Ski holidays online

Whilst it may be hard to imagine winter holidays as the weather finally starts to improve, there are some great ski holiday packages around at the moment. With a huge range of choice, early booking ensures you get the pick of ski resorts and some brilliant special offers. So don't wait, book now and when the weather turns grey again, at least you have something to look forward to!

Bargain holidays to Turkey

If you are looking for a holiday with a little bit of everything you need look no further than Turkey. Linking Europe and the Middle East, Turkey combines ancient streets with golden beaches, bustling cities and archaeological sites. With a warm welcome always guaranteed, Turkey is the ideal holiday hot spot for couples and families alike, and now is the time to snap up some great last minute deals.

Holidays cost 89% more in school break

Parents can pay up to 89 per cent more to take their children abroad during the summer school holidays, this survey showed yesterday.

Short breaks bite the Big Apple

As airport services improve, so does your choice of short break destinations. Helped by the increase of overnight flights and shorter journeys to local airports, short breaks are no longer restricted to European cities.

Travelcall Breaks can now offer a range of 3-night trips to the great American cities, all for under £500! So if the bright lights of Las Vegas, the splendour of Washington, or the shopping delights of New York appeal to you, it's all a lot nearer than you think!

Cheap holidays can be classier than you think

Tesco supermarket has reported a 97% increase in camping equipment sales, partly due to the onset of the festival season, and partly due to people wanting to spend as much time away from the office as possible.

It is undeniable that camping is a cheap holiday, but the perfect anti-dote to city stress? Perhaps not. Weather fluctuations aside, camping requires a lot of kit, a lot of scrabbling in the mud, and a lot of patience.

For holidaymakers looking for a more immediate sort of relaxation, the vast number of cheap package holidays on offer are a very appealing alternative, and all you need to pack is your swimming costume and a good book!

Cruise packages increasingly popular choice

A report released by the UK Passenger Shipping Association indicates that cruise popularity is enjoying something if a renaissance. The UK sector was up by 8% from 2004 with an estimated 1.14m people booking cruise holidays. This trend is seen across the Europe and North America with Germany emerging as the most 'cruise-likely' nation.

The explosion of cruise packages is accredited to the improving standard of on-board services. From bars to fine dining, through bungee jumping, casinos and line dancing; the new generation of ships are able to cater for family cruises, luxury cruises, cruise bargains and even celebrity holidays!

Skiing holidays - Canada calls

Adventurous skiers are venturing further afield from traditional resorts in France, Switzerland and Austria, but travel to locations such as Canada and the US can require more forethought than a hop over to France.

With this in mind, tour operators are now offering advanced booking for skiing holidays in Canada and other far-flung resorts. So get booked early, take advantage of some great deals and get more practice in before the winter!

Holiday search online - made easy!

As more of us book our summer holidays online during our lunch break, so more companies are offering online services. Faced with all this choice, how do we conduct the most efficient search to find the best deal as quickly as possible?

The amount of data processed when booking a holiday means the actual booking process can be relatively lengthy, but this does not have to be the case for your search. By following a few simple guidelines you should receive much more relevant results without having to trawl through pages and pages of American Universities.....

1. Decide what type of holiday you want and make that explicit in your search.
i.e. 'city breaks', 'last minute holidays', 'all inclusive holidays'.
The more explicit you can be the better, so try to include some idea of cost i.e. 'luxury', 'cheap', 'bargain'.

2. If you have a location in mind include that in your search, i.e. 'holiday search Fuerteventura'.
Combined with a holiday type this mean seem like a very long request, but travel operators organise their holidays in this way i.e. 'luxury cruise ships', 'cheap holiday Majorca'.

3. Specify if you want a package holiday, an all inclusive holiday, or just flights. This may seem obvious but imagine you want to book flights only to Malta, by not including, 'flight deals malta' in your search you will not only receive irrelevant holiday pages, you may also miss seeing the cheapest offers from companies who specialise in flights only.

By following these very simple guidelines and making your search as specific as possible you are more likely to find the best deal for you, and still have time to eat your sandwiches!

Remember, be specific, there are a lot of travel operators online so there will be something matching your enquiry.

Happy hunting!

City breaks made easy

With practically every European city nominating itself the most cultured, most relaxing, most chic, most fun and most appealing in the world, choosing your destination can be a difficult decision.

Because a short break is too precious to waste on the wrong sort of city, Travelcall Breaks have put together a list of the top 10 city breaks. Based on their vast experience of organising weekend breaks, the list also takes into account feedback from satisfied customers.

Obviously different cities offer different holiday experiences, so if you are looking for something specific then contact Travelcall Breaks direct for expert advice, but check out the top ten list for some inspirational weekend break ideas.

Flight deals offer cheap, adventurous options

As previously reported in Holiday Choices, Brits are an adventurous lot when it comes to holiday destinations. The new trend for flight deal only holidays is a reflection on our increasing spirit of adventure when it comes to the annual 2-week sojourn.

No longer solely the domain of student backpackers, last minute airfare deals are offering more and more people the chance of a less predictable holiday. Whether staying in a pre-booked luxury hotel or just checking the lay of the land on touchdown, cheap air tickets have a lot going for them.

Offering flexibility, great deals (and the security of a return ticket in your back pocket) flight deals are well worth a second look, and you never know where they might take you!

Luxury cruise holiday for Christmas?

Whilst the sun is shining the strains and stresses of Christmas may seem a lifetime away, but, as we are told every year, it will be here before we know it. So why not take a break from it all this year and enjoy an increasingly popular winter cruise?

Caribbean Christmas cruises are the perfect antidote for the hectic build up to the festive season. Away from the busy crowds, the last minute shopping - and the cold, a luxury cruise holiday offers all the calm and serenity you need before heading home to brave the party season.

Many companies are now offering early booking cruise packages, so take the plunge and plan your winter break now.

City breaks in Glasgow the culture capital

Having completely revamped its old depressing image, Glasgow's tourist trade is alive and very, very well. Offering all the trappings of a cosmopolitan city, boutiques, bars and restaurants galore, Glasgow has the added benefit of friendly locals with a genuine and enthusiastic love of their city.

Summer is generally considered the best time to visit any Scottish city - whilst you are by no means guaranteed sun, the odds are slightly better - and with outdoor performances of Shakespeare plays at the Botanic Gardens, June is a good time to catch some culture. For a more musical trip, the Glasgow Jazz Festival is held from the 29th June to 4th July.

If neither of these events suit your tastes or your diary, fear not, there is plenty on offer in Glasgow at any time of year, just be prepared for some colder weather outside the summer months!

Resort excursions an increasingly popular choice

Typically the domain of large families - somebody has to keep the kids entertained - traditional 'activity' based holidays are increasingly in popularity. As more and more people get fed up of frying on the beach and dashing around cities, excursion-based holidays are attractive alternatives.

With the opportunity to partake in unusual activities or indulge in tried and tested favourites, an excursion based holiday is a chance to meet like-minded people and enjoy a break from the old routine.

Exotic destinations the common choice

A recent poll has found that the average Brit travels 248,000 miles in a lifetime, the equivalent of 10 trips around the world.

The survey also found that whilst 83% of the population has visited France, we also have a liking for more far-flung destinations, such as Asia, the Americas and South Africa.

Whilst there is a distinction between the luxury holidays favoured by the over 50's and the cheap air tickets snapped up by the younger backpacking crowd, it seems we Brits are an adventurous lot.

Weekend breaks in wet T.shirt capital

The capital of Mallorca, Palma has often been undersold as the city all the coaches go through on their way to the package holiday resorts. But Palma has much more to offer the discerning traveller.

A millionaire's playground since the 1930's, Palma has long been a favourite of royalty and Hollywood stars attracted by its old time glamour and prestigious buildings. The dramatic coastal scenery and imposing Gothic cathedrals make a Palma a picture perfect backdrop for romantic walks and evening drinks in the terrace.

As a busy working city Palma has all the shops, cafes, bars and restaurants befitting a cosmopolitan haunt; but the fascinating nautical history and surrounding picturesque mountain villages offers the holiday visitor something a little bit extra from the round of eating out and shopping.

For details of city breaks in Palma and other global destinations, contact Travelcall Breaks.