Take Advantage of Those Cheap Flights
For some years now a group of the so-called “budget airlines” in Europe have been embroiled in a fares war trying to offer the cheapest fares to a huge number of cities throughout Europe. It’s not unusual to read that one of the major budget airlines for example Ryanair or Easyjet is offering return flights from the UK to Spain, Germany or France for £1 (approx $1.45). There might be airport landing fees and taxes to be added to that, but it remains an absolute bargain if you’re looking to see a variety of cities throughout Europe. One of the major drawbacks of flying with the budget airlines is that they often make use of to the smaller local airports instead of the better known majorinternational ones. This sometimes means that a flight that is supposed to be flying to a major European city actually lands anything up to fifty miles away. There can be some advantages with this arrangement, the regional airports often provide a much slicker turnround on check-in and luggage because they are catering for a much smaller number of flights. The downside is that public transport serving these airfields can be scrappy at best and a very popular option is hiring a car from the airport. The following are some of the beautiful cities that we’ve visited whilst making use of cheap floghts from the low cost airlines. We are sure that you’ll enjoy a visit to any of these fine areas, you can rest assured that they have plenty to offer the visitor to their shores.
Glasgow, Scotland
Glasgow, once known for its hard, unforgiving living conditions has undergone a Renaissance and is now a wonderful, architecturally diverse city attracting a vast number of visitors throughout the year. The chic West side of Glasgow is the home of one of the oldest universities in the U.K.. Perched on a hill in the middle of the Medieval region of Glasgow, the students bring a cosmopolitan, fun loving atmosphere to the surrounding area. The low cost airlines use Prestwick Airport which is approximately 35 miles (51 km) to the north east of the centre of the city and you will find an excellent road between the airport and Glasgow city centre. This is a popular area for sightseeing, so it is advisable to hire a car in Glasgow in advance of your journey. An uncrowded half hour journey from Prestwick along the M77 motorway takes you to the centre of the city. Glasgow is an ideal starting point for a journey to the Trossachs National Park. A mere 13 mile (20 km) journey out of the city and you could find yourself enjoying sensational countryside aback a pony, whereas a 50 km (30 mile) drive east using another excellent motorway will take you to Edinburgh , the city of festivals complete with Princes Street shopping, castle, palace and the seaside.
Florence, Italy
Without doubt one of the most hauntingly beautiful cities in Europe, Florence is served by the airport at Pisa, some 50 miles (84 km) west of Florence. Hire a car at Florence airport and you’ll be perfectly positioned to explore Pisa’s leaning tower, the wonders of historic Florence and some of some of the most picturesque countryside in the whole of Europe, that of the majestically beautiful Tuscany. It therefore will not come as a huge surprise that Florence is high in the popularity stakes when considering European cities. When you arrive in Florence you will discover that much of the centre is pedestrianized protecting the many ancient statues and architectural treasures from the pollution and vibrations caused by busy roads. The traffic free status brings a sense of peace and quiet as you meander from one fragment of history to the next. You do not need to walk too far before being hit by the evil, ear piercing roar of the scooter riders of Florence. Other than the Ponte Vecchio the remainder of the bridges leading to city centre are polluted, noisy places, thus giving us a further incentive to stay within the ancient alleyways and tranquil sanctuaries of Florence’s beautiful piazzas.
Tours, France
Tours, the centre of the famed Loire Valley chateaux with not a solitary chateau to its name! The ideal centre for discovering the Loire Valley renowned for its amazing array of palatial residences, the city boasts a number of charms of its own. Although the small airport is but a couple of miles from town, you really need to rent a car in the Loire Valley in order to explore some of the most picturesque towns and villages to be found anywhere in France. A host of cultural treasures will be found scattered beside the Loire. A UNESCO site, the Loire Valley offers scenic countryside, historic villages and lots of flamboyant castles. During the middle ages the Loire Valley was named the “Retreat of Kings and was a firm favourite of the French royal family. Former working fortified castles were converted into elegant palatial trophy residences and these are now the region’s main tourist attractions. The historic towns that line the river banks are a magnet to tourists from all over the world. Towns such as Tours, Blois and Chinon have so much to see and do whilst the most popular of all the chateaux is possibly that on the Chambord Estate. Throughout the area you will find little, family owned vineyards offering a variety of wonderful wines at budget prices. Keep your eyes skinned for the word “degustation”, which means sampling I guess, and provided that ‘Le Patron’ is not in the middle of a long leisurely lunch you will be made very welcome and he will be more than willing to offer you a tasting of all his wines. Naturally, it is vital that you take a non-drinker as your driver, some of these tasting sessions can become extremely alcoholic!.
