Tips For Saving Money for 2011

Here are the top destinations for grabbing a deal in 2011

1) Las Vegas - More rooms than ever are now available meaning prices have dropped so hotel rates & package holiday prices are as low as ever. Check some great deals on cheap las vegas holidays here. 

2) Greece - With its struggling economy Greece & the greek islands have reduced prices by as much as 40%. For some great deals on holidays to greece

3) Egypt - Sharm El Sheikh & other Red Sea resorts have grown enormously in popularity over recent years due to the excellent hotels, year round good weather & beautiful natural surroundings. For holidays to sharm el sheikh 

4) Australia - With flights to Melbourne from just £594 now is the perfect time to book your flights to australia & enjoy the perfect trip down under.

5) Thailand - The popularity of Thailand as a holiday destination has grown dramatically with British tourists over the last 15 years. With amazing beaches, affordable luxury & an authentic thai culture it is little wonder that holidays to thailand grow in popularity year on year. 

  

Last Minute Holidays, think outside the box to save....

This summers last minute and late deal holidays market is busier than ever, prices are higher than ever before & customers are being forced to re-consider their budget or their destination in order to secure a holiday before the end of the school holidays. A combination of factors has made this year unique. Many people were hoping to enjoy a staycation this year however the terrible summer weather in the UK has meant they are forced to look abroad if they want some guaranteed sunshine on their holiday. Also many people were waiting for the Olympics to finish before starting to look for a break away, meaning there has been a real surge of interest in holidays for the last couple of weeks of August. In recent years with the capitulation of a number of airlines including XL & Kiss airways there has been less flights available to popular holiday destinations. With the rises in fuel duty other airlines have consolidated their flights meaning an overall reduction in seats available at a time when demand is through the roof, meaning the cost of a last minute holiday this August has increased by at least one third on the same time last year. This doesn't necessarily mean you can't still grab a deal, this weekend due to demand flights to Malaga are more expensive than flights to New York! So would be holiday makers should try & think outside of the box, they have two options: either pay the price for their desired holiday or consider visiting somewhere new this summer instead of Majorca, Tenerife or Costa Del Sol why not try Turkey, Tunisia or Bulgaria? Deals can still be had if your flexible, and if you don't have children then wait until september when there will undoubtedly be some amazing holiday deals to be had.

Auckland Voted 3rd best City In The World To Live

In the 2011 Mercer Best Cities To Live rankings, Auckland the largest and most densely populated city in New Zealand was voted the 3rd best place in the world to live. Over 30% of the population of New Zealand live in Auckland (approx 1.3 million inhabitants). Boasting two harbours Auckland is known as the "City of Sails" due to the number of yachts spotted in the area. Combining a modern city with cultural attractions such as the Auckland Civic Theatre, Auckland Art Gallery, War Memorial Museum, Harbour bridge & Sky Tower. The city also offers some magnificent natural attractions including Auckland Domain, one of the largest parks in the city & Rangitoto Island at the entrance of Waitemata Harbour. For the best views of the city visitiors should take a trip up Mount Eden, a volcanic cone which is the highest natural point in Auckland offering magnificent panoramic views. While in Auckland a visit to Waiheke Island is a must with its stunning beaches and amazing forests, olive groves & vineyards. Boasting a warm year round climate the 1.3 million inhabitants should feel privileged to live in the 3rd best city in the world, why not visit Auckland & see how you rank it?!? Book Flights To Auckland Here & Why Not Stay in One of these Auckland Hotels

Mother Nature Wreaking Havoc On Travel Plans

 

Across the globe Mother Nature has been wreaking havoc with disastrous consequences for thousands of would be travellers. Perhaps worse hit was Bangkok, with the heaviest monsoon rains in 50 years flooding large areas of the city, especially the northern provinces. Claiming 442 lives, and damaging the lives and homes of millions the flood waters have so far mainly avoided the central tourist areas of the city however the FCO still advises against all but essential travel to Bangkok. The main Bangkok airport (Suvarnabhumi) has remained open and unaffected however many holidaymakers from the UK have simply flown into Suvarnabhumi and instead of staying in Bangkok as planned have headed to resorts like Hua Hin, Cha Am, Pattaya, Koh Samui & Phuket away from the affected areas.

In the same week as Thailand saw its heaviest rainfall in 50 years an unseasonably late hurricane (hurricane rina) threatened areas of the Caribbean including Cancun and the Yucatan Peninsula. Although Cancun airport remained open over 90% of flights in & out of the airport scheduled for the days when Rina was due to strike were cancelled and hundreds of holidaymakers were evacuated from their hotels. Thankfully by the time Rina reached Cancun it had significantly weakened and damage to the area was minimal.

Even Europe couldn’t escape mother nature’s wrath as flash floods hit areas of Tuscany in Italy and La Cala Finestrat near Benidorm where two British tourists were killed when a flash flood hit a market.   

Perfect Time For A Sunshine Getaway

Recent research from hotel price comparison site Trivago shows that european hotel rates are on average 7% cheaper in October than September. Prices in 35 of the top 50 most popular destinations show vast reductions in hotel rates with hotspots like Majorcan resorts Playa del Palma, Alcudia & Cala Millor all  over 30% cheaper in October compared to September. Considering the weather in Majorca in October is still in the mid twenties October may well be the perfect time to book a cheap majorca holiday & enjoy a bargain sunshine getaway.

Rugby World Cup Hots Up in New Zealand

The weekend saw the Quarter Finals of the 2011 Rugby World Cup played out. In the first of the Quarter finals Ireland played Wales in an enthralling encounter. Ireland were slight favourites going into the match with their experienced stars expected to be too much for the youthful Welsh team. However stout defending by the young Welsh men combined with some speedy attacking play saw Wales overcome their celtic counterparts 22 - 10.
In the second Quarter final England played France. Both sides had struggled to capture previous form & on the day England were particularly disappointing, France rode out 19-12 victors. Setting up a semi final between Wales & France to be played in Auckland on Saturday.
The third Quarter final was in World Rugby terms a clash of the titans with South Africa facing Australia. Australia came out on top 11-9 in a close affair.
The last Quarter final to be played was between hosts New Zealand & Argentina, after a slow start New Zealand's class shone through & they ended the game winning 33-10.

The Semi Finals will be played in Auckland on Saturday 15th October with the Final set to be played on Sunday 23rd October. If you're interested in flying out to Auckland to catch the semi finals or the final or both! then flights are still available with Travelbag

Travel Trends Survey

An Abta consumer trends survey released today, which surveyed over two thousand holidaymakers found that over the last 12 months the number of people booking their holiday in a high street travel agent store has risen from 17% to 25%. Somewhat suprisingly the survey revealed that young people are more likely than older people to book through their high street travel agent. 32% of 16-24 year olds used their high street travel agent compared to just 15% of 45-54 year olds. It seems that 1 in 4 of us prefers to sit down face to face with a travel agent & discuss & book our holidays in a bricks & mortar shop as opposed to over the internent. If you are one of this growing 25% then why not visit your local travel agent to book your next holiday.