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In the light of the possible flight disruptions due to ash, it's worth knowing about the 'rail & sail' offer between Belfast and Scotland. You can book a train & ferry between Belfast and Glasgow/Edinburgh for £25 each way. Separate train and ferry tickets will almost cost double.
Train to other parts of the UKwill cost a little more but again far cheaper than if you get the tickets separately.
Buy 'rail & sail' tickets at scotrail.co.uk/content/rail-sail-belfast.html
or
stenaline.co.uk/ferry/rail-and-sail/
Website will only take bookings at least seven days in advance.
This is the perfect museum for kids. There is a lot there, an aquarium, a natural history museum and a music gallery, but all on a fairly small scale. Most importantly they understand that children need to do more than look, they need to touch, play and get involved, and here they can. There are magnifying glasses in the aquarium, quirky instruments to play in the music gallery, and fabulous and free creative activities and story-telling sessions. When you have exhausted all on offer inside you can stroll through the pretty gardens and visit the small menagerie.
100 London Rd, Forest Hill, London, SE23 3PQ
www.horniman.ac.uk/
+44(0)20 8699 1872
Google map: bit.ly/iQfW9K
Kaissara is a hostel in the fishing village of Trindade, near Paraty in Rio state. You only have to see a photo of the place to understand why you need to go. The hostel is located in the Mata Atlantic rainforest and is a short walk from seven of the finest beaches you'll find in Brazil, as well as waterfalls, rock jumps and basically one of the finest tropical environments you'll ever find yourself in.
www.kaissarahostel.com
Google map: tinyurl.com/2vkretl
Hunter Collection in the Royal College of Surgeons. A smallchild friendly museum with a high gross factor which will thrill toddlers to teens! Adults will be fascinated as well. Ancient pickled specimens in bottles from Cookes Voyages etc, huge preserved elephant to the honey bee, videos of key hole surgery alongside a simulator. Magnificent sculpture, extraordinary portraits of various diseases and injuries and a quite beautiful art treasure of the human circulatory system pinned onto a panel! Both ancient and Contemporary exhibits. Years later my boys are still talking about the museum and love taking their friends there when visiting London. All for free as well and in the historic Lincolns Inn Fields. So central but so tranquil.
Royal College of Surgeons
35 - 43 Lincolns Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE
www.rcseng.ac.uk/museums
+44(0)20786 96560
Google map: bit.ly/jbk3m8
A fantastic family-run restaurant which sells the best chicken in the world. Don't ask for a menu - there isn't one, at least not on paper! - just pick from the choice of meats available that day. The best option is chickpea stew (garbanzos), followed by a half chicken, done in their fabulous marinade, and a half litre of local red wine. Total bliss, and not expensive.
Carretera General Las Arenas 98,
Puerto de la Cruz
Google map: tinyurl.com/34fykmf
Tel: (+34) 922 385 184
Take a taxi from the centre of town.
100% recomended, Quite, Clean , Safe, well Located, near to the beautiful bosque de chapultepc, museo tamayo, museo de antropologia and many other interesting places, good beds. Very good atention, Superb Breakfasts, the owner are very friendly and helpfull with tips and orientation, you fell that you are in your home, relax and enjoy this unique mexican B&B, price is worth it !!!
Review and list of Istanbul hotels and aparts, your perfect source of review before travelling and choosing hotels and aparts in Istanbul.
Casa de las Tías is a small B&B (six rooms) near San José airport and close to town. With very friendly and helpful owners it is a relaxing beauiful place to stay.
No trip to LA would be complete without a 25 cent ride on this 1901 funicular, "the world's shortest railway". Just reopened, it is right across the street from the Grand Central Market, an indoor market that offers inexpensive ethnic food and produce and meats. Walk through to Broadway LA's great Mexican shopping Street.
angelsflight.com Located on Hill Street between 3rd and 4th Streets, Red Line Subway, Pershing Square station north of exit on 4th and Hill
Apartment accommodation can actually be a good way to save money and get better value accommodation in Edinburgh.
Most hotels cost around £100 per night but you can book three-four star apartments for around £90 per night and some of these can sleep up to four people.
This means it works out around £23pppn compared to the £50pppn at a hotel! Add to that the fact you get your own kitchen and lounge area and it can actually be quite a bargain!
Worth thinking about if you are going to be staying in Edinburgh.
www.apartmentsinscotland.com (good selection of apartments in Scotland)
Its a stunning little place, really quaint renovated barn with beams and and antique bed. It is set on the edge of a fragrant eucalyptus forest, overlooking a lush valley, completely peaceful and tranquil. There's a pool and all you'd expect for a holiday – but its only €30 a night. The owners are live off the land and grow all their veg so the food is divine. Central Portugal is the real Portugal – green and lush, not what you'd expect at all. It has lakes, rivers, fluvial beaches, castles, roman ruin, yet the big cities are only a short drive away.
Lovely unpretentious B&B in an old school building. The cooked breakfast was great.
In the town centre and very near the hills - you can just walk onto them.
So nice to go somewhere that is neither trying to be flash or twee, just comfortable and interesting.
Also very reasonable price.
Como House, Como road, Malvern, Worcestershire.
www.comohouse.co.uk. Doubles from £62.
Google map: tinyurl.com/37c29la
01684 561486
Near Great Malvern Station
Located on the edge of Krakow, at the last stop on the tramline is a nest of hyper malls and rampant development. In the middle of this sits the lone surviving building from the once massive Solvay Soda Ash Complex which employed at its peak 3,000 men and their families.
"Solvay" has a complex and fascinating history (Pope John Paul II worked there during World War II to avoid deportation) but stands today as a forgotten monument and symbol of the transformations that have occurred in Poland over the last 20 years. Solvay has quietly become the defacto community center of the area - and a dedicated space for creative and artistic production.
Conceived and curated by Halfslant, NOWA SODA: Solvay Transformed is a month long artist in residency which challenges four international artists to create a site-responsive installation while bearing witness to the past and present of the building. Four artists have each developed proposals that address not just the history of the building, but the living community that uses the space every day.
www.nowasoda.com
62 Zakopianska
Last stop on tram number 8 heading towards Borek Fałęcki
Stay in Santa Margherita Ligure (which has cheaper accommodation than Portofino itself) and take a scenic boat trip to Portofino. Climb to the top of Castello Brown for the most amazing views of the Marina and bay. Lunch at one of the many open air restaurants on the quay.
This website is useful for independent travellers and backpackers. It provides details on how much to budget for a backpacking trip.
This is simply the coolest hostel in Spain, with edgy urban design incorporating graffiti and comic-book prints, paintbox colours and minimalist chic. It's within easy reach of the beach, but if the weather's less than great it's got free WiFi, CDs, DVDs and even Wii consoles you can use, a huge terrace where you can eat or just drink in the view and, best of all, free use of a nearby swimming pool and fitness centre. All yours for as little as €12 a night – and incredibly that includes a decent breakfast. Oh, and they'll charge your mobile or iPod for you. That's service.
www.barcelonaurbany.com
Av. Meridiana 97, Barcelona, 08026, Spain
+34 93 245 8414
Google map: bit.ly/mpTfNf
Between the friendly, genuinely helpful and multilingual staff, and the great selection of accommodation (cheap but comfortable hostel / private rooms/private and fully furnished apartments), there really isn't anywhere else I would stay in Barcelona - on a budget of course. From my first stay as a solo traveller, to my last with a group of friends, they made my holidays stress-free and incredibly enjoyable!
South Yarra’s newest laneway destination Outpost, is part of the cult specialty coffee group St Ali. Fantastic coffee, gourmet sandwiches and meals and yummy cakes. All of their food is sourced from local Victorian suppliers.
9 Yarra St, South Yarra
+61 3 9827 8588
www.outpostcafe.com.au
Nearest station: South Yarra
Villa Riachuelo is a handsome, modern villa for rent in the Axarquia region of Malaga Province. It has four well turned out bedrooms, two kitchens (one outdoor), a sitting room, dining room and plenty of shady, outdoor seating space.
As well as the villa itself there's a pool (and loads of room for sunbathing), gardens and a series of dusty olive terraces descending to a little brook. While the surrounding countryside is dramatic and mountainous, on the whole, the villa itself is not particularly remote - only five minutes' drive from Canillas de Aceituno (a typical Andalucian white village) and about an hour from Malaga/the airport.
A top choice for a week or so's flop 'n' drop by the pool or as a base camp for exploring other parts of Andalucia.
I use the site www.plymouthdevon4u.co.uk. It has some handy info on Plymouth, particularly the latest events.
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