Europe & Beyond

Ideas for Valentine’s Day breaks

One of the most exciting ways to spend Valentine’s Day is somewhere foreign and romantic, so consider whisking your loved one away for a weekend. Whether you look online, in newspapers or in travel agents, you’ll find a whole host of special Valentine’s travel deals right now. Most combine romantic destinations with luxury accommodation, a gourmet meal, Valentine flowers and perhaps some other activities.

At the cheaper end of the scale, for example, Eurostar is offering a two night valentine’s break to Paris including Eurostar travel, a 3 star central hotel, and breakfast – from £189 each. Usually you can get good value from regional low cost arlines to fly to France but for a special Valentine treat consider booking scheduled flights to Paris and trying to upgrade your seats.

If you’re out to impress, you could celebrate Valentine’s Day in Champagne over a glass or two of the vintage stuff. Grape Escapes is offering a Valentine’s gift package in Reims where you’ll enjoy a bottle of Champagne on arrival, and a candlelit four-course gourmet dinner at a local restaurant. The package doesn’t come cheap, costing from £365 each, but this also includes return Dover-Calais ferry crossing for a car and two people, (scheduled flights to France and pre-booked car hire in France can be arranged but will cost more) two nights’ accommodation in Reims, a full day coach tour of Champagne houses with tastings, and a four-course lunch at a top local restaurant with Champagnes and wines.

If you’d rather stay in the UK, Macdonald Hotels Compleat Angler Hotel are offering a package beside the Thames at Marlow in Buckinghamshire, including two nights dinner, B&B, champagne, flowers, chocolates and strawberries. Prices start from £449 for the two of you. The hotel’s gorgeous river views, candlelit dining and four-poster beds promise a weekend of romance.

Survival in India

India is a beautiful country with a rich culture and it is located in South Asia.

It is home to one of the most spectacular buildings in the world – The Taj Mahal and the capital, New Delhi, is one of its most popular tourist destinations.

Perhaps the most popular airline which operates flights from the UK to India is British Airways.  As ever we recommend that you spend time to search and find a cheap flight to India online.  Web offers can save you hundreds of pounds on long haul flights.

Despite being home to some of the most spectacular monuments and buildings in the world, India has its share of problems such as terrorism, crime and political unrest.

Here is some practical information so that you can avoid problems when in India. Like in all foreign countries, you should take particular care of your personal belongings such as passport, money and ATM cards when travelling by bus or train. It is a good idea to have a spare photocopy of your passport, Indian visa and flight ticket, which you should keep separate from the originals. When travelling by train, beware of accepting drinks or something to eat, as some travellers have been drugged. It is also unadvisable to go out late at night, and you should be aware that alcoholic drinks are usually stronger than those in the United Kingdom.

All travellers should make an appointment with their doctor before travelling and make sure they have any required vaccinations.

say that one fast after a few beers…

There really is nothing like heading out and hitting the open road, with the feeling of the wild wind rushing through your hair as the smell of petrol gently wafts in the breeze. Yes, there’s something just so completely exhilarating and liberating about a road-trip. I think it all stems from the unfettered feeling such a personal and involved journey brings; when a road-trip is involved the world is literally your oyster.

You can go anywhere, drive anywhere, stop whenever you like and even spend a few days in the complete wilderness, knowing that tomorrow you may end up somewhere completely different and unexpected. The whole notion of the ‘road-trip’ has become iconic throughout society, even the word has become a living breathing tribute to the ideals of freedom and experience.

However, a poorly planned trip can lead to utter disaster: Jail, breakdowns, starvation, injury and deportation are all potential outcomes and possibilities if your plans happen to crumble into the dust. Exterior factors often conspire against the road-warrior, but thankfully most can be avoided with a little due care and attention.

Securing a reliable vehicle is essential. Of course this all depends upon how long you’re going to be on the road for.  A lot of people tend to go for vans when they road-trip – at least with a van you know you’ll always have somewhere to sleep if things go wrong.

If you do decide to purchase a used van or a car make sure that the vehicle has been recently serviced and carries all it’s appropriate vehicle registration. If you’re going from one country to another you will need to read-up on all the necessary legislation to ensure that the vehicle complies with acceptable national standards.

Purchasing decent and comprehensive insurance and breakdown coverage is essential, because you need breaking down in the middle of nowhere and having to spend £1000 on a new engine for your beat-up motor like you need a Vanessa Feltz shaped hole in the head.

If you decide to go for van hire or a car make sure you shop around for the best deal, online offers are often cheaper, but make sure that you double check every document and read all the necessary small-print before you sign on the dotted line. Also ensure that your insurance/lease agreement covers you if you journey into another country. A lot of rental agreements only cover you for one specific area, so if you start in France and you want to pop over to Spain, or Italy, make sure that your contract covers you from country to country.

Lastly plan a route and try and stick to it. Sometimes this is just not possible or desired, but it makes sense to have a general idea of where you’re going, when you want to get there and how long you want to spend doing it. It never hurts to come up with a backup plan either, just in case things go wrong. Ultimately thou, whatever your plan is, it all comes down to you, the open road and the great back and beyond…

Relax and enjoy the view...