Take a walk with Toad Hall Cottages

AFTER the excesses of Christmas and New Year festivities, a walking break in the West Country could be the answer. Toad Hall Cottages could make it simple, because it has more than 150 self-catering holiday properties – including dog-friendly ones – directly on the South West Coast Path.

Voted one of the World's Top 12 Hikes by Lonely Planet magazine, the path follows the West Country coastline for 630 miles from Poole in Dorset to Minehead in North Devon.

A fast walker could complete the entire route in 30 days; less intrepid hikers can break it up into easily manageable chunks or circular walks.

www.toadhallcottages.co.uk

www.southwestcoastpath.com


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

Canadians, eh !

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

Picture Credit: somewhere-on-the-Web

AmEx saves historic DC site

AMERICAN EXPRESS has given $1 million (£639,000) to restore and preserve the Lockkeeper’s House, the oldest existing structure on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

The 178-year-old house stands as a rare artifact of early 19th-century Washington, when commerce was conducted via a system of canals designed to transport goods. 

The Lock Keeper's House located at 17th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW in West Potomac Park, Washington, D.C. Constructed in 1833, the Federal-style building housed the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Extension operator (the Extension connected the C&O Canal to the Washington City Canal). The house was abandoned in 1855 and fell into disrepair. In 1903, the building was partially renovated and used as storage for park service equipment. On November 30, 1973 the Lock Keeper's House was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

It has been boarded up for more than 40 years and is in a state of extreme disrepair, despite its prominent location near the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial on Constitution Avenue.

As part of the grant funding from AmEx, the house will be lifted and moved back 32 feet from the road and heavy street traffic.

‘Historic places such as the Lockkeeper’s House help us unlock our rich cultural and commercial past,’ said Timothy J. McClimon, president of the American Express Foundation. “

Built as both a home and workplace, the house served the lock that connected the Washington branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal and Washington City Canal that ran parallel to where the National Mall is now. The house was operated by a keeper between 1835 and 1873. He collected tolls, kept trade records, and operated the lock gates to allow for the passage of canal barges transporting heavy goods from the interior of the United States. When the C&O Canal was replaced by railways and the canals were filled, the house was no longer needed.

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

Picture Credit: 'Lockkeeper's House, DC' by AgnosticPreachersKid (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons

Pre-Xmas strike threat at UK airports

AIR travellers face the threat of pre-Christmas airport chaos if a two-day strike threatened by ground handlers goes ahead. 

Workers at Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester airports backed strike action in a ballot by 83% in a row with ground handling company Dnata over pay.

The Unite union warned that more than 460 members based mainly at Heathrow would walk out for two days from Tuesday if the company refuses to negotiate.

The union called on Dnata to engage in talks via the conciliation service ACAS to resolve the dispute over a ‘divisive’ pay offer. The row centres on a pay offer which the union claims will see supervisors get 4.5% – double the 2.25% of other staff.

Unite represents around a quarter of the 1,900 Dnata staff who carry out check-in, ground crew, and cargo duties at Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester airports.

Dnata’s main customers are Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Iran Air, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airways, New Zealand Airways, Pakistan International Airlines, US Airways, Eva Air, Qantas, and Oman Airways.

Strike action at Heathrow would affect Terminals 2, 3 and 4. The walkout would not hit Terminal 5, where British Airways is based.

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

Picture Credit: "England world cup winners" by BombDog via Wikimedia Commons

Eurostar launches Geneva service

Eurostar has started a year-round service to Geneva via Lille.

With a connection to a TGV Lyria service in Lille, passengers can travel from London to Geneva in just over six hours.

Eurostar customer research has flagged up Geneva is one of the most desirable destinations for UK travellers.

The new route is the latest addition to Eurostar’s growing list of destinations, with the launch of a new service to Lyon, Avignon, and Marseille starting in May next year, followed by Amsterdam in 2016.

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

Picture Credit: "Eurostar" winners" by Bernard Pépellin via Wikimedia Commons

Improved roadside help in Ulster

EUROPCAR is improving its hiring and driving service for customers in Northern Ireland with the launch of its Roadside Assistance Express (RAS). The service aims to get customers back on the road as quickly as possible in the event of a breakdown.

Drivers hiring a Europcar vehicle in Northern Ireland now have the option to purchase RAS. In the event of a breakdown, a dedicated phone number initiates the express assistance process. With standard roadside assistance, the customer and vehicle are taken to the nearest Europcar branch, where the customer is given a replacement vehicle. 

With the new service, a replacement vehicle is brought to the customer, whether they’re in Northern Ireland or in the Irish Republic.

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

Ones to watch for 2015?

LOOKING at the major events, trends, and political changes around the world, travel company Cox & Kings picks where will be hot in 2015.

Sri Lanka – Offering excellent value for money and improvements to the infrastructure on the island's east coast, as well as political stability, its popularity looks set to remain. Tourists are looking for somewhere new to discover in the Indian sub-continent and are re-assured by the country's stability. In a relatively small country, there is so much to see. There is a fascinating cultural heritage as well as wildlife, colonial towns, and tropical beaches. 

Vietnam – As tourists are familiar with Thailand and all that it offers, increasing numbers are looking to explore elsewhere in the region, away from the very well-trodden tourist path. Vietnam has an interesting history and culture and is seeing more investment in its infrastructure, with the launch of an additional direct flight from London next summer with Vietnam Airlines. As the trend for experiential holidays continues to develop, cookery schools are growing in popularity with guests wanting to learn how to recreate their favourite dishes.

Colombia – With Latin America set to remain the in vogue place to travel in 2015, travellers are looking to explore lesser known parts of the continent. Still relatively untouched by mass tourism, Colombia is fast becoming popular with adventurous travellers. It is politically much more stable, and there is a diverse mix of sights and scenery to entice visitors.

Oman – From forts and palaces to sand dunes and mountain ranges, Oman is one of the least known destinations in the region and gives visitors a taste of authentic Arabia. Combining breathtaking landscapes with a fascinating culture, Oman has a lot to offer with a relatively short flight time. 

Romania – With seven UNESCO world heritage sites, there is much to explore in Romania, including medieval towns, fortified churches, painted monasteries, and castles. 

It is a less well known part of Europe, but one with enormous potential for cultural tourism. 

The Prince of Wales owns a collection of houses in Transylvania, bought to help to preserve the area's cultural heritage. Available for tourists to stay in, the houses give a unique glimpse into life in an 18th century village.


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: "Seaside view from Marine Drive, Kolpittey Sri Lanka" by Hash Milhan (Maidstone, Kent, UK) via Wikimedia Commons; "CHUA TIEN CHAU" by Milei.vencel - Own work via Wikimedia Commons; "Wadi Shab (14)". Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons; "Kasteel Peles 2006" by Original uploader was Al at nl.wikipedia - Originally from nl.wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons