travel info
Traveling by river has always served as necessity, while also being enjoyed as a form of leisure. Even in the modern world, river travel allows for the shipment of raw and finished goods, imports and exports as well as some of the most enjoyable river cruising that has ever existed. Everyone is familiar with the opportunities available through luxury, open sea cruise liners, whether cruising the Mediterranean, the Pacific or the Atlantic and Caribbean, yet few are aware of the ability to enjoy luxury cruising on some of the world’s most famous rivers.
The Beautiful, Blue Danube
The Danube River runs through Eastern Europe, and through the ages. One of the most fascinating ways to enjoy cities such as a Budapest, Vienna, Linz, Passau, Nuremberg, as well as many others. The River itself stretches through 10 nations, and includes multiple National and natural park areas in each of these countries. Cruising on a river such as the Danube allows for all the joys and romanticism of traveling by ship, while also offering the perspective of a changing landscape, both geographically and culturally.
The Storybook Rhine River
Another incredible river cruise in Europe takes place on the picturesque Rhine, which runs through 9 of the most desirable European destinations, over a 766 mile stretch, joining the Danube in western Germany. The Rhine is famous for possessing some of the world’s most beautiful castles along its banks. Some of the great Rhine River cruises allow for the exploration of some of the world’s most famous castles, in form of a guided tours and independent exploration.
The Mysterious and Majestic Nile River
One of the most enjoyable ways to explore Egypt, learn about the modern Egyptian culture, while delving into the ancient Egyptian culture is to cruise along the life source of the world region, the Nile River. The Nile is lined with artifacts, pyramids and a slice of a mysterious, ancient civilization that still captures the imagination. Such a river cruise offers enjoyable education within a leisurely environment. Many of the great, Nile River cruises include guided land tours offered by qualified educators and Egyptologists.
The Russian Volga River
The Volga River in Russia is the grandest of all European rivers, based on length and watershed. Both St. Petersburg and Moscow can be found along its banks, and within the Russian economy, it plays a vital role to the transport of goods and services. One of the greatest things about cruising the Volga is the ability to visit and explore Russia’s two most prominent cities and everything they have to offer, including sites such as Red Square, The Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral and the Palace of Catherine the Great. The enjoyment of cruising the Volga is enhanced with the ability to take in the Russian “countryside” in the form of small, riverside towns and villages.
China’s Yangtze River
Possessing a length of nearly 4,000 miles, the incredible Yangtze River offers a view into the Chinese culture that is rarely seen through popular culture. The Yangtze stretches from the Tibetan plateau, through some of the most picturesque mountains and canyons in the world. The Yangtze also offers the power source to the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest power-producing facility. The Yangtze empties into the East China Sea at the city of Shanghai.
At Virgin Holidays, we believe amazing service should come as standard. That’s why Virgin Holiday’s magic touches are made available to all Virgin Holidays customers – not just the VIPs! We realise that you want to make the most of being on holiday, so we came up with Check in, Chill out, so you can check in for your flight without leaving the beach…or bar. Airports are a drag. The holiday only really starts when you get to your destination. And if you’ve got kids, then airports are living nightmares. So, to perk up the airport experience, we came up with the VRoom. And when you’re on holiday, you want to make sure it’s as good as it can be. That’s where Virgin Holidays’ Concierge service comes in – a concierge actually tuned in to the buzz of your destination, not a guy in a suit on kick backs from rip-off restaurants. This belief is what sets Virgin Holidays apart from the competition. That’s why we actually encourage our customers to ‘Ask For the World’.
But how do you express that exclusive treatment in a single thought. What do Virgin Holidays offer that no-one else does? We think it can be described as…
“ROCKSTAR SERVICE”
It’s a level of care you’d normally associate with the glamour and excitement of the entertainment elite. Made available to every Virgin Holidays customer.
With Virgin Holidays, you can rest assured that you’ll get intuitive, imaginative typically brilliant twinkle-in-the-eye Virgin service, every single time you travel with us.
Boscastle in Cornwall is, unfortunately, synonymous with flooding now, but there’s so much more to this village than occasionally high water levels! The village is nestled in a beautiful valley that leads right out to the sea. At the end of the valley there is a sheltered inlet which has been the basis for all of Boscastle’s business ever since a settlement was established there. This inlet is part of what makes Boscastle such a beautiful area and is one of the reasons that the village is so popular with tourists.
Even though the inlet is naturally sheltered and has been used to create the only harbour for twenty miles, two harbour walls have been constructed to ensure the safety of any boats that wish to make use of the harbour and to stop the village bearing the brunt of storms. These excellent harbour conditions meant that Boscastle was instrumental in exporting coal, limestone and slate along the North Cornwall coast.
On either side of the wonderfully picturesque harbour is land owned by the National Trust, who have preserved it in its natural state. There is also a shop run by the National Trust in the village, along with plenty of old buildings down by the harbour itself which add to the atmosphere of the village.
Although the floods in 2004 were devastating, and those in 2007 were bad if not as bad, the village has recovered very well. Anybody worried about their Cornwall holidays being ruined by the sight of beautiful Boscastle harbour lying in ruins doesn’t have to worry.
Looking out from the harbour wall up the valley gives an excellent view of the village and is something that you’ll find on postcards throughout the region. Standing further up the valley and looking towards the inlet is equally impressive, and can give you some beautiful shots of the inlet if you want to take some photos. Either side of the valley also offers an excellent place to look down at the village and see the inlet coming in from the coast to meet it. Again, pictures of these views can be found on postcards or provide great opportunities for you to do some shooting of your own.
One of the best things about Boscastle is that it’s very easy to access from anywhere else in North Cornwall, so you can take a family holiday to the area and spend a day wandering around this pretty little village whilst also taking in any other attractions you might want to see.
The Yorkshire seaside town of Whitby has long held a fascination for the many thousands of people who visit annually. The town’s long history, unique culture and stunning location have created a very special place.
Much of the town has remained unchanged for centuries and still retains its old world charm that comes from its fishermen’s cottages, narrow pebbled streets, grand houses and the imposing abbey.
When staying in a Whitby hotel the abbey is one of the must see landmarks. The remains of the abbey are reached by its famous 199 steps that make there way up the cliff side. The abbey was founded by St Hilda in 657 and has been the sight of royal burials and historic meetings.
The town has become famous the world over thanks to a star turn in Bram Stokers Dracula. The author wrote much of the book while staying in the town and used it as the location where the count first sets foot in England. For those who want to know even more about Transylvanians most famous Count then a trip to the Dracula Experience is a must.
Whitby has not only been the home of blood sucking vampires and saints it has also seen one of the world’s greatest explorers walk through its streets. Captain James Cook was the very first European to make contact with the east coast of Australia and Hawaii and the first to circumnavigate New Zealand. James Cook first came to Whitby as a young lad to serve his apprenticeship in 1746. the house where he lived during this time has now been turned into a museum featuring some fascinating exhibits.
The next time you are on holiday in Yorkshire why not pay a visit to Whitby, one of the regions most fascinating towns and discover its magic for your self.
With the technology we have today, almost all European hotels can be found on the internet. As you find a hotel that you want to stay with, you can make your reservations by email, fax or by phone. Using email with simple English terms give the hotel an easy way to answer your request and lowers the language barrier. It is also free for both sides. Fax machines are becoming obsolete but for those without email capabilities, the fax is better than a phone call.
If you don’t get a response back from the hotel, then that should tell you it is full and the phone call should only be used if you need a response right now. Reservations for flights are confirmed immediately online but hotel rooms are not so quick.
As you search for flights to London, notice that there are hotel reservation requests right there on their website. Once you put in your requested dates, you can see right there what is available as well as the cost. Your reservation will not be made until you enter your credit card number and your contact information. You will then get a confirmation email from the hotel so you know your reservation is set. Always check for a secure site before putting your credit card information online.
The carnival of Rio de Janeiro is one of the most famous outdoor parades in the World. It’s held every February in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and it attracts millions of people from all over the World. Its fame has made it a common news subject and it seems as if its popularity increases by the year, as more and more people flock to Brazil to see it. Not even the recession stopped it from growing, apparently and despite early news to the contrary. It seems as if announcing on television that the booking rates were down made a lot of people think that they still had time to book a hotel and go enjoy the Carnaval.
But the tradition of Carnaval, which literally means “goodbye to meat”, is not limited to Brazil. It supposedly marks the day right before you go on your fast before Easter. As you’re supposed to go on contemplation and enter a period of moderation before Easter, you’re allowed a day to be crazy and eat, drink and party in excess. All of the Southern European countries have a Carnaval tradition, from Portugal to Greece. It all seems to have a point in common: partying, eating and wearing masks. The masks were often prohibited in the pasts, since they allowed for an exacerbation of the excesses committed in anonymity, but now it’s often considered fun.
One of the greatest Carnavals, in fact the second biggest, losing only to the juggernaut of Rio de Janeiro, is the one in Tenerife. You wouldn’t expect such a small island to host such a huge event, but it’s a fact. That’s why, in fact, it’s so hard to find cheap holidays to Tenerife during February. People have often tried to outlaw the Carnaval in Tenerife, especially during the dictatorship period in Spain, but the people have always found a way around it and have always celebrated their greatest cultural festivity.
If you’re going or planning to go on holidays to Canary Islands, picking the Carnaval time can be great fun, or a huge mistake if you’re not into that sort of thing. Remember that it’s a semi-religious holiday, but it’s pretty much just an all-out party when night comes. There’s a lot of noise and a lot of drinking involved, so going to a neighboring island or just putting your holiday off for a couple of weeks might be the best choice if you’re really not in the spirit and you just want to have a relaxed holiday.
When you take a holiday to Cornwall, you may well be thinking of the huge number of things there are for you and your family to do whilst enjoying your stay in Mousehole cottages. You can visit the beautiful beaches, spend a day at one of the many family attractions around the county, including the Eden Project and Tintagel Castle, or venture inland and enjoy the lush, green countryside of Cornwall. If you want to go even further afield, you could book a trip to the Isles of Scilly as well and explore them, making use of the numerous ways to get to them from Cornwall, including a helicopter trip.
Or, instead of all of those things, you could sit back, relax and enjoy your self catering cottage in Cornwall. Whereas taking a trip out into beautiful Cornwall is definitely appealing, and no doubt you’ll be spending a lot of the time that you are on holiday outside your accommodation, there’s nothing wrong with taking a day or two to just relax in some peaceful surroundings.
If you rent a holiday cottage with a garden, then spending a day, or even just an afternoon, sitting in it with a book and enjoying the sun is not a waste of your time. For the more luxurious cottages, you might find that you can spend a while in an outdoor hot tub or Jacuzzi, or even relax by a swimming pool, taking a dip to cool off whenever you feel like it.
If you’re unlucky enough to take a holiday and find that it rains on a couple of days then not to worry! All is not lost! Plenty of holiday cottages these days will have a large HDTV or even a full home cinema system, plus a collection of DVDs and blurays for you to make use of. Touches like this can really make a difference, so you should look out for them when deciding which holiday cottage you want to stay at. Even if you don’t get trapped in by rain, it’ll make all the difference in the evenings after you’ve been out exploring the countryside or coast and just want to sit back, relax and watch something, or need a way to keep the kids distracted.
So, it’s definitely worthwhile making the most of your family holiday, but there’s no reason you have to stress everybody out by trying to squeeze every last drop of sightseeing out of it. Why not remember to take it easy for a while, and make sure your holiday is as relaxing as you want it to be?
