Eurostar reports bumper half-term

Eurostar, the high-speed passenger service between the UK and mainland Europe is reporting that it has carried 10% more passengers over this half-term school holiday, compared with the same holiday period last year.

Over 230,000 people from across the UK and Europe will travel on Eurostar over the course of the week for a late winter break. A combination of attractive prices, Valentine's Day and good ski conditions have made this a bumper half-term for Eurostar.

Nick Mercer, Commercial Director for Eurostar, said: "This has been one of our busiest February half-term weeks for several years. School holidays are always popular, but our service is particularly busy this year. With the perfect skiing conditions we are enjoying at the moment our direct ski services to the French Alps are virtually sold out next week.

"For families thinking about a last minute break we still have availability towards the end of the half-term week, with children under the age of four travelling for free. A short break can cost less than you think particularly when you take into account all the discounts you get on museums, galleries, restaurants and shopping with our Eurostar Plus scheme."

Eurostar Plus launched in 2010 to offer added value to Eurostar's leisure travellers. The Eurostar Plus collection includes Plus Shopping, Plus Culture and Eurostar Plus Gourmet, with more info on the latter available here: http://www.eurostarplus.co.uk/gourmet.

For more information, to book Eurostar tickets or purchase Eurostar gift vouchers visit www.eurostar.com or call 08432 186 186.

Planning a stag weekend? Eastern Europe has much to offer

Anyone who is looking for a fun stag weekend should definitely consider Eastern Europe as one of his chosen destinations, great cities popular for both outdoor activities as well as the nightlife.

Stag Republic is one of the reputed companies which help stags to plan an unforgettable, fun-filled weekend in one of these European cities. So, let us find out what some of the most preferred stag weekend destinations in Europe have to offer.

Budapest:
If you hadn’t considered Budapest as your chosen destination for a stag weekend, then Stag Republic gives you reason to do so now. If you are one of those people who love the idea of guns and shooting, then this is the chance to live your dream.

This package allows you to shoot 70 rounds with the guns that you choose from the range of options that they have to offer. The package also includes luxurious transport, drinks, guides who are fluent in English and attractive local guides. All this comes for a mere price tag of £37 with and £39 without the accommodation.

Krakow:
Nothing spells adventure like white water rafting and this is exactly why Krakow scores high with adventure lovers. Rafting on the actual Olympic training place in Poland has got to get your adrenaline levels soaring. Especially since the company provides for all the required equipment and safety tools, all you have to do is to go there and enjoy.

You get to enjoy this experience for two hours total and that too with experienced and efficient instructors. Once you are done, wash the excitement down with rounds of drinks or beer. Apart from this you could enjoy the night clubs and parties too. This fun weekend could be yours for a price of £39 or £44, depending on whether you avail for the hotel package.

Riga:
Riga is one of the Stag Weekend all time favourites. The place might be small when compared to a few other stag venues but it sure doesn’t lag behind in giving you a life time experience. Be it the nightlife, party or food everything here is just too good for words. The best part about this place is the coming together of Russian and Latvian ladies. It cannot get better than partying with the prettiest of the land. Beach parties and sauna parties are also quite popular in Riga.

Just visit http://stagweekendsblog.blogspot.com to learn more.

Leading European travel brand - @Leisure-Group - acquires pureholidayhomes.com Ltd

Dutch based @Leisure-Group has recently completed the acquisition of pureholidayhomes.com, one of the UK’s largest second home rental website, for an undisclosed sum.

For the @Leisure-Group, the purchase of pureholidayhomes.com represents a further strengthening of their position as one of Europe’s largest online accommodation brands, which currently includes in excess of 300,000 holiday homes, holiday parks and hotels through their Belvilla, Ardennes Relais, Euro Relais and Casamundo companies and a 2011 turnover of almost €200 million.

pureholidayhomes.com launched in January 2010 in an effort to provide a new and exciting feel to the UK’s holiday home rental sector. With over 26,500 properties listed in under two years, pureholidayhomes.com is one of the fastest growing companies in the sector and has been nominated for numerous awards and frequently been featured on national television and radio due to its innovative marketing and development initiatives.

For @Leisure-Group the acquisition is a logical step. Chairman Maarten Esser: “By completing the acquisition of pureholidayhomes.com we accelerate the realisation of our international growth ambitions. We want to be present in all the major European markets, so also in the UK. Via this acquisition we will be able to give both UK property owners and UK holidaymakers access to our European wide platforms. ”

Sean Collins, CEO of pureholidayhomes.com, comments: “This is a hugely exciting time for pureholidayhomes.com. From the start we have had an aggressive growth plan for our brand and the partnership we have now forged with @Leisure-Group enables us to continue to offer our registered owners and website visitors a first class experience whilst also continuing to expand and revolutionise our sector. Our inclusion into the @Leisure-Group will give us the resources and necessary investment to ensure pureholidayhomes.com remains at the forefront of the ever progressing holiday rental market in the UK and across Europe.”

The purchase of pureholidayhomes.com comes at a time when the holiday rental market in the UK continues to grow into the dominant force in the travel sector as a whole. PhoCusWright reported that in 2009 the second home rental market was worth $25 billion in Europe alone.

Travel through 9 European Countries with Busabout Hop-on Hop-off - From £335 based on travel to 6 destinations

Young and independent travellers looking for an alternative way to travel around Europe should check-out the Busabout Hop-on Hop-off network that covers 33 destinations in 9 European countries from the funky city of Amsterdam to the southern cities of Rome and Valencia, and loads in between.

Offering a flexible way to see the delights of Europe without bursting the budget Busabout Hop-on Hop-off allows travel from any city in the network at any pace. Travellers can stay as long as they like at each stop and once they have finished exploring can move onto the next destination, with coaches departing each city every two days during the season from May to October.

There are three passes available:

Flexitrip – offering the ultimate flexibility, this pass lets you just choose where you want to go and buy the number of corresponding flexistops to complete the trip. A flexistop is equal to one day onboard the coach. This pass is ideal for those that only have a rough travel plan as you can buy extra flexistops along the way. Price is from £349 per person (students from £335) based on travel to 6 destinations.

Loops – these passes let you focus on one region of Europe or cover the entire network. The route map has been decided into 3 sectors, each of which can be done on its own or combined for a fantastic adventure. Price is from £399per person (students from £385) based on travel up to 13 destinations depending on route.

One Ways – these are ‘off the shelf’ passes which cover popular routes such as the ‘Go West’, ‘Go Roman’ or ‘Sunseeker’ – travellers can take as long as they like doing the routes and don’t have to stop off at cities they have already been to. Price is from £479 per person (students from £454) based on travel to between12 and 20 destinations, depending on route.

Busabout’s network is a unique mix of independence and support where travellers can explore Europe at their own pace, but within the safety of the network which includes well-equipped coaches, guides on every coach and a ‘hostel to hostel’ service that drops travellers as close as possible to selected hostels, meaning they don’t have to lug their rucksacks across town.

Busabout also features nine Adventure tours including the Ibiza Island Hopper, Croatia Sailing and Morocco; seven of Europe’s most amazing Festivals including Pamplona, La Tomantina and Oktoberfest and nine Eastern European Treks – many of which can be combined with Busabout Hop-on Hop-off.

The following Christmas and New Year trips are currently up for grabs:

Christmas in Paris – 4 days for £349 – departing 24 December & including return coach travel from London & 3 night’s accommodation, highlights include Christmas Eve party & Christmas dinner plus a trip to the Palace of Versailles, a bike tour and river cruise

New Year in Amsterdam – 4 days for £369 – departing 30 December and including return coach travel from London & 3 night’s accommodation, highlights include welcome party, New Year’s Eve celebrations & canal cruise

Festive Party Trek from Krakow to Prague (& vice versa) – 11 days from £674through Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Slovakia & Hungary – departing 22 December & including transport & 10 night’s accommodation. Highlights include skiing in the Polish Alps, New Year’s Eve in Prague, tour of Auschwitz and Birkenau & visiting the Vienna Schnapps Museum. Both treks meet on Boxing Day in Budapest for a massive party

FACTFILE:

Busabout Hop-on Hop-off is part of the Busabout, HAGGIS and Shamrocker collective. The 2012 Europe brochure is due out in November and will feature a number of exciting new destinations and tours.

The company started in 1998 when they first linked up the best cities and destinations in Europe with a commitment to the independent traveller to make their time, cash and experiences go further. By offering an alternative choice the company has remained dedicated to the freestyle for of travel and their unique hop-on hop-off flexible coach network.

This passion to explore the world, without it costing the Earth has developed over the years into the innovative Adventure tours, with experiences such island hopping in Greece and Croatia, trekking through Eastern Europe or discovering the ancient cultures of Egypt and Morocco.

Busabout is part of a small group of companies that share the same attitude. HAGGIS Adventures pioneered the budget backpacker experience in 1993 with their award-winning trips through Scotland, Cornwall and Wales with their passionate local guides.

In 1999, Shamrocker Adventures started running the same style of trips throughout Ireland with their equally world-famous 100% Irish guides.

For more information visit www.busabout.com

To book jump online, call 08450 267 514 or contact your local travel agent.

Europcar locations set to open 7 days a week with 24 hour opening to be launched at 6 key airports

Europcar has announced that from September 2011, busy travellers can benefit from 7-day opening at over 60 Europcar locations across the UK, letting them pick-up and return hire vehicles on the day that suits them, even if it's a Sunday.

"Conventionally, the car hire market comes to a halt for the weekend after 1pm on Saturdays," explained Ken McCall, Managing Director, Europcar Group UK. "So customers either have to use an out of hours service or take another day's hire, which is not always convenient and adds to the cost. And this is pretty inconvenient for customers who are used to accessing most other consumer and retail services 7 days a week. Therefore we are extending the opening hours of these key locations to make hiring a car even more convenient for our customers."

As Europe's leader in flexible car hire services for both leisure and business users, Europcar is the first car hire provider to open seven days a week at many of its UK locations, setting the benchmark for improving the car hire experience. It is also launching 24 hour opening at six key airports, offering customers access to quality car hire whenever they need it.

McCall continued: "We want to ensure that car hire fits in with our customer's needs, by offering as much choice and flexibility as possible. By extending our opening hours at more than 60 locations to cover the entire weekend and at key airports staying open 24/7, we are offering the most adaptable car hire product possible. This is an exciting initiative for us and we think it is great news for our customers."

From September 2011, Europcar will be operating 7 day car hire across 60 locations, including 22 airports and 38 city centre branches, as well as 24 hour car hire operating at six major airports. The remaining 128 locations, including airports, will be open 6 days a week, 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays, with 7-day openings in these remaining locations being rolled out to respond to customer needs.

"We have been trialling extended opening hours at selected locations over the last few months, with considerable success," added Ken McCall. "It therefore made perfect sense to roll out this service to more locations.

"Once again, Europcar is setting the standard by delivering a service that meets the changing needs of our customers, helping them save time and enjoy quality, flexible car hire that suits their busy lifestyle."

Europcar offers the most flexible pick up and drop off locations and services in the UK, utilising an outstanding fleet including vans, family and prestige vehicles. Europcar will be the largest car hire company in the UK to have branches open on Sundays, reflecting its position at the forefront of the car hire market.

Thinking about buying a holiday home? Consider the secondary costs say delivery firm Parcels

As the economic climate for holiday homes looks brighter, European delivery company Parcels Please is offering a note of caution to holidaymakers to consider the likely additional costs.

Despite the many dreary reports on the UK housing market, it seems there's one sector that is growing. According to estate agents Knight Frank, the second home market grew again last year, showing a modest increase when compared against 2009.

With 245,750 homes across England already bought as holiday homes or homes to let, and many people looking towards Europe for a second home out of the UK, it seems financing a second home is still possible even during the current economic uncertainties.

But it has been suggested that while lenders are willing to lend money to help purchase a second home, it is likely they are specifically targeting the more affluent buyers. Putting it simply, this means that if you are able to afford a second home, then banks and other financial institutions are far more likely to be willing to do business with you.

And whilst this might well be a boon for many people who are looking for an alternative to taking holidays in hotels, parcel delivery experts Parcels Please are offering a note of caution to those people who are tempted to look at buying a second home in Europe.

Why? A spokesman for the company explained their thinking in this subject: “When people first consider a holiday home, they don’t often really think about the nitty gritty of the situation.

"Deciding where to buy your home is a crucial factor. If you choose a property abroad, it is necessary to factor many additional costs in to your budget – from the price of your groceries while you're there to the cost of keeping the house in a liveable condition all year round."

The warning also follows news that British holiday homeowners in France are to be hit by a new tax, which could cost thousands of pounds a year. The new levy could hit up to 200,000 British holiday homeowners, but this is only one of the expenses they could find themselves subject to.

Taxes like these are unlikely to deter those who are determined to enjoy a home away from home, and the benefits of owning a second property abroad are multi-fold.

There are a number of financing options open to people who hope to enjoy a second home abroad, including re-mortgaging UK properties, taking a second mortgage in the second country or buying into a lease back deal in a tourist development.

European parcel delivery experts Parcels Please said those who can afford it should also look into ways to improve their holiday home. "Making sure you get as much benefit out of your holiday home as possible means furnishing and stocking it with everything you need. You could find that if some of your favourite creature comforts are not available in your chosen destination, you end up spending a lot of money couriering items backwards and forwards.

"Choose the location for your second home wisely as a way to minimise your costs, leaving you plenty of money to send postcards and parcels to the folks you’ve left back home."

(EDITOR: As well as paying extra taxes -so much for the European Union!- you could end up in the ridiculous situation of becoming a law breaker by having -for example- to smuggle Marmite or Vegimite in to Denmark)

FACTFILE:

You can contact Parcels Please at www.ccl-logistics.com