Travel Tips

Posts Tagged ‘tourism’

Somerset and Avon is a beautiful part of the country which is a treat for anyone that visits. It is blessed with a mix of major towns and cities, beautiful British countryside and historic landscapes making it the perfect holiday destination for the family.

Somerset and Avon have a steep history with the city of Bristol being the centre of the British maritime history, the Roman spa resort of Bath as well as Taunton, Glastonbury, Cheddar and Wells. All of these towns and cities have a wide variety of different historical attractions that you can visit. Somerset is also the home to most of the Exmoor National Park and has some of the most beautiful beaches and sand dunes in the country. The seaside resorts of Burnham-on-Sea, Minehead and Weston-super-Mare offer the traditional British holiday by the sea with amusement arcades, donkey rides and strolls down the pier.

There is a wide variety of accommodation on offer in Somerset and Avon. If you are staying in one of the towns or cities then you’ll be pleased that there are your typical places to stay in Bristol and other towns offering hotels and apartments. If you would prefer a more rural location then there are plenty of accommodations available. If you enjoy camping or staying in a caravan then the region has a number of caravan parks and campsites around the county. From here you will be able to travel to sights like Glastonbury Tor, Cheddar Gorge and Wells Cathedral.

Another option is to stay in one of many luxury holiday cottages in Somerset and Avon where you will be able to enjoy all the comforts that you would have at home. A self catering cottage is a perfect solution for large groups and families. You will be able to use the cottage as a base for visiting the different attractions and with full self catering facilities you will be able to choose where and when you eat. Many holiday cottages in Somerset come with beautiful gardens to play in as well as other facilities such as hot tubs or above ground swimming pools. You can even bring your dog along with many pet friendly cottages available.

There are a number of tourist attractions that children of all ages will enjoy. There are a number of country parks such as Court Farm Country Park, The Fun Farm and the Exmoor Owl and Hawk Centre. Children and adults will enjoy a day out at Wookey Hole Caves and Paper Mill where you will be able to search for the witch of Wookey Hole. Cricket St Thomas house and gardens provide a good day out with Bristol Zoo offering an amazing world of animals to inspire and amaze children and parents.

If you are interested in sampling the regions culinary delights then you will pleased to hear that Somerset and Avon has an abundance of wonderful restaurants. Lots of local restaurants serve traditional food and drink from the region as well as more typical food that you would expect to find in most towns and cities. Culinary delights from all over the world can be found in Bristol restaurants. Somerset is also well known for it locally made cider and ales. There are a number of cider farmhouses you can visit as well as brewery tours where you will be able to sample traditionally produced drinks. No matter what you decide to do on your holiday, Somerset and Avon have some great attractions that will pleasantly surprise you and your family.

British airspace was officially shutdown on the 15th April 2010 as a result of a volcanic erruption spreading a ploom of ash across the UK. The volcanic ash was a result of the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano and the ash has spread across the UK and other parts of Europe.

The volcanic ash has caused chaos for the British aviation industry with passenger, business and air freight flights being grounded. This has also meant that thousands of people travelling back to the UK have been left stranded abroad due to cancelled flights. A lot of these people have had to extend their hotel stays while others have been forced to cancel their plans because they can’t get abroad so what does this meant for the UK tourism industry this year?

The Eurostar channel tunnel and the UK ferries have been benefiting from the airspace closure as many people have changed their travel plans at the last minute but both of these services have also suffered similar set backs. At the start of this year the Eurostar tunnel was forced into closure when a train broke down inside the tunnel. Consistant travel delays and problems like these can often result in a loss of consumer confidence for UK citzens looking to travel abroad.

Despite this being a potential disaster for international travel it is looking like it could be a big benefit for the UK tourist industry. This summer is set to have some good weather and as a result accomodation services such as holiday cottages have reported that they have seen increases in bookings. This could mean that 2010 will be another successful year for the Great British ‘staycation’ with many families opting to stay at home rather than travelling abroad.

In 2009 many people decided to go for self catering holiday cottages in Cornwall and many booking agents reported dramatic increases in the number of people renting these. This is likely to be a result of the combination of good weather, the price and the amount of things to do in this area. The likelihood is that some people will still travel abroad this year but a large majority of people with tight budgets will still be looking to stay in Holiday Cottages and other types of vacation property.

Annually more than 8.5 million people come to view the Louvre Museum in Paris, France to see the second-biggest collection of artwork on the planet. To Paris, art was regarded as a point of pride, a show of grandeur and a very important part of their culture. Here, one will find paintings like Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” Vermeer’s “The Lacemaker,” Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People,” Velazquez’s “Infanta Maria Margareta” and Raphael’s “Baltasar de Castiglione.” Travelers staying in Louvre Paris hostels can walk across the way to view amazing sculptures like the “Winged Victory of Samothrace,” “Venus de Milo” and Michelangelo’s “Rebellious Slave.”

The Louvre Paris France district is acolossal collection of enormous fortress-like buildings. In addition to the palace of the French kings, La Place de la Concorde ( Concorde Square ) was the former location of the famous guillotine and many beheadings during the French Revolution. Today, there are no slaughtering machines, but instead, an Obelisk given to France by Egypt from the ruins of Ramses II’s temple. Between the Louvre and Concorde Square is the Jardin des Tuileries ( the Tuileries Garden ), which is an incredible Italian style garden with fountains, caves, greenhouses and sculptures. Below the garden is Le Musee de L’Orangerie, with Renoirs, Monets, Picassos and Czannes. Also nearby, visitors can find the Vendome Square, which is the center of fine jewelry on location Paris. Shoppers can also peruse Rivoli Street, the Faubord Saint honor Street and high fashion homes in Victories Square. Le Palais Royal ( the Royal Palace ) is awonderful piece of architecture encircled by gardens, columns and colonnades. The financial area is also found in this area of France, with La Bourse du Commerce ( the Commodity Exchange ) found here. The L’englise Saint Roch Church homes a number of Jesuit art pieces, as well as the bodies of Corneille and Diderot.

Naturally, many tourists would like to stay in the Louvre Paris France district, given its close proximity to a number of glorious attractions. The closest hotel is the simple, two-star Timhotel Le Louvre Paris hotel, which is just 253 meters from this dazzling museum. The rooms are plain, but you’ll have access to free wi-fi in your room and satellite TV. Prices begin at $133 / night. The Normandy Hotel is also right on the corner of the Louvre Museum. This three-star building looks quite impressive from the street and offers an equally classy, sublime interior. Beginning at $185 / night, this is one of the pleasanter three-star hotels in Paris. Located right next door is the four-star Hotel du Louvre Paris, which appears more like a palace than a hotel. Beginning at $277 / night, guests can enjoy marble baths, jacuzzi spas, plush bedding, a fitness center and nothing except top-notch facilities. For the wealthiest travelers, the Renaissance Paris Vendome ( $411+ / night ) and Park Hyatt Paris Vendome ( $750+ / night ) feature five-star accommodations in the area.

According to a friend of mine who runs a home-based business in the tourism industry guests staying at hostels in Paris regularly opt to take special tours at the Louvre Paris France. For kids and families, tours can be taken based on the following themes. Ninety-minute guided tours for kids and families explore the following topics: “Histories and Legends”, “Two by Two” ( children participate in a museum workshop, while folks select a theme for a tour), “The Medieval Louvre” ( tour of the remains of the medieval fortress ), or “Discovery Trail” ( public galleries and concealed secrets ). People can take hour-and-a-half guided tours of the entire museum or 90-minute journeys thru the masterpieces, the design and the history behind the Louvre. There are also special tours for groups, children and disabled visitors to encourage the appreciation of art by all.