Backup – Make sure you have any important work backed up on at least one USB stick before you leave. Nothing is worse than arriving at the all important meeting without the work you want to present.
Make a list – Sounds a bit simple but it works. Have a packing list to hand, clothes, work items and tick it off as you pack. This makes sure you also bring everything back with you and don`t leave anything in a hotel room.
Money – make sure you have some cash on you and that you carry some of the correct currency if travelling abroad, if you are short on time you don`t want to be rushing around looking for a cash machine and taxi drivers don`t take cards!
Clothing – make sure that you wear appropriate clothing for the event you are attending and that you have any necessary changes packed. Any form of travel is tiring on the feet and what footwear can offer you a wide range of comfortable footwear for your journey that will still make the right impression.
 The Business Travel market hosted the captains of the business travel and aviation industries with a presentation speech by the British Airwars CEO Willie Walsh.
Walsh addressed a crowd of 350 visitors, exhibitors, suppliers, and buyers at the event, which took place at ExCel, and told them that he had new found optimism and confidence in the industry.
Walsh thanked the delegation for staying loyal to BA and stated that the industry has many challenges and issues facing it, but that BA will still be committed to both short haul and long haul travel without sacrificing their transatlantic business.
He also said if the economic recession had not occurred the BA would have been able to continue with its expansion plans for the USA creating long haul routes from London to Boston, Chicago, and Washington DC.
Walsh also took a look at Middle East carriers praising Emirates for being a rational carrier but stating that there may be a need in the Middle East to decrease from three hubs to just two. However, he said that he would not be after the third runway issue, instead looking at other access opportunities.
In reference to Unite and the strikes, Walks stated that there is a large difference between the views of the cabin crew and Unite and that if there is any further action it would be centred on getting the same level of success so that 100% of their long haul operations would continue as planned.
He stated over and over that now is the time to get the airline industry back onto schedule and stated it is possible even though there is a long road yet to take.
Canary Islands Holidays are many peoples idea of a dream getaway. One huge advantage of these Spanish islands is that you can plan your visit at any time of year because the warm year round climate is fairly predictable.
If you are planning on visiting more than one of the islands in this small Atlantic chain it is generally more economical to select one place for arrival and departure. This is because it is quite practical to make use of cheap flight arrangements to one of the main islands and then make use of ferries to easily reach the other nearby Canaries.
Deciding on a base is not difficult to get around as all of the main islands have their own airports. Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Palma and Lanzarote, are the islands that take international flights from mainland Europe, as well as long haul flights from other parts of the world.
It is even possible to make use of the local versions of easyJet, as the Canaries have their own budget, no strings, airlines that can whisk you very quickly from one island to another. Islas Airways and Binter Canarias are the two main local airlines. The big advantage of making use of these airlines is the fact that their tickets sell at very similar prices to those of the ferries making the same trips.
Ferry companies plying the roots between the islands include Acciona Trasmediterranea, international giant Fred Olsen, and Naviera Armas, very generally speaking a one-way ticket for an adult will come in at between €50-€60, very similar to the local airlines rates.
You can start your trip at any of these islands, all of which offer every kind of accommodation from very basic hotels, right up to resorts offering the very best of 5 star holidays, making travelling around convenient, as well as suited to every budget.
All the islands offer their own individual charms, and although they are close to each other, each island has a very different personality, and offers a different holiday experience.
For example Gran Canaria can offer visitors the chance to climb a live volcanic crater, as well as offering a large number of wonderfully clean and attractive beaches, there are also extensive rolling sand dunes inviting visitors to lay back and enjoy a thoroughly relaxing day.
Tenerife, on the other hand is the geographically largest of the Islands. Here you will find probably the widest range of activities on any of the Canaries. For example Playa de Las Americas can heady nightlife, but the other end of the island Santa Cruz offers a far more traditional town, with lots of local style entertainment and food.
In the Northeast corner of the islands is Lanzarote, with its magnificent beaches and a wealth of easy-going nightlife, as well as local and international cuisine. Playa Blanca is one of the most popular destinations on the island offering a serene and thoroughly enjoyable holiday stop off.
Nearby Fuerteventura can offer a wealth of natural beauty including several national parks that offer a wide selection of nature’s beauty, and a chance to really get away from it all, this is a relatively undeveloped tourist island favoured by those who enjoy a quiet few days of relaxation.
In terms of size, the two main Balearic Islands Holidays destinations are Menorca and Majorca. The other popular destination in the Spanish Mediterranean island group Formentera, there are also a couple of small, mostly un-inhabited islands such as Cabrera.
For most young people looking to enjoy wild and endless nightlife, there is only one Balearic destination. Making Ibiza holidays a rite of passage for young people from the length and breadth of Europe, and a dream destination for twenty-something’s from many other parts of the world.
There can be no doubt that the Balearic’s are a huge tourist destination even in these times of financial problems, making them the most sought after holiday islands in the whole of the glistening Mediterranean.
Officially known as Mallorca, but more commonly known in English as Majorca, is the most popular and largest in terms of tourist numbers, most of which are drawn from Northern Europe, especially the UK, Germany and Scandinavia.
There are many wonderful and beautiful sites such as the stunning Tramuntana hills, which are becoming increasingly popular, as visitors opt for other activities such as hiking and mountain biking that take them away from the traditional two weeks lazing around on the sandy beaches
The trendiest destination on the island is also its capital Palma, which has a real international feel, and offers many cultural delights such as museums and ancient architecture as well as excellent local eateries. There are also a lot of great all inclusive Majorca hotels to choose from which are a great way of experiencing luxury accommodation without burning a hole in your pocket.
Ibiza is the only destination for any self respecting party animal, as its resorts are renowned for their incredible nightlife that feature huge clubs, including the world’s largest. As such every major DJ in the world never misses summer engagements in one of its world famous venues such as Pacha.
The island also offers a softer side, with some of the finest small bays found anywhere in the Mediterranean. As well as quiet and rustic tiny towns and resorts spread all around its 200 Kms picture perfect coastline.
Travelling from Ibiza town by ferry there just a small channel of water separating it from Formentera, which is the smallest of the inhabited islands in the Archipelago. It is well known for its incredibly soft powder sand, and gentle sloping shores that make it extremely safe for children, and as such a very popular family holiday destination.
The capital of this tiny escape from the excesses of its neighbour is Sant Francesc Xavier; but in reality the resort of Es Puiols is easily the most popular and largest tourist facility, making it difficult to find accommodation at the height of the Season.
In the Far East of the island chain, Menorca is considered to be the most un-spoilt, tranquil and beautiful, of all the Balearic Islands. It has more than its fair share of comfortable beaches and never seem to draw huge crowds.
It also has impossibly quaint fishing villages, as well as amazing and historic architecture that makes the island seem completely timeless and attractive.
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