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If you are yourself driving around Europe it is important to make sure that you, and your vehicle, are properly insured. This is usually a pretty easy thing to do as holiday insurances are now far more prevalent and easy to obtain and many vehicle insurers will offer Europe wide cover for no extra cost. That said you should still check with your providers that you are covered in the countries that you are planning to visit.

On top of this it may be worth checking that you are covered in any countries that you might be visiting by mistake on your round trips in Europe. With the open border policy that is in effect throughout much of Europe it is very easy to suddenly find yourself in a country that you weren’t expecting to be in. Many of the motorways you are going to go on during your round trips in Europe (in Danish rundrejser i Europa) will cross over borders with little warning and it is easy to find yourself in Belgium when you thought you were in France or Holland.

Just because you have insurance and you didn’t have to show a passport it doesn’t mean that you don’t need to pay road tax for some of the countries in Europe. Whilst many countries do not require visitors to purchase a road tax certificate, some do. Austria and Hungary are classic examples of this fact and if you are caught without the correct tax certificate you could find yourself on the receiving end of a hefty fine.

There are some fantastic bus tours that can be taken throughout Europe and the Christmas Markets in Germany or a Wine tour of France can be an extremely enjoyable experience. It is important to realize that travel times can, however, be quite lengthy and it is better to wear sufficiently comfortable clothing to make the journey enjoyable. If you are travelling by bus to see the Opera in Vienna then leave the posh dress in your luggage until you arrive, you will have a far more pleasant journey.

River cruises along the many amazing waterways of Europe are a great way to see the continent at a relaxing pace and rivers such as the Danube offer some wonderful cultural experiences. However, just because you are on a river it doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t suffer any effects of motion sickness. It is extremely unlikely that you will experience any turbulence that could compare with ocean travel, but just the gentle motion of the boat can upset some people. So make sure that you have some sort of sea sickness medication just in case. It would be a terrible thing if your holiday were to be ruined because of an easily avoidable illness.

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1.Choose the map-reader

The last thing you want when you’re on a road trip are two conflicting drivers, who are both trying to map-read. You’ll end up being sent in different directions, and you’ll most probably end up being lost too. Assign one person to map read who is confident with the job.

2.Pack the essentials

Make sure you have all the essentials with you when you leave. You’ll want some water (to keep you hydrated) and you’ll want things like Crisps (for when you get peckish) and wet wipes in case you spill anything.

3.Download some great music

A road trip is all about the awesome music you listen to along the way – so make sure you’ve preloaded some great music on your mp3 player before you leave. You could even ask everyone to send you a few tracks – or even better, ask everyone to create their own playlist. That way, everyone is happy!

4.Pre-Book hotels and hostels

As far as possible, try and pre-book your hotels and hostels along the way. The worst thing when road tripping, is finding there is one hotel in the area, and then finding out that it’s fully booked. Trust me – you don’t want to end up sleeping in the car, it’s uncomfortable and will make everyone grouchy the next morning!

5.Remember your visas

When travelling through Europe, you’ll be crossing the borders of many countries. Because of this, you’ll want to research the visa needs for you and your group. It may be that to cross one border you’ll need to fork out some money – so make sure you’ve budgeted for these kind of occurrences.

The most important thing though, of course, is to have fun! Remember that road trips can be super fun and can be a vacation you’ll always remember! You’ll want to keep yourself organised and you’ll want to stay on track – but if you get lost, try not to panic and just enjoy the holiday and enjoy wherever it is you’ve ended up. Most towns in Europe will have a tourist information bureau who can assist you in your travels!

Elle works for No1 Traveller and Calle Arco as a travel writer.

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Stonehenge, England / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Danny Sullivan

UK families are now more likely to remain within our borders than journey to Europe or the Mediterranean. Last year, less than 60% of British families stayed at home, but this year we’re expecting over 10% more.

Financial influence has paid a large part in this turnaround, as nearly half of all Britons fear their job is at risk in the immediate future. Trips to the UK are, on the whole, cheaper than trips abroad and feel much safer an option, as a result.

The problems associated with air travel have also become more prominent in the public’s mind over the last couple of years. With the modern worries over our carbon footprints, increased security and the value of low-budget airlines in question, many holiday-makers are less willing to take to the air.

With the exchange rate of the pound in a less beneficial state than it previously has been, the general consensus is that traveling abroad no longer offers the value of money required. Staying at home now seems like an easier, less stressful and cheaper proposition.

Scotland landscape / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Jack Shainsky

The beauty of the British landscape is also a massive appeal to those looking closer to home for their travel destination. Beautiful scenery has been the most important factor in location selection since 2009 and the BDRC’s first survey.

The good weather that has blessed the UK in the last couple of years has also had a huge effect on the appeal non-foreign holidays. In this year’s BDRC survey, nearly double the amount of people claimed that the weather influenced their decision to holiday here, than did in 2011.

The 2012 survey also suggests that that Scotland has now become the most popular area to holiday in. 28% chose Scotland as their preferred location, leaving the southwest in a close second with 27%. This is a reversal from the previous year, when the positions were the other way round.

The most sought-after destination for families is Cornwall, which proved to be a real favourite for families with children below the age of eleven.

The Highlands in Scotland are still the most popular region for UK visitors, however. In 2011, they received 13% of all bookings and this looks set to rise, with over 15% of all early bookings, this year.

Written by Jon for Hotel Shop, offering cheap breaks across the UK and beyond.

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Outside of the building you can enjoy Salt sauna (90 °C), Forest sauna (70 – 95 °C), Infra-red cabin, Jacuzzi (32 – 34 °C), Trunk showers, Relaxation cave, Rest room, Shower house and Summer bar.

But it is still not everything you can expect from Sole-Felsen-Bad. The Spa centre includes also Water World with 7 different swimming pools including Rock salt pool (1.5% salt with 32 – 34 °C), Relaxing Salt Lagoon (indoor & outdoor, 5% salt, 32 – 34 °C), Granite bath (5% salt, 32 – 34 °C), Sport freshwater pool (26 – 28 °C), Children’s freshwater swimming pool (28 – 30 °C) and 1 65 meters long slide.

Salt pools contains different concentrations of salt, and are equipped with water massage beds, springs, whirlpools and massage jets.

The basic admission to both Sauna World and Water World is €20,90 for the whole day, but you can decide whether you want to visit just Sauna or just Water World. It is also possible to stay here for shorter time, which is much cheaper. During your visit you can stay at the camping or hotel which are directly at the Sole-Felsen-Bad.

For further details see the official website of Sole-Felsen-Bad.

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The complex consists of the palace with 126 rooms, opera house, Diana’s Temple, the Temple of Venus, the Hermitage, the Chinese pavilion, dance hall, puppet theatre and a large French garden. The castle was a home of the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn for almost thirty years. Even Empress Maria Theresa lived here in 1773.

After the death of Count Esterházy, the family left and the castle remained empty for nearly a whole century. During the Second World War, the chateau served as a hospital and was damaged. In the past few years the castle has been partially renovated and rebuilt into a hotel. Today there are 26 rooms ​​available.

There is a museum and music hall. Every year it hosts International Music Festival and Weeks of music.

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Near Lake Wörthersee you can find other lakes, which are much smaller. They are located mainly south of Wörthersee and extend to the borders of Slovenia. This area is surrounded by mountain peaks of Karawanken mountains, which together with the lake create a beautiful scenery.

Lake Wörthersee is surrounded by a number of resorts – a new modern town of Velden, Krumpendorf or Pörtschach am Wörthersee.

What to see in the neighborhood
Vintgar gorge about 26 km
Minimundus 8 km
Klopeiner See about 33 km
Ski resort Kranjska Gora about 33 km
Planica about 37 km
Waterfall Pericnik about 29 km

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Hunter-Desportes

European E20 route passes through Öresund Bridge as well, which is important connection between Scandinavia and Central and Western Europe. But not only the bridge is interesting here. Another part of this route is a well-built tunnel under the sea that ensures better navigation and transportation network for the ships. The long tunnel permits fleets of large cargo boats, passenger ships and speed boats steer safely through this extended tunnel.

On Öresund Bridge you will pass the borders but thanks to Schengen Agreement there are usually no passport inspections.

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The Architect of the bridge is Georg Rotne who designed several important bridges throughout the world. Öresund Bridge is 7,845 meters long and up to 23.5 meters wide and today it serves to more than 17,000 road vehicles every day.

If you visit Sweden or Denmark in the future, you have to make a trip by train or car through this unique bridge and tunnel. It is really very impressive!

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The mining started already in the 1st Century. The Romans used the hydraulic mining technique. After two centuries of extremely profitable mining the Romans departed and left here a devastated landscape. But after centuries it has changed and now the country looks so much impressive that in 1997 was Las Médulas registered by the UNESCO as one of the World Heritage Sites.

Even today you can still see a mining operation there, at non-forested slopes, that are full of steep rocky bits in orange or almost red color. According to Pliny the Elder, it could be extracted about 1,650,000 kg of pure gold during the 250 years of mining.

Villages in the area of Las Médulas belong to the poorest in Spain. Once you come here you will feel that the time totally stopped. The buildings are abandoned and dilapidated, young people left to large cities. Just after including the area to UNESCO the first tourists started to arrive. Local residents are very sincere and offer their domestic products, especially wines, liqueurs and cheeses.

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Two others just after Vrtoglavica cave are the cave Patkov gust in Croatia with 553 meters pitch and Da Keng in China with 519 meters.

Vrtoglavica Cave is located in Slovenia, very close to the borders with Italy, in the Kanin mountain, which is the part of the Julian Alps. The nearest town is Bovec.

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Sněžka is not forested, therefore offers a panoramic view of the Czech Republic and Poland in good weather. This makes Sněžka frequent tourist destination. To the top you can get through several hiking trails from the Czech or Polish side. Probably the most beautiful leads through Obří důl. It takes about 3 hours walking to get to Sněžka from the most of the resorts.

The oldest building on top is a Polish rotunda chapel of St. Lawrence, which was built in the 17th century. Sněžka has, among other things, the highest post office in the Czech Republic, inaugurated in 2007.

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