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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Europe’s best …

HOLIDAY PARK SPECIALS has named what its customers think are the best #holidayparks in #Europe.

For the third year in a row, Efteling Village Bosrijk has been named the best holiday park in the Netherlands. With a rating of 8.8, it has also claimed the title of the Most Atmospheric Holiday Park in Europe. 

Another winner to take a prize for the third consecutive year is the Dutch park group Landal GreenParks, part of Wyndham Vacation Rentals. The company has also won awards for two of their German holiday parks.

The best holiday park in Belgium is Domaine Le Boulac in the Ardennes, while the award for top park in Germany went to Lindner Ferienpark Nurburgring.

The award for most child-friendly holiday park went to the Dutch Slagharen theme park and resort.

www.holidayparkspecials.co.uk

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Where to see the Wadden Sea

THE WADDEN SEA, the 4,000 square-mile UNESCO World Heritage area that extends along German, Dutch, and Danish stretches of the North Sea coastline, now has a state-of-the-art visitor centre in Cuxhaven, Germany. 

The sea is a unique habitat for many rare species of flora and fauna. There are three #WaddenSea #nationalparks in #Germany – in Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, and Hamburg – and the mudflats of the North Sea and Hallig islands can be reached on foot at low tide.

At the visitor centre on Sahlenburg beach in Cuxhaven, visitors can learn about the area’s eco-system and book guided walking tours of the mudflats.

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26525816@N06/18616615859">Dutch Wadden Sea</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

Portugal tops for car hire costs in Europe

Which is Europe’s most expensive country for care hire? It’s Portugal.

The Post Office’s annual Car Rental Report says it costs £553 to hire a car for a week in Faro, Portugal, including 40 litres (8.7 gallons) of unleaded petrol, an additional driver and satnav hire, against £248 for the same deal Copenhagen, Denmark.

Croatia was second most expensive destination (£547), followed by France (£447). Germany was the second cheapest (£264), followed by the Netherlands (£277).

The potential excess costs renters could incur in the case of an accident or theft varies across Europe, with those hiring in Switzerland looking at a £1,270 bill – a fee that could be prevented by paying £102 for additional insurance, which also covers tyre and windscreen cover. The figures are an average of the three #carhire companies in each country.

Andrew Brown from the Post Office said: ‘It’s a false economy to cut costs by sticking to the basic hire cost. We advise motorists to protect themselves against costs that could run into hundreds of pounds if the car suffers damage or is stolen. Don’t leave it until you get to the rental desk in your holiday destination, where you will be bombarded with questions and might sign on the dotted line without understanding what’s included and what’s not.’

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/53144842@N08/7899834918">Untitled</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">(license)

Island ready for fun

FINAL preparations are underway for Sail Aruba 2015, the two-day event (May 1-2) commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, of which the island is part.

Expected to be the largest event staged in the port of Oranjestad, it opens at 10am on May 1 when visitors can enjoy a seafood festival, open market, and visit ships in port. 

Dutch Marines – based on the island – will put on displays, and the Aruba Sailing Association will organize races. 

www.sailaruba.com










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Picture Credit: "Barque Picton Castle" & SailAruba logo Courtesy visitaruba.com/; "Caribbean Sunset, Aruba" by David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada via Wikimedia Commons; "Oranjestad - Toeristentram / Aruba" by Roel van Deursen - Spijkenisse / Nissewaard / Nederland via Wikimedia Commons;