Though there are many ski destinations that you can choose from, here are a few of the best among the lot in Europe.

Courchevel, France

Providing you with some great ski spots and breath-taking views, Courchevel ranks among the top skiing spots on the planet. Courchevel also boasts a well-connected lift system and the biggest ski area in the world. You can find many resorts within this valley, offering you great services at decent prices.

Skiing in Courchevel, France by Leo-setä

Val d’Isere, France

Ranging to altitudes of almost 3500 metres, Val d’ Isere provides great skiing opportunities. Some of its snow-capped peaks are something you cannot just afford to miss out on. After indulging in some skiing, you will be warmly welcomed at the various ski-chalets out there, offering a range of luxury facilities like indoor heated pools, sauna and Jacuzzi.

Photo of Val d’Isère, Savoie, France by genevieveromier

Seefeld, Austria

Ever heard of cross-country skiing? You can experience the same at Seefeld. This has been one of the main attractions among tourists here. With neatly laid out well maintained courses and powdery snow, Seefeld is an ideal destination for beginners and expert skiers.

Photo of Seefeld, Austria by Mccallusa

Levi, Lapland

Called as Santa’s home off-season, Levi is sure to be a hit among the kids. Another great skiing destination that offers you great views, Levi’s brightly lit slopes and fine snow enhance your overall skiing experience. There are many resorts out here, which will appeal to the younger crowd and where you can also spend some cosy family time.

Photo of Levi, Finland, Lapland by Jann Kuusisaari

Megeve, France

A small yet beautiful town cradled within huge snow-capped peaks, Megeve is another dreamy destination you can visit to try out skiing. With various tournaments being held here every year, Megeve provides around 217 ski slopes for its skiers to enjoy.

Owing to its quiet and natural beauty, Megeve is quite popular among the wealthy crowd. Visited by many businessmen and celebrities, Megeve boasts excellent luxury resorts providing some top class facilities and easy access to the slopes.

Photo of Megeve, France by Leo-setä

Once back after a great session of skiing, you will be happy to wind up at one of these looking forward for another adventure packed day.

How to plan your ski-trip?

So you have chosen your destination. The next step in planning your ski-trip would be choosing the right ski-resort. Ski-resorts take care of all your travel needs providing you services like hotel, accommodation, or even transport at times. So choosing your ski-resorts wisely is very important when planning your trip.

Andy is an expert associated with Burger Davis SIR, an international realty company that offers a range of luxury real estate in France and world wide. A home away from home,Burger-Davis Sotheby’s International Realty provides a range of luxurious ski-resorts to choose from. Burger-Davis provides an exclusive range of ski-chalets where you could be offered royal services like getting a private chef cook for you or even a helicopter transfer.

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Now it would be easy to say for families it is a great idea to come in August when the Festival is on as this has enough entertainment and attractions for the whole country, but you may not be able to come then so instead, here are 6 great attractions that you can visit all year round.

Dynamic Earth

It may look a bit like a beetle of some kind or perhaps like a wonky copy of the O2 Arena in London but this exhibition centre nestled between the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood Palace and Arthur’s Seat, is a great place for a family day out. Dynamic Earth’s main feature is an exhibition on planetary evolution but with tons of other shows and events all year round there is always something new to see.

Edinburgh Castle

While very young kids may or may not appreciate the old walls and suits of armour, if you know your kids will get a thrill from visiting one of the most historic sites in the UK then you have to walk up the cobbled streets to the castle gates. Check out the cannons, the crown jewels and the amazing rooms filled with weapons.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, UK by Kevin Gibbons

Edinburgh Zoo

Only 10 minutes west of the centre of town Edinburgh Zoo is as family friendly as attractions come. You can teach your child about all kinds of species and enjoy seeing lions and giraffes and even giant pandas at the same time. Who doesn’t love the zoo?

Scottish Seabird Centre

It may be 30 minutes east of Edinburgh on the train but North Berwick is a beautiful town and home to one of the best Seabird attractions on the planet. You can expect great staff and fun and interesting stuff to do too.

Deep Sea World

Hop across the Firth of Forth and plunge into the brilliant world of the sea. This award-winning centre is home to hundreds of species of all manner of sea creatures and even has an underwater walkway that your kids will love.

Edinburgh Butterfly World

Yes it really is a world full of butterflies and only 20 minutes south of the city. You and your kids can walk into their habitat and see and feel them flying all around you. Then you can go through and see the centres amazing collection of weird and wonderful insects and bugs. They may be a bit gross for some but are always fascinating for children.

Edinburgh Butterfly World, Scotland, UK by Silversyrpher

Best thing about all these attractions is that they offer family discounts or cheap tickets for kids.

Agatha Jones helps run a wedding reception venue in Edinburgh. She has found that Edinburgh tend to offer better than expected facilities for kids.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Maxwell Hamilton

Chertsey Abbey

Chertsey was built around this abbey and was founded in 666 AD by the Bishop of London of the time. It grew to become of the largest Benedictine abbeys in England. It was rebuilt in 1110 after it was destroyed by the Danes. The building was completely destroyed after 1537 with the bricks being used to make other buildings. The monument is an intriguing historical site despite the lack of the original abbey.

Mercedes Benz World

This is one for all you petrol heads out there. An opportunity to get up close and personal with a plethora of vintage and current models form the luxury car making firm. Visitors over 1.5m tall can take advantage of a track driving experience which is guaranteed to thrill. Even the tinier members of the family can experience a Mercedes with a mini electric race track available. Once hunger calls, have a bite in the Gull Wing cafe which conveniently looks over the main race track. At the end of the day you can take home a souvenir model of a variety of Mercedes cars. Located in Weybridge, it’s a very short drive from Thorpe Park.

Great Cockcrow Railway

Following on from the transport theme, a trip on the Cockcrow Miniature Railway is a must for anyone visiting the area. It’s a 7 ¼ gauge railway and one of the most extensive of its kind. There are two routes you can take, a red route and a green route. Both are 1 mile long and pass through the most breath taking scenery. The Green route makes a stop at Cockcrow Hill for the engine to be turned around. Each route has its own queue designated by the relevant colour so you know which trip you are going on.

Photo by cockcrow.co.uk

Chertsey Museum

The Museum is situated in the centre of Chertsey in the Borough of Runnymead. The museum houses the Oliver Matthews Dress and Textiles Collection which highlights the various stages of British fashion, a history that extends over the last 300 years. Children under 5 years old can come along and meet Charlie the Chimp on the third Friday of every month. Parents are encouraged to participate with their youngsters. The charge is only £4.50 with siblings under 1 admitted for free.

Brooklands Museum

This is a must see. Brooklands was the first motor racing circuit in the world and widely acknowledged as the birth place of aviation. There is so much to see so make sure your digital camera is on full charge. Once here visitors can explore over 30 different aircraft which are housed in the museum and stand back in awe at one of the last remaining Concords on display. There are a multitude of models of all types to see. The museum is just a stone’s throw away from Thorpe Park so don’t miss out!

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by dodge challenger1

This list of things to do (besides go to Thorpe Park) was written by Thorpe Breaks; offering you exclusive deals on all Thorpe breaks hotels and tickets.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Roser Goula

Northern Costa Brava

Starting in the north Figueres and Cadaques are the main towns of the area stretching up to France. Figueres is a beautiful Catalan town with an interesting architecture and plenty of warmth. The town is most famous for its Dali museum which is the world’s best collection of Dali’s and absolutely un-missable. Dali was born in Figueres and the museum is the most popular in the whole of Spain. Beyond the museum the ramblas are a great place to stroll and while away your afternoons while enjoying the fantastic cafes and street culture of this great town. Cadaques is also tied intimately to Dali and is a beautiful fishing village with a much more sedate and peaceful way of life for you to enjoy.

Outside of the towns the north of the Costa Brava has beautiful countryside with the area around Cap de Creus being fantastically beautiful. Inland the medieval capital of the region Girona is spectacular and a beautiful town with exceptional architecture.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Roser Goula

Central Costa Brava

The central areas of the Costa Brava are the most popular with beach tourists. The main areas between Palamos and Pals are the favourite haunt of locals from Barcelona and tourists. The central coastline is really just a tourist attractions with Costa Brava villas, hotels and luxury resorts lining most of the coastline and somewhat ruining the local atmosphere. That said there are still some places to escape the tourist crowd and some beautiful beaches. If you head a little further inland though you can enjoy the stunning scenery of this fantastic region and a much more local atmosphere.

Southern Costa Brava

The southern Costa Brava takes us further into the concrete jungle and the traditional hotel and beach villa holidays Spain has to offer. It’s much more lively this end of the Costa Brava strip with the area around Lloret de Mar being the most vibrant and boisterous. The sun, sea and sands are undoubtedly the biggest draws and there are some stunning beaches and beautiful resorts to enjoy. However, if you want local culture you will again have to head inland for the main part as the southern coast is one of the most popular tourist regions. Nevertheless this shouldn’t put you off as the area is still beautiful and it’s a lot less crowded and more beautiful than the neighbouring Costa del Sol.

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Amiens Cathedral / Maurice

The destruction and bombing of the city during the First and Second World War, miraculously didn’t destroyed the great Cathédrale de Notre-Dame, which is the main reason for visiting Amiens. It is a wonderful representative of the French Gothic style and it is also the highest cathedral in all of France. It stands on the place of the burnt Romanesque basilica. It was built between 1220 – 1236 and at that time it was the largest in France. The building is 145 meters long, 112 meters high. Arches inside the vault measured 42,3 meters. The cathedral was not built just to their astonishing height, but also as a place to be imposed on the head of John the Baptist brought from a failed crusade. The construction involved three architects, the most famous of them was Robert de Luzarches.

The city tour can proceed in the district St. Leu, which is the oldest and most attractive part of Amiens. It extends north from the cathedral and you can get into it through one of the bridges over the river Somme. You will find the narrow cobbled streets with flowers, restaurants, cafes, as well as antique markets and small art studios. The local squares are lined with canals, and therefore this area is often called Little Venice – La Petite Venice. If you will be tired, you can get into a boat and get a ride on the canal between the flowering gardens. The streets around the cathedral have beautifully renovated building, such as the medieval bell tower or a house, which houses the Museo de Picardie. This museum has a wide focus, you will find here something from each side, plus a few hidden archaeological pieces. Here you can see the works from the Roman period up to the 20th century, but excels mainly in the collection of French paintings and sculptures. Statues of glowing white marble from the 19th century are very charming, as well as works by Picasso and Balthus located on the second floor.

Another interesting museum is located in the building of the Hotel de Berny from 17th century.

One of the famous people that were born in Amiens was the writer Jules Verne (1828 – 1905), whose house Maison á la Tour you can visit here. Verne wrote a large part of his fantasy novels right here.

Other sights include the Perret tower standing next to the station from August Peretti, or a number of churches, such as Ste Jeanne d’Arc, St Acheul, Sainte Anne or Saint Firmin. In 1970, the University of Jules Verne was founded here in Amiens.

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The city was founded sometime in the late of 12th century by rich Saxon merchants. Its strategic importance gradually grew and the fortifications were improved. Sighisoara is well known because of Vlad Tepes or Vlad III the Impaler (known as Dracula) was born here around the year of 1430.

Historical center is located on a hill, and it is thoroughly fortified. From the train station it takes for about 15 minutes to get there. At the courtyard there is the landmark of the city – Clock Tower, a 64m high tower built in the 13th century where is now museum. There is also Dracula’s family house, which is now one of the best (and most expensive) local restaurant.

There is a medieval festival in the courtyard and city events.

What else you can see in Sighisoara?

• Sighisoara Citadel – a 12th Century Saxon edifice, is the historic center of the city. Still inhabited, the citadel is listed as a World Heritage Site
• Weapon Museum – next to Vlad’s birthplace. Very small, but it contains an interesting selection of medieval weapons (swords, arrows, etc.)
• Covered Staircase – a very old stone staircase with a wooden roof along the whole span. This leads up to the Church on the Hill and the cemetery
• Church on the Hill – contains many frescoes and a crypt. Built on the location of a Roman fort. Located on the side of the hill next to it is one of the Lutheran cemeteries in the city, which contains many tombstones of Germans.
• Bust of Vlad Tepes – Located around the corner from his birthplace, within sight of the Clock Tower

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Positano, Campania, Italy by Stefano Costantini

Positano is one of the world’s most beautiful resorts and, of course, one of the most expensive. The most renowned beaches here are sandy beaches Spiaggia Grande and Spiaggia Fornillo. There is also the rocky beach Scogliera. Of course you can do a wide range of activities here. The most popular is the diving and surfing. However the area is suitable for hiking as well. During the summer season Positano holds many festivals and celebrations. Among the most significant is the celebration of the landing Saraceno – “Festa di Santa Assunta” or Festival of Dance – “Premio Positano“.

The city was an important port during the 16th and 17th centuries, but later in the 19th century many people moved out and those remaining lived very poorly. Around the year of 1950 a poor fishing village has been discovered again and opened to a new and lucrative industry. Today the inhabitants live solely from tourism. Currently Positano has around 4,000 inhabitants.

Positano, Campania, Italy by Jensens

There are several sights that you can find here, but visitors are coming here mainly for romantic sunsets. One of the best ways to enjoy a sunset is sitting on the beach with a glass of Limoncello.

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