Breaking Blue : Helping you explore the world!

The classically beautiful Italian ski town of Courmayeur is filled with beautiful people, mainly Italians of course but with a very good cross section of Europeans and visitors from North America too. Directly beneath Europe’s highest mountain, Mont Blanc, with 100 kilometres of pisted runs, it also provides great off-piste adventures.

Courmayeur is rightly famed for its cuisine and a little mountainside gem called Chiecco is a fine example and never does it disappoint. Amongst a mouth watering menu you will find wild boar with polenta, escalope of foie gras and lamb chops with an exquisite mustard sauce. Like most quality things in life it is not cheap and you should expect to pay around the €30 to €40 mark for a main dish with a salad accompaniment with a glass of wine, naturally! But it is delicious and because of its popularity it is best to book ahead. This is particularly important at the weekends when the “lunch club” of Milan or Turin descend. If you have come for the cuisine then you will have many of Italy’s finest restaurants from which to choose, but for the serious skier who has come for a skiing holiday, with some fine food thrown, in then you will have plenty of challenging runs to whet your skiing appetite!

When you have finished your day skiing or dining then you should stroll along the pedestrianised and partly cobbled Via Roma to the bar Roma where if you are lucky you’ll find space on one of The Bar Roma’s sofas and there will still be plenty of the buffet fare for which, along with its cocktails, it is famed!

Courmayeur ticks a lot of boxes for a great ski holiday week or even a long weekend, It is close to a magnificent spa and is relatively easy to get to through Geneva airport and, once there, there’s no problem getting on to the slopes.

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Ibiza is one of the world’s top holiday destinations, and no wonder with its sun and sand, great night life and rewarding local culture. When Ibiza first started taking off as a tourist magnet in the sixties, the popular choice was package tours that included full hotel accommodation, with round-the-clock meals and entertainment. But as the travelling public has become more sophisticated, many now opt for renting a holiday villa, which has many advantages over the traditional hotel-based choice.

Renting a villa usually works out cheaper if you’re going as a family or with friends, as the charge is made on the property and not per head, so you can spread the cost between you. The noise levels will be much lower than in a hotel, which is good for the kids getting to sleep, and there is usually air conditioning and access to a swimming pool as standard. But the greatest advantage must be the flexibility to come and go as you please without the fixed meal times.

Renting directly from the owner works out cheaper in most cases, or you could pay a bit more but get added security by arranging your stay through an agent, where you’ll also have the convenience of booking flights as part of the package rather than having to organise them separately yourself. 

Renting a villa in Ibiza allows you all the comforts of home, but also the flexibility and peace and quiet that is not always guaranteed with a hotel. It’s the best option, especially if you’re taking kids or going in a group.

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The Grand Royale, London is located in Paddington neighbouring the quiet areas of Hyde Park and Nottinghill, however this premier London hotel is still close by all of the excitement. From London’s West End and museums to fine dining, this location is amazing!

The luxury hotel is situation nearby all the major transport links and is in easy reach of both Heathrow Airport and many underground stations, which is especially good for business travellers. The Grand Royale also offers a good choice when it comes down to choosing rooms.

There are 11 types of room available and all are beautifully designed and fully furnished. All of the rooms come with the following amenities: Flat-screen TV, air conditioning, in-room safe, tea-coffee making facility, telephone and high-speed Internet access.

The hotel also has other facilities outside of the rooms that guests are welcome to enjoy, these include the hotels very own restaurant and bar. The hotel also has a variety of offers available including a ‘Free Broadband Package’ and a ‘Free Breakfast Package’ all designed to help save you money!

The hotel also offers the highest standard of meeting rooms available for hire.  These rooms are equipped with the latest gadgets and gizmos for a successful meeting. However the rooms can also be used for special occasions and events, from wedding breakfasts, private dining, and Champagne receptions. The hotel is child friendly and will meet all requirements whether you are there for business or pleasure!

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In the past, cruises have been associated, either with the elite in society, or the older generation, so a cruise holiday was not seen as suitable for either families or young people. However, there has recently been a renaissance in cruise holidays, so now anyone can take a cruise.

Some cruise lines offer cruise holidays that are particularly aimed at families. On board there will be children’s clubs and activities, as well as facilities that all the family can enjoy.

For those who are more interested in the culture and history of the places that they visit, there are cruises that are designed to appeal more to adults. These will frequently run courses in wine tasting, local history or art, and may offer cruises to some more exotic locations such as South America or the Far East. Cruises to Alaska or the Arctic Circle are also popular. The Arctic would be impossible to visit any other way, as going ashore is strictly controlled in order to preserve the fragile ecosystem. The cruises offer an opportunity to see some unique wildlife, and to gain an understanding of the scientific work carried out at the base camps.

With more young people choosing to take cruise holidays, cruise lines have designed cruises to suit people who want more excitement and activities. Royal Caribbean Cruises’s Voyager-class ships are equipped with ice-skating rinks, rock-climbing walls and the FlowRider – a powerful wave that can be surfed. Carnival cruises offer survival adventures in Belize, on which passengers can learn to cook jungle-style. P&O Cruises offers its travellers the chance to hire a Ferrari F430 for a day in Alicante, or a bike ride for a cheaper option. Princess Cruises offers zip-wiring through trees, and in Alaska this can be combined with a bobsled ride.

Other types of cruise holidays include cruise weddings or honeymoons, river cruises, Christmas cruises, mini cruises and many more. Cruise and stay holidays offer the chance to combine a cruise with a hotel stay.

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To the uninitiated, Norway probably conjures images of harsh winters and endless herring recipes. This, of course, is a caricature; if you haven’t considered this beautiful country as a holiday destination, it may be worth your while to do so. The Norwegian wilderness is hauntingly and spectacularly beautiful and, when you’re in the midst of it, it’s impossible not to imagine the bravery and hardiness of those intrepid early settlers who set up farmsteads in such astonishingly isolated landscapes. But Norway is also a highly civilised – and exceptionally well-healed – country, one of the richest in the world, in fact. In the modern era, the population of the country has not only grown but it’s shifted demographically; no longer confined to fighting the land in remoter farmsteads, most Norwegians have congregated in the gorgeous cities of Bergen, Stavanger, Tromsø and Trondheim.

The wilderness, however, has not simply been relegated to the status of a leisure pursuit for modern Norwegians; it is part of the national psyche. Norwegians love it and have an almost reverential attitude toward it – assisted in no small measure by its sublime beauty. The country is studded with spellbinding natural parks as a consequence, a testimony to the fact that here, nature has played a seminal part in forging Norwegian culture and remains central to it. The Jotunheimen National Park is probably the country’s best-loved wilderness destination with its jaw-dropping peaks and glaciers, cascading waterfalls, deep ravines and unfathomable lakes reflecting the landscape above like enchanted mirrors. If you visit Norway, you won’t be forgetting your experience of the country’s stunning natural beauty and its people’s cultured modesty and moderation for a very long time to come.

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Saalbach enjoys a fantastic array of mountain restaurants: big ones booming with bonhomie and loud music; wee little log cabins with traditional costume; schnapps specialists; and some that simply serve terrific food. Skiers and non skiers alike will discover one of the most attractive villages in Austria with its classic charm, onion-domed church and photogenic streets festooned with fairy lights. Hinterglemm is smaller but both are well-equipped, traffic-free villages with great charm and fantastic après ski and nightlife.

For the serious skier, Saalbach is literally a “Ski-Circus” you can ski around the whole valley and over 200km of marked runs without walking or taking a bus! For beginners, ski holidays in Saalbach provide plenty of long blues on the whole circuit and good nursery slopes in Hinterglemm.

Intermediates have a massive choice of sunny cruising, ski tours and glorious, long runs through trees. There’s a perfect snaking blue slope with excellent snow at the mid station of the Schattberg gondola.

Advanced skiers, like everyone else, have plenty of ski runs at Saalbach ski resort. Good skiers with thighs of steel can probably do the whole circuit in a day, but even for the really keen skier’s, it’s a challenge!

There’s definitely something for everybody, a wonderful area with lots to do and good non-ski facilities. Loads of bars and pubs cover the full spectrum from oompah band tradition.

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There is so much to discover in Canada, a nation proud of its history, tradition, culture, and natural beauty.  From Prince Edward Island in the east to Vancouver in the west and all the stunning locales in between, the only way to fully experience this vast landscape is with holiday rentals.

Hotel and resort travel can be stressful with cramped accommodation, expensive nightly rates, travel restrictions, limited options and amenities.  On your next Canadian holiday, take a slightly different approach.  Private holiday rentals allow you the opportunity to stay in comfort and style in a home away from home.  Holiday rental cottages in Canada are fully furnished and most feature added benefits like kitchens, private laundry, and even swimming pools.  This is the best way to truly relax and enjoy your holiday.

If you are coordinating travel for a large group, renting a holiday cottage, apartment or home in Canada is the most flexible option.  Whether you need room for two or room for twenty, there is a holiday rental to suit you.  Factor in the extra value of splitting the cost among several travellers and you get so much more from your holiday budget.

Holiday cottages in Canada can be found in nearly every province from Newfoundland to British Columbia.  If you love skiing, book a week at a chalet in Whistler; if a week of sightseeing at Niagara Falls appeals to you, consider a quaint cottage in Ontario.  For the outdoor adventurer, a holiday rental in Labrador would be ideal; rental cottages in Quebec offer easy access to both exciting nightlife and quiet country scenery. 

Explore all that this great nation has to offer with holiday rental cottages in Canada.

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It’s hard to believe today that this graciously beautiful little country was embroiled in the violent ravages ensuing from the break-up of the former Yugoslavia. The luscious green farmlands with chalet-style houses dotted about, the glorious glacial lakes and forest-clad mountains give it a pervasive atmosphere of soul-soothing tranquillity. Thankfully, the anguish of the past has subsided, to be replaced by a peaceful, if hard won, democracy. Tourists today can enjoy a small country which has all the scenic delights of its Alpine cousins like Italy or Austria, but with some uniquely Slovenian touches, too.

Slovenes are generally good humoured and exceptionally welcoming to visitors and tourists from all cultures – no mean fete when one considers that many adults will have vivid memories of the depredations and atrocities which accompanied the war less than two decades ago. But this is no act – they really are a genuine and accommodating people who sincerely want visitors to enjoy the natural beauty and hospitality their country offers in such abundance. Ljubljana is the capital and, despite its prosperity and its grand historic buildings, it retains a decidedly youthful outlook, not least because of the large numbers of young people attending the world-renowned university there. The great Ljubljana River flows through the city, with numerous cafes, small shops and promenades lining its banks.

Clean, naturally beautiful and very safe, Slovenia is an excellent choice for family holidays, especially if you have children who need to be kept occupied with plenty of outdoor activities. There are countless pursuits to choose from, including hiking, cycling, paragliding, white water rafting, mountaineering and caving, depending on how adventurous you are.

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If you are considering taking a cruise at some point and you have started looking for something suitable, you may well have come across Baltic cruises. These are quite unique because the Baltic Sea is mostly inland, surrounded by various European countries including Poland, Sweden and Germany.  This gives you an ideal chance to explore Europe on a cruise that will enable you to see lots of countries in one go.

What are typical Baltic cruises like?  A good example comes from Princess Cruises and it lasts for fourteen nights.  When you leave the UK you will go and visit destinations in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Norway and Estonia.  As you can see, Baltic cruises really pack in the destinations and because the countries are relatively close together, huddled round the Baltic Sea, you can visit a lot of places in a short space of time.

Because of where the Baltic Sea lies, you can also enjoy a full seven day cruise to this part of the world when you leave from the UK.  Even a week long cruise can take you to four different countries, as some examples from Fred Olsen Cruise Lines and other providers demonstrate.

Just because many Baltic cruises take in the same countries though, don’t assume they all stop at the same ports. Always find out where they are stopping so you can choose the best cruise itinerary for you. Fourteen days allows for a lot more exploration than seven, so it may suit you better to book a longer cruise.

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Germany is not as popular as Switzerland or Austria for a skiing holiday but boasts a number of suitable resorts for both the beginner and the more experienced skier. 

The village of Oberammergau attracts many visitors each year, both tourists and skiers.  During the summer visitors come to shop in the Christmas stores, but the visitors that come in winter can partake in winter sports.  It is one of the smaller resorts but offers similar facilities to the larger resorts found further south.  The main ski area has slopes which are suitable for beginners and intermediate skiers.  The accommodation in the village is fairly basic, as none of it rates more than three stars but it is comfortable and helps to make a skiing holiday affordable for many people. 

An alternative resort is Mittenwald which is close to the Austrian border and the Austrian resort of Seefeld.  Mittenwald has a number of challenging slopes which are suited for the more experienced skier and the range of accommodation there is suitable for all tastes and budgets.  The resort boasts all the facilities that you would expect from a thriving ski resort. 

Finding reasonably priced ski deals for Germany is relatively easy if you are prepared to shop around.  With the rise of budget airlines operating in the area, flights are becoming cheaper and the cost of accommodation is much more affordable than some of the rival resorts in Austria and Switzerland. Many will prefer it to skiing in France or another European country.

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