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Spanish Summer Sun
Feb 17th
Millions of people had their winter sun dreams ruined at the start of 2011 as a result of the civil unrest in Tunisia and then Egypt. The British Foreign Office advised against all but necessary travel to the countries’ capitals and millions of Brits were left stranded. This is going to do no favours for the two country’s future tourism potential. Although the coastal areas were largely unaffected by the violence, British travellers want to be safe on holiday.
One place that has benefitted from the problems on the other side of the Mediterranean is Spain. Despite having its own financial problems and high unemployment, there have so far been no riots in Spain. The country has been working hard over the last six months to encourage and entice tourists back to its beaches and ski resorts after a tough year in 2010. Tourist numbers were down for Spain last year with 53 million visits compared to 57.2 million in 2008.
It is trying to win back travellers by lowering prices at hotels, hostels and campsites, so much so that it is the second most affordable country to take a holiday in after neighbouring Portugal according to the Post Office’s Holiday Money Report.
The report measured the cost of eight typical travel items in 36 countries. The items included a pint of beer, a cup of coffee, sunscreen and a three-course evening meal for two. In Portugal this cost just £32.84, with Spain not far behind in second place on £36.68. Way down the list was Italy with £73.44 and to make matters worse for Egypt, it came in at an embarrassing £80.46.
Spain has long been a favourite with British travellers and it looks as though it will move back into the hot seat in 2011. Aside from picking up an extra few hundred thousand tourists who would have gone to Egypt or Tunisia, the country is pulling out all the stops for summer travel with flight capacity increased on many airlines operating routes to Spain and in the UK airlines are upping the number of flights departing from regional airports. Plus bookings for summer holidays are already up as consumers make the most of the weakness of the Euro.
Try Monarch; they are one of the country’s top sellers of cheap flights in Spain and has a huge variety of accommodation options to choose from.
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Driving through the Football Stadiums of Spain
Feb 17th
Driving through the Football Stadiums of Spain
For some, Spanish football is unbeatable. In terms of capturing the heart of the beautiful game -particularly when we speak of Barcelona – Spanish football has imagination, flair and passion which runs from fan to player, as we all saw in the recent World Cup. For true football fans, a glorious trip around the country means a spell around some of the world’s greatest, and most impressive, teams. Here’s three to check off on a road trip through this fantastic country. They are a mix of top and mid table to give geographical variety to football fans on the road:
3/ Real Club Deportivo Mallorca
Sitting in the middle of the table, this team is perhaps more about its location than its sheer talent as a football club. However, it is set in beautiful Mallorca, which is appealing in for travellers, and can also boast a history that goes back to 1916. At the time of writing, Mallorca sit comfortably in the middle of the Spanish Premier League –La Liga – which is no mean feat, when you consider they’re up against teams like Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid and Top Dogs, Barcelona FC. It might be a good idea to check out this team in order to get away tickets to some of the fixtures with the big teams; tickets for the bigger clubs will be tough to get hold of. If you start a road trip from this lovely part of Spain, check out Ritmo Cars, for car hire Mallorca, and start whipping around the stadiums.
2/Athletico Madrid
One of the more focal reasons this team is famous in recent times, perhaps, is because it was the boyhood club of (arguably) the world’s greatest striker: Fernando Torres. His move to Liverpool FC was a controversial move, considering the sentiment of his commitment to his childhood sweetheart football club. Rivals to Mourinho’s Real Madrid, Athletico are consistently impressive, although have not won La Liga in recent years and owe it to themselves to do so. However, with Aguero and Forlan as their formidable attack, Athletico have glamour and punch to their game, and are always a threat to their competitors.
1/Barcelona
Arguably, Barcelona FC is at the tip of every pundit and football fan’s lips when they talk about the best football team in the world. With a slick style of one-touch play, a team made of the world’s best midfield and a stadium which has been likened to a religious holy ground, Barcelona FC is a team to be visited even if you don’t like football: head to the holy grail and see the likes of Messi, Iniesta and Xavi make the football do magic tricks.
Holiday Hype or Recession Blues? How to Book a Holiday on the Cheap
Feb 17th
There is no denying that the credit crunch has made an enormous impact on the travel market over the last two or three years. Many airlines and holiday booking companies have reported losses or decreased profit margins within this period of recession as many people have found themselves in precarious financial situations and have tried to restrict their personal spending. As something that for most people is still considered a luxury, as opposed to a necessity, the annual summer holiday is often the first thing to be cut from the yearly budget. For those that are reluctant to abandon their annual escape to the sun entirely, there are a range of budget holiday booking methods to employ and a variety of options to consider.
1. The internet is a wonderful resource for finding bargain breaks and inexpensive travel treats. Those searching for cheap flights will be pleased to learn of sites such as Monarch and Sky Scanner. Look to Monarch for reasonable flights to a delectable selection of tempting cheap holidays; they feature many flight sales throughout the year. The latter allows you to scan the price of flights to a particular destination throughout the course of a month, if your dates are flexible, or to see which destinations are currently offering the best value for money.
2. If you are travelling with a family, transport costs – air fares, ferry crossings, train tickets – often take up the bulk of the holiday budget. One way to cut down on trajectory expenses is simply not to travel quite so far. Domestic holidays are back in vogue and the UK has a host of delightful locations to offer its home-from-home travelers.
3. Be flexible and be prepared to think outside the box. Your usual holiday haunts may no longer be within your financial reach but there are sure to be a range of affordable alternatives available on the travel market if you are willing to consider a change of scenery or a different type of break. Keep your eyes and ears open, see what your local travel agent has to say and ask your friends and family for recommendations. You might even discover a perennial favourite.
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