Whether you’re looking to go cheap and park up at a campsite or live a little and get a nice hotel, you’ll always have your car with you in order to travel the local areas, or even go for a day trip to a location that’s perhaps a few miles away. Of course a trip such as this requires a specific budget for petrol or diesel, so getting hold of a Chooseafuelcard.com Fuel Cards might help out with fuel management.

The only problem that ever really occurs is choosing where to go. Here are a few ideas.

Grenoble, France by Jörg Sancho Pernas

South of France

Traveling through the heart of the French countryside, first of all you’ll have a very pleasant journey, but also the chance to stop off at the numerous towns and cities along the way, including Dijon, Lyon and Grenoble.

Once arrived in the southern coast, there is a plethora of locations you can choose from, the next more glamorous than the last. The likes of Nice and Cannes allow great shopping destinations, whilst also taking in the wondrous views of the coastline and the Mediterranean. Monaco is just a completely different experience altogether and seeing the likes of the Casino Square can really open your eyes to a lifestyle only few in this world can enjoy frequently.

Monaco by Georges DICK

Northern Italy

There are a varied amount of destinations in the north of Italy which can offer unique experiences all in one holiday. The main point of call would be the fashion and style hub of Milan for a couple of days in the city, splashing a bit of cash and eating great food. From there, you can make the trip south-west to San Remo and enjoy the great coastline of another stylish location that is similar in some ways to Monaco, not least because of the fancy casino the town has.

If that wasn’t your bag, you could always go further north from Milan and visit the glam of Lake Como and Lake Maggiore on the Swiss border. Going east would see you eventually come across the likes of Verona and even the amazing city of Venice.

Lake Como, Italy by Joyborg

East coast of Spain

This is a trip probably reserved for those die-hard families that love to be together in a car for a very long time, but the east coast of Spain harbours some of the great summer locations Europe has to offer.

First stop would be Barcelona for a great city experience and a number of cliché tourist visits to the likes of the Cathedral, Las Rambles and Camp Nou football stadium. Next up is a drive south to the beautiful coastal city of Valencia for some sunbathing and relaxing.

Further down the coast includes destinations such as Benidorm for a good night out and Alicante for a more of an all-rounder.

Alicante, Spain by Julo (Best of European Union)

About the author: Sam writes for Chooseafuel.com who offer various fuel cards for pretty much everyone on the European continent, whether you need it for a petrol car of a diesel LPG. For more information click here.

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Inverness, Scotland, UK by Phillip Capper

From a vibrant city feel through to miles upon miles of natural beauty and a number of fantastic examples of Scottish history, it’s the latter two where Inverness and the surrounding area really excels – and there are five reasons why.

1. It’s home to River Ness

The most famous ‘Ness’ in Scotland is without doubt Loch Ness, but there are many out there who believe River Ness – a river that flows from the loch – is much more worthy of a visit.

With banks lined by beautiful buildings, from hotels with wonderful views through to St Andrew’s Cathedral, it’s also home to a staggering amount of wildlife.  Known for its salmon, you can also regularly see seals, house martins and diving birds, with the latter alone making a visit worthwhile.

2. You can stand upon an actual battlefield

In 1745, the final pitched battle was fought at Culloden, when William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland proved victorious over the Jacobite forces of Charles Stuart, instantly stopping any continued attempts to overthrow the House of Hanover.

Combining an exhibition of the battlefield with a great audio tour, Culloden Battlefield is a short drive out of Inverness city centre but is well worth the journey.  Plus, if you’re a member of the National Trust, you get free entry.

3. Plodda Falls is stunningly beautiful

Said to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls in all of Scotland, although a popular attraction, Plodda Falls is  visited nowhere near as much as many of the other natural attractions in the country.  A perfect destination for a peaceful and tranquil trip when you’re staying in Inverness, you’re almost guaranteed to be blown away by the natural spectacle.

Inverness reflects in the Ness, Scotland, UK by Imaohw

Whilst the bridge that allowed you to walk across the top of the 150 foot high waterfall has been removed in recent years, it has been replaced with a fantastic viewing platform, allowing you to take in the breathtaking waterfall from a position that you simply can’t do with many others around the world.

4. You can go dolphin watching

It might sound more like daytrip more typical of a tropical destination, but you can actually regularly see dolphins – and other aquatic wildlife – if you take a short drive outside of Inverness to a place called Chanonry Point.

With a lovely beach and a much adored lighthouse, there are some who say they have visited Chanonry Point a few times and not seen dolphins, but there are many, many more who have witnessed the dolphins frolicking close to the shore on a regular basis.

Dophin at Chanonry Point, Scotland, UK by EmPemm

Definitely worth a trip, as aside from the fact it’s extremely likely you’ll see some of nature’s most wonderful animals simply having fun, the whole area is beautiful.

5. Inverness Castle is nothing short of awe-inspiring

Situated on a wonderful cliff top position (and obviously a strategic one when it was actually in use), the views looking from – and to – Inverness Castle make it one of the most charming and unspoilt castles in the country.

Whilst the actual castle itself isn’t open to the public, the grounds of the red sand stone building are and a visit is very much advised, if not purely to get a photo in front of this wonderful Inverness landmark.

As a city, Inverness might be popular and there’s no doubt it has something to offer most, but its attractions might seem like anything other than relaxed and laid back at first.

However, with just a little research you can come across a range of such sights and attractions, with the five here really just a small amount of those you can sample easily in and around Inverness.

Matthew Bettoli writes for holiday cottages Inverness provider Cottages and Castles.

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After you’ve decided to go to Amsterdam, you have a few more decisions to make before your holiday. First, you must find a deal on Amsterdam flights. It is wise to book your flight well in advance to ensure a lower rate, especially if you are going during the busy season. While you may be able to find accommodations after you land, it is ideal to make your reservation in advance as well. After you have secured lodging, it’s time for the fun part – deciding what to do.

A view of the Reguliersgracht on the corner with the Keizersgracht, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands by Massimo Catarinella

The Seven Best Things to Do

The below top seven things to do in Amsterdam will help you decide which attractions and activities you cannot miss during your trip.

• De Pijp – This neighborhood is referred to as “Quartier Latin” due to 19^th-century architecture that reflects a collision of many different cultures. This eclectic neighborhood features ethnic restaurants and one-of-a kind shops to satisfy the food enthusiast and shopaholic. It is also home to Albert Cuyp Market, a famous street market with international vendors. This is a great place to meander around and take in flavors and experiences from all over the world.

• Vondelpark – As a well-maintained park that is home to ponds, playgrounds and winding paths, it is an ideal spot for an evening bike ride or roller blading adventure. There is a plethora of sculptures and statues to appreciate throughout the park. Vondelpark is open from sunrise to sunset and is an excellent free way to enjoy an evening in Amsterdam.

• Anne Frank’s House – Anne Frank’s universally respected and somber house is widely considered a must-see attraction. Visitors are able to see where Anne Frank hid for two years and wrote her diary before being taken to a concentration camp. As one of the most popular attractions in the city, visiting very early or very late in the day is the best way to avoid long lines. The House is open daily and charges a reasonable price for admission.

• Van Gogh Museum – Home to a collection of prints, paintings and etchings from the respected Vincent Van Gogh, this museum is a must-see for any art enthusiast. With over 200 paintings on display visitors can spend an entire day taking in Van Gogh’s work. Admission is more than other museums in the area and is often sold-out. Reserve your tickets well ahead of time to see this unique museum.

• The Heineken Experience – Located on the site of the company’s original brewery, this renovated attraction offers a self-guided tour of this famous brewery. The ‘experience’ entails a unique multimedia exhibit in which you actually become a beer. Visitors are shaken, sprayed and heated. Don’t worry, you won’t be drank at the end. However, you may do some drinking yourself.

• The Red Light District – Many travelers have called the Red Light District a can’t-miss attraction. Being home to many bars and clubs, this district is known for its legalized prostitution and is most alive at night. Even if you will not be a patron, visiting the district offers a unique perspective not found anywhere else in the world. Leave the camera at your hostel, as taking pictures of prostitutes is expressly prohibited.

• Di’Vino Wijnbar – The Jordaan district is home to this dedicated wine bar for the sophisticated tourist. Enjoy a candlelit experience filled with quality Italian wines paired with divinely arranged cheese plates. The flickering candles and comfortable seating create an idyllic environment for a romantic evening in a quiet part of town.

Make the Most Out of Your Amsterdam Trip

Planning a rough itinerary before your trip is the best way to make the most out of your Amsterdam holiday. While there is value in an unstructured visit, if you are on any sort of time constraints making a schedule is advised. Creating an itinerary of attractions and activities will help you optimize the time spent in this wonderful and historic city.

Jonathan M. Scott is a contributing writer and travel enthusiast. He makes regular trips to Europe and Asia to explore new countries and cultures. 

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Málaga, Andalucía, Spain by untipografico

When you land at Malaga airport (the largest in Andalucía) you might be tempted to pick up your car hire and set off on the open road, out of the city or even province. But wait, don’t miss out on Malaga; take in the city first then head out to discover the rest of the province. Malaga province known largely for the Costa del Sol (one of the first places to attract tourism in Spain) should be well reviewed and documented. However, the city itself and the small villages in the area were relatively undiscovered. If you want an initial guide on Malaga province then look no further than this plethora of perfect places to peruse:

The City Itself – Historic Cultural Malaga

If you like Spain, you’ll love Malaga. Rich in culture from art galleries to incredible eateries, you can take in a bull fight or become engrossed with Picasso. Malaga as the birth home of the modern artist offers a multitude of modern art galleries – the Thyssen, the CAC and the Picasso Museum to name just three. When you want to relax, soak up the atmosphere and people watch then there is no better place than one of the coffee shops or restaurants. Top insider tips include: Le Panto on Calle Larios for incredible cakes, Café con Libros on Plaza Merced for thirst quenching juices and milkshakes, Taberna el Quitapenas on Calle de Marin Garcia for fresh fish and Bodega El Pimpi for Sherry and Serrano Ham.

Málaga Cathedral, Andalucía, Spain by Thomas Münter

Beyond the City and into the Mountains

Malaga province is famed for White Mountain villages where they are as picturesque as they’re traditional. Each village has its own nuances from eating a special variety of lemon sprinkled with paprika as tapas in Iznate, to slow oven cooked kid with garlic in Canillas de Aceituno. This is the real Spain, jump in a car hire in Malaga and set off around the province. On your drive from the coast it becomes mountainous very quickly and the winding roads offer some fantastic views out to sea over to Morocco. Visit Gaucin with its art shops and wonderful sunsets or the area around Grazalema which is a hiker’s paradise. Each white village offers something new, if not a culinary delight then an incredible view.

Summer Dining

Spain as a whole is rich in gastronomic delights and Malaga province is no exception. If you are beside the sea during the summer months look out for Chiringuitos (rustic BBQ’s on the beach) where the catch of the day is seasoned and grilled to perfection. During August it’s harvest time for Muscatel grapes. Try Vino de Malaga a sweet sherry which is made around most towns and villages. There are different variants, from semi sweet to syrupy sweet but all are made from the local muscatel grapes which are collected by hand.

While on holiday in Malaga, adapt to the pace of life, stop, relax and enjoy the surroundings. Plan your day around food times – breakfast anytime up to midday, lunch between 14.00hrs and 17.00hrs (make it long and leisurely), then dinner anytime from 20.30hrs onwards (the later the better in summer).

Paul Collins lives in Southern Spain and works for http://www.marbenjo.com/ a family run car hire firm based in Malaga.

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Tower Bridge, London, UK by Trey Ratcliff

1. One of the things that you first have to get straight concerning London is the fact that there are very few off-season periods. No matter what time of year it is, travelers are coming from around the world in order to visit this historic city for one reason or another. Because of that fact, you’ll not find many times of the year that the London hotels aren’t busy, and some times of the year there aren’t any bookings to be had.

2. The next most important thing that you need to know about booking London hotels is the fact that there is a large variety of different ones stretched out all over the city. If you’re looking for the most posh hotels in London, then you’re going to want to check out the offerings in the middle of the city, or Central London as it is known, as this is where all of the luxury hotels reside. These hotels are only for those individuals who have the budgets to afforded, as you won’t find anything better in regards to luxury, comfort, and overall decadence. If you are able to swing it however, chances are you’re going to have an experience that you won’t soon forget as you will be catered to by a plethora of luxurious services that only these posh hotels offer. Many of the amenities include spas, swimming pools, and the finest of fare from world-class chefs.

If you don’t have the budget to afford one of these posh and exclusive hotels in London, then you might be better off opting for one of the more affordable options that will provide you with nice accommodations at a price that is affordable. This will allow you to spend the remainder of your vacation money on traveling around London and seeing all the sights. None of these affordable options are going to be located in central London, but if you search around Ealing, Finchley, or Dockyards, you can usually find one to suit your budget.

If these moderately priced hotels are more than what you want to afford, then you might be better off searching the outlying areas of the city where they have many of the budget hotels. These are great because they allow you to rent a room for not even half of what you would need to pay for one of the more expensive hotel rooms. The downside of renting out one of these rooms is the fact that the majority of sights that you’re going to want to see in London are quite a distance from these locations so you will have to spend a lot of time traveling around in order to view them. This really shouldn’t be that big of a deal however if you are limited on the amount of money can pay for a hotel room.

3. In order to book one of these cheap hotel rooms in London, there isn’t any need to go visiting every one of them, as the majority of them all have their own website today. All you have to do is look them up online and make an inquiry on how much the rooms are and whether or not they have any rooms available. All of these hotels are going to allow you to book one of their rooms on the web, so finding a room isn’t going to be that difficult as long as you have a credit card and Internet access.

4. While there are not many instances in the London tourist season that would be considered the off-season, occasionally you can get lucky and find a hotel that is offering an online deal for their rooms during their off-season. If you are able to score such a deal, you can save a lot of money on the cost of your room and spend it on other things.

5. Another great way to find some budget or cheap hotels in London would be to put either of those terms into one of your favorite search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. Doing that is sure to provide you with a number of listings of websites that offer services for finding the best deals on hotel rooms in London that will fit into your budget.

If you would like to know more about our range of services please stop by at outlet4holidays.com

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Dennis Jarvis

Location, Location, Location

By checking out the location of your proposed accommodation and also checking out a few reviews which are plentiful on the internet, you can make sure that your hotel, apartment or guest house is the most suitable for you and your party. If you are a family with young children, the last thing you want is a hotel next to a nightclub blasting out music till the sun comes up. Likewise, if you are a group of friends looking to party hard, you do not want to be in a resort which is full of families who will complain about your partying. By using some of the many review sites on the web, you can make sure that the location you choose has everything you need to enjoy your holiday, whether it be beaches, attractions, scenery or nightclubs and bars.

Try Using The Lingo

It can be a little daunting going to a foreign country where everything is new and you don’t understand the language. If you try to pick up some of the language and try out a few words, you will be surprised at how this encourages the locals to communicate with you. Even if it is just saying “hello” and “goodbye”, “can I have the bill please?” Or “can I have two cold beers please?” by making the effort you will get a much friendlier response in general.

Weather

Spain has a very varied climate, being the second most mountainous country in Europe, it has some excellent skiing and snowboarding resorts in the north of the country, or if the cold is not your thing then it has a plethora of locations in the south which has a warm climate year round. In places such as Tenerife you get an average of over 2800 hours of sun a year with an average temperature of around 24°C, more than enough for the sun worshipers out there.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by shortCHINESEguy

Party Like The Locals

Spain is one of the party capitals of Europe and the locals love a good fiesta. It may be worthwhile considering timing your trip to one of the major festivals so you really get to soak up the atmosphere and culture of this beautiful country. You can check out the Semana Santa festival in Seville, Malaga, Valladolid or Leon which happens the week leading up to Easter Sunday or San Fermin (Pamplona Bull Run) in Pamplona in early July. There is even the Tomatina Tomato Fight which happens on the fourth Wednesday in August in the Valencian town of Buñol. By timing your visit to one of the spectacular festivals you can certainly make sure you have a visit to remember and learn how to part like the Spanish do.

Attractions

Spain not only has some of the best beaches and resorts in Europe, along with some of the most famous festivals in the world, it also has attractions galore for all discernible tastes. You have the moon like landscape in Tenerife, the majestic Pyrenees, or you have museums abundant such as the Prado Museum in Madrid, or world famous architecture such as the Sagrada Família, Gaudí’s unfinished Cathedral in Barcelona. There are also water parks all over the coastal region of Spain and also the islands so you will find it easy to cool down and have some fun families and groups of friends alike.

Conclusion

By doing a little bit of homework before booking your next holiday to Spain, you can make sure you save yourself a few headaches and make it the most memorable experience to keep you coming back year after year. After all how can 23 million people be wrong!

This article was written by Andy Wright on behalf of Travel Republic. Travel Republic offer some of the best Holidayst/uploads/2012/d> �g aneep ykxperience to ktsHow to Ensure You Have a Fantastic Holiday in Spain appeared first on Best of European Union.