Europe & Beyond

Guide to Barcelona’s best fiestas 2010

Barcelona is a colourful, warm, energetic city that has been transformed in recent years into one of Europe’s favourite short break destinations, with festivals taking place throughout the year. Watch this splendid slideshow of Barcelona during feistas.

As the capital of Catalonia, the city has a proud and distinctive culture, language and cuisine, as well as a huge variety of architectural styles – from historic buildings to strikingly modern constructions, and brightly painted Gaudi designs to darkly Gothic styles. If you are planning to stay longer and see more of Spain, car hire is readily available from offices in Barcelona and airports. For more ideas about where to visit in Spain see out other articles tagged Spain here we focus on the city’s attractions and festivals.

Barcelona Sights

Amongst the city’s year-round sights are Las Ramblas, the city’s main tourist thoroughfare; the medieval maze making up the Gothic Quarter; the redeveloped Waterfront; the work of architect Antoni Gaudí (including the immense and unfinished Sagrada Família, Park Güell and Casa Milà); the Picasso Museum; and, for football fans, the FC Barcelona Museum.

Barcelona Festivals

Barcelona also hosts a number of annual fiestas, many of which are unique to Catalonia and offer an insight into its distinctive culture. Here are some highlights from throughout the year:

La Diada de Sant Jordi

23 April 2010

This is a distinctively Catalan day celebrating the city’s patron saint, Sant Jordi (Saint George).

It’s also known as el dia de la rosa (The Day of the Rose) or el dia del llibre (The Day of the Book) since men traditionally give women a rose, and women usually give men a book in tribute to Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright Cervantes, who died on this day in 1616. It’s a bit like Valentine’s Day, and from a traveller’s perspective it’s an interesting time to be around the Ramblas area, where a huge flower market springs up alongside book stalls where locals buy gifts for their loved ones. Catalonia’s national dance, the sardana, is performed throughout the day in the Plaça Sant Jaume, and a variety of street performers and musicians fill the plazas with their live entertainment.

Festival de Sonar

17-19 June 2010

Sonar is a three-day urban festival showcasing advanced music and multimedia art, including emerging artists and DJs representing the most up to date music and new media trends.

The festival takes place on 17-19 June 2010 and is split into ‘Sonar by Day’ activities (in the CCCB and MACBA venues), including technology fairs, and ‘Sonar by Night’ (Fira Gran Via M2 L’Hospitalet), including many music events. You can find out more or buy tickets at http://2010.sonar.es/ (there is an English language choice at the bottom).

Festival de Sant Joan

23 June 2010

This midsummer Solstice festival is a lot of fun, taking place on 23 June mainly around the beach. There are fireworks, bonfires and lots of partying – and you may also find restaurants serving special festival dishes such as Coca de Sant Joan.

Grec Festival de Barcelona

June-August 2010

This three month long music, dance, theatre and circus festival is one of Barcelona’s top events. Held every year between June and August at venues all over the city, the fiesta features a whole host of lively performances.

For further schedule details and tickets visit the official website

Festa Major de Gracia

Around 15 August (TBC)

This week-long annual Catalonian celebration in the second half of August sees Barcelona’s neighbourhoods compete with one another to present the most beautifully-decorated streets. Festooned with lights and elaborate coloured decorations, it’s a great time to explore the city – and there’s also live music, fireworks, all-night parties and lots of drinking.

http://www.festamajordegracia.cat/

Festes de la Merce

22 – 26 September 2010 (TBC)

Barcelona’s biggest annual festival brings together several events including human tower competitions (featuring groups of castellers), firework displays, live music, and processions featuring giant wooden figures. All the festivities are accompanied by plenty of Cava-drinking, celebrating the national drink of Catalonia.

Italy Car Hire > Rome to Tivoli

Following the great feed back our feature about driving from Milan to Turin earlier this month we are delighted to focus on another Italian journey in our car hire Italy series.

You can book a car in advance and take advantage of online offers and have your vehicle ready when you arrive in Rome. Car hire collection can be at the airport or from various city centre locations.

To get to Tivoli from Rome by car, head out of Rome on the A24 partial toll road and take the exit signposted for Tivoli in order to get onto the SP51ab/Strada Provinciale Maremmana Inferiore partial toll road. Continue straight on along the SS5. This will take you into Tivoli.

You can stop off along the way to visit the Villa Adriana (Hadrian’s Villa), just outside of the town. The ruined villa and its gardens are so large that it could take you a full day to thoroughly explore them, so it’s best to visit it and then stay in Tivoli for a few days before returning to Rome, so you don’t feel like your visit is rushed.

Villa Adriana was constructed in the 2nd Century A.D. and Emperor Hadrian is recorded as having been personally involved in the design of the building. Work began on the building, which was constructed around an existing villa on the site, soon after Hadrian took office and it was completed within ten years. The villa is said to have been considered one of the greatest architectural achievements of the Roman Empire and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

You can see the remains of Villa Adriana’s many buildings, which included bath complexes, libraries, temples, a Greek Theatre and the Piazza d’Oro (Golden Court), which was used for formal events, before continuing on your journey to Tivoli in your Rome hire car.

Tivoli Attractions – Villa d’Este

One of Tivoli’s most popular attractions is the Villa D’Este which, like Villa Adriana, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The villa was constructed for Cardinal Ippolito d’Este II of Ferrera and was completed in 1550. You can take a tour of the villa to see its frescoed rooms and antique furniture, but Villa D’Este’s main draw is its gardens, which include some beautiful and unusual fountains.

The Organ Fountain, for example, plays music, whilst the Rometta Fountain incorporates miniature versions of some of the most famous of Rome’s landmarks. You can also stroll along the path of the Hundred Fountains or admire the Fountain of the Owl, where singing birds are silenced by the appearance of an owl.

Tivoli Attractions – Parco di Villa Gregoriana

Parco di Villa Gregoriana is the perfect place to go for a walk if you fancy a break from your hire car. The park, which is located in a gorge, dates back to the 19th century and includes a number of caves, such as the Grotto of Neptune, together with the 100ft Grande Cascade waterfall. You can also see one of the town’s landmarks, the Temple of Vesta, which is situated at the top of the gorge.

Italy Car Hire – Other Tivoli Attractions

Other things to see in Tivoli include: Rocca Pia fort, which was built during the 15th century; the Ponte Gregoranio Bridge; the remains of the Roman Ampitheatre of Bleso; and the Temple of Vesta and the Temple of the Sybil.

Car Rental > Italy Car Hire > Hiring a Car in Rome

Europe > Car Hire France > Paris to Reims

Paris is a great destination for a holiday, but if you hire a car while you are in Paris, you can explore more of France. In this article, we look at some of the things that you can see and do in the city of Reims, in the country’s Champagne region.

Hire a car in Paris

Visit Reims – Notre-Dame Cathedral and Champagne Region

It will only take you about an hour and a half to drive to Reims in your Paris rental car, but there is so much to see and do there that it’s worth spending several days there and turning your trip into a two-destination holiday.

To get to Reims from Paris by car, simply head out of Paris on L’Autoroute de L’Est partial toll road and continue straight on along the A4 partial toll road. Leave the A4 at exit 23 and follow the signs into the centre of Reims.

Reims Attractions – Historic Buildings & Monuments

Notre-Dame Cathedral

Reims is full of beautiful historic buildings, with one of its most significant being Notre-Dame Cathedral, which is one of four sites in the city to have UNESCO World Heritage status. It took more than 200 years to complete the Cathedral, which was constructed on the site of the cit

y’s old cathedral, which burned to the ground in 1210.

24 French monarchs have been crowned in Notre-Dame Cathedral, which is adorned with more than 2,300 sculptures, including the famous “Smiling Angel”, which has now become the city’s emblem.

The other UNESCO World Heritage sites in Reims are: the Saint-Remi Abbey Museum; the Romanesque-style Saint-Remi Basilica, which houses Saint-Remi’s tomb; and Tau Palace, the palace of the former Reims’ archbishops.

Reims also has a number of important monuments, including the Porte Mars (a Roman arch dating from the 3rd Century), the Statue of Joan of Arc (which was sculpted by Paul Dubois) and the Fontaine Subé (which is situated in Erlon Square).

Reims Attractions – Other Attractions

Reims’ museums include the Reims-Champagne Automobile Museum, which houses a collection of more than 200 vehicles, together with other items, such as pedal cars, toy cars and signs. You can also visit Le Musée-Hôtel Le Vergeur, where you can see a number of works of art including engravings by Albrecht Dürer, and the Museum of Surrender (Musée de la Reddition) to see the Signing Room where the Third Reich signed the document which ended World War II.

Other attractions in Reims include the Planetarium, the Grand Theatre and the Carnegie Library. There are also a number of parks and gardens in the city, including Le Parc de Champagne, the Pierre Schneiter Horticultural Garden and The Colbert Square which holds an amazing array of flowers and shrubs all year round.

You can also use your hire car in Paris to visit some of the attractions that lie just outside of the city of Reims, such as the Pompelle Fort Museum (Musée du Fort de la Pompelle) or follow the Champagne tourist route to see the region’s famous vineyards and Champagne houses.

Car Hire in France – Hiring a Car in Paris

You can book a hire car in advance and get a good deal online with low-cost, specialist car rental firms. Find airport car hire in locations around the world, including Paris, and you can choose from a range of vehicles.

Car Hire Switzerland

Driving from Geneva to Martigny

In a previous post, we suggested Lausanne as a great place for a day-trip during a Geneva car hire holiday. In this post, we’ll look at another place that you can visit if you hire a car whilst you are staying in Geneva – the town of Martigny, which is situated in Switzerland’s Valais region, and which is often referred to as ‘a gateway to the Alps’.

Getting to Martigny from Geneva

If you hire a car in Geneva, you can drive to Martigny within an hour and a quarter. Simply head out of Geneva on the A1 toll road and follow it for about 49km. Take exit 17 and follow the signs for Lausanne in order to continue on the A1. Take exit 19 and follow the signs for Montreux in order to get onto the A9 toll road. Leave the A9 at exit 21 and follow the signs into Martigny.

Switzerland Car Hire – Martigny Attractions – St. Bernard Dog Museum and Kennels

Martigny’s attractions include The St. Bernard Dog Museum and Kennels (Musée et Chiens du Saint-Bernard) on Rue de Levant. The kennels are located in an enclosure just outside of the building, and you can see a number of dogs there. The museum itself contains exhibits relating to the history of the St. Bernard breed, together with information about the Great St. Bernard Hospice and Pass.

There is also a restaurant and a gift shop at the museum and you can park your Geneva rental car in the museum’s car park.

Switzerland Car Hire – Martigny Attractions – Roman Remains

Martigny is also known for its Roman remains, which include an amphitheatre and the Mithraeum, a temple dedicated to Mithras, a sun-god.  You can also see the remains of the Temenos, a complex which would have included a temple together with accommodation for pilgrims, and the remains of a private house.
Switzerland Car Hire – Martigny Attractions – The Pierre Gianadda Foundation

Another of Martigny’s key attractions is The Pierre Gianadda Foundation (Rue de Forum 59, 1920 Martigny). The building houses Martigny’s Museum of Gallic-Roman Archaeology (Musée Gallo-Romain), where you can see some of the artefacts discovered when the Roman sites in Martigny were excavated together with the remains of a Roman temple.

The Pierre Gianadda Foundation building is also the home of Martigny’s Automobile Museum (Musée de l’Auto), which has a collection of cars dating from the early 20th century, and there are also regular temporary exhibitions of art held there. There is also a Sculpture Park outside of the building, which contains works by a number of famoussculptors, including Henry Moore and Auguste Rodin.

The Pierre Gianadda Foundation has a visitors’ car park, so you can leave your car there while you explore the museums.

Switzerland Car Hire – Other Martigny Attractions

Other attractions in Martigny include: the Manoir de la Ville, an eighteenth century house which is now used as a venue for contemporary art exhibitions; Moulin Semblanet, a 19th century watermill; and Château de la Bâtiaz, a 13th century castle. You can also take a break from your hire car by taking a tour of the town on the “La Baladeur” tourist train or walking along the Vineyard Trail, which leads from Martigny to Château de la Bâtiaz.

Thorpe Park – Visiting UK Theme Parks by Car

Continuing in our series of visiting theme parks in the UK see Chessington – Thorpe Park is another attraction that can be driven to from London.

If you’re visiting London, England a hire car will allow you to visit some of the attractions outside of the city. There are several theme parks that you can visit if you hire a car in London. In this article, we take a look at what Thorpe Park has to offer.

London Car Hire – Hiring a Car

It’s easy to arrange a hire car in London to get to Thorpe Park. Hiring a car online allows you to find low cost car hire specialists that offer some great cheap car hire deals. You can book your online and pick it up at the car hire UK airports or from other London car rental locations.

Getting to Thorpe Park

Thorpe Park is located in Surrey, just 20 minutes’ drive from London, so it’s easy to get to if you rent a car. Simply head out of London on the M25, take either junction 11 or junction 13 and follow the signs for Thorpe Park. It’s free to park your car in Thorpe Park’s car park, so car hire is a cheap and convenient option. If you hire a car, you’ll also be able to arrive at and leave the theme park when you like, as you won’t be dependent upon public transport timetables.

Thorpe Park – Extreme Thrill Rides

Thorpe Park has more than 30 rides, eleven of which are classed as extreme thrill rides. One of the most talked about rides at Thorpe Park at the moment is Saw – The Ride, a new rollercoaster themed around the horror film, Saw, which is due to open in Spring 2009. Saw – The Ride features a 100 ft drop at 100 degrees and its three inversions will give thrill-seekers the adrenaline rush that they are looking for.

Other extreme thrill rides at Thorpe Park include:

• Stealth, which the theme park claims is Europe’s fastest rollercoaster, and which reaches a speed of 80mph.
• Nemesis Inferno, an inverted rollercoaster with loops, dives and corkscrews, which reaches 50mph and is 115 ft tall.
• Colossus, the first rollercoaster in the world to feature ten loops and the first rollercoaster in the UK to include a quadruple corkscrew.
• Tidal Wave, a fast and furious log flume ride with an 85ft drop.
• Detonator, a 115 ft high drop ride which will take you to the top and then plummet to the bottom at 45mph within 3 seconds.

Thorpe Park – Other Rides

If you fancy something less extreme, Thorpe Park has plenty of other rides that you can enjoy. You can get drenched on the Rumba Rapids water ride on Depth Charge, a 40 ft long water slide, or on the Loggers Leap water flume. You can also ride a magic carpet on Quantum, take a trip on the Flying Fish family rollercoaster, or travel through time on the 4-D Time Voyagers movie adventure ride.
Thorpe Park also has many rides which are suitable for younger children, including the Canada Creek Railway and the Chief Ranger’s Carousel.

Thorpe Park – Dining and Shopping

There are ten food outlets at Thorpe Park, so you’ll find plenty of options when you fancy a bite to eat or a refreshing drink. There are also a number of shops where you can buy gifts, souvenirs, sweets and drinks.