Non EU Holiday Destinations - Magical Iceland

Iceland is situated North West of the UK on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The Capital and only city of Iceland is Reykjavic, with a population of about 120,000 it makes up well over a third of Iceland's entire population - this city is the hub of Iceland's tourism. After the European Championships last year, it was claimed 10% of the entire population were in France to see their incredible run in the tournament (beating England in the last 16, cough), and with a population as small as that it is easy to believe.

Iceland is geologically and volcanically active due to its situation on the Mid-Atlantic ridge - those who did GCSE Geography will know that where tectonic plates meet, volcanic activity is rife. This characteristic is one of the main draws for tourists to come to Iceland - the scenery and landscape make it one of the best holiday destinations for anyone with an interest in geography or geology - however anyone can enjoy the country's spectacular sights, from young to old.

One of the top tourist hotspots is the blue lagoon - an incredible geothermal spa. Considering the regularly freezing air temperatures that Iceland has, you may be shocked to learn that the water temperature of the blue lagoon averages at 40°C. This is becuase of a nearby geothermal power station uses an underground lava flow to heat water that turns turbines, and the hot water is then pumped out into the lagoon for bathers to swim in. The water absorbs many minerals such as sulphur as it passes through the rocks and these help give the water its distinctive blue colour, as well as having medicinal purposes - the water is siad to heal certain skin diseases.


The Blue Lagoon, Iceland

The geysers of Iceland are also another incredible sight - fountains of piping hot water shooting up into the air. Many tours will stop at one or two - you can take your own wheels but be wary of the ice - it'll be a very different experience to driving in most of Europe.

Brussels, Belgium - Best European Holidays

-->Brussels is a city at the centre of Europe in more ways than one. Not only is it geographically fairly central within Europe, it is also a political centre, with many of the decisions of European parliament taking place in the city. However, don't let the political status of this place put you off, it is a great holiday destination to visit for a nice city break.

The city has excellent transport links to nearby European countries which is a big bonus - you can reach the city very easily on the Eurostar, just a couple of short hours away away from London Waterloo station. Book in advance to save a good amount on your ticket - I got a return from Brussels for about £80 but that was not particularly early notice. Once there, there's a whole host of cheap hostels and hotels to stay in, as well as the more pricey up-market places if you've just been given a Brucey bonus at work.

There's a range of things to do around te city and it's not particularly big so you can explore it on foot if the weathers nice. There are a lot of nice green park areas on the outskirts of the city which are nice to chill out in in the summer. The Grand Place is in the centre of the city and is a great place to take a few snaps. The architecture of the buildings is fantastic - the town hall in particular is a sight to behold, finished in 1455 - the rest of the Grand Place was subsequestly built around this magnificent building. Get a famous Belgian Waffle from one of the many stalls around the Grand Place while you have a wander. Choose from a range of toppings like chocolate sauce or ice cream, just to warn you they are very filling so not recommended before any strenuous activity.


The Town Hall in the Grand Place, Brussels

Another top sight is the Manakin Pis, a little statue of a boy, doing a wee into the fountain basin - one of the symbols of the city. The most famous legend of the statue is that the two year old Duke Godfrey III of Leuven. During a battle back in 1142, the troops of the Duke placed him in a hanging basket nearby as a form of motivation, where he proceeded to urinate on the heads of the opposition - the Berthouts. The Duke quickly gained legendary status from the affair.

Brussels is also a good place to visit for a good night out. There are a good number of bars and pubs around town - a popular pasttime is playing chess in one of the many chess cafes while sipping on a premium Belgian beer. The bar Delirium is famous for hosting the largest number of beers in the world at one time - there are usually over 2000 varieties of beer stocked here at any one time. Definitely worth a visit, and it is easy to end up hanging round in here until the early hours sampling the huge range thay have on offer.

Brussels is definitely one of the best holiday destinations to visit for a classy gastronomic experience as well. The main strip of restaurants offers pretty generic Belgian food, ie. the classic Steak Frites of Moules Frites - however many of these restaurants overcharge so don't be tempted by the special offers offered by the waiters. I would recommend exploring a little further out to get better quality, more authentic food at cheaper prices, although eating on the main strip is definitely an experience.

Overall Brussels is an excellent holiday destination for a pleasant city break - there's plenty on offer here. The nearby towns like Bruge offer a decent daytrip as well if you get bored of the city itself.

Non EU Holiday Destinations: Switzerland, Europe

All this talk of global economic meltdown shows no sign of slowing down - people are starting to become much more careful with their money, and rightly so. Car companies are falling like skittles around the world, as are our trusted banks. Because they all decided to go to the Bahamas for their Christmas party and put it on expenses, along with a few dozen crates of champagne and several more strippers apparently. Which has all left you and I with empty wallets and empty suitcases as a result - people are cutting back on their holiday expenses. I told you earlier more people were packing their bags for Turkey than Spain because of the cheaper cost., as it is a non EU holiday destination. So where else can we go that is relatively close and not ridiculously expensive with the Euro?

Well, not Switzerland. It doesn't use the Euro but unfortunately most things are still very expensive in Switzerland despite this. However, despite the high cost of goods, it is a very good holiday destination - especially if you're after a spot of skiing. The Swiss Alps in the Southern side of the country are famous for their sublime snow and as a result draw skiers from all around the world. Again probably not the kind of holiday you are looking for if you're on a tight budget but if you've just received your Brucey bonus at work then I would highly recommend it.



Aside from the skiing, Switzerland has much more to offer. Zurich is one of the top tourist destinations of Switzerland, and is regularly classed as one of the best cities to live in in terms of quality of life - praise indeed. It is also the largest city in the country, but is not the capital, Bern takes this accolade but is more a political centre rather than a tourist hotspot. Zurich is definitely a city worth a visit, there is alot to do including a rich historical background. Switzerland is very seasonal so if you want warm weather go in June to September - temperatures average around 23-23 degrees celcius in July and August. In the winter temperatures plummit to zero - and colder if you are enjoying your skiing in the mountains.

Switzerland is definitely a country worth a visit and is probably one of the best holiday destinations in the world if you are into your skiing. Unfortunately it is not cheap but this is for a reason - it is a country that oozes sophistication and as a result I've heard Barclays are planning to go here for their next Christmas party.

Turkey

Turkey is a country that is both within Europe and Asia - the Turkish Straits that run through the country in the North West is generally believed to be the splitting point between Europe and Asia. Due to this location, it has a diverse culture that include Eastern and Western traits and characteristics. Turkey is not in the EU either - and as mentioned in my previous posts this is probably the key factor that has led to Turkey becoming the most popular holiday destination in Europe, overtaking Spain. As the Euro has increased in power against the pound, holiday makers are looking further afield to get the best holiday bargains available. Turkey is now on average about £100 cheaper per person than Spain is - this fact carries great weight with cash-strapped tourists eager to save money before worse financial times kick in further down the line.

Turkey posesses many qualities that help it top the list of most popular holiday destinations - it has a diverse history, as it was home to the Ottoman Empire, a powerful empire spanning three continents, it has a good, hot climate, food is good and the people are friendly. Also, there are a range of possible holiday destinations for prospective tourists - breaks to the cites of Turkey such as Istanbul or more relaxing coastal holidays to unwind after a long period of work back home - Turkey provides it all.

Non EU Holiday Destinations

In my last post I talked about how the worsening economy is leading to a surge of people booking their holidays to non EU holiday destinations. Non EU does not necessarily a country that is outside Europe – many European holiday destinations are outside of the EU. The EU stands for the European Union – a political and economic union of 27 member countries. There are still a number of countries within Europe that are not members – these may be worth considering when thinking about where to book your holiday as the Euro will not be used in these countries.

As mentioned before, it is the poor pound sterling to Euro exchange rate that is the main factor here, which has indirectly arisen because of the so called ‘credit crunch’. The value of the pound has fallen because foreign banks and businesses are no longer investing money in this currency, so to encourage people to invest from abroad the price of it has fallen in comparison to the Euro. This has meant the average cost of a holiday to a country using the Euro has risen significantly, leading the public to look further a field in their hunt for a cheap holiday.

There are several Western European counties that do not use the Euro – these are Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. In Eastern Europe there are more countries who have remained independent and not entered the EU – such as Croatia, Russia and Turkey.

Out of these, Croatia and Turkey would be both be excellent choices if budget is important. Switzerland is an excellent destination for a keen skier but typically this would be quite expensive anyway. Iceland is renowned as an expensive country due to its high taxes – a pint of beer costs around £6. Russia is also very expensive in some areas – Moscow for example is thought to be the Worlds most expensive city.

Holidays & the Economy

Personally, I'm fed up of people going on about the credit crunch and how we're all going to starve due to a lack of food - and if we don't starve we're going to freeze because gas and electricity prices are sky high. Yes it's probably all true, but unless we work in the Bank of England of happen to own an oil field we can't really do much about it - or is there?

I recently read an interesting article in the Telegraph about how people's choice of holiday destination is changing dramatically due to the faltering British Economy. At the moment the Sterling/Euro exchange rate is at a terrible - 1 Euro costs 95.7 pence. Only a year or two ago a Euro cost us about 60p - the change is dramatic. Add harges placed on cash withdrawls and por exchange rates in some shops and you are basically paying £1 for a Euro. This has led people to look outside the EU for their 2009 holiday destination.



Spain has for a long time been the UK's favourite holiday destination - a country with excellent cheap package deals, good food and excellent weather - a classic destination for us Brits. However, apparently, Turkey has overtaken Spain as the most popular destination for the UK - an astounding fact in my opinion. This is mainly due to the average cost of a holiday to the 2 countries - a holiday to Turkey costs over £100 less, per person, than Spain, partly due to the poor exchange rate.

So in conclusion, there are things we can do to prevent starvation during these harsh economic times, and the public have acted already. A simple change of holiday destination to a potentially cheaper non-EU country can help save our hard earned cash, and maybe our lives too.

Portugal

Portugal is a popular European holiday destination bordering Spain. About half the country's circumference is coastal - one reason why Portugal is one of Europes's best holiday destinations - tourists love the sea!

Portugal has a beutiful mediterranean climate like its Spanish neighbour - another huge draw for holidaymakers for colder countries such as England! In fact Portugal is one of the most popular holiday destinations for the UK - the Algarve region is the 5th most popular destination at present. And it is not hard to see why - it is only a 3 hour flight from England, it is relatively cheap, and has everything most holidaymakers look for in a holiday - great weather, beautiful cuisine, laid-back lifestyle and gorgeous beaches and sea.

The cuisine in Portugal is diverse and caters for everyone. Especially popular along the coast are fish dishes - bacalhau, or dried cod, is a national speciality with hundreds of recipes. Freshly caught grilled sardines are also very popular - tucking into a plate of these while staring out across the ocean is hard to beat. Unless you've also got a nice Sagres beer to go with it as well, perhaps.


Algarve, Portugal

Best Holiday Destinations - Germany

Germany is located in Central Europe, bordering several countries including Holland, Belgium, France and Poland. It is a country with an incredibly exciting history, but at the same time is at the cutting edge of modern culture, making in a top holiday destination for anyone.

The Capital of Germany is Berlin, a highly interesting city, with an excellent mix of historical focus and entetainment. The bars and clubs in Berlin are on the whole excellent, with fine German beers being served at reasonable prices. The clubs are also good, a few of the clubs here are regarded as being some of the best in the World, such as Berghain/Panorama Bar and Tresor. Please see the separate page on Berlin clubs for more information on these places.

Berln has had a tough time due to the role of Germany in World War 1 and World War 2. Many of the buildings here were destroyed, so there is a mix of old and new buildings. The Reichstag, or German Government, has been rebuilt since WWII for example and is now topped by an incredible glass dome that you can walk up fora small fee. The guided tours in the city centre are highly recommended - these can be done on foot or by bike. Some are even free although a tip is probably expected!


Berlin at night

Overall, Germany is an incredibly diverse place, and should appeal to all types of people, no matter what their interests. This makes Germany one of the best holiday destinations in the World.