Destination Articles

Three Bavarian favourites

With blue skies, green meadows and majestic mountains, the Bavarian Alps make a delightful region in which to spend some time on your European holiday. Close to Munich and Innsbruck, the Bavarian Alps are a hikers paradise but there's something on offer for everyone. Here are three of our favourite places in the Bavarian Alps in which to spend some time.

Renting an apartment in Paris

When planning one of our holidays to Europe, Paris was high on the list of places to visit. Having travelled in Europe before with our children, we are advocates of staying in self-catering apartments wherever possible, and finding a suitable apartment in Paris was one of the first things we did.

Whilst Paris is full of hotels, ranging from exclusive to budget, it is also home to hundreds (if not thousands) of apartments that are available for short-term holiday rentals. Surprisingly, a reasonable number of these are Australian-owned.

Best of Barcelona in one day

What’s the best way to glimpse all that Barcelona has to offer when you’ve only got one day to do it? The open-top, hop-on hop-off Bus Turistic, a version of which it seems every large city has these days, is a cheap, easy, and fun way of getting yourself around the must-sees of Barcelona. Full fare is 21 Euro for one day, or 27 Euro for two consecutive days. There are three routes - red, blue, and green, with 44 stops combined.  If you’re not planning to hop off too often, try to get a seat upstairs where the uninterrupted view is best. During the peak summer months, these seats are especially coveted, so if it’s full upstairs, take a seat downstairs whilst you’re waiting for one upstairs to become available. You’ll get first dibs on it over others waiting at the next bus stop.

Disneyland Resort Paris

Disneyland in the USA has always been a popular holiday destination for Australian families with both kids and adults alike happy to spend a day or two in their own ‘Fantasyland’ but since 1992 the Disneyland name has also become synonymous with Paris.

Holiday parks - affordable family holidays in Europe

With the long flight time between Australia and the UK and Europe, most Australians holiday on the continent for at least four weeks. Without a doubt, one of the greatest expenses of a European holiday is the cost of accommodation and this is especially so when travelling with children. Most hotels and B & B’s only accommodate a maximum of two guests, (occasionally 3), so for a family of four, two rooms must be paid for – doubling the family’s accommodation bill. This would, understandably, deter many families from planning a European holiday, but family-friendly alternatives are available.

Bern, the beautiful capital of Switzerland

Switzerland’s capital, Bern, is often overlooked on a European itinerary, but it is a city with plenty to offer the visitor.  Located in the Swiss Mittelland (middle land) region, Bern is within easy reach of many of Switzerland’s more popular destinations but warrants at least of couple of days to discover this historic city which was added to UNESCO’s world heritage list in 1983.

Lake Garda - Italy's secret holiday paradise

When most Australians plan a holiday to Italy, the cities of Rome, Florence, Pisa and Venice usually head up their list of must-see places to visit. Suggest Lake Garda, or Lago di Garda, (as it’s known in Italian) to them, and they will probably look at you in bewilderment.

Thanks to George Clooney, many Aussies have heard of Lake Como, where he owns a luxurious lakeside villa, but Italy’s biggest lake, Lake Garda, still remains a virtual unknown to the average Aussie tourist. It is, however, definitely worth a visit, and offers something for all ages.

Europe’s biggest Shopping and Leisure Centre

Besides the CentrO shopping mall, the area is also home to attractions such as a children's theme park and a water-lined boulevard with restaurants and pubs. The mall was based on Meadowhall, a large shopping centre in Sheffield, England (both malls had the same developer).

Five things to do in Paris

The Paris Pass is a sightseeing pass which gives holders free entry to over 60 sights and tourist attractions in Paris. You simply pay the one off price for the Paris Pass of your choice (there are three durations to choose from) and then can enter as many of the attractions included on the pass that you wish to, without paying, plus travel for free on the Paris Metro system. Here are five of the best things to visit in Paris with your Paris Pass.