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The Best Holiday Rentals for Skiing in Europe

European skiing is some of the best in the world; it offers destinations great for skiing that are steeped in breath taking scenery second to none and rich in culture and gastronomy. Even if you are a non skier the delights you can enjoy on a winter holiday to any European ski resort are incredible. Après ski activities are just as popular as the actual skiing. If you love to be in the thick of the action, but are not a skier enjoy the panoramic views, create a wonderful photo album, try some alpine walking and definitely explore the local food and culture. However for the hardiest of skiers the accommodation is often the last thing you’re interested in; first it’s how good the pistes are, then the price and ski passes.

I have always enjoyed looking out for great skiing holiday rentals. I have a keen eye for the other ingredients necessary for a wonderful ski holiday in Europe. If you like a more traditional ski holiday in places like: France, Italy, Austria or Switzerland, my suggestion is pick Austria, it has some of the best ski holiday rentals, Austria is well located, the people are charming and the surroundings are breathtaking. The accommodation is impressive and reasonable. Chalet Anna offers transfers from Salzburg and a wonderful and cared for experience. Haus Karoline in the Tyrolian Alps is well located an hour from Innsbruck, 1½ from Munich and 2 hours from Salzburg

However if you want good skiing and good food and great accommodation, Italy is simply bellissimo! The Dolomites in northern Italy can offer any visitor a range of activities such as skiing, sledging, alpine walking and fine cuisine. Popular areas are located close to the Swiss border and include: Cervinia, Livigno and the name that rolls beautifully off the tongue Madonna Di Campiglio. Switzerland is well worth a visit if you’re staying so close, just imagine the fondue and good quality penknives you can enjoy. Switzerland also offers wonderful skiing and is highly recommended for a little more luxury and elegance.

There are a couple of wild cards I would recommend for the adventurer. Poland and Slovakia. Nestled in between these two countries are the outstanding Tatras Mountains. They are well loved and incredibly popular with natives to Poland and Slovakia and neighbouring countries, but less popular to visitors from western Europe. For a unique and unspoilt ski experience these two destinations can offer some of the best holiday rentals for skiing in Europe, they are not overdeveloped or full of fake charms but rich in culture and offer very good skiing. Try the High Tatras in Slovakia for the best snow. Pension Vasko in Zdiar, is a sweet chalet located in the heart of the ski areas.

Not forgetting everyone’s best loved destination for skiing; the French Alps. A well loved and affordable place to visit which offers great value for money, great skiing and amazing local cheeses. Accommodation in this area can vary, but you can find some lovely little family chalets in and around the areas of Chamonix, Val d’Isere, La Plagne and Tignes, to name but a few.

WWOOFing in Italy- Hard Work or Well Worth it?

December 3rd, 2011 . Posted in Accommodation | No Comments »
Tags: cheap holidays, WOOFing

It is 7am and we are tucking into a breakfast of toast, homemade jam and coffee on a farm in the Piedmont region of Italy. Light bathes the valley ahead of us and there is the scent of fresh oregano on the air. Sylvia, our WWOOF host, is trying to inform us of the day’s activities…in Italian. The power of pointing and gesturing should not be underestimated. ‘Raking leaves?’ I guess, trying to read her actions. She frowns and shakes her head. ‘Making hay?’ My friend offers. Sylvia grins, reminded of the English term. We collect our rakes and head out to the field. Today we will be making hay while the sun shines.

When we joined WWOOF Italia we were sent a list of participating farms with a general description of each one, what is expected of volunteers, and the owner’s contact details. The acronym stands for World Wide Opportunities in Organic Farming. It is an international movement whereby volunteers pay a small membership fee and help out on farms that utilize organic practises in exchange for food and board. As last minute holiday deals go, it couldn’t get much cheaper.

The Italian farms vary massively. Some produce food to sell, some have a spiritual slant, some are homes with a modest vegetable patch. In the end we chose Sylvia’s smallholding where she is almost self sufficient and produces vegetables, fruit, goat’s cheese and meat. She also makes swaps with other local farmers for goods such as wine and butter. As volunteers we help six hours a day, four days a week. By the end of the month’s visit we will have a basic grasp of Italian.

Our bedroom is in the main house and is very comfortable. Sylvia is used to sharing her home with WWOOFers so makes us feel completely at ease. There are occasional examples of miscommunication, but learning and adapting are part of what makes the experience so rewarding.

Lunchtimes are a true slice of Italian life, when builders who are working on the farmhouse join us at the kitchen table. Local red wine, conversation, laughter and huge bowls of food (most of it produced on the farm) are shared around the table.
One day there is a storm, and lightening forks the valley. We stay in the house and have a spring clean, dusting the lofty shelves, books and wooden beams. When the weather turns good again we engage in tasks like weeding the vegetable plots, picking fruit and making goat’s cheese.

On days off we take a couple of rickety old bikes and explore the hillside villages, swimming in a nearby lake. When the time comes to leave we feel as though we have got to know the community well. Sylvia bids us a teary goodbye and makes us a picnic for the train. We are welcome to go back and visit her whenever we like, and feel like the experience has been really immersive and insightful; far beyond the boundaries of a normal holiday.

House Sitting as a Ticket to Travel

November 21st, 2011 . Posted in Accommodation | No Comments »
Tags: house siting

Sicily, Venice, Provence, Barcelona: just a few of the locations where home owners are currently seeking house sitters. The websites which host these exchanges are becoming increasingly popular, and the practice of house sitting is something of an international phenomenon. Many, in fact, have made a travelling career out of it: they explore the world, staying in properties ranging from cottages to vineyards… for free. But is such a thing too good to be true, and what are the risks?

First, a rundown of how it works: Home owners join dedicated websites if they are going away and wish to have their property (and in some cases pets) looked after. House sitters have profiles on the site which the home owner can browse, enabling them to create a shortlist of appealing candidates. The chosen sitters will stay in the accommodation for free, in exchange for the service of ‘minding’ the house. This may involve maintenance, looking after pets or specialist duties specific to the property (feeding animals on a farm, for example).

House sitters who participate state the benefits to be thus: there is the possibility to travel further and to exciting destinations with free accommodation (although utility bills may need to be paid). Also, that house sitting is a great way to give something back to a community and make long lasting local contacts.

But what kind of people let complete strangers take over their house for weeks or months while they’re away? A valid question, but it seems that there are measures against risks. House sitters are asked to provide worthy references to prove their character and reliability. Legal forms and templates are generally available through the websites (security deposits, property condition reports etc.) so that sitters and owners can make formal, binding agreements.

Browsing websites, it seems that the system is very popular amongst professional couples, and that many of the listed home owners are of the same ilk. There is surprisingly little about things going wrong, or warnings from disgruntled sitters/home owners. A good piece of advice is to go through well established and trusted websites. Also, to check reports from previous house sitters who may have minded that house in the past.

Sitters need a definite tolerance for other people’s lifestyles and habits. Unlike rocking up at a hotel and expecting service and guaranteed comfort, sitters are entering someone else’s home which needs to be maintained in a certain way. It is expected that needs and boundaries will be discussed by phone or e-mail prior to the sitting, so both parties should have a good idea of what to expect.

Of course, house sitters looking for bargain holidays are at the whim of home owners in terms of when their trip will take place and for how long. With this is mind, there is little chance of scheduling a sit within a two week holiday from work. It therefore seems to suit those who are taking more of an extended break, or whose work can be carried out from any location.

Top 5 things to do in Dubai

November 9th, 2011 . Posted in Middle East | No Comments »
Tags: Dubai

Dubai has become synonymous with glamour and excess. From 7* hotels to vast, glittering shopping malls, the scope of this Middle Eastern metropolis is as far-reaching as its impressive budget: in the coming years, the city intends to hit the 15 million mark for tourist visitors, and with countless regeneration and redevelopment projects in the pipeline, it is already well on its way. But behind the ostentation of the beach-front bars and exclusive resorts, an ancient pulse beats, running straight through the river that cuts through the Old Town. So, in such a bewildering mix of innovative forward-thinking and mythic wonder, where should you start?

To help you on your way to making the most of this magical city, here are our top 5 things to do in Dubai.

Shopping

The consumer culture is unavoidable in Dubai. In fact, it has shaped the face of the city to such an extent that perhaps it should be counted as part of its charm. Of all the malls, The Dubai Mall reigns supreme. Quite apart from the shopping opportunities, this mall takes on some of the American malls in its scope: it features a 22-screen cinema, an aquarium, its own theme park, and an ice rink. It even has its own fountain with water and light displays scheduled for the evenings.

Beaches

Sitting on a 25-mile stretch of coastline, Dubai is famous for its beaches. Whether private or public, the standard of beaches here is exceptionally high. Most beaches are affiliated with a hotel or resort, but that’s the way Dubai operates – it’s the same with the bars. A small fee will gain you entry. From the public beaches in Jumeirah and Al Mamzar (north of Dubai Creek), you can enjoy views over the city’s skyline, including the famous Burj al Arab hotel, designed in the shape of a sail.

Old Dubai

For something completely different, try the Old Town district, or Old Bastikaya as it’s known locally. Here by the waterfront, the abandoned wind towers stand testament to the city’s pre-electric past, when this was the only way of cooling the buildings. The atmosphere is relaxed and it feels worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There are also several charming art galleries here; the perfect starting place for a budding collector.

Skiing

‘Ski Dubai’ in the Mall of Emirates offers visitors the once-in-a-lifetime chance to ski in the middle of a desert. From beginner to advanced, all levels of slope are available, and you can rent all your gear from the centre. The Snow Park is child-friendly, and inner tubes can be hired for the little ones.

Heritage village

Dubai has some of the finest in gourmet dining in the world. Most of the bars and restaurants are contained within hotel resorts (this is due to the licensing laws here) but in the Heritage Village the streets are lined with small, decent restaurants offering traditionally cooked food. This is also the place to come to sit in the falaj, seating areas surrounded by vegetation, and to snack on dates, enjoy a coffee or an Arabic mint tea and some sheesha, local flavoured tobacco.

Visit our guide to Dubai.

An Interview with the guys from For 91 Days

October 28th, 2011 . Posted in Meet the Blogger | No Comments »
Tags: Lifestyle, Travel Bloggers

I love reading travel websites and blogs. I’ve got an RSS feed full of updates that I read religiously, and I’m even lucky enough to have become friends with some fantastic travel bloggers. I’ve never, until recently though, ever found a website that made me completely re-evaluate how I live my life. That’s exactly what happened when I stumbled across For 91 Days. After about an hour reading through the site I realized that this is exactly how I want to live, at least for the next year or so! I got in touch and the guys were kind enough to do an interview for HeadingThere…

You were already living abroad when you started For91days, what was it that inspired you to start moving so regularly?

Jürgen and I are born nomads. I moved around a lot as a kid, and he left Germany when he was 20. There’s something restless in our natures; we both get fidgety after we’ve been somewhere for a long time. Before starting For91Days, we lived for periods in Berlin, Ireland and Spain. We enjoyed each place, but were always itching to try something new. For91Days is really just a recognition of our wandering natures! When I floated the idea to Jürgen, I wasn’t entirely serious, but his response was: “Yes, we should totally do that”. And then I thought, “Why not?”

What made you decide on 91 days? Is there any significance behind keeping every place under 3 months?

Three months just seemed like the right amount of time for each city. It’s enough to feel settled and make some friends, and it allows us to get to four places a year. Four months would limit us to three moves a year, which feels inadequate, but moving every two months would be too hectic. There was also a practical consideration: most visas are for 90 days.

What sort of work do you do on the road? How do you fund your travels?

We have a lot of luxury in that we both work independently. I’m a computer programmer and make money by running a few websites including Criticker.com (a film recommendation site) and Lastminute-Auction.com (an Ebay tool). Jürgen is a professional photographer, and runs a popular entertainment blog called Random-Good-Stuff.com. This means that, during our travels, we’re both holding down normal working hours; basically eight hours a day doing our “real” work.

Through For91Days.com, we don’t make a lot of cash and certainly not enough to live. We’re hoping to change that. Our dream is for the site to fully fund our journeys. To help make that possible, we’ve started doing things like offering E-Book downloads of all our content – in fact, we just recently published the very first two, for Oviedo, Spain and Savannah, Georgia.

Where are you living at the moment?

We’re currently in Palermo, Italy. After six months in South America (Buenos Aires, then Bolivia), we were ready for a European destination! Neither of us had been to Sicily before, nor knew much about Palermo, so it seemed like the perfect choice. We prefer to pick places with which we’re unfamiliar. And the promise of pizza and pasta certainly played a role in the decision-making process, as well!

Have you decided where you are going next?

Not yet! We try not to think about the next location until at least six weeks into our current location. If we’re worried or overly excited for the next move, it’s harder to enjoy the place we’re currently in. That said, future locations are something we talk about constantly. When “decision time” actually comes, we’re usually already in agreement.

How do you choose the next place to call home for 91 days?

It’s a mix of practical considerations and personal desire. We tend to pick cities that we’re both excited about, but also make sense according to the time of year and where we currently are. For example, we picked Savannah because I wanted to be in the states for Christmas, and the birth of my nephew. Bolivia, because we were already in South America and it was the perfect time of year.

Are any companies helping you with the project or with accommodation along the way?

No, we’re doing this all on our own. Eventually we’d love to rack up a couple sponsorships – travel insurance is a big nuisance, and it’d be nice to have a company help us out with that. Occasionally, a restaurant will contact us and offer a free meal in exchange for a review, but not that often (and we only accept if it’s a place we were already interested in). But mostly, we’re completely independent, which is nice but expensive!

All the places you have lived in so far are amazing; have you got a favourite?

Every place we’ve been has been wonderful in its own way. The natural beauty of Asturias is hard to compare to the chaotic bustle of Buenos Aires, for example. But forced to choose, I would have to say that our three months in Bolivia are the most unforgettable. We had some incredible experiences there, and learned so much about ourselves. It’s a country which is full of beauty and surprises.

How long will For91days last? Did you set out to do this for a specific length of time?

We plan on continuing until we get weary! I think we’ll be able to keep at it for about five years before running down… that would be twenty locations around the world. Our “home base” is in Valencia, Spain, and I could see us returning there for a few months to recharge, see friends and reconnect with a normal life. Of course, the more places we visit, the more addicted to travel we become, so who knows? We might still be doing this when we’re little old men, hobbling around on canes.

Do you have any advice for anyone who would like to follow in your footsteps?

Finding apartments in each new location is the most difficult task, and you have to use every tool available, from Craigslist to local newspapers. Twitter has proven an invaluable resource; we always set up a group of local contacts for each location, who can help with real-time information we wouldn’t get elsewhere.

Our situation is unique in that we both work from home, and don’t have fixed schedules. For 91 Days wouldn’t be possible if we had jobs we had to clock into from 9-5. But for people who’ve got the freedom and desire to travel, my biggest piece of advice is: just do it! (Apologies to Nike). We’ve had a number of people say that they’d love to travel like we do, and when we ask what’s stopping them, they usually can’t give a real reason. Dreaming is easy, but actually embarking on your dreams can be terrifying. You just have to force yourself to do it.

Focus on Holiday Rentals: Château de Sadillac

October 25th, 2011 . Posted in Europe, France | 1 Comment »
Tags: Châteaus, France, Holiday Rentals

It’s more than 20 years since Peter Mayle set off to France to write a novel. Moving to a 200 year old farmhouse in Provence with his wife and two dogs, Mayle found daily life in Provence far too distracting. After six months failing to put pen to paper he, almost accidentally, wrote what has come to be one of the UK’s best loved travel books, A Year in Provence.

There are obvious reasons why the book struck a chord with so many. Mayle and his wife, like so many Brits, were regular visitors to France. Summer holidays in the South of France seemed like bliss and like many thousands of us; they promised themselves that one day they would buy a house and live there full time.

In the two decades that have passed since’ A Year in Provence was written, the appeal has not diminished. There are an estimated 200,000 British-owned homes in France, and earlier this year France overtook Spain as the country where Brits are most likely to buy a second home.

For those of us who can only dream of buying a house in France though, holiday rentals continue to be the perfect solution. In our thousands we flock to the gîtes of France, but how many can say that they have stayed in a genuine French château? The Château de Sadillac, just 15 kilometres from Bergerac, certainly is a holiday home with a difference.

As you might expect, this delightfully atmospheric property has bundles of character; four poster beds, rich oak beams and stone walls. It really is the stuff of fairy tales. There is a lot more to Sadillac than meets the eye though, and you may find yourself pleasantly surprised by some of the added perks!

The Château de Sadillac comes with its own, private, nine hole golf course. In the Dordogne Valley, surrounded by more than 100 wineries, you might find that you struggle to match the courses par 27. You are welcome to try though, and with no green fees or tee times keen golfers will find themselves absolutely spoiled. Whether a beginner or a serious golfer, just grab yourself a set of clubs (provided, including half sets for kids) and take a trip around your own personal course.

Not a golfer? Well Sadillac has plenty to offer any visitor. With a scenic private lake for fishing and a heated pool, the château is the perfect base for a relaxing holiday. The sizable terrace area gives plenty of space to enjoy the outdoors, and the Finnish sauna is the perfect way to refresh. Hard though it can be to tear yourself away from Sadillac, you really must explore the surrounding area too.

The Dordogne Valley is considered to be the spiritual home of fois grois, that’s quite a claim to fame and foodies are unlikely to be disappointed with the local cuisine. Most of the wineries around the area open to the public for cellar door tastings. The Dordogne is one of France’s better wine regions so wine lovers will no doubt want to take in a number of vineyards. Boat trips on the Dordogne River are popular, and the more adventurous can try their hand at kayaking a stretch on their own. You will also find some of Europe’s most important prehistoric cave paintings nearby.

The château is only a short drive from the charming medieval city of Bergerac. With cheap flights from airports all over the UK (try Jet2.com or Ryanair) this is likely to be the starting point for your holiday in the Dordogne. Don’t forget to spend a little time exploring the city though. The historic quarter is small enough to enjoy comfortably on foot, and the wine museum, set in 12^th century convent, is another highlight.

Most of us never get closer to castles or stately homes than paying for a guided tour. The Château de Sadillac sleeps up to 15 and splitting the cost between a group of family or friends, prices are actually very reasonable. For me, the chance to live like a French aristocrat for a week or two is simply too good to miss!

Next time you’re planning a vacation, try Flipkey for the Château de Sadillac and other Vacation Rentals in France.

Top Five European Islands

October 21st, 2011 . Posted in Europe | No Comments »
Tags: Holiday Ideas, where to go on holiday

Everyone loves an island holiday. With the recession pinching, there’s not always enough money to travel to the far-flung beaches of Thailand or the Bahamas. But with so many great islands right here in Europe, now’s a better time than ever to sample some more local island living.

Sardinia

In recent years, Sardinia has seen a surge in interest with travellers from across Europe and beyond. Its subtropical climate and immense diversity – from the glamorous white sand beaches of the Costa Smeralda to the forested mountain ranges of the interior – make it an astonishingly rewarding holiday destination. From quaint fishing ports like Alghero to untouched beauty spots like San Pietro, a nature reserve a short boat ride off the south west coast, this island is full of surprises, and the locals are as warm in their hospitality as the climate.

Visit our Sardinia travel guide

Ibiza

Ibiza is perhaps best known for its nightclub scene, with the main party drags lit up by laser beams all through the night. But travel to ‘the other side’ of the island, and it’s a different picture. Away from the pumping music, there’s time and space to appreciate the beautiful landscape of the island, with pine forested, gently rolling hills and a laid-back, bohemian approach to life. There are still party venues, but here the idea is to socialise; to be near one another and the sea. In the north, in places like Benirras, a yoga culture is thriving, with retreats popping up everywhere between the small villages, pretty coves and black sand beaches.

Visit our Ibiza travel guide

Corsica

This popular Mediterranean island is rich in culture and history, featuring a staggering 1,000km of coastline with unsurpassed sunsets, quaint medieval towns, a Natural Regional Park spiked with mountain peaks and wild flowers, and important prehistoric sites. The island has its own language, music and cuisine and the people are fiercely proud of their heritage, which, like the architecture of the landscape around them, has French, Italian and even Roman influences.

Visit our Corsica travel guide

Sylt

The largest of the Frisian Islands off the coast of Denmark but belonging to Germany, this sand-swept island is one of the Germans’ best kept secrets. Favoured by locals and celebrities alike, it features untouched stretches of sand, grass-strewn dunes, a balmy microclimate and a colony feel that has drawn comparisons with Martha’s Vineyard off the coast of Cape Cod. From the bustling and trendy capital Westerland to its more sleepy and traditional villages, there is enough diversity here to keep everyone happy, and the food across the island is delicious.

Cyprus

With rugged terrain and lush vegetation, this sturdy island has a kind of rustic charm to it, and whilst it features some of the best beaches in the Mediterranean (try the south side of the Karpas peninsula), what sets it apart is the lush and largely untouched land in the centre of the island, with small villages frozen in time between its citrus groves. Here, going deeper inland rather than staying on the sand is thoroughly recommended; the Troodos mountains reward walkers and hikers with stunning flora and fauna. There is also here a strong sense of Eastern influence, making the culture an interesting and charming mix of East and West.

Visit our Cyprus travel guide

Special mentions:

With so many people looking for cheap holidays at home and over a thousand isles dotted around the UK and Ireland, it would be unfair not to mention at least one. Enjoying a mild climate and perfect for nature lovers, the Isles of Scilly offer everything from bird-watching to pretty coves and beaches. And though it’s closer to Africa than Europe, Fuerteventura still gets a mention for its stunning black volcanic beaches and wind and water sport opportunities.

Focus on Holiday Rentals: Neervana Haven near Melbourne

October 19th, 2011 . Posted in australia, Holiday Rentals | No Comments »
Tags: australia, Holiday Rentals, Luxury Villa

If you watch any Australian soap opera, you would be forgiven for thinking that neighbours are so close that wandering into each other’s houses without knocking is perfectly acceptable. Of course anyone who has spent any time there will tell you that this is an exaggeration, but it’s true that in Australia is doesn’t take long before ‘good neighbours become good friends.’ That’s why whenever I return to Australia; I prefer holiday rentals to the more impersonal hotel experience.

Like many of the locals, when I lived in Melbourne I spent many a holiday along the Great Ocean Road. On Melbourne’s doorstep the Great Ocean Road has some of the best scenery (and beaches) in Australia. Dotted with plenty of fun holiday towns on the beach like Lorne, Apollo Bay and Anglesea, it is no surprise that family breaks along the Great Ocean Road are hugely popular with Melbournians. Many families own holiday homes along the coast and return time and time again, which creates a real sense of community which is great to be a part of.

One of my favourite places along the 150 mile stretch of coast is the tiny settlement of Fairhaven. Located between Anglesea and Lorne, even regular visitors to the Great Ocean Road could be forgiven for missing Fairhaven. The town itself is so small you pass it in a heartbeat. Ask anyone about the ‘Pole House’ though and they will know exactly what you mean. This villa on a gigantic pole towering over Fairhaven Beach is a well known landmark along the road.

The Pole House has to be seen to be believed, but if you are looking for something more than a novelty for your holiday, then the luxury villa of Neervana Haven (which is just around the corner) is my Fairhaven pick. A little further up the hill, it provides 180 degree views of the beach without the vertiginous feeling of trying to sleep on top of a stick!

Neervana Haven’s glass front gives the whole villa a light and airy feeling and the architecture is eye-catching. It is elegantly and luxuriantly furnished. The pool is sizeable and there is plenty of space on the surrounding decking to relax and enjoy your surroundings. Arguably these are all things that you would expect from a luxury villa but there are plenty of things you might not expect too.

The owners have filled Neervana with any luxury that their guests might desire during their stay, from fine champagne to cognac and cigars. You might also be surprised by the souvenirs of overseas travel that are sprinkled liberally throughout Neervana. A Tibetan antique tea set, Russian babushka dolls and a collection Indian pashminas among many others. Even better, if you can’t stand to leave them behind at the end of your stay, along with Neervana’s art collection, visitors can buy any piece that particularly catches their eye.

With so much to enjoy at Neervana Haven and at the beach, you might be tempted to spend your whole time there, living the Australian dream of barbecues with the neighbours and watching the sun go down over the beach with a couple of drinks. If you can drag yourself away though, the bright lights of Melbourne CBD are just an hour and a half away. What’s more, with the road hugging the coast most of the way to Melbourne it’s a pleasant drive!

As well as Neervana Haven, you can find many more stunning Melbourne holiday rentals with Flipkey.

Iceland: Land of Fire and Enterprise

October 12th, 2011 . Posted in Europe | No Comments »

Two years before a certain volcanic eruption crushed the hopes of hundreds of thousands of travellers in 2010, Iceland’s economy was flattened by the collapsing weight of its three major commercial banks. Many financial professionals, set adrift from the halcyon days of economic extravagance, relinquished their dreams of Porsches and Prada in exchange for something more sustainable – survival. Heavy losses were suffered in the blink of an eye. Entrenched in debt, many Icelanders have been forced to diversify, and revisit their raw talents to sustain a living. Emerging from the billowing volcanic clouds and shaking off the ash of economic meltdown, Iceland is now soaring, phoenix-like, into a new era of diverse and exciting tourism.

Iceland

Boat cuisine: The Icelandic palate may initially baffle its visitors, in particular the traditional winter þorramatur, a buffet which can often include delicacies like putrefied Greenland shark, ram’s testicles and entire boiled sheep’s heads. Somewhat more commercial, one of the principal industries underpinning the country’s economy is, of course, fishing. Not only have exports like codfish sperm and fois gras de la mer hauled in money from adventurous eateries in Asia and the US of late, tourists are utterly hooked by the sport. Some of the best salmon fishing in the world can be enjoyed by anglers who land a permit to fish in its rivers, and those who prefer to cast off from the coastline or head out to sea on a boat will be rewarded with giant cod and halibut.

The Knitting Tour: In recent years, knitting has become kitsch. Pouncing on this fact like a kitten upon a ball of twine, Icelandic entrepreneurs have clawed in some revenue with the help of the knitting tour. Not only is the island bobbled with hotspots for some serene stitching, day tours diversify as far as to accommodate parents with small children, yoga enthusiasts or even gourmands.

Agritourism: This year a company called Icelandic Farm Holidays were awarded the Export Award by the country’s premier, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson. Lauded for their contribution to the country’s economic fortification, it forms an association of over 150 farmers, who supply accommodation and activities for tourists on their diverse homesteads. Some of these have saunas; others offer horse-riding lessons or bird watching. These are often in spectacular locations, forming a base camp for exploring the island’s wealth of nature. Itineraries can, in many cases, be tailor-made for discerning tourists.

Dog sledding: Since the volcanic eruption in 2010, the Myrdalsjokull glacier became unsafe for the dog sledding tours which once toured its icy expanse. Not to be deterred, companies have simply relocated to Langjokull, which lies to the West of the island. Tours set off during the day between June and August, and are one of the most exhilarating, enchanting family activities up for grabs. They’re also available during the rest of the year subject to weather conditions, and special northern lights tours depart at midnight for those eager to spot their opalescent shimmer from a speeding sled.

Further Increases in Air Passenger Duty?

October 4th, 2011 . Posted in air travel | No Comments »

There are very few things that bring the whole travel industry together in agreement. One of those things though, is the expected increase in Air Passenger Duty in November. Already saddled with the some of the highest taxes in the world, travellers are now faced with the prospect of an increase of 10% to the cost of air passenger duty. When it comes down to it most of us are going to put up with it and pay more for our flights, but travel industry professionals fear that the hikes could mean families missing out on overseas holidays.

Short of writing to your MP, there isn’t much you can do about APD. The government will either listen to the travel industry or it won’t. Whatever happens though, for goodness sake don’t let it spoil your holidays. If the prices of our flights are set to go up, then we just need to look for other places to save. For my money, one of the easiest places to do that is airport parking.

If you are a regular visitor to HeadingThere you will probably have seen the series of airport guides that we have been publishing recently. One thing that stood out when researching every one of those guides, is just how much money you can save by pre-booking your airport parking. Here are just a couple of examples:

I started by taking a look at Heathrow Airport parking. If you want to stay in the long stay car park, the drive up price is £16.40 per day (if you are staying for more than 4 days.) That works out at £114.80 for the week. The exact same car park, booked online costs just £69.60, a saving of just over £45.

The same is true when it comes to Manchester Airport parking. Seven days in the long stay parking at Manchester Airport will cost you £90 paying on the day, but the same stay in the same car park is just under £40. That is a saving of £50.

Like me you are probably disappointed and angry at suggestions that we should be paying even more tax on our holidays, but we do need to keep things in perspective. According to figures from the Daily Telegraph the proposed price increase will cost a family of four travelling to Florida an additional £24. That is an annoyance, not something worth spoiling your holiday over. Pre-book your airport parking and after paying the extra tax use the rest of your savings to treat yourself. After all; you’ve earned it!

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