Roisy-Charles de Gaulle Airport

Roisy-Charles de Gaulle is located approximately 15 mile northeast of the centre of Paris itself, with a quick, easy and reliable transport system into the city. The airports turns over around 200,000 passengers daily, which ranks it as one of the busiest airports in Europe, and only slightly behind Heathrow. The airport is made up of three different terminals or ‘aerogares’, with terminal 1 dealing with mostly non-Air France international flights including Virgin Atlantic and United Airlines. Terminal 2 is made up of 6 smaller terminals, with the majority of Air France flights flying in and out as well as British Airways and American Airlines. Terminal 3 is where the budget and charter flights are catered for, with companies such as Easyjet and Ryanair flying into and out of.

Flights to Paris

Orly Airport

Orly Airport is located just 10 miles south of the centre of Paris, and is smaller and a lot less frantic and busy as Charles de Gaulle airport. There are around 30 airlines hosted here, with the airport mostly dealing with domestic and European flights. The airport itself is made up of two terminals, Orly Euest and Orly Sud. Orly Euest services domestic flights, including Air France, whilst Orly Sud handles the international and charter flights.

Both Paris airports that service the city have high standard of amenities and services, with world-class duty free, luxury shopping, a large range of restaurants, children play areas and lounges. There are also excellent shuttle services running between terminals which are free of charge, and in several of the terminals there are free wireless areas for internet access.

A popular option with tourists is to take a day trip to Costa Brava, a beautiful beach resort packed with bars and restaurant. Due to its proximity to the French border, the resort is extremely popular with British and French tourists enjoying

Sitges Day trip

not just the night-life, but the coast’s wildlife habitats and stunning weather. There are many individual beaches hence you can choose from the crowded beaches close to the built up areas, or secluded beaches in coves and with few people around.

If you are looking for something a bit more active, it is possible to get a trip out to Muntanya de Montserrat which you can then climb. The mountain is famous for being the home of a 16th century abbey in which is La Maroneta, a 12th century statue of a ‘black’ Virgin Mary. Monserrat can take time to get to and to walk around so allow a whole day for this trip if you want to experience everything which this area has to offer.

While you may be forgiven for thinking Spain may be devoid of Roman ruins, the province of Tarragona is actually populated by several ancient sites as well as medieval cathedral and cloister. Areas of the region are now a World Heritage Site, namely the 2nd century amphitheatre, the ancient forum and parts of the old Roman wall. If you are travelling with young children however, you may wish to do something a little more ‘thrilling’, if so the Salou Amusement Park may be an option. A short car drive or a bus journey away, the Salou Amusement Park, also known as Port Aventure Theme Park, is packed with roller coasters and other rides. The amusement park attracts visitors from all across Spain and Europe and one tip is to avoid school holidays if you can, to avoid the crowds.

The town of Girona is also worth a trip to. Many people might actually find themselves flying into Girona airport because one or two budget airlines sell the airport in this location as being in Barcelona even though it is one hour away. Girona is a quaint town and worth a visit if you have the chance.

Jeremy lives and works in Barcelona and loves his place in the sun. Jeremy works in Spain offering Barcelona Stag packages and Barcelona Jewellery making classes for groups.

Venice travel: for a real sense of history, culture and romance all wrapped up on one easily walk-able island, this Italian ‘city of water’ can’t be beat. And if you book in to a Cheap Venice Hotel, you’ll have a bit more cash to spare for poking around. For some ideas on where to start, see our five reasons to visit Venice below…

1. The Venice Carnival

Starting a fortnight before Ash Wednesday and ending on Shrove Tuesday, Venice Carnival is hedonistic, colourful and bizarre in equal measures. Revelry tops the agenda with masked street parties and balls running day to night (the mask tradition started in the 12th century as a way for aristocracy and commoners to mix on equal ground), and the prize for “La Maschera piu bella” is selected by a panel of costume and fashion designers. Wander around St. Mark’s Square armed with a camera to draw flocks of posing, creatively-costumed carnival-goers.

2. Eating Gelato

Forget everything you think you know about ice cream – you haven’t tried real ice cream ‘til you’ve gone for a gelato inVenice! With cafes, corner shops and special parlours selling artisanal ice cream on every street and a scoop costing around a Euro, it’s easy to sample, too. Gelato is made fresh on most sites (as opposed to from a frozen, pre-packaged mix) and flavours range from chocolate and strawberry to weirder concoctions like fig or avocado. Go for a different scoop every time!

Venice has been the setting for many a classic movie. To follow in the stars’ footsteps, start out at Palazzo Pisani, east of campo Santo Stefano, where the final shoot-out at the end of James Bond movie Casino Royale was filmed. You can move on to thechurchofSan Nicolòdei Mendicoli and Palazzo Grimani, where Don’t Look Now was shot, and St. Mark’s Square, where Indiana Jones emerges from a man hole in the Last Crusade.

4. Amazing Art

From Titian to Tiepolo, the history ofVeniceis intertwined with the history of art and artists. The Galleria dell’Accademia is your first stop for discovering the city’s store of great works: it includes Titian’s last painting, Pieta, and also holds da Vinci’s pen-and-ink Vitruvian Man drawing (which is displayed only occasionally). For more Titian, his Assumption is above the high altar at I Frari church, and Tintoretto’s Crucifixion can be seen at Scuola Grande di San Rocco.

5.Grand Canal

You can’t talk aboutVenicewithout mentioning theGrand Canal, the city’s main artery for commercial cargo for over 1000 years. Take a vaporetto (water taxi) from the main railway station to St. Mark’s Square to get a load of the stunning palazzos and churches lining the water-front. If you’re feeling flush or particularly romantic, upgrade your ride to a private gondola. The canal also plays host to Venice Historical Regatta, a boat race between competing Venetian neighbourhoods that takes place on the first Sunday of September every year.

scuba diving

The penultimate show is in San Francisco at the Santa Clara Convention Centre in mid February, and the final show is in Washington D.C. at the Washington Convention Centre towards the end of March. Each show has a similar structure although there each leg of the tour has features and visitors which are specific to that geographic location.

The shows are and opportunity for people to find new and original travel packages and experiences, pick up exclusive deals, take part in competitions to win trips and have and entertaining day looking around the various exhibitors. There are hundreds of travel professionals to interact with and compare prices on your next holiday. The show also has various guest speaker hosting talks and seminars offering travel tips and stories. There will be several practical displays and experiences to enjoy as well including zip-lining and scuba diving in a specially constructed tank. There is also a new food challenge to try and a variety of music and dance performances on the Global Beats Stage, giving an insight into some of the world’s cultures. Are you a travel exhibitior? Buy exhibition stands online for travel show.

Cardiff, Wales

Visitors will at first be struck by the scale of the city. For a capital it retains none
of the sprawling urban growth that has always plagued London or to a lesser
degree Manchester, and its half a million residents reside tightly packed into
the inner and outer suburbs that surround the Cardiff’s historical centre. This
can give the impression that you are in a city that is perhaps three times its
actual size as the dense few square miles that surround its exquisite castle
and the Edwardian Baroque elegance of its Civic Center contain a host of
stylish shopping centres, restaurants of every variety, museums, galleries and beautifully scenic parks. Visitors to Europe’s youngest capital city will find that getting around its many sights is easy and can be done for the most part on foot.

The city centre itself is a made up of a few square kilometers of streets that are
a delight to walk around. One of the most charming aspects of the city is its
Victorian arcades. These covered streets are remnants of Cardiff past and
criss-cross the city center connecting its different areas of business and are
kept in beautifully antiquated style. The city also has a myriad of different
bars serving food, authentic and more modern minded pubs and for the evenings, a host of chic night spots and clubs all focusing in and around the now largely pedestrianized St Mary’s street, the city’s central artery.

The nightlife itself can sometimes leave its visitors a little shocked as Cardiff,
in some ways more than most other UK cities, has an underlying drinking culture born of the fact that its satellite towns flood the city’s streets on a weekend in search of the kind of revelry lacking in their own towns that are somewhat more disparate and removed from Cardiff’s bright lights. The main thoroughfares are jam packed with people ready to party of a weekend and travellers looking to sample the city’s more delicate cultural offerings may be advised to avoid the drinking hot spots on a Friday and Saturday night. Another feature of the city, and a somewhat more endearing one, is its reverence of the sport of Rugby. Wales is considered by many to be the spiritual home of the game and its fans are without doubt the most passionate in the world.

International Rugby games at the city’s 75-000 capacity Millennium Stadium will effectively cause the city to shut down, ensuring that buses, cars and taxis will have to give way to the mass of colours that descend upon the capital to cheer on the respective teams. Cardiff on a ‘match day’ as it is known, is as impressive a sight as can be seen anywhere in the world of international sport, as the tribal nature of British football is nowhere to be seen and supporters of both
teams freely mix in the many pubs that have welcomed foreign fans to the city
for generations.

Cardiff is also home to an internationally renowned and highly established arts and high culture scene that is of a world class standard. The impressive Wales
Millennium Centre in is home to the Welsh National Opera and plays host to some of the finest classical singers and musicians in the world throughout the year. Those travelling to the city will also be spoiled for choice when looking for
accommodation as Cardiff retains an excellent selection of bed and breakfast
and apartments that can be privately rented for travellers wishing to stay in
the historical heart of Cardiff or the modern cityscape of Cardiff Bay.

The Box

This event held at the Porte De  Versailles is an International fashion accessory show. Paris is considered to  be one of the most fashionable cities in the world, and as such, any fashion  event held here is regarded in high esteem in the international fashion  industry. The event is primarily an exhibition, with hundreds of international  exhibitors displaying their latest and best offerings. There are also a number  of shows throughout the event.

Paris

E Learning Expo

Distance and online learning is  highly popular in developed countries around the world. It provides people with  the opportunity to gain qualifications and skills from the comfort of their own  home whilst still maintaining a full time job. This E Learning Expo held at the Porte de Versailles is an opportunity to learn all about the latest innovations and issues in this industry as well as to meet many of the leading players.

ESC Congress

This is considered by many to be the largest exhibition in the world for the cardiology sector. The event exhibits all of the latest developments in the industry and demonstrates how the most pressing issues are being tackled. There are a number of interactive events which the approx 60,000 professionals who attend from around the world can participate.

Manet Exhibition

Manet, an artist who lived in the 19^th century, was one of the forerunners for what is now considered modern art. This exhibition looks at some of Manet’s best artistic creations as well as looking at some of the other issues in which Manet was involved, including his political influence and the changes in the media at the time.

Salon Mondial Body Fitness

This is the most comprehensive fitness equipment exhibition in France. It is an opportunity for manufacturers to showcase their products to buyers and the public alike. The products on display are for use in commercial environments as well as at home. There are also many exhibitors from industries such as fitness analysis, fitness education and training and fitness club management systems.

If you do plan to head to Paris, you can find some useful Paris guides online and Holiday Velvet are a good company we have used for Paris holiday apartments for short stays near to the main exhibition centre’s in the city. You might also be interested in our old post on holidays in South France if you are travelling to Paris.

Cardiff Castle – Cardiff Castle is ingrained in the city’s history and its location smack in the middle of the city can sometimes be deceptive in terms of the sheer size of the castle. If you enter inside the gates you can enjoy great tours and a number of events.

Welsh Museum of Life – This is probably one of the best life museums in Europe. Over the years, houses from different areas around Wales have been taken apart and re-constructed in this outdoor museum just outside of Cardiff. There is also an indoor museum and a shop set up exactly as it would have been in the olden days.

Castle Coch – There are a number of historic castles around Wales, but Castle Coch has something about it which makes it stand out. Perhaps it is the fairytale appearance of a castle surrounded by a moat or the glorious surrounding land.

Oakwood – This is a large and successful theme park in the west of Wales. The rides vary in size from large roller coasters for the most daring adults to small but imaginative rides for young children. The train ride from the car park to the park is a nice touch.

Big Pitt – Coat mines are a huge part of Welsh history. For centuries it was one of the main industries in the country and supported a number of towns around Wales. The big Pitt is a museum dedicated to Wales’ mining past and offers the visitor the opportunity to experience a mine as it would have been during its heyday.

Cardiff Castle

1. Venice Carnival- Starting a fortnight before Ash Wednesday and ending on Shrove Tuesday, Venice Carnival is hedonistic, colourful and bizarre in equal

Venice

measures. Revelry tops the agenda with masked street parties and balls running day to night (the mask tradition started in the 12th century as a way for aristocracy and commoners to mix on equal ground), and the prize for “La Maschera piu bella” is selected by a panel of costume and fashion designers. Wander around St. Mark’s Square armed with a camera to draw flocks of posing, creatively-costumed carnival-goers.

2. Eating Gelato – Forget everything you think you know about ice cream – you haven’t tried real ice cream ‘til you’ve gone for a gelato inVenice! With cafes, corner shops and special parlours selling artisanal ice cream on every street and a scoop costing around a Euro, it’s easy to sample, too. Gelato is made fresh on most sites (as opposed to from a frozen, pre-packaged mix) and flavours range from chocolate and strawberry to weirder concoctions like fig or avocado. Go for a different scoop every time!

3. Following James Bond – Venice has been the setting for many a classic movie. To follow in the stars’ footsteps, start out at Palazzo Pisani, east of campo Santo Stefano, where the final shoot-out at the end of James Bond movie Casino Royale was filmed. You can move on to the church of San Nicolòdei Mendicoli and Palazzo Grimani, where Don’t Look Now was shot, and St. Mark’s Square, where Indiana Jones emerges from a man hole in the Last Crusade.

4. Amazing Art – From Titian to Tiepolo, the history of Venice is intertwined with the history of art and artists. The Galleria dell’Accademia is your first stop for discovering the city’s store of great works: it includes Titian’s last painting, Pieta, and also holds da Vinci’s pen-and-ink Vitruvian Man drawing (which is displayed only occasionally). For more Titian, his Assumption is above the high altar at I Frari church, and Tintoretto’s Crucifixion can be seen at Scuola Grande di San Rocco.

5. Grand Canal - You can’t talk aboutVenicewithout mentioning the Grand Canal, the city’s main artery for commercial cargo for over 1000 years. Take a vaporetto (water taxi) from the main railway station to St. Mark’s Square to get a load of the stunning palazzos and churches lining the water-front. If you’re feeling flush or particularly romantic, upgrade your ride to a private gondola. The canal also plays host to Venice Historical Regatta, a boat race between competing Venetian neighbourhoods that takes place on the first Sunday of September every year.

Xmas in Thailand

When spending Xmas in Phuket, prepare yourself for a beach party. The region can get very crowded in December and there are sure to be throngs of people everywhere you go. During this season Phuket experiences its peak holiday tourist traffic and many restaurants often have to have three sittings to take care of all the customers.

 If you are staying at a beach resort, you will be able to bring in the Xmas festivities with tropical cocktails, music and dancing in a nightclub like atmosphere. Most resorts will have someone dressed as Santa Claus to come in ring in some cheer. You can also opt to visit one of the beach bars and sip on Mai Tais, Margaritas, Pinacolodas and other cocktails while having a grand time with your companions.

 For those people looking for a more traditional Xmas, complete with the tree, decorations and eggnog, The Green Man pub in Chalong is the place to visit. This traditional English pub will feature a Christmas dinner of turkey, pies and even a proper Xmas pudding to complete the evening. The pub also hosts a Christmas Pantomime, a carol sing along and has Santa Claus come in to greet the guests and children. After this, there is dancing and merriment while ales are passed around, amidst tables of gingerbread cookies and candies.

On Xmas day, festivities go on throughout the day, with every resort featuring a special lunch and dinner. However, do remember that on Boxing Day, the region will mourn the loss of lives that occurred during the Tsunami.

Although this will in no way interfere with your holiday preparations, most visitors tend to have a quiet day in respect of Thailand’s traditions. You can learn more about flying into Thailand via Bangkok from Bangkok Culture.

Amsterdam

way enough to see the city, you can use 24 hours to get a general idea of what Amsterdam is all about.

The first thing to do is to go on a half day tour of the city. Instead of wasting time planning out a travel itinerary, take an Amsterdam highlights tour. These tours are offered by most tour agencies and can be accomplished via cruise ship and bus. You will be able to tour the city from the canal and make stopovers at popular hotspots where tour buses will take you around the city region. This way, you can see as many attractions of Amsterdam as possible including Museumplein, Vondelpark, and possibly the Dam while being instructed by a guide. You will also get your canal boat ride in this package.

You may have lunch aboard the boat or can opt to have a meal at one of the local eateries like the Café Luxembourg. In case your tour has not included places like the Anne frank House, Damrak which is a good place to shop and the Red light District, do try to make a trip to these regions before the evening ends.

Leidseplein is an interesting place to walk around and view the canal bridges, and when tired you can stop for a snack at one of the many cafes there.

You can also visit one of Amsterdam’s malls if you want to do some shopping, or opt to visit a local flower market and see the beautiful flowers on display or take the Heineken tour, if you have the time.

End your evening with a rich dinner in one of Amsterdam’s many restaurants. If you wish to sample the nightlife, head out for a drink at one of Amsterdam’s nightclubs.