The Silver City of Aberdeen is a scenic city filled with paths and walkways that crisscross with its 8,000 years of history. Aberdeen has won the Royal Horticultural Societyís ìBritain in Bloom Best Cityî ten times. The worldís largest international youth festival is held in Aberdeen, filling the air with the sounds of art and music from the folk festivals, jazz concerts and literature.
Aberdeen is Scotland’s third largest city and is considered to be the Oil Capital of Europe. However, the cityís stories and historical event turn it into a walk through history itself. The city was flattened during a conflict with King Edward III in 1336, during the Second Scotland War of Independence.
Coupled with the bloody historical battles, the famous granite buildings, gorgeous churches and beautifully appointed parks are the elegant structures that grew out of the destruction of the city. King’s College, Marischal College, and the Town Hall are grandiose examples of Edwardian architecture.
Modern Aberdeen is a fun and friendly city, whose residents are more than welcoming to tourists. The local accent may seem daunting, but the streets are lively, with many restaurants, nightclubs and music venues. Bed and breakfast inns and hotels are plentiful and nicely appointed. There is much culture to be seen, as the city is home to the Maritime Museum and the Aberdeen Art Gallery.
Aberdeen is the gateway to sandy beaches, the waterfront district, the Malt Whiskey trails, the Grampian Highlands and many ancient Scottish castles. There’s a lot of things to do here and unlike some of the other tourist destinations in Scotland, this one isn’t packed with tourists so you can enjoy them without the crowds.
Flights to Aberdeen are available from many UK locations with several carriers such as Ryanair and easyJet servicing the city’s airport. You can always find a deal or a cheap flight there.
The easiest and cheapest way to travel to Scotland is by air. Direct flights to Glasgow or Edinburgh can be found from almost all of the major cities of the world. There are also a few flights from European cities to Aberdeen and Inverness. If a particular airline does not fly to Scotland directly, they may have a flight that stops at Dublin or London first. It’s important to research where airlines go and how to get there (whether with a stop or direct). Sometimes it’s cheaper to not even fly into your main airport!
Knowing an airport can save much time and hassle. Just like it’s important to think about whether or not to fly into Heathrow or Gatwick, you want to fly into the right airport in Scotland. The country is small so it’s easy to move around but you can save good money if you fly into certain airports. Here is a look at three of Scotland’s largest airports.
The airport at Glasgow is one of the busiest in the UK. Its international and domestic flights accommodate over 8 million passengers a year, flying to over 90 destinations worldwide. The arrivals areas for domestic and international passengers are at opposite ends of the main terminal building, on the ground floor. International arrivals are on the left, and UK and Ireland arrivals look to the right.
Edinburgh Airport has been recently renovated, with £100 million spent to upgrade and extend the terminals. The ground floor houses check-in for arriving passengers, with international flights on the left and domestic travellers on the right.
Over 2.5 million people travel to Aberdeen annually; this number is dominated by business travel. There are 26 daily flights to London, and many other direct flights to UK’s regional airports. The terminal comprised of one floor and has shops, boutiques, currency change counters and infant care facilities. Check-in is at the front of the concourse, and all departures and domestic arrivals are at the back of the concourse.
While making your travel plans if you happen to find yourself torn between the desert and the sea, Dubai is the travel destination for you. Dubai is located in the Arabian Desert on the coast of the Persian Gulf. It is a place where you can go deep-sea fishing one day, “dune bashing” the next and wrap it all up with clubbing at night.
Dubai is the most populous of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a Muslim Monarch or emir Emirate is just one of the new words you will have to learn for your trip- souk is another. Souk or Souq refers to the traditional markets or market stalls which still co-exist amongst Dubai’s ultra modern developments.
There are several tour companies that lead daily desert safaris. Generally there are four tour options: morning, evening, dinner and overnight. The overnight tour is the most adventurous option and includes dune bashing, quad biking, camel riding, sand skiing and sand boarding. I hired the same tour only. Dune bashing is just what it sounds like- driving around at high speeds and jumping, sliding or bashing into the sand dunes. After a long day in the heat the evening, dinner and overnight tour options include a relaxing meal and belly dancing beneath the desert sky. It was really fun to me, I just cant wish for any thing more than it.
Dubai is a great place to visit. There are many things to do here and the hotels are amazing. I couldn’t believe the luxury here- one hotel was even its own island. How crazy is that? Make sure you book early though because you can find some good deals now if you book head. I checked various hotels after which I booked my room. I got a pretty good deal too. Between the posh hotel and the posh environment, Dubai is a luxurious and exciting place to visit. I have even recommended many people of my acquisition to have a tour to Dubai. I don’t know why but Dubai is some thing special to me.
If you want a holiday you’ll never forget, perhaps to celebrate a once-in-a-lifetime occasion like an anniversary or a honeymoon, why not consider touring a range of fabulous locations in one trip rather than settling for just one? Cruise holidays offer just this. And, today, the fleet of vessels top companies like Royal Caribbean Cruises, Carnival Cruises, Princess Cruises and Costa Cruises have on offer can suit every budget, from the modest to the extravagant.
If the idea of a luxurious, state of the art vessel rings your bell, you could opt for a fairytale castle-at-sea, such as Royal Caribbean’s magnificent oasis of the Seas.î Boasting nine restaurants spanning an array of fabulous cuisines, stunning swimming pools to suit adults, children and even toddlers, breathtaking evening entertainment and the most advanced sea-faring technology available, this gorgeous ship will stay in your reminiscences forever. But most of the big players in the world of cruise holidays offer smaller vessels too, where you’ll get a more intimate, personal experience at a surprisingly humble price that will suit even the tightest budget. Look out for cruise offers with these companies.
Whichever end of the cruise spectrum you select, there are always tempting cruise deals to be found, particularly if you’re opting for last minute cruises. A mini-cruise to a romantic European city like Amsterdam lets you wine, dine and stay overnight in a history-steeped capital before heading back for home ñ all before the weekends done. On longer forays, such as Mediterranean cruises or Caribbean cruises, you’ll be able to step ashore virtually every day in exotic and exciting locations. Or mix your cruise with a week of travel and a week of onshore sunshine with one of the many cruise and stay holidays now available. Whatever you choose to do, it will be a fantastic way to see another country or part of the world. Live a little, cruise a little.
Founded as a 10th century fortress by a descendent of Charlemagne, Brussels has continually grown over the years until today it is home to roughly two million inhabitants. Travellers are continually visiting the city on cheap flights due to the fact that Brussels is now a major metropolis, and as well as being the largest city in Belgium doubles as the de-facto capital of the European Union. Not only does it host a number of the principal European Union institutions, it is also the home of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and ever since the end of the Second World War has been one of the major cities in the world for international politics, bringing in leaders from all around the world.
Above and beyond its importance within the international community, there are a large number of tourists coming in on flights from Edinburgh and London, as well as those heading out on flights to London, Aberdeen and many other cities.
The city is a complex mixture of medieval architecture dating back to the 10th century, juxtaposed with modern edifices. In addition, there are a variety of French and Dutch speaking communities throughout the city. French is spoken by the majority of the population these days, although it was traditionally and historically a Dutch speaking community and as a result the languages used in the markets and restaurants throughout the city will vary, depending on which district you happen to be in.
Me and my girlfriend love Spain. We’ve been traveling here for a couple of months now. We started in Torrevieja before moving up to Valencia, Madrid and Zaragoza. The one thing we’ve noticed is how different each city is. So it was with great excitement we decided to end our trip in the Catalan city of Barcelona. Barcelona is truly a tale of two cities. Spanish by name, Catalan by nature.
We arrived in Barcelona in December and were amazed that even without the Spanish sun, it looked more spectacular than any of the other cities we’d been to. The Sagrada FamÌlia is widely considered Gaudi’s master piece and it shows. We nearly forgot to check in to the hotel because we’d spent so long admiring it.
We had a bit of money left and since we were only there for a few days we splashed out on a hotel. I had been hoping that the hotels in Barcelona all looked like the Sagrada FamÌlia but my girlfriend enjoys her creature comforts so was a lot more happy in our modern hotel with fully functioning power shower.
Once we were fed and watered we decided to head out into the city for a quiet night. Iíd always assumed that Barcelona was a party city. Now this is true if that is what you are looking for. Night Clubs are legendary in this town and easy to find. Me and my lady actually prefer something a little more quirky and we decided to eat in a Frank Sinatra styled restaurant. The food was incredible and was actually really cheap.
We had managed to get a really good deal on theatre tickets online and after dinner strolled across to the Gran Teatre del Liceu to check out one of my girlfriends favorite Operas. I’ve never slept so well in all my life! The music was so loud not even my girlfriend heard my snores.
The trade for a night at the Opera was my girlfriend attending the Barcelona game the next day with me. It’s been a lifelong dream to visit the Camp Nou and I wasn’t disappointed. Even my girlfriend enjoyed it!(sort of ).
We went back online later to compare flights back to the UK and found the cheapest were actually the next day. We really wished we had stayed longer but some deals are just too good to pass up. It is not often a city can cater for two such different people but it is not so surprising when you realize it caters for two different cultures everyday.
