Planning on hiring a car in Las Vegas and travelling across the States? Hire car companies charge high drop-off fees if you rent a car in one place and leave it in another - and the further the distance between the two places, the more they charge.

We flew in to Las Vegas and flew out of Houston. Instead of hiring a car in Las Vegas and dropping it off in Texas, we did a one week rental from Las Vegas dropping it off in Albuquerque, then another one week rental from Albuquerque to Houston. It worked out a lot cheaper and it was a novelty changing cars halfway.

Book online in advance and pick up from the car hire centre at Las Vegas airport. Do the same at the car hire centre in Albuquerque airport.

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The Go Hotel Shnelli is a modern hotel right next to the train station - with good views of the medieval town from the rooms. All rooms are reasonably priced.

Go Hotel Shnelli
Toompuiestee 37
10133 Tallinn, ESTONIA

www.gohotels.ee

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Tartu is an idyllic university town 185 kilometres south of Tallinn. Mass tourism hasn't really taken off there yet, so you can enjoy the best of Estonia without the drunken stag dos.

It's only a few hours by train from Tallinn.

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For traditional Valencian dishes such as paella Valenciana and arroz a banda (a seafood rice dish), head for El Forcat restaurant in El Carmen.

Roteros, 12 - Five minutes from
Torres de los Serranos.
Tel: 34 96 391 1213

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This government-run craft shop has a wide range of souvenirs available at fixed prices. Whilst they may be a bit more expensive than the souks, at least no haggling is needed and the quality is good.

Ensemble Artisanal, Avenue Mohammed V, not far from the Koutoubia Mosque.

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For a cheap lunch, try the cafe in the Ensemble Artisanal shop, where tasty tagines, harira soup and couscous are served.

Ensemble Artisanal, Avenue Mohammed V, not far from the Koutoubia Mosque.

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Escape the madness of the medina by staying at one of the more relaxing hotels in the new town. The Golden Tulip Farah hotel is a four star hotel with a pool and comfortable rooms and it’s only about a 10 minute walk to the medina. We managed to get a double room for about £50 in December.

www.goldentulipfarahmarrakech.com

Golden Tulip Farah Marrakech, Avenue du Président Kennedy, Marrakech

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This hotel is an excellent bargain for those who want to be based out near the pyramids. It has all the usual facilities of the InterContinental chain (large outdoor pool and a good variety of restaurants) and offers a relaxing haven away from the chaos of central Cairo. Advance purchase double rooms are available for as little as £30 a night on the hotel’s website.

InterContinental Pyramids Park Resort Cairo, Alexandria Desert Road, PO Box 70, Pyramids, Giza, Egypt.
Tel: (00 20) 2 8388 300
www.cairo-pyramids.intercontinental.com/

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Both the Damai Beach and Damai Lagoon Holiday Inn resort hotels are excellent places to stay in a secluded, beach area surrounded by jungle, about 45 minutes drive from Kuching. Double rooms go for a mere £30 per room.

Damai Beach: Teluk Bandung Santubong, Kuching; tel: 60-82-846999;
www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hotel/dmbmy?_requestid=1569234
Damai Lagoon: Teluk Penyuk, Santubong, Kuching; tel: 60-82-846900;
www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hotel/dmblg?_requestid=1567669
There is a shuttle bus to both from the Holiday Inn in Kuching.

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Be prepared to bargain hard for these Terracotta Warriors. We bought some from a shop in the night market and got them for what we thought was a bargain price of £5.
However, we bought some others from some hawkers at the Terracotta Army site at a fraction of the price (and the quality was only slightly inferior).

Xi'an night market and Terracotta Army site.

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One of the best hotels in Exeter, this Georgian-style hotel is right in the historic town centre.

www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/southgate/index.asp

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Most of the villages around Valencia have outdoor swimming pools which open during the summer months (July and August). These are incredibly cheap (less than a couple of euros to get in) and you can spend the whole day there.

The easiest ones to get to are those served by Valencia’s metro. Try Rocafort (right next to the station), Moncada (a bit of trek from the station, but in a nice location on top of a hill) or Betera (quite far from central Valencia, but the swimming pool is one of the best).

Moncada - POLIDEPORTIVO MUNICIPAL BADIA – PEDRERETA,
C/ Lepanto final.
Tel +34-96-1395555

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It’s worth buying a ticket with an audio tour included at the main entrance. That way you’ll have Roger Moore giving a cool, sophisticated commentary as you stroll around this incredible imperial palace. Also, there’s usually less of a queue here for tickets than the main ticket office.

Pick up an audio tour by the main entrance, coming from Tiananmen Square.

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This is a modern hotel with excellent facilities and tasteful décor. It represents fantastic value for money if booked online (double rooms can be had for as little as £35 per room including breakfast). It is situated in a southern suburb of the city that has interesting bars, restaurants, market stalls and shops frequented by the locals. Some real bargains can be found here. The only drawback is the distance from the centre of Beijing and the fact that taxi drivers don’t know where it is – be sure to pick up the hotel’s card at reception with detailed directions. It is, however, ideal for visiting the nearby Temple of Heaven Park.

Address: TEMPLE OF HEAVEN BEIJING 1 DING AN DONG LI FENGTAI BEIJING, 100075 Tel: +86-10-67626688 Email: rsvn.hithbj@ichotelsgroup.com www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/6c/1/en/hd/pegth

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Los Viveros are probably Valencia's most beautiful gardens. There are plenty of fountains and sculptures dotted around to make for an interesting stroll. Visit on a sunny day and enjoy a drink in one of the park's outdoor bars.

Calle de San Pio V. Take the metro to Facultats, then walk a few hundred metres along Avenida Blasco Ibáñez in a westerly direction. The park can be found at the end of the avenida.

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For great tapas in a central location, check out El Kiosco bar. The price is very reasonable and the bar is popular with the locals. Its set in an idyllic square in the old town and there are tables outside as well as inside.

Address: Derechos, 38. (On the corner of Plaza Dr Collado) Telephone: +34 96 391 0159

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The Changi Village is a modern, chic hotel and is one of the most affordable luxury hotels in Singapore. We managed to get a double room in August for £55 a night, booked on the hotel’s website.

Although it’s not in the centre of town, it is near a beach and ideal for early morning flights from the nearby airport.

www.changivillage.com.sg

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This hotel may not be very central, but it provides excellent value for money with great facilities.
Rooms are available for as little as £40 for a double. The hotel has all the usual five star facilities, including a good deli bar downstairs with good coffee and tasty sandwiches – ideal for those who have been on the road for awhile and can’t face any more Chinese food, or badly done Western food. There’s also some nightlife here with a disco and a cocktail bar.

Sheraton Xian hotel
No. 262 Feng Hao East Rd, Xian, Shaanxi Province 710077 , China

Phone + 86 –29- 8426 1888

sheraton.xian@sheraton.com

www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/search/hotel_detail.html?propertyID=475

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Luxurious apartments in this excellent value-for-money hotel run by the Sofitel hotel group. Good, central location. A studio apartment for two can be had for as little as £40 per night.

Chateau de Bangkok, 29 Soi Ruamrudee 1 Ploenchit Road Patumwan, Lumpini 10330 BANGKOK www.accorhotels.com/accorhotels/fichehotel/gb/sof/1774/fiche_hotel.shtml

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