No coupon required: discounts on dining in Miami

GONE are the days of paying for coupons. dinely, a restaurant discount application announced its official launch in Miami available for iOS and Android.

dinely features over 40 restaurants in the #Miami area giving offers up to 50% off the entire restaurant bill, including alcohol, just by booking through its platform at absolutely no cost.

The two best parts for the user besides it being free? You don’t even have to show a coupon. And the discounts cover your entire bill. That means drinks, meals, appetizers, and desserts are all included in your percentage off which ranges from 10-50%.


Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

easyJet to launch loyalty scheme

EASYJET is to introduce a recognition scheme – Flight Club – for its most frequent travellers, the aim being to reward loyalty and provide flexibility for frequent flyers. 

The scheme will be rolled out across easyJet’s European network from early next year, when passengers will be invited to join Flight Club. The invitation will go to passengers who have booked and flown 20 or more flights, or who have recorded a specified annual spend with easyJet.

Carolyn McCall, CEO of easyJet, says: ‘Flight Club will reward our most loyal, frequent flyers – most of whom will fly with us more than 20 times a year. It isn’t like a traditional airline reward programme, because our customers have told us that those schemes can be a source of frustration. This is a loyalty scheme with a difference, because it gives passengers benefits they really value and can access immediately.’

Flight Club benefits will include free flight changes, free name changes, a lower price promise, previews of new routes, and special offers.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/42178876@N03/7567217872">Hangar 89</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">(license)

Free, Gratis, Libre, Gratuit, Livre, бесплатно, mahhala, δωρεάν, ilmaiseksi, saor in aisce

Go-Gear-Give-Away Starts Today!

Yes that's right we have ten of these fabulous Go-Gear MP3 players to give away. No catches!

All you have to do is G+ us and request your Free Go! e-book here

http://govillasandcottages.co.uk/

The draw will take place on Monday 29th June and will be sent out in the post within the week.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Barcelona give-aways

WWW.ONLY-APARTMENTS.COM celebrates its home city this summer by giving guests €250 (£180) worth of Barcelona experiences free of charge. 

The treats include a bicycle sightseeing tour, a show at the Palacio del Flamenco, a guided tour of the Gothic Quarter, and a restaurant dinner.

Only-apartments.com has almost 950 apartments in the city.
www.only-apartments.com

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit:Plaza España, Barcelonaby Yurivane89 - Own work via Wikimedia Commons 

Cross-Channel offer

BRITTANY FERRIES is promoting family holiday break to St. Malo – the walled port city in Brittany. 

The package, which starts at £74 per person, includes an overnight crossing with car from Portsmouth to St. Malo with a four-berth en-suite cabin, free entry to the town’s Grand Aquarium, a one-night hotel stay in St. Malo, and a daytime return crossing to Portsmouth.

Christiane Barker at Brittany Ferries says: ‘The St. Malo aquarium has a well-deserved reputation as a great day out for families, and the hotel is ideally located

The offer is available until June 30 and from September 15. See more at www.brittanyferries.com/holidays

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: "Jeu aquatique 02". Licenced under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Board the Cutty Sark for free

THE Cutty Sark in Greenwich is among the new attractions introduced by the discounter London Pass. 

Passholders will get free entry to the ship, normally priced at £13.50 per person.

Last autumn saw the Royal Observatory added to the portfolio, while the National Maritime Museum, Fan Museum and Wernher Collection at Ranger’s House. 

They are also offering, as is a one-day ‘hop-on, hop-off’ Thames City Cruises ticket. 

The London Pass is also aiming to tap into the popularity of the BBC TV series Sherlock by introducing a one-hour guided Sherlock Holmes Walking tour. 


Participants are invited to wear deerstalkers and explore the locations featured in Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels.

Also new 2015 is the Science Museum’s IMAX Theatre. London Pass holders will be able to experience a 3D film (normally £10 per person) on one of the UK’s largest cinema screens.

A one-day London Pass is priced at £49 per adult and £33 per child (aged 5-15).

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: "The Cutty Sark" by Gordon Joly - Own work via Wikimedia Commons; "Cutty Sark Greenwich - Own work by Richard Toy via Wikimedia Commons.

Europcar brings ToMyCar app to rental market

THE ToMyCar app is a new service from Europcar. With it, customers can book, unlock,
and drive their hire car using their smartphone, eliminating the need to visit the counter.

The service is being launched first in the UK from four key locations – London Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh airports, and the Europcar Mobility Centre at ExCeL London.

Customers will be able to return their hire car at any of these key locations.

‘ToMyCar harnesses the latest mobile technology to put our customers in control of the car hire process,’ said Ken McCall, managing director, Europcar UK Group. ‘They can locate and unlock their hire car with their smartphone, eliminating the need for picking up the keys at the desk and returning them after the hire.’

The app provides a map, highlighting the pick-up location of the vehicle, allowing customers to go straight to their hire car. They are then able to access their vehicle using their downloaded key via their smartphone.

Any vehicle damage can be recorded by the customer and reported via the app, before they open the doors and begin their journey.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Kids go free on the Heathrow Express

CHILDREN will be able to travel free on the Paddington-Heathrow Express from today, March 27.  The offer applies to children under 16 accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The airport train service has run its Kids Go Free offer in the past for limited periods, but as the Easter holidays begin, it will become a permanent fixture.

It is part of the company's plan to increase the number of leisure travellers using the 15-minute service.

Over the Easer weekend – April 3-6 – Heathrow Express - www.heathrowexpress.com
- is also running a price offer for adult leisure travellers and it is reducing single standard tickets from £21.50 to £10 and return tickets, valid for travel after the four-day period, from £35 to £31.50.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: "Heathrow Express P1180327". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Italy online

THERE are more than a thousand cultural events all over Italy between May and October; from north to south, in big cities and small villages, there will be exhibitions, concerts, shows, festivals, theatre, and traditional celebrations.

To find out what’s happening, where, and when, go to www.verybello.it , created by the Italian Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: GoHoliday via Wikimedia Commons.

Book the Hover on your phone

HOVERTRAVEL has launched a free smartphone application which enables passengers to book tickets for Solent crossings.

‘Smartphones are becoming the platform of choice for booking travel arrangements. Easy-to-use, dependable applications are key to giving our customers access to tickets and real-time information about our service,’ says Loretta Lale, commercial and marketing manager at Hovertravel.

The app allows for completely paperless travel: passengers buys tickets via the app and show their on-screen boarding pass at the gate.

Another feature of the app is journey planning. It shows scheduled times for connecting services from the Isle of Wight (including Island Line trains and Southern Vectis bus services) through to mainland destinations such as London, Southampton, and Bournemouth.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: "Hovercraft leaving Ryde" by Editor5807 - Own work via Wikimedia Commons.

StatsInteresting - who is doing well and .....

STANSTED AIRPORT reports a 12 percent increase in passenger numbers in 2014. More than 19.98 million passed through Stansted, making it Britain’s fastest growing airport. 

INBOUND UK tourism numbers up; further growth expected in 2015 - BASED on data from the first 11 months of 2014, more international visitors are heading to Britain than before, with 32.4 million visiting between January and November last year. This is a 7% rise on the same period in 2013, with spend also up 3% to more than £20 billion.

The numbers are set to continue growing this year with visits to reach 35.1 million and spend of £22.2 billion, setting a new record.

While London is popular for business trips, there are more people holidaying in the country with the figure at 13 million in the 11 months, compared to 12.7 million year-on-year.

‘Inbound tourism continues to be the fastest growing sector of the tourism industry and one of Britain’s most successful export industries, generating jobs and growth across Britain,’ says Patricia Yates, director of strategy and communications at VisitBritain.

A FREE APP FOR ST. PANCRAS

ST PANCRAS INTERNATIONAL in London is the first UK railway station to launch its own app.

The free app gives users the opportunity to delve into the history of the Grade 1 listed building, get facts about the area, and pick up exclusive news about special retail offers.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: From Left; "St Pancras station, London (CJ Allen, Steel Highway, 1928)" by Andy Dingley (scanner) - Scan from Allen, Cecil J. (1928) via Wikimedia Commons; "St. Pancras Station" by Andrew Nash from Vienna, Austria via Wikimedia Commons; 

Extra help for holidaymakers

THE latest colour supplement from West Country cottage specialists Helpful Holidays features 32 special self-catering properties spread across the region from the far west in Cornwall to Somerset. 

Sleeping two to 18 guests, many are new to the agency for 2015, increasing its portfolio to almost 765 properties. Pets are welcome at many of them.

Everyone taking a break with Helpful Holidays will get a free What shall we do today? booklet - www.helpfulholidays.com - containing more than 80 money-saving vouchers for use at visitor attractions throughout the West Country. 

It also gives information on local farmers’ markets plus recommendations for the best beaches, coast and country walks, places to eat, and quirky events.


Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Win a holiday in Malta

DID you have a good holiday in Malta this year, and was it made extra special by a helpful islander? 

The Malta Tourism Authority would like to know, and is inviting holidaymakers to participate in the STAR (Special Thanks And Recognition) Awards by nominating anyone working in tourism or tourism-related sectors who they believe deserves this award.

Senders of nominations will be entered into a lottery draw, the prize being Air Malta flights for two and a week’s B&B accommodation. 

The prize draw will be made on January 21.

For more information, go to … http://survey.visitmalta.net/index.php/survey/index/sid/388567/lang/en

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: "Valletta-from-fortmanoel" by Myriam Thyes - Own work. via Wikimedia Commons

App for airport parking

AN INTERNET publisher has created an airport parking comparison app for iOS and Android devices. 

Users of smartphones and tablets can compare real-time prices and availability of airport parking at Britain’s leading airports using the Airport Parking Shop app.

The app allows users to find the right price and preferred transfer time, and it filters results for on-airport, off-airport and meet-and-greet parking.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

How to find that Xmas market

'www.Christmasmarkets.com' has held its No. 1 spot in search engine rankings for the eighth year in a row. 

People looking for Christmas markets (or related searches) will find the site at the top of the list. 

The site offers advance information about more than 450 Christmas markets in Britain, 

Europe and North America.

The Top Ten Xmas markets, according to the website [www.christmasmarkets.com], are:

1. Manchester (England)

2. Belfast (Northern Ireland)

3. Bath (England)

4. Baden-Badener (Germany)

5. Winchester (England)

6. Graz (Austria)

7. Portsmouth (England)

8. Basel (Switzerland)

9. Düsseldorf (Germany)

10. Skipton (England)

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: From Top -  'Bath, England - Christmas market scene' - GoHoliday; 'Christmas Tree' by By Lotus Head from Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa via Wikimedia Commons

Get flight info via Twitter

RYANAIR has launched a customer Twitter account – @RyanairFlights – which provides instant real time information for every one of its 1,600 daily flights.

Twitter users who follow @RyanairFlights send their Ryanair flight number by direct message and will receive an instant update on the status of the flight by Tweet, using three simple steps:

1. Follow @RyanairFlights

2. Send the flight number (eg FR102) by direct message

3. And receive an instant flight update

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Where to tip … and where not to

TIPPING while travelling can be confusing, differs by country and doesn't always depend on service quality. Wego, a travel search website in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions, has published a guide to tipping protocols.

‘Knowing which countries where you should leave a tip is just as important as knowing which countries not to,’ says Joachim Holte, chief marketing officer at Wego.

‘In Argentina for example, tipping is actually illegal, but waiters often expect to be tipped by foreigners. So if you were to tip, discretion is advised. 

In the US, low wage earners in the service industry are reliant on tipping to balance out their income, yet in Romania, tips are often declined and in Japan, tipping is considered offensive.

‘As a general rule, tips as a sign of appreciation are expected in restaurants in Austria, Brazil, Chile, Ireland, The Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, and Turkey. 

However in Fiji, Malaysia, and South Korea restaurant tips are not required. 

Checking whether there’s a service charge added to your bill is also a good way to tell whether a tip is applicable or not, and then you have the choice to leave a small amount on top if the service was particularly impressive.

‘In the UK, tipping for food in restaurants is OK, although unexpected as service charges are generally included. Yet, tipping for drinks at a bar is just not cricket!’

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: GoHoliday Blog via Wikimedia Commons

City apps

TRAVEL writer Marcus Waring has launched an app called Seasonal Cities for iPhones and iPads, available at htps://itunes.apple.com/us/app/seasonal-cities/id892365913?ls=1&mt=8

It's a series of guides to 11 of the world's top cites: 

• Barcelona, 
• Berlin, 
• Istanbul, 
• London, 
• Moscow, 
• New York, 
• Paris, 
• Rome, 
• Shanghai, 
• Sydney, and 
• Tokyo.

The guides are written by resident travel journalists and updated every three months to reflect the changing seasons.

They are free for autumn (Sept/Oct/Nov) 2014

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: From Top -  'Kremlevskaya, Naberezhnaja, Moscow' by Dmitry Azovtsev via Wikimedia Commons; 'Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney, Australia' by Anne Dirkse (www.annedirkse.com) via Wikimedia Commons

Pauline Quirke teams up with Virgin Holidays

VIRGIN HOLIDAYS has partnered with actress Pauline Quirke to take her performing arts academy overseas.

The Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts will open at the Savannah Beach hotel in Barbados in February 2015. Children will be able to attend the workshops –focused on drama, comedy and musical theatre as well as the history of the Caribbean – for free.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

An app for the Keys

A TOUR app that tells drivers where to find the best sights, attractions and viewpoints along the iconic Miami to Key West route has been launched.

This is the latest audio tour released by GyPSy Guide, an app for iPhone and Android devices that's like having a personal tour guide in your car. The tours play automatically as you drive and uses your phone's GPS technology to tell you about the most interesting places to see while on a road trip.

The apps reveals unique stories about each destination.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: From Top -  "Gozo-harbour-hotels" by Myriam Thyes via Wikimedia Commons; "Wiedil-MielahWindow" by Wusel007 via Wikimedia Commons