Alcohol prices are a significant item in travel budgets and understandably so. In most countries around the world a draft beer, a glass of wine or a shot of hard liquor can cost as much as a McDonalds value meal. Still there is substantial difference in cost across countries. Within Europe, some counties, especially in the North, feature excessively high alcohol prices while the southern countries are more drinker-friendly. Here are a couple of examples of alcohol prices around the world:

Japan: The price of a draft beer at a restaurant or a bar is about $5.00 – $6.00 but prices are higher in some well-known establishments reaching as much as $7.00 and $9.00. Cocktails run at about $7.50 or more. In the grocery stores, one can purchase a bottle of hard liquor for about $18.00 – $19.00. In Kyoto, the price of wine when bought from the store ranges between $8.00 and $13.00 per bottle (0.750).

Bulgaria: This country in southeast Europe is one of the cheapest destinations when it comes to alcohol prices. A drink at a restaurant or a glass of draft beers runs for as little as €1.00, about 1.4 dollars. The store prices are even lower – about half of what one spends at the restaurants. There is a local tradition of brewing your own hard liquor (called rakia) and wine, both made from grapes. The price of a bottle of rakia is between €3 and €5, i.e. about 5 dollars for 0.75l.

These two examples are enough to indicate the large price differences across countries. Draw your own conclusions where to go if you tend to enjoy multiple cold beers and wine.

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The internet is great for so many different things, but there is one thing that you can investigate online that offers you more advantages then most activities. If you are thinking about booking a holiday, then you absolutely have to find it on the internet.

Firstly of all, you are going to save a bundle of money booking your holiday online in comparison to buying a holiday from a travel agent. You will also find that when you visit a travel agent, you normally only have access to the holiday companies that that particular travel agent has a deal with. When you look on the internet, you can look at any holiday that is shown online!c there are thousands upon thousands of different holidays to choose from, and this makes it quick to find what you want, and easy to find very specifically what you want if you very definite needs when it comes to your holiday.

One of the best holidays you can have as a family is a camping holiday, and you will find plenty of them available online. The only thing you have to watch out for if you are booking a camping holiday online is holidays through providers that you don’t know. You really want to be able to trust that the resort is what you expect it to be. You should try to stick to someone like Eurocamp so that you can be confident that you are going to end up at a really nice campsite.

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Many many people dream of going on a cruise one day, but it is something that most of us write off as being too expensive for what we are able to afford. There’s no surprise in people making this assumption either. It stands to reasons because we have all come across cruise deals before in the back of the paper which cost thousands and thousands of pounds. The natural response is to not even stop to look at the details, because you know that you will be sick with envy!

Fortunately though, if you know where to look, and you are prepared to search out the best deals, cruises can actually be affordable.

At the moment if you search online for a cruise offer you can actually come across some great deals. You can still expect to be able to travel to some wonderful places in the world and you can still expect a five star service with a wonderful ocean going liner at your disposal, stopping off at the world’s most beautiful locations but the good news is that you can do it on a normal wage! Go online today and discover just what you could be spending your vacation money on this year! Don’t be surprised when you see deals that are just as cheap as you might expect to pay for a family holiday to a normal holiday location – these deals really do exist!

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These days it can often be prudent to arrange your holiday yourself. Years ago the uneducated an uninitiated holiday maker would always go for a package deal, believing that they were saving money by tallying all of the aspects of your holiday together, but in recent years, people have become a little more savvy, and have realised that it can be a lot cheaper to simply purchase all of the separate parts of your holiday separately.

Of course, this does involve a bit of work on your behalf, but you will certainly save money by doing this, and you will find that by using the internet, it can be quite cheap to do so. The important thing to do first of all is to settle on a destination. Once you have done this, you obviously need to arrange, your accommodation, your transfers and your flights. It is best to at first ear mark somewhere to stay, and then check that there are vacancies. Don’t book at this stage – you should now make sure that there are affordable flights to the area. It all depends of course on where you are heading, but most European destinations have lots of flights. Spain is particularly easy to plan for. You can plan your flights at cheapflights.co.uk and then go back and book your accommodation once you know that you have an affordable flight. Then all you need to do is to book your transfers and you have a great holiday completely planned!

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After about ten years worth of holiday spent next to the sea side, I told my wife this year, that I would go anywhere in the world with her and the kids, as long as it was not next to the sea! I have to say, she caught me out very well, and I had to hold my hands up when she told me that she had found some Lake Garda Holidays which she thought looked perfect! I obviously had some reservations about going on holiday to a place which perches on the side of a Lake big enough to be a sea in itself, but she had tricked me well! Besides, Lake Garda did look to be a spectacular place to me, and I could see that there was a lot more to it than a trip to the coast of Spain.

When we arrived in Lake Garda, I could see what all the fuss was about. It was absolutely beautiful. The Lake was mesmerizing, and the scenery around the /lake was uniformly spectacular. We had a wonderful week together there, and every day there seemed to be something different to do. Both of our kids loved the place, and they were asking if we could go back there before we had even left!

All in all I have to say that I am glad that my wife managed to trick me, and I’ll be ready to return next year!

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As the best man at my mates upcoming wedding, I have the tricky task of arranging the Stag do. I’ve never done this before, and for a while I was pretty worried, but I found out that the groom only wants about five of us to go on his stag do, so it’s made things a bit easier. I decided that since everyone who is meant to be coming has got a bit of spare cash floating around we should head abroad for the stag do. We all wanted a big blow out to really send him off, so I started to investigate places that we could go. I had a look at the prices of Tenerife holidays and the prices were pretty manageable. I also checked out the climate over there, because we would definitely want somewhere which was nice and hot. I managed to find a website which had lots of information on Tenerife weather and it seemed like I had found the perfect venue!

Playa de Las Americas seemed to be the place to be. It had a great area where the nightlife was focused and there seemed to be an enormous amount of pubs and clubs within close proximity to each other. Just what we would want when we were staggering from bar to bar!

I Quickly double checked an information site called Tenerife News and there seemed to be plenty of things happening there. I told my best man what I had planned and he was thrilled! We were all so excited, it was going to be the best stag do ever!

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Most keen skiers in Europe most probably have at least heard about one of the ski resorts in Bulgaria – Pamporovo. Those of them, who had the experience to ski in Pamporovo surely know the town of Smolyan, situated just a few kilometers away from the ski-resort. And at the same time, very few of the winter tourist in Pamporovo have seen, or at least heard about the Smolyan Lakes. The beautiful Smolyan Lakes are situated on the left bank of the Black River, right in the heart of Rhodope Mountains. The Orpheus rocks rise above them giving the valley mysticism and uniqueness.
At present only seven of the former twenty Rhodope lakes have remained. The highest constant lake is called Matnoto (the turbid) lake, as its name comes from the dense coniferous wood, the shadow of which makes the water look dark, almost black.
The biggest Smolyan Lake is Milushevski dol (Milushevski glen), and it is 178 m long and 4 m deep. Most of its surface is covered with a thick layer of turf, and exuberant grassy vegetation overlays the lake during the summer. Pictures with courtesy of Evgeni Dinev (evgenidinev.com)

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Some 80% of Europeans continue to travel for their holidays according to a new Eurobarometer survey on ‘The attitudes of Europeans towards tourism 2010’. Only 20% of over 30,000 randomly selected citizens were almost certain that they will not travel in 2010, which is significantly below the proportion of non-travellers in 2009 (33%). EU citizens increasingly prefer to spend their holidays in traditional tourist destinations (57%), while 28% would rather go “off the beaten track” to emerging destinations. Tourism is one of Europe’s most important service industries, accounting for 5% of Europe’s GDP and 6% of employment.

Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani, responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship, said: “The 2010 surveyresults are encouraging for the tourism industry. We need to work further on developing the tourism industry, which ranks third in terms of GDP and employment in Europe. The Lisbon Treaty now gives us the opportunity to tackle this sector from a European perspective. Nearly 50 % of EU residents have already decided that they will go on holiday in 2010 and their perceptions about being able to finance their holidays have also slightly improved.”

The most important findings are:

• Continuing trend towards discovering Europe and own country: again in 2010, 50% of Europeans intend to spend their holidays in their own country or in another EU country.
• More confidence to be able to finance their holidays: about half of EU citizens who are planning to take a holiday in 2010 felt they will have sufficient funds (46%) – this is 5 percentage points higher than in 2009. However, as in 2009, 10% said they have serious financial problems that could impact their holiday plans.
• Travelling remains popular: about two-thirds (65%) of EU citizens travelled for leisure in 2009, and travelling is most popular amongst residents of Norway (84%) followed by Finland (83%), The Netherlands (79%) and Ireland (78%).
• “Local attractiveness” is cited as the major factor (32%) when choosing holiday destinations, followed by “cultural heritage” (25%) and “entertainment possibilities” (16%).
• Seeking “rest and recreation” (37%) is the main motivation for EU citizens to travel, followed by “sun and beach” (19%) and “visiting friends and relatives” (17%).
• Arranging holidays themselves: the number of EU citizens who organise their main holiday themselves further increased in 2009 to 58%; Candidate Countries Croatia (83%) and Turkey (82%) lead in this respect.
• The most popular choices: Spain (10.4 %) was already the most popular destination in 2008 and 2009 and dominates also the current plans made for 2010. It is closely followed by France (9.9%) and Italy (9.2%). However, 17 % of EU residents planning to go on holiday in 2010 have not yet decided on the destination.

Over 30,000 randomly selected citizens aged 15 and over were interviewed for the Eurobarometer survey in February 2010 in the 27 EU Member States as well as in Norway, Iceland, Croatia, Turkey and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. It is for the third time in row that the Commission has done such an extensive survey, which offers to all tourism stakeholders a wealth of information, presented analytically in country and demographic categories.

The Commission intends to conduct this kind of survey once a year in order to closely follow short and medium term travel and tourism trends of European citizens. These surveys will allow tourism stakeholders of the countries surveyed to react to changing trends in tourism demand, and so will constitute an important instrument for tourism policy.

Full report on the Eurobarometer survey on ‘the attitudes of Europeans towards tourism 2010’

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Which is the hottest holiday destination on Lanzarote?  There’s plenty of competition – as this cool Canary Island boasts luxury marinas, three main resorts and a cosmopolitan capital, Arrecife.  Which boasts its very own city centre beach. However this title has to go to Playa Blanca – the fastest growing town on the island located right at the southern tip of Lanzarote.

This fortuitous location ensures that Playa Blanca enjoys the best microclimate.  With more sunshine hours and less cloud and rainfall than any other part of Lanzarote.  Providing the ideal preconditions for a burgeoning holiday resort.  These factors also assume greater importance during the winter months.  When the north of the island can be covered in cloud whilst the south basks happily in the sun.

Playa Blanca first started to evolve from its former life as a fishing village during the late 1980´s.  As hotel chains and property developers seized on its natural beauty and great weather to create Lanzarote´s third major holiday destination.

Today Playa Blanca welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. The majority of whom enjoy a stay in one of the many good quality hotels located within the resort.

Such as the five star Gran Melia Volcan, which is located right next to the relatively new Marina Rubicon.  Which provides mooring for luxury yachts and which creates an atmospheric backdrop.  Along with numerous good value four star options such as the Timanfaya Palace and the Princesa Yaiza.  Which are both located on the seafront promenade that unites the resort.  Playa Blanca is also home to one of the largest selections of holiday villas in Lanzarote.  Most of which enjoy an elevated position and commanding sea views.

Key to Playa Blanca’s success as a holiday destination is the fact that the resort boasts some of the best beaches in the Canary Islands.  The best known is the breathtaking set of bays at Papagayo.  Which is around a fifteen minute walk from the resort centre but well worth the effort.  As the sands here are all natural and unspoiled.

The resort itself is also well served – boasting great beaches at Playa Flamingo, Playa Dorada and Playa Blanca.  The small town centre beach from which the resort takes its name.

Playa Blanca has also long been the gateway to the neighbouring island of Fuerteventura.  With ferries criss crossing between the two islands throughout the day.  Whilst come nightfall the lights twinkle attractively across the water.

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Sunny Beach (Bulgarian: Слънчев бряг, Sluntchev bryag; Dutch: Zonnestrand; German: Sonnenstrand; Russian: Солнечный берег, Solnechniy bereg) is a major seaside resort on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, located approximately 35 km north of Burgas in Nessebar municipality, Burgas Province. It is the biggest and most popular holiday resort of the country, and is home to over 800 hotels with more than 300 000 beds. There are also 130 restaurants and numerous live music bars, pubs, nightclubs, discos, cafes. It has been undergoing continuous expansion for many years. In recent years almost the whole hotel base has been renovated and several new luxurious hotels have been built as well as many apartment complexes. It is widely believed in Bulgaria that Sunny Beach was heavily overdeveloped in the 2000s to the detriment of its greenery, former serenity, safety, and the quality of public services.

Sunny Beach has a very small permanent population, but during the summer the resort is home to many thousands of tourists. The main strip of high-rise hotels backing onto the beach is several kilometers long and extends along a wide bay between Sveti Vlas and Nessebar.

The resort’s construction began back in Communist times, in 1958. Construction works began at a site, where two old wells supplying Nessebar with water in ancient times and during the Middle Ages, had been located.

The climate of the area is Mediterranean, explaining Sunny Beach’s popularity with tourists since the Soviet Union existed. Since that time the resort’s popularity has grown among German holidaymakers, who add to the already large numbers of Bulgarian and Russian visitors. More recently, Sunny Beach has begun to attract the attention of the British, Irish, Scandinavian, for which it is a more affordable alternative to the established Mediterranean resorts.

Attractions for tourists include the sunning at the beach, water sports, nightlife, and the nearby historical site of Nessebar. There are two new Aqua Parks near the resort. Sunny Beach is mainly popular amongst young people. The Golden Orpheus International Festival of Popular Song, the Decade of Symphonic Music, part of the International Folklore Festival, fashion-shows and various beach competitions are held there. In 2008, the VIth Stranski-Kaischew Surface Science Workshop, a prestigious triennial international conference sponsored by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and named in honor of two prominent Bulgarian scientists of the 20th century, was held in Sunny Beach.

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