Pop Over To Portugal For A Bargain Break

What makes the Algarve such a good place for a holiday? Well, every resort in the Algarve offers different experiences, activities, good food and of course, great scenery.  Whether you’re looking for a holiday in a developed area such as Albufeira and Carvoeiro, or somewhere quieter like Alte, Monchique and the Western Atlantic Coast, you’ll find an Algarve holiday to suit your taste and your budget!

Sporting Pursuits

For surf lovers, the Algarve is a great holiday spot and best of all, it’s a low cost holiday – all you need are the waves. Beginners should head to Albufeira between the months of April and August, and those with some experience would enjoy the winter months. In the spring, it’s fairly quiet in the water, so you’ll have the luxury of space. There’s also a sandy bottomed sea shore (comforting for the inevitable wipe out) so its perfect for beginners,

Golf is very big in the Algarve, with many premium golf courses situated on the cliff tops, with fabulous ocean backdrops – it’s a great way to get fitter and soak up some rays.

Walking and trekking are popular pursuits – the contrast between the golden beaches and the rugged countryside is a real winner for photography lovers too. Once you’re away from the tourist areas, the countryside is lush; fig trees, scarlet geraniums, bright bougainvillaea and oleanders are dotted about everywhere – and grow high up into the hills.  It’s a good place for nature watching and if you’re looking to develop your drawing or painting skills, remember to pack your sketch book. For countryside walks visit Alte, Monchique, São Brás de Alportel, Alcoutim, Aljezur or the western Atlantic coast of the Algarve.

East of Faro is a protected area, known as Quinta do Lago, where there are lots of natural sand bars out in the ocean. There are about 37 miles of dunes, channels and islands, where bird watchers can enjoy seeing dozens of birds in their natural environment.

There are lots of outlets offering kayaking, tennis or bike hire, and now there are the more extreme sports available too, such as kite surfing and wake boarding. Horse riding is widely available too – so by the end of the week, you can take a horse along the shoreline at sunset.

Beach Life

And of course, there’s beach life – and what beaches! The Algarve has some of the best beaches you’ll find anywhere and they regularly win Blue Flag awards. Outdoor living is the accepted lifestyle in summer – head for the beach and you can picnic, stroll, soak up the rays. Young children will revel in the miles of golden sand.  Family entertainment resorts are located between Quarteira and Lagos in central and western Algarve where you can find animal parks. There are plenty of options for older children too, such as visits to underwater caves and grottos, or a spot of dolphin watching from a glass bottomed boat.

Easy Access

For accessible beaches, with flat walking areas – resorts such as Monte Gordo and Vila Real de Santo António are great – they have lots of easy access hotels and have good access to beaches with wide walkway along the sea shore.  It’s also a bit warmer here because it’s closer to the Mediterranean Sea, great if you feel the cold!

During the summer months there are open-air concerts, beach parties, jazz festivals and lots of events, such as the Sardine Festival! Medieval festivals are held in Silves, Lagos and Castro Marim during the summer months and there are spectacular Easter Festivals in São Brás de Alportel and Loulé. In contrast to this, there are powerboat championships, sailing and golfing events too.

Whatever you like, you’ll find it in Portugal’s Algarve!

Beach Holiday Cothing – Swimwear

It has come to our attention that many of the trips we discus on Europe Autos are inland.  Here we begin to explore the coast and consider beach holidays.  Essential for a beach holiday is appropriate clothing and swimwear.

How to Choose Swimwear

If you’re planning on a beach holiday this year, then you’ll probably want to buy some new swimwear.  Here is a summary of the different types of swimwear available together with some hints and tips to help you choose the right item for you.

Types of Swimwear – Swimsuits

Traditional one-piece swimsuits are still are popular option and you’ll find a wide range of different designs to choose from.

The type of swimsuit that will suit you will depend on your body shape. If you are a classic pear shape (with small shoulders and a wider waist), for example, a swimsuit with a halterneck can help to draw attention to the top half of your body and therefore look more flattering, whereas if you are an “apple” shape (with board shoulders and a smaller waist), a swimsuit with a high neck line can help to draw attention towards your waist, making your figure look more balanced. If you are slim and want to create the effect of having more curves, opt for a swimsuit with cut-out sections or a belt at the waist.

It’s also important to choose a swimsuit in a colour that suits you. If you’re already fairly tanned, a brightly coloured swimsuit will show your tan off effectively, whilst a dark coloured swimsuit will look better on people without a tan. If you are slender, swimsuits with all-over patterns can look great, but if you are looking for a swimsuit that has a slimming effect, choose a plain, darker coloured swimsuit.

Types of Swimwear – Bikinis

Bikinis have been popular ever since Bridgette Bardot wore one in the 1957 movie “And God Created Woman”, and you can now buy bikinis in many different styles. You can buy bikini sets, but you can also buy separate bikini tops and bikini briefs, so you should be able to find a bikini that suits your body shape perfectly.

Bikinis are much like lingerie with many styles and fabrics available.  If you find a style of lingerie that suits you ask swimwear specialists to find a costume of bikini that is similar.  Bikini tops are like bras and bottoms much like panties or thongs.  Even swimming costumes – basically a body stocking – have their roots in lingerie.

You can buy underwired bikini tops for additional support, for example, or padded bikini tops to help you to create more shape. If you want a less revealing and sportier bikini top, you could try a bikini crop top. Bikini briefs also come in a range of styles, including hipster briefs, which look great on women with long legs, and tie briefs, which you can adjust to fit you.

Types of Swimwear – Tankinis

The tankini is a modern addition to swimwear and consists of a short, sleeveless top and bikini bottoms. Tankinis are less revealing than bikinis, so are great for women who aren’t confident about showing off their bodies, and the two-piece design also means that they can be more practical than a swimsuit. As with swimsuits and bikinis, tankinis are available in a range of styles. You can choose from a number of different styles of tankini tops, including halterneck, underwired and sports-style tops, and the range of tankini briefs available includes high leg, low leg, and low rise briefs, together with plain briefs or briefs which feature detail such as ties or rings.

Other Types of Beachwear

Once you have chosen your new swimsuit, bikini or tankini, you might find that you want some other beachwear to go with it. Kaftans or beach dresses, for example, are perfect for covering up with after your swim, and are both practical and stylish. Beach trousers or holiday shorts are great for wearing on your journey to and from the beach.

You can buy swimwear beachwear and lingerie from a number of online retailers that sell a great range of swimsuits, bikinis, tankinis, kaftans, beach dresses, shorts and beach trousers, which you can order.

Naples to Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii – Italy Car Hire

Previously we offered suggestions about a driving tour around the Italian Lakes – Lake Como and how to get the best from your car rental whilst in Italy.

Here we present details about another great trip if you choose to tour Italy in a hire a car.
For a fantastic car hire holiday in Italy, fly to Naples and rent a car so that you can visit Mount Vesuvius and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Pompeii.

Naples to Mount Vesuvius

If you’re staying in Naples, it’s easy to get to Mount Vesuvius by car, and it will only take you about 45 minutes to drive there. Take the A3 motorway towards Salerno and follow it until you have passed through the toll station at Torre del Greco. Leave the motorway at this exit and turn left to drive under the motorway bridge. Drive along the Via Boscocatene and the Via B. Cozzolino, and then follow the signs for Vesuvio. This will take you to Mount Vesuvius. You can park your car in the car park.

Mount Vesuvius is the largest active volcano in Europe and was responsible for destroying Pompeii and Herculaneum when it erupted in 79AD. It’s actually two volcanoes in one, with the active Gran Como crater sitting within the now inactive Mount Somma crater.

Once you’ve parked your car, you can walk to the summit to see the smouldering volcano, about 20 minutes’ walk from the car park. The crater also has cameras on it and you can see the footage from them at the nearby Vesuvius Observatory.

The Vesuvius Observatory also features exhibits relating the scientific study of volcanoes as well as to the history of Mount Vesuvius and the famous 79AD eruption.

You can also take a break from your hire car to explore the Mount Vesuvius National Park. There are nine nature trails that you can follow there and they differ in length and difficulty, so you should be able to find one to suit you.

Naples to Pompeii

Once you have explored the Vesuvius National Park, you can continue your trip and drive to Pompeii.

To fully appreciate this UNESCO World Heritage site, it’s worth spending at least a day there, so you can break up your Naples holiday by staying in one of the local hotels or guest houses. Pompeii is an extremely large site and there is a lot to see, so it’s important not to rush it.

Pompeii was destroyed during the 79AD eruption of Mount Vesuvius, but the city was preserved beneath the ash, and the air pockets that formed between the bodies of the citizens who died during the disaster and the volcanic debris around them meant that archaeologists could later construct plaster mummies. These mummies can be seen around the site and many people find seeing them extremely moving.

Once you have parked, you can take a guided tour of the site, or explore it using a guidebook or audio-guide. Highlights include the amphitheatre, the barber’s shop, the public baths, temples and gardens.

Herculaneum

If you have time, you might also want to explore the Scavi di Ercolano (Herculaneum ruins), which lie between Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii. This Roman town was also destroyed during the 79AD Mount Vesuvius eruption, and many believe that the ruins make for a better day out than the larger and more commercial Pompeii.

Italy Car Hire – Renting a Car

easyCar, the low-cost online car hire specialist, offers car rental at Italian airports, making it simple for you to rent a car for your trip to Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii. easyCar offers some great car hire deals and you can book online.

O Fontainebleau é um destino popular de turista que é localizado aproximadamente 35 milhas de Paris, na borda da Floresta de Fontainebleau. Um de suas atrações principais é seu castelo, que consiste no Palais de Fontainebleau (Palácio de Fontainebleau) junto com pátio, parques e jardins. Date à Idade Média, o palácio foi estendido e foi renovado sobre os séculos e foi usado como uma residência real por muitos Reis franceses e Rainhas, assim como sendo usado por Napoleão short arsed soap dodger Bonaparte.

Pode tomar uma excursão dos apartamentos de Estado, explora os pátio e jardins, vê a quadra de tênis real e vê a Fonte 16 de Diana de século. Você mesmo pode tomar uma carona ao redor da bens numa carruagem puxada a cavalo.

Tomará você justo sob uma hora guiar a Fontainebleau de Paris em seu carro alugado.

Empregar um carro em França capacitará explorar no próprio passo e em conforto. Você não terá que preocupar-se com horários de transportes públicos e poderá pôr o próprio horário. Viajar por carro alugado também permitirá que visse lugares que você contrariamente talvez perca, dando-lhe um gosto real de França.