There’s never a bad time to visit a vineyard, but one of the best is harvest time, when there are festivals, tasting events and even the chance to help pick the grapes

Vendimia festival, Jerez, Spain

Three weeks from Saturday, 4 September

Jerez de la Frontera in Andalucía, sherry capital of the world, becomes a hive of wine-related activity and parties from the first weekend in September to celebrate the Vendimia festival. There’s bullfighting (including a comedy bullfight), motorcycle racing and flamenco dancing, as well as grape picking. The family friendly festivities kick off with the Queen of Sherry parade, when she tosses a bunch of grapes into a press for four workmen to tread for the first official pressing of the vintage, and children run after her chariot to catch the sweets she throws. Then the party begins, with events in town and at the bodegas.
• See andalucia.com and turismojerez.com for details and accommodation. Casa Vina de Alcantara (vinadealcantara .com; doubles €160) is an elegant house in an arboretum, with 10 rooms and a pool, a short drive from the town centre

Marathon du Médoc, France

10-11 September

Thought marathons were all about sports drinks and energy bars? Not so in this event, where there are wine stops for runners pounding the pathways and roads of the Médoc region, passing 50 pretty chateaux and vineyards that are preparing for their autumn harvest. As well as the 8,500 or so runners, it attracts 50,000 spectators, many in fancy dress (comicbook heroes is this year’s theme), and food stalls along the route offer oysters, steak, ice-cream and cheese (obviously no one is there to beat their personal bests).

On the eve of the race the area’s estates open up their cellars and grounds and one property holds a Repas des Mille Pâtes (A Thousand Pastas’ dinner), which is reputedly great fun, and includes a cocktail hour. In the town of Pauillac, particularly along the quays of river Gironde, the party continues into the night. On the morning after the race, there is a 10km walk (the Ballade de Récupération), which provides an opportunity to taste more of the region’s wines.

OK, it’s the weekend after next, so if you haven’t registered yet, you’re off the hook, though you can still go and watch. And if you’re planning to run a marathon next year, this one has more of an incentive than most.
• marathondumedoc.com sells packages to the event and lists accommodation

Festa dell’Uva, Impruneta, Tuscany, Italy

26 September

The oldest grape festival in the region and one of a slew of harvesting events in Tuscany, the Festa dell’Uva in Impruneta pays homage to the region’s prized chianti and other varieties, with parades, dances, shows and food stalls. You can catch a bus from Florence to Impruneta.

• lafestadelluva.it. Tourist information: +39 055 231 3729, presidentefestauva@yahoo.it. Castello di Cafaggio (020-7193 1363, icastelli.net; from €90 per night) is a gorgeous 14th-century estate set in vineyards a few minutes from the village

Paso Robles Harvest Wine Weekend, California, USA

15-17 October

The small Central Coast town of Paso Robles celebrates the new vintage with more than 130 wineries holding their own events during the third weekend in October. A notably cool summer coupled with a slighter later bud break from a sluggish spring has the local wine industry predicting a much later harvest, possibly into November, but the festival dates remain the same and it won’t be any less fun. Wineries hold their own individual events, everything from novelty grape stomping to intimate winemaker dinners and wine seminars. The area also has hot springs (such as franklinhotsprings.com) if you need a different sort of liquid therapy afterwards. The drive to Paso Robles from either San Francisco or LA, along the Pacific highway, is truly spectacular.

• pasowine.com. Most of the vineyard accommodation is fully booked for this year, so you would be better off hiring an RV or camping. The Springs at Borrego (springsatborrego.com) has its own natural mineral baths and star parties with an astronomer, and weekly wine tasting. See tinyurl.com/3az3lhu for more campsites

Jurade de St Emilion, Bordeaux, France

13 September

The most picturesque of Bordeaux’s medieval villages, St Emilion is synonymous with fabulous wines, and its autumn festival is one of the most prestigious. The Jurade dates back to 1199 and is a celebration of some complicated political history, giving the rights of the area from King John to the locals, along with the control and quality of the wine. During the Jurade local winemakers open their cellar doors and estates for two daysto mark the start of the harvest.

• saint-emilion-tourisme.com for links to accommodation from €60 a night, and details of the festival

Act like Tarzan and Jane, from the woods of West Sussex to the jungle of Costa Rica

West Sussex

You Tarzan? You’ll think so when you stay at the new treehouse room at Castle Cottage, near Fittleworth, which has a leopard print bedspread, furry cushions and tree trunks protruding into the bedroom. The large, luxurious cabin is built into a sweet chestnut tree, with glass doors in the bedroom and a glass ceiling in the bathroom, and a large balcony with swing seats.

• From £135 per night for two people, including breakfast. 01798 865001, castlecottage.info

Nottinghamshire

Center Parcs is launching a four-bedroom treehouse at its Sherwood Forest resort this winter. It looks a lot like Robin Hood’s forest hideaway in the film Prince of Thieves, with three main wooden buildings on stilts connected by a wooden walkway. This is Center Parcs gone posh – each bedroom has a balcony, there’s a games den with a pool table, a hot tub and a lounge with slate fireplace.

• Available from 20 December. A three-night stay costs from £2,800 for eight people (£350pp). 08448 267 723, centerparcs.co.uk/accommodation/By_Type/treehouse.jsp#6

France

Keycamp offers treehouses in six of its resorts, including Brittany and the Loire. Two huts sit on a wide platform between two trees, up to five metres above the ground, accessed by a ladder. Wooden floors, heart-shaped cutouts in the doors, and wonky thatched roofs lend a fairytale look. They have composting sawdust toilets, and sleep six – one double bed, four singles. Breakfast can be brought up to your perch on request.

• Five nights for two adults and up to four children costs from £449, including midweek Dover-Calais ferry. 0844 4060200, keycamp.co.uk/holiday-homes/tree-houses.html

Turkey

Kadir’s Top Tree Resort, in Olympos on the Mediterranean coast is a backpackers’ hangout near a beach, with a wide range of treehouses to choose from, with up to five bedrooms. Adventure sports such as trekking, diving, rock climbing, paragliding and white-water rafting are on offer, and the site’s bars lend a party vibe.

• From around £10pp per night in a dorm or £20pp in private room, including breakfast and dinner. +90 242 892 1250, kadirstreehouses.com

Costa Rica

In the heart of the Gandoca-Manzanillo wildlife refuge on the southern Caribbean coast lies the Tree House Lodge, set in a lush tropical garden, with four houses. The bathroom is built around a 100-year-old tree, with the bathroom wrapped around the crevices of the trunk, and a large lounge with a hammock and rocking chairs. It sleeps up to six people.

From $300 per night for two people, to $450 for six people. +506 2750 0706, costaricatreehouse.com

Armed with secateurs and a basket, our writer takes part in the champagne harvest, before getting down to the serious business of enjoying the fruits of his labours

There’s something very lovely about picking a bunch of grapes. Reach in to the leaves, cradle the fruit in your hand, search with your fingers for the stalk, the umbilical chord to the vine, and with a delicate pair of red-handled secateurs, snip. There you have it, a beautiful bunch of grapes to be laid in your basket.

I can see that if you were here for the whole harvest, and you were being paid not very much to stoop all day long in the sun, then the novelty could wear off quite quickly. I’m not though, I’m just playing at working. And it’s amusing me.

There’s something even more lovely about picking these grapes here outside the village of Oger in north-east France. Because this bunch I’ve got in my hand isn’t going to end up in a bar of Cadbury Fruit and Nut, or a value pack of Tesco muesli. Oh no. These little babies, white Chardonnay grapes, will be turned into the finest champagne. Oger – because of its position in the Champagne region, its elevation, its micro climate and the quality of its soil – is one of only 17 villages to have Grand Cru status. In layman’s terms Grand Cru means very good.

Joining in the champagne harvest is one of the perks of the tour of the region I’m taking, a three-day “harvest weekend” with Grape Escapes.

Next stage is the pressing. I’m witnessing this at a small family champagne house called Jean Milan. Four thousand kilos of grapes, a (very) few of which were picked by my own fair hands, are tipped into the press, a big playpen made of slatted oak. This one has been in use since 1945, though the muscley Frenchmen who used to operate the press have been replaced by hydraulics. They still have to tip the boxes of grapes in, and pitchfork them around a bit, before the press starts to do its squeezing. I could probably get involved here too if I wanted, but I’m now on strike.

It takes a while to squeeze those grapes dry – five pressings, each an hour long. From 4,000kg of grapes, you get around 2,500 litres of sweet juice. Delicious, but no good for a wedding, a birthday, or even just a Tuesday night. Let’s turn it into bubbly.

I see the next stage over the road at Henry de Vaugency, another family-run champagne house. Current boss Pascal shows me his special room, where all his wizardry and magic happens. From the press the juice runs into a big vat, where it sits for 24 hours. This allows the sediment – pips, bits of vine, ladybirds (I saw several), etc – to settle. The clear juice then runs off into another vat, sugar is added if needed (not this year, the grapes are sweet enough), and over a few months the first fermentation takes place. At the end of which, you have white wine. Pretty rough white wine to be honest. But it’s OK, there’s a whole second fermentation to come.

The wine then goes into bottles, with a little yeast and a little sugar (I have to be vague at this point, if I were more specific I would then have to kill you).

Under strict conditions it develops for at least another one and a half years. A good place to see this is at the Ruinart champagne house on the outskirts of Reims. A staircase descends steeply into a network of tunnels and cellars that lead to extraordinary old chalk pits. It’s cool and dark and a bit creepy down here, easy to get lost. But that wouldn’t be such a bad thing, because the constant year-round temperature is perfect for millions of bottles of champagne to be aged. Death by champagne, not a bad way to go.

At the end of the ageing process – which takes between three and 12 years (there’s no instant gratification in wine-making) – the sediment is drawn to the neck, removed, and the bottle is corked. And voila, you have yourself a bottle of fizz.

Mmmm. Or Mmumm if you’re down the road at the GH Mumm house. Driving around here – Reims, Epernay, and the surrounding villages – is like driving round the inside of the locked cabinet at the off licence. Pommery, Bollinger, Krug, Veuve Clicquot, Piper Heidsieck, etc. Rap stars can get their Cristal over there at the Louis Roederer house. That’s the abbey of Hautvillers where Dom Pérignon himself was a monk. He may not have actually invented champagne, as popular myth has it, but he was instrumental in developing the process, and his name lives on in the prestige cuvée of Moët & Chandon.

All the houses do tours. Some offer a range, depending on whether you think you’re a bit of a buff, and know a pinot meunier from a pinot noir and what prestige cuvée actually means or you just want to see a bit of the process and have a nice glass of bubbly at the end of it, before moving on to the next place – touring a pretty corner of France getting slowly, and delightfully, fizzled. I think I tend more towards the latter to be honest. Although I’m visiting the champagne houses as part of a tour, you could easily visit them all independently. The smaller houses are actually more fun to visit – such as Henry de Vaugency, and Jean Milan, where of course I once worked. Smaller means more personal, you’re more likely to bump into – perhaps share a glass with – the owner.

If you’re lucky he may show you how to open a bottle with one strike from a sword, a trick that is guaranteed to impress your friends back home. If you’re luckier still, he may even let you get involved, have a go with a delicate pair of red-handled secateurs, stories of which are guaranteed to bore your friends back home. Who cares though? I helped make that champagne. Cheers.

• Grape Escapes’ Harvest Weekend (08456 430860, grapeescapes.net) is on 17-19 September and costs from £295 per person. The tour includes Dover to Calais ferry crossing with P&O Ferries for a car and two passengers, two nights’ B&B, a full-day harvest tour including a visit to a small champagne house to pick grapes and a three-course harvesters’ lunch with champagnes and tastings. Return rail fares from London to Reims start at £79 with Rail Europe (0844 848 4070, raileurope.co.uk). Further information: tourisme-champagne-ardenne.com and tourisme.fr/reims

A ranking of 20 cities renowned for being popular tourist destinations has placed Lisbon at the top. Surprisingly New York slipped down the ranking to 17th place, indicating that tourists are losing interest in its bargain shopping and TV show themed tours. In the survey Portugal's capital was hailed as an "undiscovered" hotspot.

Rating cities across the world for their value for money and accommodation costs, New York's expense in addition to increased security checks and lengthy flight time caused it to slump in the ratings. However Lisbon, only a two hour flight away, was hailed as one of the best destinations based on its value for money. With art galleries, festivals all year round, and an attractive new Design and Fashion Museum, YouGov found that Lisbon fits many of the criteria on tourist's wish lists.

It was noted that while destinations including Paris and New York would continue to lure tourists, city escapes within Europe were becoming increasingly popular. And although it may not be as widely renowned as other cities, Lisbon's value for money, short travel time, and good climate makes it perfect for short breaks and extended vacations.

Additionally, Stirling University's Professor Paul Freathy, explained that those working increasingly long hours generally wanted to get to their holiday destination as quickly as possible, without having to deal with jet lag at either end. And with flights for the Portuguese capital departing from both Manchester and London airports, a quick escape is more than possible.

Cheap Flights and Travel News – © 2010 – Just The Flight

Hold on to that summer feeling – and beat the August heat and crowds – with an autumn break to one of these sunny short-haul destinations

Autumn is a great time to get away for a final blast of sunshine not too far from home. Not only have the crowds thinned, allowing you to find space on the beaches and enjoy the sights without the queues, but midday temperatures have receded – perfect for donningwalking shoes and exploring rural areas that are wonderful at this time of year. Best of all, many hotels slash their rates as soon as the summer crowds head home. We pick our top 10 spots for that perfect autumn getaway …

1. Sardinia, Italy

Average maximum temperature: 27C

Visit Sardinia in autumn and you can discover one of the island’s best-kept secrets: Autunno in Barbagia (Autumn in Barbagia). Running from September to December, a series of festivals take place across 27 villages in Barbagia, a mountainous area of inland Sardinia (sardegnaturismo.it). Streets are transformed into markets, local craftsmen hold workshops, locals throw open their doors – and dining rooms – to visitors and walks are held through the hills. Or you can just kick back on one of the island’s near-empty beaches and soak up some rays.

Stay: Agriturismo Testone (+39 0784 230 539, agriturismotestone.com), tucked in a forest of cork trees in the heart of Barbagia, near the village of Nuoro, is an old stone farmhouse with eight bedrooms, hearty home cooking and log fires in the sitting and dining rooms. Doubles from €38 per person per night, including breakfast.

Get there: British Airways flies from London Gatwick to Cagliari from £138 return.

2. Andalucia, Spain

Average maximum temperature: 32C

Autumn days in Andalucia are still exotically warm, often hitting the low 30s. While the beaches are great this time of year – far quieter than in July and August – this is the time to head to the cooler climes of the hills for some rambling. Sierra de Aracena national park, just north of Seville, is one of the least-known of Andalucia’s parks. Lace up your boots and explore its wooded valleys, whitewashed villages and groves of chestnuts – their leaves turning red and golden. Don’t miss the lively market town of Aracena, with its limestone caves and 13th-century church built by the Knights Templar. Stop for tapas at Café-Bar Manzano, opposite the square – this is the season to try the region’s famous setas (wild mushrooms).

Stay: Finca el Moro (+34 959 501079, fincaelmoro.com), in the heart of the Sierra de Aracena national park, is a 75-acre hill farm with three cottages, sleeping between two and six, each with its own pool. There’s no Wi-Fi, no TV, just excellent walking from the farm – take the donkey, Violetta, to carry your picnic, or set off on one of the farm’s horses (experienced riders only). From €500 per week for a one-bedroom cottage.

Get there: Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from London Stansted, London Gatwick and Bristol to Seville from £40 return.

3. Cyprus

Average maximum temperature: 33C

Cyprus’s southerly position means it enjoys a long, hot autumn, with temperatures well into the 30s. While Cypriot resorts are not among the most beautiful in the Med, an increasing numbers of village houses are being converted into cottages and inns, many in remote rural areas that – on cooler autumn days – are perfect for exploring on foot. After a day’s romp, cool off with a dip in the sea, still blissfully warm at this time of year; Coral Bay, a large horseshoe-shaped cove backed by steep limestone cliffs and with blue flag status should do just the trick.

Stay: Amarakos (+357 22 313374, amarakos.com), situated in the sleepy village of Kato Akourdalia – close to Coral Bay and Paphos – is a family-run guest-house with seven rooms around a flower-filled courtyard. Guided walks, cooking lessons and visits to archaeological sites can all be arranged. Doubles from €77 per night, including breakfast.

Get there: Easyjet flies from London Gatwick, London Luton, Bristol and Manchester to Paphos from £105 return.

4. Dubrovnik, Croatia

Average maximum temperature: 25C

Dubrovnik is extremely busy in the summer months; accommodation is hard to find and endless cruise ships dock in its port, adding to the already overcrowded streets and beaches. Autumn however brings out the best of Dubrovnik; it takes on a tranquil, laidback atmosphere, the weather is less humid, the sea is still warm enough for swimming and accommodation and ferries prices drop considerably. Hop on a 50-minute ferry to the tiny, car-free island of Lopud; it’s renowned for having one of the best beaches in the Dubrovnik region, Sunj (pronounced “shoon”); in summer everyone in the region with a motorised vessel heads there for a swim. Come autumn it’s the Adriatic at its best.

Stay: The Amoret Apartments (+385 20 324005, dubrovnik-amoret.com), in the old town, is made up of 10 apartments (sleeping two-three) housed in three former palaces, each mixing antiques with modern paintings inspired by the city. Doubles from €70 per night, accommodation only.

Get there: Flybe flies from Birmingham and Exeter to Dubrovnik from £250 return.

5. Dahab, Egypt

Average maximum temperature: 31C

Visit this small Bedouin coastal resort in summer and you’ll face unbearably high temperatures of up to 38C; by late September, they’ve dropped – to the low 30s – and unlike in winter, nights are not too cool. Located 100km north of its more commercial neighbour, Sharm el-Sheikh, it has a chilled backpacker vibe and is renowned for its diving, thanks to its diversity of reefs, and also its windsurfing (the resort has about 270 days a year of wind a year). Now’s also the time to visit stunning locations nearby – doable as day trips – such as the Coloured Canyon, with its dramatic rock formations, and St Catherine’s Monastery, situated at the foot of Mount Sinai.

Stay: Dahab Paradise (i-escape.com/dahabparadise.php), on the Red Sea, is right among the action. It has 35 bedrooms with high ceilings, terracotta tiles and handcrafted reclaimed furniture. The hotel also works in conjunction with one of the diving schools. Doubles from €58 per night, including breakfast.

Get there: Easyjet flies from London Gatwick, Luton and Manchester to Sharm El Sheikh from £190 return.

6. Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Average maximum temperature: 29C

Just 70km from the Western Sahara, Lanzarote has a more desert-like climate than the Mediterranean, and is at its best come autumn: the north-easterly trade winds – which blow across the island from March to August – drop considerably; the sea, heated by the summer sun, is at its warmest; air temperatures still average around the mid-20s and the tourist crowds have subsided. This is the perfect time to don your walking shoes and trek the island’s volcanic peaks, for example Timanfaya national park (Fire Mountain), with its striking red and ocre lunar landscape and seismic activity.

Stay: Casa El Morro (+34 928 830392, casaelmorrolanzarote.com) is an 18th-century mansion, located above the village of Uga on the outskirts of the Timanfaya national park, that has been transformed into seven self-contained suites sleeping two to five, furnished with collections from Arabia, the Orient and Indonesia. From €107 per night, room only, sleeping up to three.

Get there: Easyjet flies from London Gatwick and Liverpool to Arrecife from £62 return.

7. Kas, Turkey

Average maximum temperature: 29C

Still sunny but not scorching, autumn is the perfect time to visit this relaxed old fishing village, situated on the Lycian coast in south Turkey. Especially if you’re planning on exploring the Lycian Way, a long-distance footpath that stretches for 500km from Fethiye to Antalya through the ancient land of Lycia (Kas is a good base for exploring the southernmost sections). If it’s watersports you’re after, the locals say the best time to dive is after the first autumn rain (usually between late September and early October), as this is when you can see the most fish activity.

Stay: Villa Hotel Tamara (+90 242 836 32 73, hoteltamara.com.tr) in Kas has 26 rooms and suites – all with sea views – two swimming pools and terraces that lead down to the private beach. Doubles from €100 per night, including breakfast.

Get there: Monarch flies from Birmingham, Gatwick, Luton and Manchester to Dalaman from £91 return.

8. Saint-Tropez, France

Average maximum temperature: 25C

Summer playground of the glitterati, the flashiest seaside resort in the Côte d’Azur takes on a whole new identity come autumn. While temperatures can still reach the mid-20s, most of the crowds are long gone, leaving behind a more laid-back town. Beaches which are usually packed – such as Plage de Pampelonne and Plage des Salins – are blissfully quiet, as are its posh boutiques and restaurants. If it’s the Saint-Tropez buzz you’re after, visit between 25 September and 3 October, when the annual Regatta Les Voiles de St Tropez (societe-nautique-saint-tropez.fr) sees 300 sailing yachts, from all over the globe, compete in a week of racing and festivities – and the jet-set return in throngs to watch.

Stay: Pastis Hotel (+33 4 98 12 56 50, pastis-st-tropez.com) has nine beautiful bedrooms, complete with objêts d’art, leather armchairs, contemporary four-posters and their own private balcony or breakfast terrace. Doubles from €175 per night – down from €450 in peak season.

Get there: Ryanair flies from London Stansted to Toulon from £30 return.

9. Rhodes, Greece

Average maximum temperature: 28C

Whichever Greek island you pick in autumn you’re likely to find warm sunshine and few crowds. But if there’s one island that is particulary lovely at this time of year it’s Rhodes. Its medieval Old Town is teeming with tourists in July and August. Visit in the autumn, however, and you can have its narrow alleys, lined with Ottoman mansions, and tranquil squares virtually all to yourself. September is also the best time to visit Petaloudes (Butterfly Valley), the island’s most popular tourist attraction; out of season, this lovely green dell in the middle of the island is tourist-free, so it’s the best time to spot the thousands of brightly coloured insects (don’t leave it too late, they only inhabit the valley between May and September). The thermometer will hover around the mid to high 20s, perfect for catching some rays on the nearby beaches; head to Kalithea, just 8km south, famous for its hot medicinal springs.

Stay: Spirit of the Knights (i-escape.com/spiritoftheknights.psp), in the centre of Rhodes’ Old Town, is a family-run hotel with six elegant rooms, all stone arches, marble floors, iron candelabras and stained glass windows. Doubles from €145 per night, including breakfast.

Get there: Easyjet flies from London Gatwick to Crete from £66 return.

10. Île de Ré, France

Average maximum temperature: 23C

A longtime favourite with French holidaymakers, this tiny island, just off the west coast of France and connected to the mainland by a bridge, can be rammed during the summer. By September however, most have returned to the mainland. Île de Ré is one of France’s sunniest regions; though with temperatures a few degrees lower than in summer it’s one of the best times to saddle up and explore the island’s 100km of cycle tracks, all wonderfully flat. Cruise past endless sandy beaches – many empty this time of year – vineyards, pine forests and oyster farms (Île de Ré is one of the country’s major producers), ending up at Saint Martin, the island’s capital, overflowing with gourmet restaurants. Re-fuel on ocean-fresh lobster at La Baleine Bleue (baleinebleue.com), the island’s most renowned restaurant, which out-of-season you conveniently don’t have to book weeks in advance.

Stay: Hôtel de Toiras in Saint Martin (+33 5 46 35 40 32, hotel-de-toiras.com) is a handsome 16th-century merchant’s house which has just been awarded five-star classification (the only one on the island) and has 20 lavish rooms and suites, some with open fires, for those cooler autumn nights. Doubles from €205 per night, room only – down from €305 in peak season.

Get there: Rail Europe has fares from London to La Rochelle from £111 return. Buses run between La Rochelle and Île de Ré regularly.

• Prices valid for September/October 2010. All temperatures for September

British airline bmibaby has revealed that they are to entertain passengers on some of their flights in an entirely new fashion. Announcing that they wanted to provide travellers with a flavour of their destination country, the firm introduced their new 'enterplanement' project.

In a bid to entertain passengers bmibaby's August 13th flight to Prague from Manchester showcased the talents of opera singer Vera Likerova. A soprano from the Prague State Opera, Ms Likerova gave a ten minute performance on board, enthralling passengers and setting the scene for those travelling to the Czech capital.

Having embarked on their first 'enterplanement', the airline revealed that similar occurrences could be expected on other popular routes in the future. This means that flights from British cities to destinations including Amsterdam, Munich and Paris could surprise travellers with one off experiences. Speaking of the aim to bring unique entertainment to its flights bmibaby's managing director, Julian Carr, said "Rather than using conventional methods, we thought we could do something more interactive and actually have representatives of the destinations on a few flights." He added that the experiences were intended to help customers delve deeper into their destination, offering ideas of holiday possibilities which some may not have thought of.

Operating from airports including Birmingham, Cardiff and Manchester, bmibaby flies to 30 European destinations. And with their latest announcement, any unsuspecting passenger could find themselves in the middle of an enterplanement experience.  

Cheap Flights and Travel News – © 2010 – Just The Flight

Fancy five-star style with a two-star price tag? We pick out 20 top-notch short-haul hotels at prices that don’t go through the roof

1. St Moritz Hotel, near Rock, Cornwall

Following a modest £15m makeover in 2008, this is now one of Cornwall’s chicest boltholes. Each of the 48 bedrooms boasts oak floors, whitewashed walls and crisp furnishings – all in shades of sand, aqua and pale blue. Watch the chef whip up seafood classics in the open kitchen, be pummelled in the glossy Cowshed spa, or raid the selection of buckets, spades and surfboards piled up in the lobby and head to the beach. The Cornwall Coastal Path is on the doorstep, too.

Book it Doubles from £99 per night, including breakfast (+44 (0)1208 862 242; stmoritzhotel.co.uk)

2. Hotel Los Castaños, Andalucia, Spain

Tucked away in the tiny mountain hamlet of Cartajima (population 100), this gem of a hotel makes a great base from which to explore Andalucia, with the historic town of Ronda just 10 miles away and Marbella – a holiday choice of Michelle Obama – 35 miles away. It has six bedrooms with tiled floors, Moroccan fabrics and small balconies, three of which overlook the valley. The best views are from the rooftop terrace, complete with plunge pool. There’s also a relaxation and massage room, a Moorish patio, sitting room and dining room serving home-cooked suppers. Tracks from the front door lead into the forest, and the village swimming pool opens at 4pm every day in summer.
Book it Doubles from €80 (£68) per night, including breakfast (+34 952 180 778; loscastanos.com)
Get there Monarch (monarch.co.uk) flies from London Luton and Gatwick to Malaga from £60 return

3. Hotel Corte Altavilla, Puglia, Italy

Located in the historic centre of Conversano, an ancient town in Bari province, this hotel is housed in a building that dates back to the 11th century, parts of which were the court of the Counts of Altavilla. It has 32 elegant rooms (some with self-catering facilities) – with exposed stone walls, wood beams and wrought-iron furniture – as well as a restaurant, roof terrace and newly opened “wellness” centre built in the court’s old stone basements. The dramatic cliffs of Polignano, underground caves of Castellana and trulli (unique architectural structures, with conical roofs) of Alberobello are all nearby.
Book it Doubles from €98 (£83) per night, including breakfast (+39 080 4959668; cortealtavilla.it)
Get there Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from London Stansted to Bari from £50 return

4. La Villa, Lopud, Croatia

This 16th-century stone villa gets the crown for the best location: right by the sea on the tiny car-free island of Lopud, just an hour’s ferry ride from Dubrovnik. There are six stylish rooms – with whitewashed walls, wicker chaise-longues and colourful Indian cotton bedcovers. Relax in the lounge, with its library and internet corner, follow the footpath that winds its way across the island to Sunj beach –one of Croatia’s rare sand beaches, set in a sheltered horseshoe bay – then return for supper made using La Villa’s homegrown vegetables and herbs.
Book it Doubles from €70 (£59) per night, including breakfast (i-escape.com/lavilla.php)

Get there Easyjet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick to Dubrovnik from £57 return. Then take a ferry from Dubrovnik to Lopud. For timetables and prices visit jadrolinija.hr

5. Casa Grande de Bachao, Galicia, Spain

This 12-bedroom hotel is situated in a 14-hectare estate, with direct access to the River Tambre. The buildings which make up the hotel are typical of 18th-century Galician architecture, with two houses, corn granaries and spacious stone terraces. It has a mix of singles, twins and doubles, combining exposed stone walls and classic furnishings. There’s also a sauna, library, games room, restaurant and outdoor pool. Make use of the free bike hire and head to the historic city of Santiago de Compostela, just 15km away.
Book it Doubles from £85 per night, including breakfast (+44 (0)1223 328 721; casas.co.uk)

Get there Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from London Stansted to Santiago de Compostela from £40 return

6. Riad al Jazira, Marrakech, Morocco

Marrakech has its fair share of riads, but this one, tucked away in the Sidi Ben Slimane district of the medina, has to be one of the coolest – and most affordable. It’s made up of three beautifully restored 17th-century riads, with 15 bedrooms featuring cool stone floors with brightly coloured rugs, linen drapes and little windows. The central covered courtyards and colonnaded swimming pool are equally tranquil – just the ticket after a day spent haggling and getting lost in the crazy souks. Had enough shopping? The riad can organise cooking, pottery and dance courses.
Book it Doubles from €89 (£76) per night, including breakfast (+212 524 426 463; riadaljazira.com)

Get there Easyjet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick to Marrakech from £75 return

7. The George, Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire

This foodie-themed boutique hotel gets the prize for the best-named bedrooms; there are 16 in all, with names including chocolate, oyster, chilli pepper, popcorn and fig, each with a huge canvas print representing its theme above the bed. Some also have freestanding rolltop baths, beamed ceilings and bay windows overlooking the market square. The sitting room/library is just as smart, with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and leather armchairs in front of an open fire, and there’s also a private dining room and decked terrace for a pint in summer. Blenheim Palace, Charlecote Park and Warwick Castle are all within driving distance.

Book it Doubles from £70 per night, including breakfast (+44 (0)1608 661 453, georgehotelshipston.com)

8. Hotel le Dormeur du Val, Ardennes, France

This uber-cool hotel caused quite a stir when it opened in the serene 16th-century town of Charleville-Mézières last year. Housed in an old factory building, it has 17 bedrooms, all of which have an edgy industrial feel, with steel girders, funky furniture and bright wallpaper. There’s also a bar, library and relaxation area with a sauna, Turkish bath and massage treatments. You’re very close to Place Ducale square, the basilica and the Rimbaud Museum, and it’s a great base for exploring the Ardennes, with its rolling landscapes, historic towns and grand châteaux.
Book it Doubles from €102 (£85) per night, including breakfast (+33 324 420 430; dormeur.fr)

Get there Take the Eurostar from London to Paris, then a connecting train to Charleville-Mézières from £92 return (raileurope.co.uk)

9. Dun Na Mara, near Oban, Argyll

Not only is the location unbeatable – it is perched on the seafront with views of Ardmucknish Bay towards the Isle of Mull – but this Edwardian house is also as chic as they come. The seven minimalist bedrooms (two singles, five doubles) mix original Edwardian fireplaces with whitewashed walls and Oriental detailing, like bowls of zen stones, buddhas and Chinese teapots. There is no restaurant or bar, but a hearty breakfast is served in the light-filled dining room, and there’s a decanter of sherry in the sitting room. Walk to the Iron Age fort on the headland, take a day trip to the Isle of Mull or kick back on Dun Na Mara’s private beach, which is reached via its informal gardens.
Book it Doubles from £98 per night, including breakfast (+44 (0)1631 720 233; dunnamara.com)

10. Lu Ciaccaru, Sardinia

The owner of this traditional farmhouse, located in Arzachena on the northern tip of the island, has converted her childhood home into a charming hotel. There are 10 spacious and elegantly furnished suites, with separate living areas and large covered verandas, plus two smaller doubles decked in cane and local stone. You will probably spend most of your time outside, catching some rays by the pool or dining on fresh seafood on the terrace of the restaurant. The hotel (which has its own boat) can arrange excursions along the Costa Smeralda coast, and sandy beaches are a short drive away.
Book it Doubles from £95 per night, including breakfast (+44 (0)1223 460 100, essentialitaly.co.uk)

Get there Easyjet (easyjet.com) flies from Bristol to Olbia from £40 return

11. Le Tresor, Languedoc Roussillon, France

Step inside this classic three-storey “maison de maître” (master’s house) in the quiet village square of Sonnac-sur-l’Hers, near Carcassonne, and you’re in for a surprise: contemporary prints and fabrics, cool chandeliers and eye-catching art. There are four rooms (one suite, a twin and two doubles), all with high ceilings, original wooden floors and marble fireplaces. This is a place in which to put your feet up – in the sitting room-cum-games room with its full-size pool table, TV and collection of DVDs or perhaps in the garden with its hammocks. The Pyrenees are on the doorstep, or you can head to the lakes at Puivert or Montbel for an afternoon’s windsurfing.
Book it Doubles from €85 (£72) per night (i-escape.com/letresor.php)

Get there Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from London Stansted to Carcassonne from £30 return

12. The Drawing Room, nr Builth Wells, Powys

Dating back to 1725, this Georgian country residence is now one of Wales’s best restaurants with rooms. Have a pre-dinner tipple in the drawing room and feast on Welsh Black beef or lamb from local farms in the homely dining room – perhaps rounded off with a lip-smacking hot apple and calvados soufflé – before retiring to one of the three bedrooms upstairs. Each one has Laura Ashley bedlinen and underfloor heating, though Oliver is the pick of the bunch, with a leather armchair, wrought-iron bed and a free-standing bathtub. Ask the owners to arrange a visit to some of the local food producers, or put on your walking shoes for a romp through the Elan Valley.
Book it Doubles from £80 per night, including breakfast (+44 (0)1982 552 493, the-drawing-room.co.uk)

13. Carmen de la Alcubilla del Caracol, Granada, Spain

This carmen, or traditional house, dates back to the Moorish period and is located on a steep cobbled street above Granada’s historic Realejo district. Inside are seven bedrooms filled with furniture and antiques that have been in the owner’s family for generations, as well as great views of Vega – the fertile plain which stretches south towards the Sierra Nevada. Most rooms have private verandahs or open on to the terraced garden and orchard – a perfect spot in which to unwind. Don’t miss the Alhambra – an ancient hilltop palace and fortress – and the old Moorish warren of the Albayzin.
Book it Doubles from £82 per night, including breakfast (+44 (0)20 7580 2663, travelintelligence.com)

Get there Monarch (monarch.co.uk) flies from London Luton and Gatwick to Malaga from £60 return

14. Casa da Lapa, Serra de Estrela, Portugal

Constructed from old shepherds’ cottages, this hillside hotel is perched above the small village of Lapa dos Dinheiros in Serra da Estrela, the highest mountain range in Portugal (almost 2,000m). It has eight bedrooms, each decorated with contemporary furnishings, including cube armchairs, cylindrical lamps and contemporary paintings. Set off on a ramble through the mountains or go cycling (there are free bikes for hire), then return to the casas for a swim in the pool, sunbathe on the rooftop solarium or steam in the sauna and Turkish bath.
Book it Doubles from €90 (£75) per room, including breakfast (i-escape.com/casasdalapa.php)

Get there Easyjet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick to Porto from £49 return

15. Hotel Victorie, Amsterdam

This is easily one of the hippest – and most affordable – hotels in the city. It’s located in the trendy De Pijp district and has 24 simple but stylish bedrooms featuring polished wood floors, bold retro furniture, furry cushions and wall-mounted magazine racks. The breakfast room is equally cool, with one long white-leather banquette running the length of the room and cowhide pouffes, and in the lobby you’ll find an open fire, menu of bar drinks and free internet access. Head to the nearby Albert Cuypstraat market with its mile-long stretch of stalls, or Museumplein (Museum Square) – a 20-minute walk away.
Book it Doubles from €69 (£59) per night, including breakfast (+31 20 3057470, hotelvictorie.nl).

Get there Take the Eurostar from London St Pancras International to Brussels, then cross the platform and take the Thalys train to Amsterdam, from £115 return (raileurope.co.uk)

16. Kemp Townhouse, Brighton, Sussex

Once a derelict B&B, this Grade II-listed Victorian townhouse, just off the sea front, was transformed into Brighton’s most sophisticated hotel in 2008. It has nine individually decorated rooms; pick of the bunch is Fabulous Four Poster, with its bay window with sea views, free standing bath and enormous mahogany four poster bed. Chef-cooked breakfasts (full English, pancakes and pastries) and afternoon tea are served in the dining room, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and original fireplace. Take a stroll through The Lanes, lined with jewellery shops and arty boutiques, or pack a picnic and head to the beach.
Book it: Doubles from £95 per night, including breakfast (+44 (0)1273 681400, kemptownhousebrighton.com)

17. La Hacienda del Buen Suceso, Arucas, Gran Canaria

With 50 hectares of banana trees, this working plantation – the oldest in the Canary Islands (established in 1572) – is also one of the most luxurious rural hotels in the Canaries. It has 20 bedrooms and suites with exposed stone walls, floral wallpaper, shuttered windows and some with four poster beds, as well as a good restaurant. Divide your time between the communal terraces, scattered with white wicker sofas, outdoor pool and wellness area with Jacuzzi and Turkish bath, or, if you can tear yourself away, walk to the nearby town of Arucas, nicknamed the “pearl of Gran Canaria”.
Book it: Doubles from €105 (£89) per night, including breakfast (i-escape.com/lahaciendadelbuensuceso.php).

Get there Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from London Stansted to Gran Canaria from £74 return.

18. The Railway Inn, Burnham Market, Norfolk

Owner and interior designer Jeanne Whittome has transformed the station house of the old railway at Burnham Market, which ceased functioning as a station in 1957, into seven en-suite bedrooms, which are part of the Hoste Arms Hotel. Stylishly furnished, with contemporary wallpapers, fabrics and plump beds, they are set around a central sitting room, where guests can choose from the sink-in sofas or seats right on the platform. There’s also a converted railway carriage, which opened last year and sleeps two. The Royal Estate at Sandringham is just a few miles away, or grab the binoculars and head to the nearby nature reserves at Titchwell, Holme, Holkham and Cley.
Book it: Doubles from £89 per night, including breakfast. Railway carriage from £137 per night (+44 (0)1328 738777, hostearms.co.uk/Railway/)

19. Blue Sturgeon, Charente-Maritime, France

This hotel is all about the finer things in life, from the location – situated in the small port of Saint-Seurin-d’Uzet, famous in the 1920s for being the first place in Europe to produce caviar – to the house itself, a converted wine store tranformed into a luxury haven by Yorkshireman artist Robert Stansfield, who in a past life created window displays at Harrods. It has five bedrooms, each featuring one of Robert’s abstract paintings above the bed and L’Occitane goodies in the bathroom. In the restaurant-cum-sitting room, caviar serves as an entrée to a four-course seafood dinner, and there’s a swimming pool outside in the garden. You’re a 10-minute drive from one of the loveliest beaches in Charente, and Bordeaux is just over an hour away.
Book it: Doubles from €95 (£81) per night, including breakfast (i-escape.com/bluesturgeon.php).

Get there British Airways (ba.com) flies from London Gatwick to Bordeaux from £97 return. Or take the Eurostar from London to Paris, then change to the TGV to La Rochelle or Bordeaux from £109 return (raileurope.co.uk).

20. Cortijada Los Gázquez, Andalucia, Spain

Artists Simon and Donna Beckma spent three years transforming a dilapidated complex of five farmhouses (or “cortijada”), set in the heart of the little-explored Sierra de María-Los Vélez National Park, into a gorgeous eco guest house. Run on solar and wind power, it has six beautifully decorated bedrooms, featuring art from the couple’s collection and large wet rooms. Meals, cooked from locally sourced ingredients, are served around a large communal table and guests are invited to join in hosted creative courses, from landscape painting to botanical illustration. Or set off to explore the national park, with its lush pine forests, varied flora and over 100 bird species.
Book it: Doubles from €85 per night, including breakfast. Three-day courses from €314 a night for two people (+44 (0)20 3137 2096, losgazquez.com).

Get there: Easyjet (easyjet.com) flies from Bristol and Newcastle to Murcia from £44 return.

Operator apologises after ‘forgotten’ passengers reach Calais – only to be whisked immediately back to Kent

As the Eurotunnel train from Folkestone to Calais slowed to a halt in France, its passengers were no doubt looking forward to disembarking and enjoying their trip to the other side of the Channel.

But rather than being allowed to drive off the stationary train, more than 20 passengers looked on powerlessly as the locomotive doors remained shut and the train powered straight back to Kent.

The “forgotten” passengers using the Channel tunnel to travel to France were in seven vehicles that had been loaded behind a wagon left empty after a fuel spill.

Eurotunnel staff at Calais unloaded the front vehicles on the train without realising there were seven loaded cars behind the empty wagon.

The unfortunate passengers, who minutes earlier had watched the Calais branch of the tunnel approaching, now saw the terminus retreat as they sped back to Folkestone.

Train crews realised immediately what had happened but were unable to act until the service returned to Britain.

On returning to Kent, the passengers were met by Eurotunnel management staff, who apologised, organised transport back to Calais and offered them a refund and a free crossing in the future.

“We have apologised profusely,” a Eurotunnel spokesman said today, describing the passengers as “a bit frustrated”.

“Something like this has never happened before in our 16-year history, and it is very embarrassing for us.”

More and more tourists typing ‘Lourde’ into satellite navigation systems to end up in French village of 94 people

Putting your faith in GPS, it appears, is not as reliable as putting your faith in the Lord.

An increasing number of Catholic pilgrims are learning this lesson first-hand as they show up in the unremarkable French village of Lourde – no ’s’ – and wait in vain for a miracle that never comes.

Nestling in the Pyrenean border country south of Toulouse, this little hamlet of 94 people has little in common with Lourdes, the world-famous holy site located around 90km to the west. It has no hotels, no shops and certainly no history of Marian apparitions.

So when they arrive in their cars, having misspelled the name of their destination on their navigational system, the new arrivals are understandably confused. “They are all surprised to see that Lourde[s] is so small; they ask you about the underground caves,” one village councillor told French radio today.

Robert Amblard, village mayor, told local newspaper La Dépêche. “One day, a hearse showed up. The driver stopped in front of the map [of the local area] I advised him to have a look in the 65 [Haute-Pyrenees departement] instead.”

Ever since the mid-19th century, when the unassuming market town of Lourdes became a pilgrimage point for Catholics all over the world, residents of the lesser known Lourde have been used to having to point outsiders to the right road.

But since the development of GPS, they say, the strays have become far more numerous. “For two years now …more and more people are getting it wrong. We have Spaniards, Dutch, Belgians and of course French people. It’s proof that they cant use technology,” said one local, Louis.

Occasionally, it takes the errant pilgrims a while to notice they have taken a wrong turn, say the residents. Some of them, they claim, even confuse the village’s modest statue of the Virgin Mary with the Statue of Our Lady at the Grotto of Massabielle, and lay their wreaths with great seriousness.

Despite the confusion, the villagers are resisting calls for them to modify their name in a bid to help pilgrims save themselves from orthographical recklessness. “I don’t see why we should change our name,” one local told RTL radio. “There is Bagnères de Luchon and Bagnères de Bigorre and people manage to get by.”

The resident, who was not named by the radio station, added: “Even without an ’s’, we are still a nice village.”

More and more tourists typing ‘Lourde’ into satellite navigation systems to end up in French village of 94 people

Putting your faith in GPS, it appears, is not as reliable as putting your faith in the Lord.

An increasing number of Catholic pilgrims are learning this lesson first-hand as they show up in the unremarkable French village of Lourde – no ’s’ – and wait in vain for a miracle that never comes.

Nestling in the Pyrenean border country south of Toulouse, this little hamlet of 94 people has little in common with Lourdes, the world-famous holy site located around 90km to the west. It has no hotels, no shops and certainly no history of Marian apparitions.

So when they arrive in their cars, having misspelled the name of their destination on their navigational system, the new arrivals are understandably confused. “They are all surprised to see that Lourde[s] is so small; they ask you about the underground caves,” one village councillor told French radio today.

Robert Amblard, village mayor, told local newspaper La Dépêche. “One day, a hearse showed up. The driver stopped in front of the map [of the local area] I advised him to have a look in the 65 [Haute-Pyrenees departement] instead.”

Ever since the mid-19th century, when the unassuming market town of Lourdes became a pilgrimage point for Catholics all over the world, residents of the lesser known Lourde have been used to having to point outsiders to the right road.

But since the development of GPS, they say, the strays have become far more numerous. “For two years now …more and more people are getting it wrong. We have Spaniards, Dutch, Belgians and of course French people. It’s proof that they cant use technology,” said one local, Louis.

Occasionally, it takes the errant pilgrims a while to notice they have taken a wrong turn, say the residents. Some of them, they claim, even confuse the village’s modest statue of the Virgin Mary with the Statue of Our Lady at the Grotto of Massabielle, and lay their wreaths with great seriousness.

Despite the confusion, the villagers are resisting calls for them to modify their name in a bid to help pilgrims save themselves from orthographical recklessness. “I don’t see why we should change our name,” one local told RTL radio. “There is Bagnères de Luchon and Bagnères de Bigorre and people manage to get by.”

The resident, who was not named by the radio station, added: “Even without an ’s’, we are still a nice village.”