New ports of call in Europe for Viking cruises

VIKING cruises today announced the addition of two new itineraries and a variety of new pre- and post-cruise extensions to its river cruise offerings for 2019. 

Debuting in March 2019, the new 10-day Holland & Belgium itinerary will sail between Amsterdam and Antwerp, allowing guests to explore the inland waterways of the Low Countries and visit new ports of call for Viking: Rotterdam, Maastricht and Nijmegen.

Also, in commemoration of World War II and D-Day, Viking will offer a new 11-day cruisetour, Paris & D-Day 75th Anniversary, with two special departures that coincide with the June 6, 2019 anniversary. On this historic journey, guests will travel from London to the maritime city of Portsmouth before boarding their ship in Paris and sailing through Normandy, where they will visit and honor D-Day landing sites.


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Enthusiasm for Amsterdam and Rotterdam

DESPITE the significant political turmoil and uncertainty of late, it’s apparent on the travelholidayamsterdam.com website that vacationers are as enthusiastic as ever to get back to Amsterdam and Rotterdam this year. 

Vacation home rental bookings are up 11.3% over last year in the early booking season. This number reflects the regions of #Amsterdam includes bookings for the “shoulder seasons” of spring and fall as well as the high season summer weeks.

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Restaurant The White Room awarded first Michelin star

RESTAURANT The White Room by Jacob Jan Boerma has been awarded with their first Michelin star - this location has been a restaurant since 1885 and can therefore call itself the oldest restaurant of #Amsterdam.  The signature restaurant of 3* Michelin chef Jacob Jan Boerma is led by Chef de Cuisine Arturo Dalhuisen and opened its doors only one and a half years ago in NH Collection Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky. 

Since then, the venue, food and team have been receiving praise by many critics and culinary aficionado’s. After being named best newcomer by Lekker500 by securing the sixty-second place on this renowned list and receiving 16.6 points by Gault&Millauearlier this year, the work of Dalhuisen and his team is now officially recognized by Michelin, with a prominent place in the Michelin Guide 2018.

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Go Dutch

THINK bike, think Holland! Now, British travellers can explore the delights of this cycle-friendly (not only due to the flat landscape) country with a new six-day #Amsterdam ‘Loop’ that starts and ends in the capital city and embraces Amsterdam and The Charms of #Holland. Or, explore a leisurely route from Amsterdam to Bruges in Belgium over nine days discovering the very best the Netherlands has to offer.

The Loop tour starts and finishes in Amsterdam to allow time for exploring the famous museums, art galleries and historic architecture and canals. Head out to towns such as Haarlem, through flat and hill-free countryside to see the Dutch masters on show. Indulge in pancakes, Edam cheese and local beers along the way, and remember to seek out some traditional Dutch gifts as souvenirs.

For those keen to #cycle over the border into Belgium, the new nine-day tour takes guests from Amsterdam through the delightful towns of Gouda, Dordrecht, Vlissingen and Damme before reaching Bruges. Along the route are nature reserves and picturesque countryside, ideal for slow exploration and working off the delicious local delicacies, not least the many varieties of locally brewed beer. Guests may choose to cycle from Bruges to Amsterdam and additional overnight stays are available.

www.bspoketours.com

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Top travel destinations for gin lovers

IT seems as though the UK has gone gin crazy at the moment! Our city centers aren't quite like the famous 'Gin Lane' painting by William Hogarth from 1751 but it is defiantly the UK's top trending drink statistics show UK gin sales have grown by up to 40% in the last 5 years! SkyParkSecure has put together their list of top travel destinations for gin lovers.

London

Gin wasn’t invented in London but few would deny it found a ‘spiritual home’ there during the infamous ‘Gin Craze’ of the seventeenth century.

Today the legacy of this proud history can be found all over London, not least at the Beefeater Distillery, which is located just a short walk over the bridge from Westminster Abbey. Gin enthusiasts are welcome to visit for an hour-long distillery tour most weekdays, and best of all a refreshing Gin and Tonic is included in the £12 entrance fee.

Scotland

It’s a little known fact that over 70% of the gin enjoyed by Brits is distilled in Scotland. In fact the tradition of Scottish gin production runs very deeply indeed, due in no small part to the juniper bushes which are common across the Highlands. Juniper berries are – of course – an essential ingredient of gin, and the Scottish variety is known for its distinctive rich and mellow flavour. 

If you want to take in as many of Scotland’s gin-based delights as possible, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association has helpfully mapped out the Scottish Gin Trail. Stretching from Edinburgh all the way up to Caithness, the trail takes in all of Scotland’s best gin distilleries and bars. Only got time for a flying visit?

Specialist tour company Gin Journey organise regular events in Edinburgh, during which you can enjoy chauffeur-driven transport between the cities premier gin-themed hot-spots.

Spain

Spain is the second largest gin market in the world, principally due to the phenomenal popularity of ‘Gin-Tonic’, the Spanish take on the familiar Gin and Tonic which is served in a balloon glass with plenty of ice and garnish. So a trip to Spain is a great choice if you’re trying to decide where to travel to if you love gin.

You can enjoy gin in any Spanish city, but if you have to choose one head for Barcelona, where you’ll find a vibrant gin bar scene to rival any in the world, including the Old Fashioned Gin Tonic & Cocktail Bar, Bobby Gin, and Xixbar to name but a few. Head just out of the city to the fishing village of Vilanova and you can pay a visit to the Gin Mare distillery, where the Ribot family has been producing Spain’s most famous home-grown gin since the 1940s.

Amsterdam

Experience the delights of ‘Genever’, the more complex juniper-based spirit forerunner of gin which the Dutch have been enjoying since the middle ages.

An altogether maltier proposition than modern Gin, Genever often has a light, honey-like colour. While the taste of Juniper still dominates, Genever also boasts smooth, creamy flavours. It is equally enjoyable straight, with a mixer, or when used to add a new dimension to classic cocktails. Head to Amsterdam’s House of Bols Cocktail and Genever Experience where you can discover how a great cocktail is made, and immerse yourself in the history and heritage of this exquisite spirit. Tickets are priced at just €16, which includes a cocktail.

Appetite whetted, you’re probably going to want to sample even more varieties of Dutch gin. So pay a visit to the De Drie Fleschjes tasting room where they’ve been welcoming enthusiastic Genever drinkers since 1650.

Philippines

The Philippines is the largest gin market in the world consuming over 22 million cases every year! It all started back in 1830’s when the first brand was formed by a family-owned Spanish era distillery. Ginebra San Miguel was the one that started the Filipino gin trend. An average Filipino consumes 1.4 liters of gin every year, largely due to the effective marketing and distribution of Ginebra San Miguel.

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Source credit: SkyParkSecure

Travel essentials . . .

THE I amsterdam City Card is your ticket to a more affordable, action-packed trip to #Amsterdam. Just one initial purchase gets you free, unlimited travel on public transport for the duration of your stay, plus a free canal cruise and free entry to a huge number of tourist attractions and museums.

The benefits also include a free, detailed city map, free giveaways & discounts on concerts, theatre, rentals, restaurants and more. The museums element of your card is automatically activated the first time you visit a museum or attraction. The public transport element is automatically activated the first time you use a tram, bus or metro in Amsterdam.

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Blooming good offer from DFDS

THE Dutch Bulbfields mini cruise package on its Newcastle to #Amsterdam route. The experience gives customers a chance to visit Keukenhof’s landscaped gardens, which display more than seven million bulbs of 800 varieties on a 32 hectare site from March to May each year.

Prices for the mini cruise package start from £111 per person, based on two people sharing an en suite cabin. It includes two nights of accommodation on board the Newcastle to Amsterdam cruise ferries, plus coach transfers and entrance to #Keukenhof with up to three-and-a-half hours to explore the gardens.

Bookings can be made until 14 May 2017 at for travel between March 23 and May 15, when the gardens are open.

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Picture Credit: MollyMaison 94535327@N07/27104538836 Keukenhof, Garden of Europe via photopin

Shhh . . .

THE 2016 Quiet Hotel Awards have been presented, after careful evaluation of the more than 140 European hotels which possess a Quiet Room® label. Hotels Regina in Paris and Ramada Apollo Amsterdam Centre Hotel have been selected as the winners of the these unique awards for quiet hotel rooms. The selection is based on the following criteria: · (busy) location of the hotel · number of rooms and number of   rooms with a QR-label · number of rooms with the highest   QR-qualification · design & build measures for   sound insulation · client reviews on social media Just as in 2015, Hotel Regina in Paris, a luxury hotel close to the Louvre, has been selected as the overall winner. This 5-star hotel was fully renovated in 2015 and situated at a very busy location in the centre of Paris, yet has managed to have all its rooms qualify for the QR-label. The Regina also receives a lot of positive reviews from travellers who are happy with their quiet rooms. The special Quietroom Design&Build Award goes to the Ramada Apollo Amsterdam Centre hotel. This 4-star hotel, situated by the Rembrandtpark and the A10 ring road, is quite exceptional. It was originally an office building, but by incorporating the necessary insulation during the renovation, it has managed to make all of its 446 rooms comply with the regulations pertaining to category 2 of the #Quietroom label.

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Light up Amsterdam

AMSTERDAM'S 5th annual light festival takes place this year from December 1 until January 22nd. Over 500 submissions from 45 countries were received for this years festival where artwork from over 35 international artists will be exhibited along two routes through the city.

Water Colors, the boat route will be open December 1 - January 22 and tours will be run by several canal companies. The artworks will be lit between 17:00 - 23:00.

Illuminade, the walking route will be open from December 15 - January 8 and will weave its way through 20 light art installations in Weesper and Plantage. The artworks here will be lit between 17:00 and 22:00.

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Picture Credit: nemandzax 134477772@N02/24221904152 Talking Heads, Light Festival in Amsterdam via photopin.com

Namibia via Angola

KLM will start flights to Namibia via Angola from October this year.

The flights from Amsterdam to Windhoek,Namibia via Luanda, Angola will operate three times a week.

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Up in the air . . .

KLM and Aer Lingus are to launch direct daily flights between Dublin and Amsterdam.

CANADIAN airline Air Transat will increase the number of flights from the UK to Toronto next winter by offering a daily service from November to April. London Gatwick to Vancouver also gets a second weekly flight commencing in December.

LOW-COST Cyprus airline Cobalt – funded by local and Chinese investors – is preparing for its first take-off in July. The company’s CEO, Andrew Pyne, says he want to turn Larnaca Airport into a regional hub serving Europe and Middle East. The airline will start with five planes – for flights to Britain, Greece, and Ireland – with plans to have ten by the end of 2017.

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DFDS reports record result on Newcastle-Amsterdam route

FERRY operator DFDS enjoyed a record year on its Newcastle to #Amsterdam service in 2015, carrying more than 580,000 passengers. The result was boosted by the company’s strongest ever May to September performance, during which the two ships on the route carried more than a quarter of a million people. Sister ships, the Princess Seaways and the King Seaways, provide daily sailings.

Max Foster, passenger director for DFDS said: ‘We’re excited to have set a new record on the Newcastle to Amsterdam service in 2015 and we’re looking forward to building on that with another record-breaking summer this year. The four-month summer period is a key time, and our teams at the port and onboard work hard to provide our guests with an enjoyable and relaxing start to their holidays.’

Passenger numbers hit record highs last summer, with almost 70,000 people using the service in August alone. The steady growth in the popularity of the route has provided a boost to tourism in the North-East of England, with more than 395,000 visitors from Europe and further afield using the ferry service to visit the region in 2015.

Foster added: ‘A key element of our success is our ability to attract a diverse group of passengers to visit the North-East, especially from Germany and the Netherlands. These visitors play an important role in boosting the contribution of tourism to the regional economy.’

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Up in the air . . .

FLYBE has confirmed that it will cancel its Liverpool service to Amsterdam at the end of March.

The route was launched in September, but the airline said demand was insufficiently strong.

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Top stag and hen locations of 2015 revealed

THE UK’S stag and hen party company Last Night of Freedom has revealed 2015’s most popular goodbye to singledom celebrations. 

For the men, Prague is the top spot for the third year running. Newcastle came in at second place, followed by Riga. Other destinations that made it into the top ten were Barcelona, Amsterdam, Krakow, and Budapest. Women had slightly different ideas as how to spend their last weekend of freedom, with Newcastle this time claiming the top spot, followed by Dublin and Marbella. Barcelona, Edinburgh, and London also made it to the top ten hen locations for 2015.

This year’s stag parties were more likely to travel abroad than the hens, with only three out of the top ten stag destinations being UK-based: Newcastle, Bournemouth, and Nottingham. Three out of the ten of the most popular hen do locations were overseas.

Says Matt Mavir at Last Night of Freedom: ‘Choosing to go abroad to celebrate a hen or stag weekend around 15 years ago was almost unheard of. These days, particularly for stag parties, you’re much more likely to leave the country than visit a UK city. There are many contributing factors to this trend, including more affordable flights and accessibility to European countries. However, I think it’s the ritual of leaving the UK to celebrate the last few days of single life that is particularly appealing. It seems to bring a sense of real freedom, and with that comes a whole new level of enjoyment.’

www.lastnightoffreedom.co.uk

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10533549@N08/4888582339">Effie</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(license), http://www.flickr.com/photos/13422316@N00/3769744890">Stag off the A897 Helmsdale to Melvich</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

They want to get away … alone

GOING on holiday alone – once considered an awkward by-product of being single in later life – is now an ambition for almost a third of middle-aged Brits seeking adventure … and time to themselves. 

A survey of 10,000 UK holidaymakers has revealed that almost a third of over-50s have taken a solo trip in the last year, with many of them planning to do so again. Of those who’ve never done it, 17 percent said they would like to try it.

Top reasons cited for flying solo include doing what you want whenever you want, eating and drinking without any judgement from anyone, and getting quality ‘me’ time.

A city break in Barcelona, with its mix of beaches, culture, and nightlife was revealed to be the favourite solo holiday destination, closely followed by exploring the canals in Venice and visiting New York City.
The research (by over-50s travel and insurance specialist Stay sure) looked into the reasons behind changing attitudes to solo travel. 

Almost a third of over-50s cited said that enjoying their own company was one of their top reasons for going away alone, followed by being single or widowed, while seven percent said their children were now adults and would no longer go on holiday with them. Almost a quarter felt that they did not want to rely on partners or friends to plan their holidays. Others said they enjoyed the sense of adventure in a solo trip.

Making new friends was also highlighted as a reason to book a trip for one, with 16 per cent considering a solo trip as a chance to meet new people. Some said they had made a new friendship when they were on holiday alone, and had subsequently planned a trip together afterwards.

The research also highlighted common concerns about travelling alone. Paying single supplements for hotel rooms top of the list of anxieties, followed by personal safety worries and anxiety about having to eat alone in restaurants.

Chris Rolland, Staysure CEO said: ‘Our customer research confirms that people in their 60s, 70s and 80s have the sense of adventure for things that may have seemed unexpected from this age group in previous generations. Brits are now choosing to leave their partners at home to expand their horizons by planning incredible solo trips and discovering a world of truly unique experiences, including new friendships and even romance. 

In light of this trend, it’s important that travel and insurance providers are able to offer an increasingly wide range of affordable options to help Brits fulfil their ambitions.’ 

Top destinations that people travelling alone would choose to travel

1. Barcelona
2. Venice
3. New York
4. Rome
5. Malta
6. Sydney
7. Algarve
8. Amsterdam
9. California
10. Dublin

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Picture Credit: "Barcelona (2418242475)" by Bert Kaufmann from Roermond, Netherlands - BarcelonaUploaded by russavia. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barcelona_(2418242475).jpg#/media/File:Barcelona_(2418242475).jpg

Amsterdam, Lisbon, Berlin lead half term holiday choices

#TRAVEL search site momondo.co.uk has analysed all of its flight search results for travel departing during the October half term holidays in the UK. 

Amsterdam, Lisbon, and Berlin took the top three places for searches.

Lasse Skole Hansen at Momondo says: ‘A very short hop from London, at just over an hour’s flight time, #Amsterdam is one of the closest mini-break destinations for Brits, and a city full of charm. With its romantic canals, grand museums, and galleries, Amsterdam can satisfy all types of travellers. Our data shows that European city destinations are the preferred choice for Brits this autumn.’

Runners-up were: 

• Paris 
• Barcelona 
• Dusseldorf 
• Budapest 
• New York 
• Munich 
• Rome

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We’ve all been on a summer holiday!

HOTEL BOOKERS LateRooms.com has looked at how #Britain has holidayed at home and abroad this year – from city breaks to exploring some of the UK’s lesser-visited coastal and rural spots, as well as favourite European destinations. 

Brits are sticking to old habits when taking #UKcitybreaks. London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Edinburgh sit pretty on top of a 10 strong list of destinations that has remained virtually static for the last five years.

Of these top ten most popular UK destinations this July and August, six are northern towns or cities, with summer events such as the Edinburgh Fringe and Manchester Pride being the big attractions.

Larger coastal resorts such as Blackpool, Brighton, and Bournemouth have continued to enjoy a rise in visitor numbers. Blackpool, in particular, has been part of a retro revival that has seen other traditional resorts including Southend-on-Sea, Margate, and Skegness also witness a boom in bookings.

Old favourite Weston-super-Mare has returned to rude health following the fire that wrecked the Grand Pier’s pavilion in 2008, jumping 13 places since 2011 to the UK’s 10th most popular overnight coastal resort. With visitors expected to have ploughed an extra £7 million into the local economy this past summer alone, hoteliers have seen booking numbers jump as many look to visit Banksy’s acclaimed Dismaland exhibition on the sea-front.

But for every classic comeback there has been an up-and-coming seaside resort making waves: amongst some of the coastal villages that boomed this summer were Burry Port in Carmarthenshire, Anstruther on Scotland’s Fife coast, Anglesey’s Treaddur Bay, and South Hayling in Hampshire. 

And away from the coast, a number of smaller towns and villages have seen spikes in booking as exploratory Brits opt for lesser-known destinations on an increasing basis.  Amongst them, Castle Cary in Somerset saw bookings up 126% this summer compared to last year. Cumbria’s Cartmel on the outskirts of the Lake District proved another popular bolt hole with visitors. Shipston-on-Stour, one of the Cotswolds’ lesser-known towns, saw bookings go up by 95% and Cheshire’s footballer-friendly Alderley Edge saw a 58% increase in bookings through the LateRooms.com site since last year.

Andrea Tarpey, spokesperson for LateRooms.com said: ‘What a summer it’s been … despite the indifferent weather people have been travelling the length and breadth of the UK to enjoy some of the gems we have on offer here.’

The most popular #Europeandestination this summer was Amsterdam, with Paris, Rome, and Barcelona proving favourites once again.

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/34876760@N08/3232896282">Piper</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license), http://www.flickr.com/photos/67196253@N00/128526737">Amsterdam</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">(license), David Kernick