Make the Most of your Backpacking Trip: Keep up to Date with the Latest Travel Plans and News

For any young backpacker considering making a trip around the many great cities that Europe has to offer it is essential that are fully up to date and kept abreast of the local cultures and traditions that dictate the social norms of the country or city. Alongside this before planning the next place to visit on any major backpacking tour of Europe young I would always recommend that travelers also fully ensure that they are completely up to speed with the latest travel plans and news and any potential political developments in their destination - as these critical factors can naturally have a major bearing on any traveling or backpacking excursion and your personal safety. Reading travel guides for the city you are planning to visit, checking the regional train and transport timetables, understanding the cultural habits and traditions of the locals and preparing for the type of climate in the locale you are traveling to are in my mind also highly critical factors - and because all these things can vary so much across Europe depending on the region or city you arte visiting, then pre planning and close studying of a good quality travel guide prior to the commencement of your trip is highly advisable in order to ensure that your backpacking experience in Europe’s great cities is a positive one. At the end of the day you need to remain safe and behave within the laws and social norms of the place you are visiting but also have fun - so keeping yourself informed with the latest travel news can get you one step ahead of the game.

Most Romantic Holiday Locations in Europe: Italy

If you are looking for a European country that can provide you with a great opportunity for a romantic vacation break with a partner, a short city break with a loved one or even the perfect location for a magical wedding day or honeymoon - then there are surely fewer more suitable countries you could consider in the region than Italy. Italy vacations offer the visitor a vast number of diverse yet equally stunning, beautiful - and of course highly romantic rural and city locations that can provide the perfect backdrop for you and your partner on that most special of days. Whether your tastes are for the unique architecture offered up on the streets of renaissance Florence, the classical city backdrops of Rome, or even enjoying a peaceful summer evening with your loved one on the canal ways of Venice - then Italy undoubtedly has something very special to offer you in order to make your wedding vacation a memory that will be treasured by you and your partner for a lifetime. It is well known that Italy weddings are becoming increasingly popular amongst young couples who are looking to get married and celebrate their special day or honeymoon abroad, with the warm Mediterranean climate making it a highly attractive holiday and wedding location - particularly in the spring and summer months. So why not check out the fantastic holiday options that Italy has to offer.

Save Money With Self Catering Accommodation in Ireland and Northern Ireland

If you’re looking to discover the wonders of Emerald Isle but haven’t got a massive wedge of cash to spend, then rather than checking into one of the big swanky hotels that Dublin or Belfast may have to offer - but that may cost you an arm and a leg - why not instead spend your hard earned money more wisely this spring on one of the many great holiday cottages in either Ireland or Northern Ireland. Self Catering Northern Ireland offers excellent quality holiday accommodation for the young backpacker, world traveler or even a family holidaymaker that is on a tight budget the opportunity to enjoy the stunning natural countryside and rolling scenery of Ireland and Northern Ireland - without breaking the bank with a huge hotel bill that may take many months of hard work to pay off. There are many great locations to visit that offer such packages including Donegal, Antrim, Kerry or Cork. So why not save money on your holiday accommodation this spring season - as well as on the price of food and of course eating out - when you can cook your own healthy meals at your own leisure in one of these great holiday homes Northern Ireland.

Visit Majorca - One of the Best Holiday Destinations in Spain

The island of Majorca has for many years now, proven to be one of the most popular and frequently visited holiday destinations in Spain for holidaymakers from the UK and other countries in Western Europe. Situated in the beautiful crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean, Majorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands and has always had a great deal to offer visitors of all types. Indeed, whether you are looking to soak up some summer sunshine and relax on the beach or by the swimming pool with your family or children, or are alternatively looking for a wilder and booze filled party holiday with the lads, Majorca holidays have always offered affordable and fun packed times for its visitors of all types and demographics. From the UK it is very easily accessible by plane - with flight times in the region of two to two and a half hours. There are also many great package holidays to Majorca available at fantastically low prices these days so a holiday in the sun wont cost you an arm and a leg either. The towns on the island are famous for their great nightlife and restaurants, and during the day there are many great activities for all the family such as water parks and beautiful sandy beaches. If you are looking for a great holiday this summer why not check out a holiday for you and your family or friends now!

Visiting the Last Surviving Wonder of the World in Egypt

As many a student and scholar will know, one of the great stories and legends of the ancient world is that of the seven wonders of the world. These truly great constructions are often considered as the ultimate pinnacle and towering feats of human endeavour - and were once collectively considered the main architectural achievements of a society that existed long before our time. While 6 of these 7 great monuments are no longer of this realm, it is an impressive omen in itself that the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt still remains intact - and therefore survives as a towering example of what humanity could achieve in the ancient world so many hundreds of years before modern building technology or construction techniques was even dreamt of. The Great Pyramid of Giza today forms one of the major visitor attractions and key places of interest for any tourist visiting Egypt. Incredibly this magnificent structure remains intact today in spite of being completed in around 2551 BC - making it the oldest of all the seven wonders of the ancient world. If you are on a backpacking trip or a holiday to Egypt this truly stunning structure is an absolute must see on your visit to the country. The pyramid is truly something magnificent to behold, and it is mind boggling to comprehend how such things could be achieved over two and a half thousand years ago.

Best European Backpacking Destinations: Bucharest

It seems to me that the city of Bucharest is often overlooked by people planning holidays here in the UK - which is quite surprising considering that the city has a lot to offer for anyone looking to take a short break in Europe, particularly on a tight budget. If you are on a backpacking trip around the region of Eastern Europe then without a doubt, you must at least pop in and visit the city for a few days. While it may not have the glamorous image held by many of its European counterparts, Romania’s capital has some real hidden gems amongst the concrete blocks that tend to dominate the skyline - with neoclassical architecture that has a style all of its own hidden away, just waiting to be discovered by the young intrepid traveller. Although the city is still shadowed somewhat by its Communist history and former leader Nicolae Ceausescu, with Romania joining the EU at the start of 2007, the city is becoming increasingly accessible for outsiders such as holidaymakers and backpackers. In Bucharest the temperatures can be very cold in winter - but the summer offers very high temperatures and a very dry climate. Accommodation is very cheap and accessible, with Bucharest apartments in particular offering excellent value for money if you are backpacking on a tight budget.

Best US Holiday Destinations: Las Vegas

Now that we are out of the hectic Christmas and New Year period and my life has returned to some sort of parity again, I’ve been giving some more serious thought to planning my next holiday travel destinations to visit in 2010. I feel like I’ve spent a lot of time travelling and backpacking in Europe over the last few years - and while this has been fantastic fun, meeting some great people, and I would always recommend it to any one - I think its time for me to explore some pastures new a little further from home. I’ve been considering doing the whole West Coast USA thing as many of my friends have recommended it as one of the best holiday destinations in the world. I have been grabbed by the idea of renting a car and checking out all the unusual scenes and landscape of the desert and surrounding areas - and of course visiting some of the great cities in the region like Las Vegas. It looks like a real great city to go and party for someone my age, packed with all the grand style Vegas hotels, bars, clubs, music and live entertainment that you come to expect from one of the worlds most famous places to take a break. Basically, I’m looking to soak up all the fun and bright lights that the city of Las Vegas has to offer - without breaking the bank! Indeed, I’ve already committed a bit of time looking online for some cheap hotels and flights to try and find something affordable within my budgets - then of course there are also a raft of discount saving Vegas coupons which you can get hold of online to save yourself a few good bucks along the way. Now all I need to do is keep working hard and save up some cash then I can get back on a plane and get out of here once again!

Teen Service Programs Offer Great Experiences For Young Travellers

Are you a student looking to fill your year out? Looking to meet other like minded young people, make new friends and gain great life experiences? If this sounds like something you would be interested in then I would highly suggest taking advantage of the trips that a teen service can offer you. Backpacking and adventure holiday package trips such as these can be a great way for young people to spend a gap year, take some time out from college, and ultimately help you develop as an individual. Teen Service Programs offer young people a great chance to see new and exciting parts of the world and enjoy adventure holidays in numerous locations across the globe in safe and well structured surroundings. With trips available to Europe, Central America, USA and Canada, Asia, Africa and Oceania there is surely going to be a perfect opportunity for you to enjoy the experience of a lifetime - no matter where in the world you are thinking of traveling to. Book online now for exhilarating and exciting experiences that will give you memories that will last a lifetime. So why not challenge yourself as a person and become stronger through these unique experiences? Book today and pack your rucksack for the holiday of a lifetime!

Get Away For The Weekend With Winter City Breaks In Europe

Anyone else feel like they need to get away for a short city break somewhere? I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty fed up with all the freezing cold weather and snow were having in England at the moment. It’s cold, dark and quite frankly, all a little depressing sat in the office at the moment. Think its time to get the lads back together and visit some of the fantastic cities I’ve already visited on my backpacking travels around Europe. You may notice that in some of my older posts I wrote a backpackers guide to Barcelona - without a doubt one of my favourite cities to visit because it has something for everyone from the football fan, food lovers and those who are interested in the arts. Luckily at this time of year in particular I’ve found that you can get cheap flights to Barcelona relatively easily - and you can always save money by booking online. I remember visiting the city in January 2008 and was pleasantly surprised that the temperatures are still very mild - certainly a lot higher than the sub zero temperatures we’ve got in the UK at the moment.
If Spain is not the place for you, then maybe you could try a short winter break to Paris? If you are traveling with a partner as a young couple then maybe Paris could be a better option for you. Please take the time to read my blog post review of the city to get a great travel guide to France’s capital - and hopefully learn about all the best sights to see in this beautiful, historic and romantic city. Again, it seems that flights to Paris are pretty inexpensive at the this time of the year, so I would probably now is a great time to let your hair down for a few nights and begin to enjoy fine wining and dining in some of the best restaurants that Europe has to offer. So what are you waiting for, check out my city guides and forget the winter blues - get yourself on that plane right now!

Stag Weekends In Leeds: Rock Harder Than Any Other European City

Hello once again people of the world - hope you are all ok! It certainly feels like a long, long time since I last updated my travel blog and indeed, the main reason for this is that for the time being at least, my backpacking days are numbered. Yes, suffice to say I'm back in good old Blighty (if you don't know this is the slang term for Britain), back at work as an office boy and basically trying to save up my pennies once again for another exciting trip around the great cities that Europe and indeed the rest of the world may have to offer.

Of course, having said this I've realised having returned from my numerous excursions in far away lands that it's all too easy to forget how many fantastic cities that the UK has to offer in terms of nightlife and hot women and none more so than Leeds - the city some say (mostly people from Leeds admittedly!) is "the pride of Yorkshire". I've been lucky enough (or possibly unlucky enough going on the state of my health after previous such occasions) to recently be invited onto the stag do of a very good friend of mine - and as you may have guessed this is set to take place "oop north" as it were in the great city of Leeds. Many people seem to go abroad for stag nights these days, but call me old fashioned - I personally don't think it’s fair to inflict a bunch of drunken English lads onto the most beautiful, historic, and cultured cities in Europe.

For those of you who aren't from England, I feel I should point out that Leeds has quickly become THE place to go out and party in the north of England over the last few years and has arguably some of the best selection of clubs to make any stag do go off with a bang. Whether your tastes are for Dance music and the famous Gatecrasher club, funk and soul at the Hi Fi club or indie and rock nights at the famous Cockpit club then there are undoubtedly very few cities in the country better to take out your mates on a stag do. The locals seem to head down to the many bars on call lane but be wary of this as they only tend to take mixed sex groups. Don't let this put you off a stag party in Leeds though. Indeed, in my experience (and having enjoyed several English stag nights of other friends in the cities of Newcastle and Nottingham), Leeds stag parties simply rock like no other.

Don't forget too that before the hardcore drinking commences you are in a perfect location to enjoy some good team outdoor activities in the Yorkshire Dales - from paintballing to clay pigeons you are sure to find something to get the testosterone flowing. So if one of your mates is thinking of having his big night out in the UK - why not take my advice and get involved with a massive stag party in Leeds.

The Lake District: The Best Scenic Holiday Destination In England

Wherever I have been on my travels the first thing someone says to me when i tell them I am from is England is "Are you from London?". The answer to this I have to say is a resounding "no" - and let me tell you there is far more to the UK that is worth visiting than it's illustrious and internationally renowned capital city. Indeed, if you are a traveler young or old or are even planning a family holiday or vacation and are thinking of visiting England for the first time but are is looking for an alternative to the usual site seeing trips to the city of London, why not instead look for a more serene and scenic alternative than the hustle and bussel of the capital and instead please give some special consideration to the incredible natural beauty of the Lake District - my favorite area of the British Isles. Situated in the North West of England in the county of Cumbria, the Lake District offers unique scenery quite unique to anywhere else in Europe and is an ideal location for any traveler who loves walking, hiking, cycling, camping or any other outdoor activity as the natural landscape offers the perfect backdrop for any such pursuit.


The Lake District's main claim to fame and also a key attraction for English people and tourists alike is that it has the highest point of altitude in all of England - Scafell Pike - and offers fantastic views of the surrounding area on a clear day. Although modest in its height by even European standards (standing at 978 meters tall) Scafell is an excellent place to take a walk if you ever get the chance to visit the North of England and forms one part of the famous national 3 peaks challenge. In spite of the fact that you may find the idea of climbing a mountain a rather daunting prospect, let me tell you that the beauty of the place is that it is very accessible to anyone who is reasonably fit and mobile and requires no specialist equipment to traverse other than a decent pair of hiking boots and a rain coat if you plan to visit in the summer months. although rain is to be expected and snow is likely near the summit, the paths to the top are very clearly laid out and frequented by many people of all ages every year.

Enjoying the Sites and Sounds of Florence - Birthplace of the Italian Renaissance

The city of Florence is the capital of the Tuscan region of Italy and a city steeped in rich history and renaissance art. Lying along the river Arno, the city is a sheer delight to behold with its fantastic buildings and architecture. Florence is without question a “must see” for any young backpacker travelling across Europe - although it may not necessarily be the first city that springs to mind when you are planning your trip. Established in the year 59BC by the famous Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, it was originally an army camp for Roman army veterans. However, it is more famous as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance during the middle ages with buildings constructed in the classical “Romanesque” style such as the Basilica Di San Miniato al Monte also helping to define the city of Florence and its architecture.

The main landmark of the city however is surely the fantastic Santa Maria del Fiore - a cathedral famed for its large dome - which remains open for visitors to the city to help them enjoy spectacular views of the city and its ornate buildings from up on high. Along the Arno is the Ponte Vecchio bridge which is also worth a visit for any tourist or traveler in Florence.

Enjoying The Beauty of Venice

Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and physically unique cities in the entire world, the great city of Venice located in Northern Italy presents a travel destination quite like no other for any young backpacker travelling around Europe. Venice is of course most famous for its numerous rivers and canals that help to clearly define the unique and intriguing natural characteristics of this Italian Adriatic jewel.

The city itself is built upon 118 small islands that sit proudly amongst this intense intertwined network of waterways. When you picture the perfect ideal of Venice in your mind you always think of images of romantic boat trips on summer evenings - and travelling serenely along the waterways of the city by the numerous traditional gondolas that can be hired is surely a must have experience for any tourist or backpacker visiting the city and is also a great way of taking in the city's incredible architecture.

Indeed, it is these enduring images and traditions that not surprisingly have continued to make Venice a very popular holiday destination for young couples travelling around Europe.

Best Tourist Attractions To Visit When Traveling To London

The great city of London remains a must see city destination for all backpackers traveling around Europe. England's capital has an extremely rich and ancient history and offers more great visitor attractions than perhaps any other city in Western Europe. London remains the centre of media attention across the world and is famous for typifying new cool trends and innovations with its hundreds of highly diverse modern, fashionable bars and restaurants serving a variety of food, beers and wines from a huge number of countries and cultural influences across the globe. As well as its passion for the modern and cutting edge however, London also has some of the oldest and grandest visitor attractions in the world - making the city the perfect meeting place of the old and the new.

Perhaps not surpringly, the British royal family are a major tourist draw for travelers and backpackers of all ages visiting London, and her majesty Queen Elizabeth the second's current residence at Buckingham Palace is an essential place to visit when making your first trip to London. This fantastically grandeur palace has been the main home of the royals since 1837, and is now well known as the main HQ for the residing British monarchy and her family. Although entering the palace requires special invitation, it is worth going to visit it to see the beauty of the architecture of the building itself, and to soak up some quintessentially British culture and history. While you are at Buckingham Palace, you should also stick around to see the changing of the guard. This highly regimented and ceremonious tradition is quite something to behold.

If your visit to the palace has wet your appetite for more rich English history then you must surely take a trip in to Westminster to see the Houses of Parliament where the British government and members of parliament debated the ins and outs of British politics. This incredible architectural wonder lies on the north bank of London's famous river: the Thames and is truely an epic site to behold for any traveler. It encompasses both the house of commons and house of Lords which are central to Britain's political system. The famous Victoria Tower of the building houses Westminsters famous bells including the vast great bell (more commonly referred to as Big Ben) - weighing a massive 16 tons. The clock tower itself is said to be the largest free standing clock tower of its kind in the world and this year celebrated its 150th year in the month of May.

From the old to the new: while you are in the centre of Westminster you should take a short walk along the famous bridge to visit the London Eye. This huge wheel provides spectacular views across the famous city and can be a beautiful and romantic place to visit with your partner on a summer evening. Towering at 135 metres at its peak, the Eye lays claim to being the biggest ferris wheel in all of Europe and at the time it was built just before the turn of the millennium was in fact the tallest in the whole world. The London Eye has 32 passenger pods - 1 for each of London's Boroughs - and has an individual capacity of 25 people. As you can imagine, this is an extremely popular visitor attraction for travelers and UK tourists alike - so book early to avoid the disappointment of missing out.

Best Boat Trips and Excursions from Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is undeniably in my mind the true beauty and Jewel of the Adriatic sea. The architecture of the Old Town, its rich art and culture, the delicious fresh seafood and overall quality of life found in the city is surely second to none in the region and if you travel there you will already know that the people are always very friendly and hospitable to backpackers. However, as beautiful as it is, there is in my experience much more to a trip to Dubrovnik than just what can be found inland and if you ever get bored of the Old Town, Copacabana beach and the Lapad region of the city, you may be interested in booking one of the numerous boat trip excursions available to the many small islands that are found of Croatia's South Dalmation Coast.


One day whilst traveling in Dubrovnik I took a boat trip to the nearby Elafiti islands. These excursions are widely touted on the main strip of Lapad's bars with many competing companies vieing for the business of young travelers, and if you shop around you are sure to find a good price (I ended up paying a little under £20 for the entire trip and a delicious grilled fish lunch and free wine was included on the boat in that price).

The Elafiti islands themselves are unique and gorgeous to behold in their own right. Our boat trip took us to three of these islands in a single excursion: Kolocep, Sipan and Lopud. I found that each of the islands has its own unique charm - with Lopud in particular a fantastic place to visit. It has a really cool sandy beach (Sunj beach) where you can paddle out to around 80m without the depth going over chest high. This beach is also ideal for snorkeling with lots of fish and crabs to be found near the rocks on the left side of the beach. In the summer season you will find that kayaks can be rented to take a quick trip out into the bay at a few pounds per hour. Lopud also has an old monastery which is well worth a visit.
As well as the frequent cruises and backpackers that visit the city, Dubrovnik is also proving to become increasingly popular with newly married couples because of the unrivalled beauty of its architecture, its stunning sandy beaches and numerous fantastic restaurants which together make the city a perfect romantic holiday destination for young couples. If you have friends who are newly web planning a trip to the city, make sure you give them a great send off with a great selection of beach wedding favors to let them really make the most of their beach wedding or honeymoon trip.