Why stay at one hotel when you can stay at two, or three, or four?

Many holidaymakers in the UK are now looking at the possibility of fly-drive holidays. These vacations have traditionally been popular in areas like International Drive in Orlando where people staying in all-inclusive hotels need a vehicle to cover the distance between popular tourist attractions.

But the holidays can be taken much closer to home.

A new study by Carhiremarket.com has found that Spain will be the most popular holiday hotspot when the schools break up for Easter this year.

Between March 31st and April 15th, 35 per cent of British tourists hiring a car through the group have booked to jet off to Spain to enjoy sun, sea, sand and some of Europe's most beautiful scenic drives.

It does sound appealing doesn't it? Maybe, taking it easy in a convertible along a Spanish coastal road, before arriving at your all inclusive hotel for the night where your can be fed, watered and pampered before setting off down the road to the next hotel when you wake up.  

Andrew Shorrock, product manager at the site, said: "With the recession biting, but holiday makers still wanting to beat the new year blues and book trips away, hiring a car close to home in Europe is a cost effective way to explore new destinations and popular scenic drives.

"A hire car in Barcelona could cost as little as £6 a day".

Other popular European destinations for holidaymakers this Easter include destinations in Italy, Cyprus and Portugal.

The US – the traditional favourite for fly-drive holidays – has become less popular over the past 12 months. In Easter 2011, America was the second-most popular choice, but now it has slipped to ninth position – just one ahead of fellow long-haul destination Australia.

The cheap accommodation specialist

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Those of us who decide to stay in cheap hotels in Paris get the best of both worlds.

We will be in the heart of one of Europe's most attractive cities, while still having enough euros in our pockets to enjoy the attractions and famed French cuisine.

And we will be in the perfect situation to enjoy one of the continent's biggest tourist hotpots.                       

Disneyland Paris welcomes millions of people through its gates every year and will not fail to captivate children and adults alike.

Everyone thinking about booking a cheap hotel in the city will have heard of the theme park, but some may not be aware that the site is actually comprised of five distinct attractions.

Main Street, USA brings a taste of 1800s America to France. Families will travel back in time to experience the world in which a young Walt Disney would have drawn his inspiration.

Staying in the US, holidaymakers can travel even further back in time to be part of the Wild West-themed Frontier Land. 

Thrill seekers may want to check out Adventure Land, with its hi-octane and action-packed rides.

Perhaps the most well-known ride is Space Mountain and families can find that in Discovery Land.

Of course, as people travel around each of the parks they will need to keep their eyes peeled to spot all of their favourite Disney characters.

After tourists have experienced all that Disneyland has to offer they can return to their cheap hotels and recharge their batteries because Paris has a host of other must-see destinations.

As well as the hotspots of the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, the French capital offers plenty to keep the kids entertained.

Families can make their stay even more magical by getting tickets to see the Le Musee de la Magie – a museum with captivating artefacts from the world of magic and mind-blowing optical illusions.   

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Time is running out to book a cheap city break to London for this summer's Olympics.

Thousands of Brits and foreigners alike will be flooding into the capital to see the world's biggest sporting event.

Will Usain Bolt manage to repeat his lightning quick times of four years ago? Can Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah become the best in the world at their disciplines and get gold in the Olympic Stadium?

Of course, you could watch it at home on the TV, but what a waste of an opportunity.  

Bob Atkinson, travel expert at TravelSupermarket.com, has said that in the summer, London will be the place to be.

Lots of people from all over the UK who have tickets will be heading for the capital and even those without places may want to try to experience what it is like to be part of the Games.

"Even if it's just Olympic screens in Hyde Park, the atmosphere will be electric. If you're a Londoner or from the south-east you should go in and take part in the atmosphere – it will be outstanding," said Mr Atkinson.

He explained that one thing which could be crucial to people's enjoyment of the event is their accommodation. He said more people are likely to go to London if they can find themselves cheap hotel rooms to be based in for a few days

And this may be helped by the fact that the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games has recently announced that it will return 20 per cent of the rooms it had reserved for media, sponsors and dignitaries during the events.

This means that more than 120,000 rooms at over 200 hotels will now be waiting for you to book so the chances of you being part of London 2012 are looking good.

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What's the best thing about an all inclusive hotel abroad?

Is it knowing that when you wake up the sun will be shining and you do not need to go to work in the morning?

It could be that you have the choice of lying in the sun loungers all day, working on the tan while reading a good book, or heading to the beach and enjoying a spot of complimentary water sporting action.

Or could it be knowing that your bank card never needed to be packed into your suitcase – not only will this bring great piece of mind, but it can also help the bank balance.

New research from Which? has revealed that many British holidaymakers are being ripped off when using their bank cards to pay for products and services while overseas.

The consumer watchdog tested the products on offer from the seven biggest banks and building societies in the UK to see how they compared.

To do this, representatives went to Calais in December and used debit cards to make a €5.95 (£5) point of sale purchase and make a €20 (£16.75) ATM withdrawal.

Some cards resulted in payments which were 33 per cent higher than others and that is not the only problem.

Often holidaymaker are charged additional fees just for using their plastic abroad and the group found that ten simple transactions can cost a person £28.75 more than if they were made in the UK.

Executive director of the group Richard Lloyd said: "Banks are charging exorbitant fees for the most straightforward overseas transactions, pushing up the price of even the most basic purchases.

"We want to see overseas bank charges made clear to consumers when they sign up for their current account or credit card. Consumers must be able to easily see whether they are getting a good deal or not."

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If you are looking for a cheap city break to recharge the batteries during 2012 then there is no need to go searching for the passport and change your currency.

Why swim against the tide when the world will be flooding in to the British capital this year?

Simply booking a cheap hotel in London will put you at the heart of the action this summer, situating you in a location more ideal than India or happening than Hong Kong.

Kurt Janson, policy director at the Tourism Alliance, said that a holiday in the UK has many advantages over foreign alternatives.

"At the moment, it is a good value destination to take holidays in. Throughout 2011 – final figures are still to come – but it looks as though there is going to be a 14 per cent increase on domestic tourism," he stated.

Mr Janson explained that this was partly due to the tough economic climate that us Brits are currently experiencing.

But he argued that a 14 per cent increase also directly contradicted slow growth in the UK.

Mr Janson believes that the rise in tourism in the British Isles is simply because it offers holidaymakers a fantastic opportunity to enjoy a good time.

And if there was anyone thinking about staycationing, then this year was certainly the time to realise those ambitions.

London will host two of the world's biggest events in the summer, both likely to once-in-a-lifetime celebrations.

"[We are] certainly expectant to see a boost over the Diamond Jubilee," said Mr Janson and he expects that the Olympic Games will also have a big impact.

It may be some time before a monarch reigns for 60 years and the country hosts another international sporting event in the same summer, so now is the time to book that hotel in the capital.

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Here is a recent review sent from one of our customers:

My time at the Spa

The area of Benalmadena is known for is known for its large marina, modern facilities and great views. I wanted to experience this so I booked my flight to the four star Hotel Spa Benalmadena Palace in Costa del Sol for 7 nights. I stayed as ‘full board’ in March last year and booked with Holiday Nights.

My hotel room was all I have asked for- a large bed, spacious room, lots of natural light and also had a satellite TV.

I found the hotel staff to do a fantastic job of keeping my room tidy and clean consistently.

The hotels restaurant, ‘The Palace’, did a buffet style service. The menu had a lot in it and the food was satisfactory.

The facilities at the spa are very good. I went to the gym, hung out in the outdoor swimming pool, went to the cinema and I saw the evening entertainment most evenings – you can’t get bored.

There is a lot to do in Benalmadena and I participated in two excursions which I enjoyed both equally as much. The Rangers Jeep Safari tour was great fun and I also went to the sea life center at the marina. Both recommended. You can also catch a cable car from the coast up to the top of the mountain but it’s not recommended if your scared of heights!

I really enjoyed my break at the Hotel Spa Benalmadena Palace in Costa del Sol, I recommend it and I will likely go again.

Walking along the marina esplanade in Costa del Sol

-Marcus

Thanks Marcus for a great review, we are glad you had a great time!

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When on a cheap city break most of us try to pack in as much as possible.

As opposed to a few weeks relaxing on a beach with nothing much to do than work on the tan and get to the end of a good book, stays in cities are often, dynamic and fast-paced affairs.

One way of getting the most out of a quick trip to Barcelona or Paris is to make use of gadgets.

Many younger travellers will say that the phones and laptops hardly ever leave their sides, but an increasing number of older travellers are realising the benefits of electronic devices.

"If you look at the over 50s … it is common practice for us to take our mobile phones with us and now, of course, upgraded smartphones and keep in touch via Facebook and social media as well," said Ceri Wheeldon, founder of FabatFifty.

This could be as simple as keeping up to date with friends and family back home or organising your holiday snaps on the go.

A few minutes in a WiFi coffee shop in Paris and all the photographs of the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower could be beamed around the world for everyone to see.

When time is scarce, as it often is on a two or three-day city break, the internet can be the most effective way to find out local attractions, especially if your mastery of foreign languages is not the best.

Ms Wheeldon explained: "There is so much more information available. Personally, whenever my husband and I travel we always ask 'do you have Wi-Fi in the room'?"  

And that is what can make gadgets so valuable to a city break – you're actually in a city and WiFi is much more easily available so holidaymakers should use it. 

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Here is a recent review sent from one of our customers:

My highlights from Tenerife

If you’re after a relaxing holiday on a white sandy beach, then I definitely recommend the five star Costa Adeje Gran Hotel in Costa Adeje, Tenerife.

I stayed here with a friend for seven nights all inclusive in September last year and I couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised to find that it was as it was advertised, as sometimes this isn’t the case when you book. The airport is only twenty minutes away from the hotel so there was not much hassle once we were off the plane.

The hotel lobby is impressive when you walk in and has a nice water feature to look at. Our hotel room had a lot of natural light and it was very spacious. The maids cleaned our room every day so it was always nice and tidy for us.

You have three restaurants to choose from which are all set out in ‘buffet style’ and the menus have great variety which should suit most tastes. Our favourite place had to be ‘El Puente’ – they did delicious tapas.

In this hotel, you have a handful of bars to enjoy a drink and they offer a generous selection to choose from and I found the serving staff to be very professional and polite.

The hotel’s facilities are top notch and it was nice to get out of the sun after a while as I was burnt most of the time! I played on the tennis court, lazed around in one of the swimming pools and did the mini golf and gym.  There are plenty of activities to keep you going at the Costa Adeje Gran Hotel in Tenerife as well as elsewhere in Costa Adeje.

We did several excursions and went to the Siam water park which was very large and we also visited a Submarine Safari seeing many exotic fish and sting rays. If you are going to Costa Adeje, then I think that these two attractions are a must see.

Overall, if you are looking for a great holiday to unwind, relax and catch a bit of sun then you should definitely consider staying here. Thanks Holiday Nights!

-Dave and Jan

Thanks to Dave and Jan for the great feedback, we are glad you had a great holiday!

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What do you think of when you think of Greece?

If you think of bright skies, warm sunshine, clear blue seas, golden beaches and great food served in luxurious all inclusive hotels then well done.

If you think of spiralling debt, an economy on the edge and men in suits in Brussels then you probably need a holiday anyway.

And Sean Tipton, spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents, has said that despite the country's economic turmoil it will remain a popular holiday destination for us Brits this year.

He explained that by staying in cheap all inclusive hotels on the mainland or an island such as Kos or Corfu holidaymakers are actually helping the Grecians.

"The Greeks are very welcoming people; they are extremely reliant on British visitors for their livelihoods and would never do anything to endanger their safety," he stated.

However, the country's debts will have some effect on those people packing their cases and heading off to the country this year.

Fortunately for us they will be positive ones; the prices of many traditional tourist attractions and restaurants in Greece have fallen, as the locals can no longer afford to use them.

A recent survey from TripAdvisor found that prices in the main Greek resorts had decreased by around 20 per cent in just the last few weeks – meaning now could be the perfect time to book that hotel.

"It is a good time to get a bargain and in addition you shouldn't feel guilty about that because they are desperate for people to come on holiday to Greece," explained Mr Tipton.

Greece has always been a popular choice among holidaying Brits, in fact it is our country's fourth-favourite destination behind France, Spain and the US. 

Mr Tipton believes that the beauty of the Grecian landscape will have us travelling there in our droves this summer, despite the fact they may not be able to afford to smash their plates any more.

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With the kids running around the feet of stressed parents as they look for some way of keeping entertained this half-term, mothers and fathers may decide that a holiday needs to be booked for the next time they are off school in Easter.

One area which is promoting itself as the ideal resort for fantastic family fun is Murcia.

The resort has lots of cheap beach hotels that can act as a second family home for the duration of their holiday. Instead of being bored stuck with a choice of television in the living room or video games in the bedroom, children will find themselves with the option of splashing around in a swimming pool or building sandcastles on the golden Mediterranean beaches.

Families will also have the option of going all inclusive, meaning that even the most fussy of eaters will find something they want to eat – at any time of the day, as all food and drink is included in the price of the holiday.

People may be content to lie on their sun lounger with a good book, enjoying the weather for a week or two, but those who want to venture out will find plenty to do.

Murcia is situated in the south-east of Spain and offers some stunning terrain. As well as the renowned coastlines, holidaymakers can also discover mountain regions and woodlands.  

However, perhaps most tempting is the unique Mar Menor. The area translates as Little Sea in English and the description is very apt, it is Europe's largest salt-water lagoon.

As there are no waves and the warm water remains shallow throughout, it offers the perfect scenario for children to enjoy the Spanish sunshine. 

And the sunshine is all but guaranteed; temperatures in the resort were touching 16 degrees C this week while much of the UK is still defrosting from a recent cold snap.

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