A long weekend in Dublin is very popular with regular and cheap flights from the UK and some other parts of Europe.  A quick hop across the Irish Sea and you are in a vibrant and cosmopolitan city, the capital of Eire.  You can visit one of the numerous bars to buy a pint of the local brew, or if you are really interested in where it comes from you can visit St James’ Gate where the Guinness factory has produced the famous black stuff for the last 250 years.

A walk along the banks of the River Liffey or a wander up O’Connell Street will give you an impression of the rhythm of this city, bright and buzzy.  An itinerary item not to be missed is to view the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of the Gospels, written in the 9th century.  You can view this beautiful book at Trinity College Library.

For a cheap weekend break check out the national carrier Aer Lingus for a fantastic return flight from London Heathrow for only £70, and that is including taxes.  Aer Lingus has up to 12 flights daily on this route, so there is bound to be one that fits into your timetable.

Bmi are also offering return flights to Dublin from London Heathrow, again including taxes, for only £66.

Aer Lingus are also offering return flights from Manchester from as little as £68.

With ticket prices this low why not enjoy a few days on the Emerald Isle? 

If you are considering heading off for a golfing holiday why not head to the nearest country that is abroad – France?  

One of the leading golf holiday destinations, Le Touquet, is only a short hop across the channel and there you will have the opportunity to play golf in a lively and popular golfing resort.   The site is easily accessible now that the Eurotunnel is making the trip even quicker, and you will easily be able to find accommodation nearby for the duration of your stay.

If you are considering such a trip then perhaps you should think about renting a holiday villa for the duration of your stay.  Gites in France are a popular and cheap option for many travellers.  A gite is a form of accommodation let out by a landlord which is usually a renovated building or farmhouse on their land.  A gite in France will provide you with good accommodation and will be much cheaper than a hotel.

Gites in France are a popular option with travellers due to the price and the lovely rural locations in which they are predominantly located.  You will now find gites all over the country as they are now also encouraged within many towns due to the tourism money that they bring to an area. 

If you are thinking about a golfing break in France then try to compare as many different holiday gites as possible to get the best deal.  There is certain to be holiday gite that is just perfect for your needs close to the golf course of your choice.

Moscow is a shopper’s paradise, from market stalls to upscale boutiques, cheap souvenirs to expensive keepsakes there is something to suit all budgets and tastes.

The Grand Collection Gallery located on Red Square opened in 2005 and set off a bit of a commotion due to it seeing the return of the famous Faberge ornaments to Russia. The eggs are now known as the St Petersburg Collection due to the fact the brand name Faberge is owned by Unilever. The St Petersburg collection also includes jewellery, and personal items can be designed and tailor made. With prices from around $5000 upwards this shop may not fit into everyone’s budget, but it is worth browsing around nonetheless. 

Boasting around 200 shops, the famous Moscow Red Square department store GUM houses something for everyone. Filled with stylish boutiques and popular chain stores it will keep many a serious shopper happy.  There are also restaurants and cafes serving fast food for those in need of refreshments.

Known as a ‘Mecca’ for souvenir hunters the Vernisazh Market in Izmailovo is jam-packed with knick knacks and some serious haggling can be done here. The market is filled with hundreds of stalls and is busiest at weekends when all the stall holders are working.

For those with an interest in reading it may be worth noting that there is an abundance of book shops in Moscow, notably the Anglia British Bookshop which stocks English language books of all genres.

Family skiing holidays can be expensive especially as parents have to fit their travel plans into the school holiday schedule. However, choose a resort in Eastern Europe and the family skiing holiday need not break the bank. Skiing in Bulgaria can be done on a budget.

In a recent survey of family-friendly winter sport destinations Bansko was ranked number one. Post Office Travel services compiled the Family Ski Resort Report for winter 2009/2010 which investigated the costs of ski schools, weekly lift passes, equipment hire and living costs in eight ski resorts in Europe and North America.

A family was defined as two adults and two children aged between six and 12. The cheapest resort was Bansko ahead of Ellmau in Austria and Andorras Soldeu. The Bulgarian resort had the cheapest ski hire, lift passes and ski lessons and as Bulgaria still uses its own currency, the lev, food and drink were also much cheaper.

Borovets is also a good choice for a family holiday especially if you have children who are just learning to ski. The ski school is excellent and the ski resort is particularly good for families, beginners and intermediates. The resort is small which makes getting around easy, but it also has many bars, restaurants, shops and market stalls providing plenty to do and see. The resort also has a swimming pool, a bowling alley and children’s clubs with organised activities. The childcare facilities are excellent and there is an overnight crèche for parents who want to enjoy Borovet’s famous nightlife.

Some are not aware that people confined to wheelchairs, unable to get around as easily as others and those with certain sensory impairments are just as welcome on the cruise ship as any other passenger.

Even though they are welcome, they must be aware that the general structure of cruise liners means that getting to and from shore can be difficult. Most cruise ships do not have facilities for the blind or hard of hearing, so they must be accompanied by an able carer that can assist them and guide them on their cruise holiday.

IF you have trouble with mobility, the best thing to do is book a cabin early, which will probably also result in you getting a bargain rate. That way, you can select a cabin that is located in a more accessible position on the cruise ship, making getting around easier and more comfortable.

If you were hoping for a last minute cruise, you may have difficulty finding a cabin that is placed to make it easier for you to get around. It is always best to book as early as you can if you have a specific disability, which will go a long way to making your cruise holiday more socially enjoyable and memorable.

At Thomson cruises, you have to let the company know if you are planning on using a wheelchair aboard the ship. This is due to the fact that only a certain number of wheelchairs are allowed at the same time. Be sure to contact Thomson Cruises Special Assistance Team for more detailed information.

Naples is one of Italy’s largest cities and sits on the beautiful Bay of Naples on the south west coast.  With Mount Vesuvius as a backdrop it has a fascinating history and is close to many tourist attractions, such as the eerily preserved remains at Pompeii, the ancient city of Herculaneum and the famous towns and villages of the Amalfi coast.  Naples is a very busy, noisy city, full of life, and gets extremely hot in the summer months, so it’s best to visit outside this period. The old part of town, surrounding the Piazza Garibaldi, has meandering narrow streets and a wealth of markets and historic buildings and monuments. The region boasts amphitheatres, Roman remains and Greek temples as well as art galleries, museums and superb regional cuisine.

Travelling to and from Naples is easy as the city’s airport is well connected and there are excellent train and road links. The traffic can be chaotic so it is best to use Naples’ public transport, which includes an underground train system.

There are many hotels in the city but if you want to rent a holiday apartment, the most attractive districts to stay in are Capodimonte, Santa Lucia and Chiaia. One of the best ways to get an overview of the city is to take an open top, hop-on-hop-off bus tour. From Naples you can head up the rocky Amalfi coast, with its ancient fishing villages built into the cliffs and visit Sorrento, Positano, Capri and Ravello.

Baku, the capital city of the Republic of Azerbaijan has a lot to offer the visitor. Tourists are flocking there in growing numbers each year as cheap flights to Baku become increasingly available. What they find is a wealth of cultural experience, and an ideal introduction to Eastern Europe. Since the collapse of the USSR the emerging republics are rediscovering their rich heritage and are welcoming visitors with open arms.

Baku dates back to the sixth century and has had a turbulent and exotic history, coming under the sway of the Persians and undergoing several sieges. More recently, it was incorporated into the Russian Tsarist and then Communist empires.  Azerbaijan finally gained its independence in 1991. The Inner City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

Culturally, there is a wide range of activities, with an emphasis on history and opera; there are also museums devoted to modern art and religion. In 2009 when Baku was declared an Islamic Culture Capital there were great celebrations and festivities.

Baku is also famed for its vibrant nightlife, with a multitude of clubs packed out every night, and jazz heavily represented at the Baku International Jazz Festival.

Restaurants and bistros serve up an exquisite range of traditional foods based around Turkish, Iranian and Georgian recipes, with dolmans, kebabs and caviar being very popular. Tea, Kvass and Sherbet are amongst the refreshments on offer.

Flights to Baku from London take less than six hours; so treat your senses to a great holiday in Azerbaijan’s exotic capital.

Living, working, or retired abroad can often mean that you might lose you connection in the UK by having to sell the family home, but it does not have to be that way and can work to your positive advantage if you keep it. Buying a property in the UK before you leave to go abroad, or retaining the one that you live in and wish to keep used to present problems, but not any longer, expat mortgages is the way to proceed. Buying a property to let is an excellent way to maintain your connection and to keep a foothold here in the UK.

Buy to let is considered to be a business and is subject to taxation for residents but it can offer certain tax advantages over residential purchases, particularly if you plan to return and live in the property in the future. For example, despite living abroad, expats subject to UK taxation on a UK property are liable for capital gains tax at 40 per cent on the sale of a property. The only exception is if the property was formerly your main residence. In this case, you are exempt from capital gains if you sell within three years of renting it out to tenants. If the property has never been your main home, you are liable to full capital gains for three years.

This is the sort of advice that you would expect to get from a specialist working in the field of expat mortgages, something that you may not get from a broker that you could have used in the past, they may not have the specialist knowledge in this area. By consulting with a specialist you can also be put in touch with a solicitor who has the wide knowledge that is needed when dealing with some of the legal requirements associated with an expat mortgage that perhaps the family solicitor may not have.

When making plans to visit Scotland, there are a couple of things to keep in mind and one particularly to really watch out for.  Travel to Scotland is normally by air, but if you are travelling from a closer location the railway is also a popular mode of transportation. 

When you arrive in either of the two largest cities, Edinburgh or Glasgow, you will find a ready availability of rental cars.  There are also plenty of cabs or buses if you are used to driving on the other side of the road and don’t fancy tackling the local traffic. You can also use the train to go easily from city to city within Scotland. Transport links are generally quite good.

Regarding the weather in Scotland, let’s just say there is nothing constant about it. It varies from day to day like the majority of the United Kingdom.  It is always unpredictable so it’s better to be prepared for anything. Suggestions would include layering clothing, and try to keep an umbrella handy in case it does rain. Temperatures in summer will be around 75 degrees and in winter between 45-50 degrees. 

If you were planning any outdoor excursions, it would be wise to pack an insect repellent of some sort at certain times of the year.  Scotland has its own version of the mosquito called the Highland Midge.  It’s a gnat-like bug that will bite (females do anyway) and they swarm more actively in the early morning or late evening hours.  Keep your repellent handy, wear light coloured clothing, and avoid damp, wooded and dimly lit areas.

Renting a villa in Portugal is an attractive option for anyone considering taking a holiday break in that country.  The country is steeped in tradition, and if you hire a Portuguese villa you will be able to sample the culture of the country with all the convenience of staying in a home away from home.

The cost of a holiday villa will of course vary depending upon the size and the location of the property.  If you would like your own swimming pool at your villa then this is going to cost considerably more than your average two bedroom accommodation.  Most villas in Portugal will come equipped with everything that you need for your holiday, such as a television, kitchen equipment and good quality furniture. 

Having a villa based holiday means that you can choose your meal times, and you do not have to keep to any inconvenient timetable that might be set by a hotel.  Furthermore, if your villa has its own pool for your sole use then you will not have to get up at sunrise to secure yourself a sunbed.

If you are considering looking at Portugal villas then you should make sure that you shop around.  The villas vary in cost depending upon many different factors, and you should ensure that you are renting one that is suitable for your needs.  If you are looking for a quiet holiday then there is no point in renting a villa close to the clubs that party all night.  Do your research thoroughly before you book a villa.