Huge cruise ship by JUAN RAMON RODRIGUEZ SOSA

With this in mind then we need to examine why Spain has become so popular as a cruise destination? Essentially the country acts as a very useful and strategic gateway to the rest of Europe and Africa as well. A cruise starting from Spain can easily navigate its way through the rest of Europe from other Mediterranean countries such as Italy and Greece to the likes of Germany and France and everything in between. Indeed, many cruises that start off from one of the many ports in the country will often take in the top of North Africa too while Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt very popular destinations for Spanish cruises.

Normally your Spanish cruise will begin to stop off at one of the 3 main ports in the country such as Malaga, Barcelona or Valencia however most itinerary’s will take in at least one of the islands as well with Ibiza or Mallorca very close by or, if you are heading to North Africa, then Tenerife with its volcano’s and scarred landscape is another popular destination.

Enjoying pool on the cruise ship with Tenerife in the background by David Lisbona

Gibraltar is a stopping destination that does not usually feature on many cruise routes but is worth a visit all the same. The ‘rock’ has been a point of contention between Spain and the UK for a while now but it is a recommended stop off point for cruises in the area. A cable car ride to the top of the rock can produce amazing views of the surrounding area and the Strait of Gibraltar and Mediterranean in particular. St. Michael’s Cave, 2 caves in actual fact, is also an attraction. The limestone caves have some fantastic natural beauty and a rich history as ‘cave art’ was recently discovered there dating back some 15,000 years.

A cruise from Spain can last anywhere from 1 week to over a month. A week long or 10 day cruise might see you start from Barcelona, take in one of the islands such as Mallorca before taking off to the tip of North Africa and perhaps at least one other Mediterranean country such as Italy as well. A month long cruise could see you go as far as Brazil or South America while also enjoying everything that Spain has to offer from culture in Barcelona to sunny beaches in the Costa Del Sol. A cruise that takes in Spain is as interesting as it is diverse and because the country features so many different climates, activities, cultural heritages and customs then it is one country that it is very difficult to get bored of.

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Channel tunnel, UK <=> France by Mortadelo2005

Aeroplane: there are a high number of flights leaving from all of our UK airports and going to pretty much any airport in Europe. The flights are usually quite short, anything from a 40 minute trip to Amsterdam, an hour’s flying time to Spain, or a four hour journey to get to Turkey. Aeroplane is the quickest method of transportation to get anywhere. There are, a number of people, however, with an aversion to flying, some don’t enjoy it, or really don’t like to fly. If this describes your or someone in your family, then you may feel like you have limitations placed on where you can go to, but there are a number of other methods of transportation for you to take advantage of.

The train: you can drive down to the channel tunnel and take the train over to France, from here you can drive or take a coach or further to trains to get to anywhere you need to get to. This journey can take a bit longer, the drive or train journey to get to the channel tunnel can take a full day depending on where in the UK you live. Once you are in France, you will need to continue to travel for anything up to one or two days more, if for example, you were going to Spain, once you have got off the train in France, you’d either need to drive for about a day or get a train which will take a few hours to get into Spain. The trains are comfortable and offer food, drinks, as well as a bathroom, so you will be travelling in relative comfort.

Ferry UK to France from Dover by Harvey Barrison

The Ferry: if you are unhappy going on the channel tunnel, if the idea of a train underwater concerns you, but equally you do not enjoy flying, consider taking the ferry. You will need to either drive or take the train to Dover in order to meet with your ferry, if you have driven there you can put your car on the ferry so that you can use it when you get to Europe. The ferry ride takes an hour or two to get to dock in Calais, France. From here you can either take another train to whichever European country you wish to visit or you can drive yourself. The train/car journey length will vary depending on which country you are going to and whether you make any stops along the way.

Whilst it may take a little longer to get the train or the ferry, it is much cheaper in costs, and further to this, you get to see more of the countries you are travelling through, if your holiday is a trip to Spain, you can tell your friends that you’ve also been to France too. Travelling to Europe now, is as easy as travelling in and around the UK, and with work being continually carried out, the trip is sure to get easier and easier.