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

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

It’s amazing how much of place you can see if you rent a bike for a day or two. Here’s the experts’ advice on five of Europe’s coolest, cycle-friendly cities

Copenhagen

Life here is a two-wheeled affair; cycle tracks take you wherever you need to go. In the morning, I recommend visitors head to the baroque-style Dronning Louises bridge that crosses the lakes to the north of the city centre. Here you can witness one of the city’s greatest sights – the Bicycle Rush Hour, when more than 35,000 cyclists cross the bridge each day on what is the busiest bicycle street in the western world. From here, head into the city centre – just go with the bicycle flow – and potter around the historic streets and squares. Check out Europe’s oldest tea shop, AC Perch’s (Kronprinsensgade 5, perchs.dk) and have lunch at Skildpadden on Gråbrødre Square, where you can build your own sandwich.

Head west along the harbour, stopping for a dip in the harbour baths at Islands Brygge, and continue to the bohemian neighbourhood of Vesterbro, with its funky designer shops. If you fancy another pit stop, grab a table at my favourite cafe, Bang & Jensen (1650 Københaven, bangogjensen.dk) – great for people watching. If you’re up for it, the nightlife in nearby Kødbyen, Copenhagen’s meat packing district, is brilliant. There are more bicycles outside the bars at night than you’ll see in central London any day of the week.
Hire Baisikeli (+45 3168 8096, cph-bike-rental.dk; Turesensgade 10) acquires abandoned Danish bikes and rents them to tourists from £9 per day. All proceeds go to sending bicycles to development projects in Africa.
Stay Hotel Bertrams (+45 7023 3235, hotelguldsmeden.com/bertrams; doubles from £100 per night, room only) is a cool hotel in the Vesterbro district. Each of the 47 rooms has Balinese-inspired style with four-poster beds, and some have bathtubs and balconies. The courtyard garden has bike storage, too.
Get there Scandinavian Airlines (flysas.com) flies from Heathrow to Copenhagen from £125 return.
Mikael Colville-Andersen, founder of cycling blog Copenhagen Cycle Chic (copenhagencyclechic.com)

Amsterdam

For one of the easiest rides out of the city head south down the Amstel river, from which the city gets part of its name (the other part being the dam that was built across the river around 800 years ago). Within 15 minutes you’re clear of the city, riding past people rowing on the river and fishing on the banks. Within 30 minutes you’ve hit the first windmill (which is a private residence, so don’t knock on the door) and the Amsterdam city limits at the Kleine Kalf (Little Cow) cafe. Futher on you reach a village called Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, which has lots of riverside cafes – perfect for a lunch break. A round-trip along this route – which is marked by bike path signs – is 20-25km and takes between two and three hours, so it makes for a great morning or afternoon ride.
Hire Mike’s Bike Tours (+31 20 622 7970, mikesbiketoursamsterdam.com; Kerkstraat 134) offers bike rental from €7 per day.
Stay The Bicycle Hotel (+31 20 679 34 52, bicyclehotel.com; doubles from €40 per night B&B), in Amsterdam’s central De Pijp district, has cheap but comfortable rooms, bike hire from €7.50 a day and free bike storage.
Get there Take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels, then cross the platform and take the Thalys train to Amsterdam, from £115 return with Rail Europe (raileurope.co.uk).
Michael Lasher, founder of Mike’s Bike Tours (as before)

Barcelona

It may be busy, but bike lanes mean Barcelona is a great city to explore on two wheels. My own neighbourhood, Gràcia, is one of my favourite places to ride: there’s not a lot of traffic, plenty to see and lovely squares where you can stop for a cold beer. Start at Calle Verdi and Calle Torrijos, famous for their small one-off clothes shops, then make your way through the Eixample district on Passeig de Gràcia. Head towards El Raval – which is reinventing itself as one of the city’s hippest neighbourhoods, with lots of lively restaurants and bars – and past the Museum of Modern Art, where a popular skateboard park draws people from all over Catalonia. Time to go to the beach, but not before riding through the old fishermen’s neighbourhood of Barceloneta; refuel on fish tapas at Jai-Ca (Calle Ginebra, 13), on the corner of Calle Baluard.
Hire Cruising Barcelona (+34 671 548 124, cruisingbarcelona.com; Calle Santa Tecla 7) offers bike rental from €16 per day.
Stay DestinationBCN (+34 9351 41950, destinationbcn.com; apartments from €125 per night, sleeping two) offers boutique-style apartments in the neighborhoods of Eixample, Barri Gotic and Poble Sec, sleeping between two and six. Most have a place to keep your bike inside.
Get there EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from eight UK airports to Barcelona from £44 return.
Mahrou Raisani, co-owner and tour guide at Cruising Barcelona (as before)

London

My favourite route changes all the time, but there’s a particular one through north London that is great for greenery and views. Setting off from my home in Dalston, I pedal straight up the high street, passing Stoke Newington (lots of cafes for breakfasts) and Stamford Hill, heading towards Lordship Lane. From here I cut off the busy main road and wend my way through rows of semis on quiet, gently undulating streets before tackling the climb to Alexandra Palace. The view from the palace is exceptional, and there’s a pub, the Phoenix, at the top if you need refreshment. Instead I usually cruise down the long steep hill on the other side, pedal on through Highgate, then up to Hampstead (you could buy picnic supplies here), before heading into the heath. If I manage to find the secluded ladies’ ponds (which seem to disappear every time I go there), I lock my bike up and take a dip, along with the swans, dragonflies and old ladies in swimming hats. Invigorated, I get back on my bike and head home, perhaps taking a diversion via Look Mum No Hands! (49 Old Street EC1, lookmumnohands.com), London’s newest cycling cafe, for a tipple.
Hire Cloud Nine Cycles (+44 (0)7836 774422, cloud9cycles.com) in Camden, north London, rents bikes from £25 per day.
Stay The Hoxton Hotel (+44 (0)20-7550 1000, hoxtonhotels.com; doubles from £59 per night, B&B) is a no-fuss hotel in trendy east London; the beds have Frette linen, the granite bathrooms good power showers, and a Pret a Manger breakfast is delivered to your room each morning. There are (safe) bike racks at the back of the hotel.
Juliet Elliott, sponsored rider for Charge Bikes (chargebikes.typepad.com/juliet)

Paris

One of the city’s best cycle routes is along the right bank of the river Seine. Start in the historic and trendy Marais district, then stop by the brilliant Picasso Museum (musee-picasso.fr), set in a former palace, and Place des Vosges, which is the oldest and most beautiful square in the city. Continue on past the Pompidou Centre (centrepompidou.fr), through the shopping area Les Halles. Stop for refreshments at Rue Montorgueil, a trendy street in the 2nd district where you can find lots of cafes, restaurants and Patisserie Stohrer (51 rue Montorgueil, stohrer.fr), Paris’s oldest pastry shop. From here, cycle past the Louvre museum, before joining the Pont-Neuf bridge, where you can reach the two river islands in the middle of the Seine. It’s possible to cycle on both islands, or you can just stop on the bridge between them, and listen to the musicians who often play there.
Hire Paris Bike Tour (+33 1 4274 2214, parisbiketour.net; 38 rue de Saintonge) has bike rental from €15 per day.
Stay Hotel du Nord (+33 1 4201 6600, hoteldunord-leparivelo.com; doubles from €69 per night, room only) is a 24-room hotel filled with eclectic furniture near the Canal Saint Martin. There is bike storage plus 10 bikes available for guests’ use, free of cost.
Get there Take the Eurostar (eurostar.com) from London St Pancras to Paris from £69 return.
Virginie Brouillard, guide for Paris Bike Tour (as before)

It has been revealed that Southampton Airport is likely to see the number of its international flights increase after airline operator Flybe announced they will provide funding for a new fleet of planes. Focussing on increasing their passenger numbers to three million per year, Flybe expressed that it was interested in creating further routes to financial centres such as Helsinki, Stuttgart and Milan.

Securing £3.3bn to pay for a new fleet of 140 planes, chief commercial officer of Flybe, Mike Rutter, explained that the company was looking to add to its 36 routes that currently depart from the airport. Increasing the number of flights to current destinations Paris and Hanover, up to ten new routes are to be proposed, creating an impressive development for Southampton Airport as it draws closer to celebrating its 100th anniversary.

Speaking of the decision to increase activities at the airport, Mr Rutter said "This is great news for Flybe and as our largest and most important operation Southampton will benefit proportionally. It was a historic time for us in 2003 when we started to transform our business in Southampton and this is equally momentous." He also added that the increase in flights could lead to the company creating an additional1,000 jobs. Flybe confirmed that 35 new aircraft have already been ordered.

The announcement comes after the airline revealed a new alliance with Air France. With passengers now able to mix and match their flights, in addition to having access to a multitude of new locations, travellers in the south-west may want to look at Southampton Airport before looking further afield.

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

With a number of airlines recently announcing new services to the increasingly popular destination of Lyon, France's second largest city is set to become a hub of activity over the coming years. With beautiful scenery and architecture providing the perfect gateway, not only to the Alps but also to the Mediterranean, tourism looks set to boom.

Set apart from many other cities due its recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lyon offers many attractions to the discerning traveller. Nestled between the Saone and the Rhone, the hills of Croix-Rousse and Fourviere provide a stunning precipice to the city. Lyon is smaller in size only to Paris, and provides the perfect location for travellers seeking French charm and modern dynamics. With a vibrant history in both Latin and Northern French cultures, Lyon certainly has a unique flavour to it, with many locations providing a glimpse into city's former days.

A vibrant nightlife, excellent shopping and a range of art galleries and museums provide a broad scope of entertainment whilst a host of Michelin-starred restaurants mean that outstanding cuisine is never hard to find. Because Lyon is located only a few hours from the snowy slopes of the Alps and provides quick access to the Mediterranean, the city is also a great place for tourists to visit on their way to or from a holiday destination. With a number of British airports providing flights to Lyon, including both London Stansted and Birmingham, this cultural retreat is only ever a short flight away.

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

London to Istanbul by train: In the first part of Benji Lanyado’s big train adventure, he takes in lunch in Paris, meets his new cabin mates en route to Germany and has an urban adventure in Munich

It has been revealed that a new agreement between a number of leading airline companies has led to the biggest trans-Atlantic travel network in the world being formed, offering consumers a host of benefits including new routes and flights. Teaming up with Delta, KLM, and Air France, the agreement with Alitalia will allow the four firms to revenue and cost-share, whilst increasing and improving services to travellers around the world.

Becoming the largest group on the planet to offer flights across the Atlantic, the new collaboration will provide 26per cent of all trans-Atlantic flights including 250 flights offering approximately 55,000 seats. With total revenue figures being estimated to grow to around $10bn, there will be plenty opportunities for the airlines to offer new additions to their current services. Meanwhile, unlike previous airline collaborations which have sought to strengthen companies but not necessarily pass on the benefits to customers, the new alliance promises to offer travellers a host of advantages.

Completely separate from the current airline alliance Skyteam, the new group will have a particularly strong presence in cities which include Detroit, Amsterdam and Paris. Such a collaboration will also allow travellers to benefit from automatic baggage handling and ticketing between European and U.S gateway airports, whilst additional services between America and Europe are to be created. With one in particular, Delta's new direct service from London Heathrow to Atlanta, proving beneficial to UK residents wanting a quick flight to the States, the group's promise of benefits for customers seems to already be emerging.

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

This month’s instalment from blog network Spotted by locals uncovers a secret city beach on the banks of the Danube, a dose of culture in a former medical factory in Zagreb and the revival of an historic arts centre in Paris

Budapest: Duna Beach & Sunbathing Park – your personal beach

Spotted by: András Nagy

I spotted it by accident on a lonely bike trip around the natural side of Újpest in the IV district. No sign or online source tells you about the place, which explains why only a few people are around whenever I go to swim. Just be confident and don’t turn back if you find a bunch of ships waiting to be repaired, as it’s the dirt road running along the river that will bring you to the entrance. The beach itself is pretty small – it reaches from the bank of the Danube toward Váci road starting with the buffet and the colourful changing rooms. The orange building makes a nice contrast with the blue pool that’s surrounded by a hedge on three sides. The pool was apparently designed for bathing rather than swimming but it’s still enjoyable and there’s a tiny pool the size of a big bathtub for children, too. The rest of the area is covered with grass, while extra facilities include a volleyball court, table tennis and three little cabins for rent. The whole atmosphere is really chilled – the furniture, the design, the music coming from the speakers that take you back to the “good old days”. Don’t expect much English to be spoken – it would ruin the 60s-feeling anyway.

• Duna Beach & Sunbathing Park, Üdülő sor, Outer Pest. Open daily 8am-6pm. Entry 1,000 forints (£3)

Copenhagen: Loppen – underground delights

Spotted by: Tue Rasmussen

Loppen has existed for about 35 years, and during that period, just about every kind of music has been performed there. Though originally called The Viking Jazz Club of Christiana, there have been electro, punk metal, soul, funk, folk and jazz, of course – often the music is quite “dance-friendly”. With its white chalky walls, wooden floors, wooden pillars and small wooden tables, it creates a very intimate atmosphere. Check out Loppen’s website, or ask a local if they know who is playing while you’re in town – but I suggest you go there no matter what. Even though this review is specifically about Loppen, I just have to say a couple of words about the location: Christiania serves as a sanctuary for anyone who is tired of the consumerism and the routine of everyday life. With its many activities, shops, music venues, restaurants, parties and social gatherings, it is the true centre of Copenhagen, and Denmark as well.

• Loppen, Sydområdet 4B 1, Sal; +45 3257 8422, loppen.dk. Gigs: 9pm. Entry: from 30 kroner (£3.30)

Paris: Le Bellevilloise – sound and vision

Spotted by: Tamara Mesaric

La Bellevilloise is one of the most important nightlife spots in Paris. There are lots of places where you can “live culture” during the day in the city, but they are not so easy to find at night. In its current version, Bellevilloise was opened in 2005 on the spot where there used to be (in 1877) a workers’ cooperative. In those days, it was dedicated to the education and entertainment of the workers living in the area. Today, the motto is “dedication to light and creation”, although nowadays you will meet mainly “bobo” people there, but not exclusively. A music club, an exhibition space, a bar and a restaurant with a stage (separated in four different rooms) all at the same time, La Bellevilloise hosts rock or world music concerts, DJs, interactive workshops, film festivals and even organic markets.

• Le Bellevilloise, 19,21 rue Boyer, Belleville, +33 1 4636 0707, labellevilloise.com/english.htm. Open Wed-Fri 5:30pm-2am, Sat-Sun 11am-2am

Zagreb: Medika – a dose of culture

Spotted by: Karla Loncar

The Autonomous Centre for Culture Medika is located in the vast spaces of a former medical factory. After months of striving to make this squat suitable for different cultural and educational events, Medika Initiative (an association of organisations and independent collectives) finally reached an agreement with Zagreb’s city council. In doing so, it became the first legalised squat in the city. This place offers an open-door policy for anyone who wants to share their art, or organise educational workshops and flea markets. Art exhibitions, movies, theatre and contemporary dance take place here, as well as parties, concerts and club nights. The complex has a large number of different rooms, so when you come here for a night out, expect at least two music/dance floors. Beer, rakija and wine are cheap.

• Medika, Pierottijeva 11, Lower Town. For opening times check pierottijeva11.org

Dublin: The Loft Market – local talent

Spotted by: Claudia Rodriguez

I like to explore the latest designers and artists of any city I happen to visit. Often, you find these by chance as I did when I first moved to Dublin; in all honesty, this spot won my heart from the moment I walked in. Not only are you able to see talent all around you, but you can also meet the designers and artists in person, often while they are hard at work on their latest projects. You are welcome to browse, admire, touch, experience – and buy – the items on display. One of my favourite vendors is the team from Aliquo with their classy and whimsical pieces. Thanks to the Loft Market, you are not only participating in a more intimate exchange of goods with the young creative minds of the city, but you are also supporting the local economy and promoting its artistic community. I suggest stopping by at noon on a Friday, as it is less crowded and vendors have more time to chat with you.

• The Loft Market, Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, 59 William Street South. Open Fri & Sun noon–6pm, Sat 11am-6pm

Continuing a 30 year tradition, Felicity Cloake joins Jim Haynes and around 90 new friends for a dinner party at Jim’s Paris home

British consumers are taking a sensible and pragmatic approach to their holiday plans this year, according to a survey by travel information portal Simonseeks.

The site surveyed 600 of its regular users and found that 70 per cent would be searching for discounts of at least 25 per cent on their next holiday purchase and would not be using credit to pay for their trip.

More than 50 per cent of the people polled revealed that they are prepared to spend up to three days searching for cheap flights and other travel products.

Simon Nixon, founder of Simonseeks, said: "The results show us that Brits are online, on the ball and certainly not prepared to either pay full price or use credit to pay for this year’s holiday."

Simonseeks offered a number of tips for people hoping to bag a bargain this year, with Venice and Paris coming recommended for travellers looking for cheap hotels in August.

Mediterranean destinations such as Spain and Turkey could offer low prices for families who will be going away during the school holidays, according to the site.

Cheap Flights and Travel News – © 2009 – Just The Flight