Family holiday and travel news

At Find Holiday Parks we do not just talk about holiday parks - we holiday at them too. However, we nearly left it too late this year to book our France summer holiday with Eurocamp - and we were booking at the beginning of January!

Whether there is a recession or not it is clear that for many of us, our 2009 summer holiday is still very much part of our plans. And, although we realise that there is a big rush of bookings from Boxing Day, we did not anticipate that by the 4th January most of our first choice mobile home accommodation in our favourite parcs in France would have already gone.

While for the last decade we have ventured to the Vendee, in 2009 we are looking to Royan and the Bonne Anse park - where you will find both Eurocamp and Keycamp on site. As long time Eurocamp customers - although we have holidayed with keyCamp too - we did eventually mange to find a 3 bedroom mobile home with decking but not in the weeks we had originally intended. However, we took the holiday before that too disappeared.

If you are looking to book a holiday parc in France or Spain in Summer 2009 we suggest that you start finalising your decision soon, before your options become limited. Search for Eurocamp and KeyCamp holidays in France and Spain on Find Holiday Parks.

James Villas have some great special offers during January including complimentary benefits and some great value savings on quality resort and flight bookings.

Triple Early Bird Offer!
Book your 2009 James Villa Holiday before 2 Feb 09 to take advantage of the fantastic triple promotion – FREE car hire, FREE travel insurance, and a FREE welcome pack when you book your villa and flights with James Villas!  Find out more >>
PLUS find other great deals James Villas are offering throughout January below.

10% Off Accommodation!
Enjoy 10% off accommodation and flights at the Leisure Resort Regency Country Club in Tenerife if booked before 31 Jan 09!

Expires Saturday the 31st of January, 2009
Click here for more information >>

Save £125 Per Night!
Save up to £125 a night on stays at the Leisure Resort Camporeal, Silver Coast, Portugal just 15 minutes from the stunning Silver Coast beaches. The resort offers plenty of facilities for an active or relaxing holiday with its centrepiece being the world-class 18-hole golf course.

Expires Saturday the 31st of January, 2009

Click here for more information>>

Complimentary Round of Golf & €50 Off Chef Service!
Enjoy a Complimentary round of golf and €50 off the ‘In house chef’ service at the Solobre Golf, Gran Canaria.

Expires Saturday the 31st of January, 2009 

Click here for more information >>

Complimentary Round of Golf Plus Two Free Spa Passes!
You can make a great saving and experience the best of the Fota Island resort facilities in 2009 – with our fantastic FREE golf and spa pass offer! Book your Fota Island accommodation and flights before 28 Feb 09 and you’ll receive a free round of golf, and two free VIP spa passes.

Expires 28th February 2009

Click here for more information >>

Terms and conditions apply to all the above offers, please use the links for more details.

If you are looking for villa holidays in Spain it is also worth checking out our Spanish holiday villa guide at www.spanishvillaguide.co.uk.

The Macdonald Hotels properties in the Lake District have released some great rates for 2009 for the following hotels:

Macdonald Old England Hotel and Spa Windermere
£120 per room per night including bed and breakfast and a bottle of house wine per stay (offer subject to availability)

Located on the shore of Lake Windermere, relax in the amazing spa and indulge in the cuisine from the 2 AA Rosette Vinand Restaurant

Macdonald Swan Hotel Grasmere 

£85 per room per night including bed and breakfast and a bottle of house wine per stay (offer subject to availability)

Ideal for walkers and those looking for a cosy and inviting hotel located within the Cumbrian countryside. Take advantage of the warm Lake District hospitality, and relax in the cosy lounge bar or take a stroll in the sheltered garden before dinner

Macdonald Leeming House Ullswater

£90 per room per night, including bed and breakfast and a bottle of house wine per stay (offer subject to availability)

A country house offering an award winning restaurant with 3 AA Rosettes, this hotel is ideal for those looking to explore the Lakes while experiencing dining at its finest.

USE PROMOTION CODE ‘WBX’ WHEN BOOKING (valid for stays taken until 31st March 2009).  Click here for more info >>

The Competition Comission has made the provisional decision not to recommend the sales of Southampton Airport by BAA, following its decision to force the sale of Gatwick Airport. 

Flybe are among a number of parties who have expressed their dissatisfaction with this decision.  The highly successful regional airline feels that the decision will not be enough to bring about a better deal for passengers and airlines in the south-east of England, predicting that BAA will continue to concentrate on to the detriment of the Southampton airport.

Mike Rutter, Flybe’s chief commercial officer, comments: “The Competition Commission have got it wrong on Southampton Airport.

Despite detailed evidence provided to them by Flybe, they have ignored the obvious fact BAA have for years given Southampton a poor deal in comparison to their other airports in the south-east.

“We are calling on the CC to revisit their findings, to actually undertake the research that they themselves admit is missing from their analysis and come back with a different answer in February when they publish their final report.”

Find Holiday Parks - your directory to holiday parks in the UK and France - has now added holiday parcs in Spain to its directory.  You will now be able to search for holiday parks, caravan, mobile home, chalet and tent accommodation in Catalonia and Cantabria including the Coasta Brava, Costa Dorada and Costa Verde.

Find Holiday Parks enables you to browse all of the Keycamp and Eurocamp Spanish parcs in one place.  To start your seach of Holiday parcs in Spain >

British Airways has announced details of its fantastic January Sale which starts today and will last for over a month finishing 27th January!It includes great offers on a range of destinations worldwide. Whether you are looking for a Winter Sun Getaway, a Family Ski Holiday, or a Short City Break they have great prices for you to offer them on a range of destinations.The table below outlines just a few of the destinations on sale - but many more are available online.

 January Sale Destinations

To find out more visit British Airways online >

A recent VisitBritain survey has confirmed, what we all suspected, 20% of those that took foreign holidays in 2008 are intending to holiday in the UK in 2009. 

Holiday homes and cottages are already seeing an increase in business with Hoseasons’ reporting bookings are already up by 10% and many cottage  owners finding that their summer bookings have been filled long before the usual post Christmas rush. 

With demand for UK holidays high it is worth getting your 2009 summer holiday plans in hand now particularly if you are looking for a bargain.  At The Self Catering Guide you can compare UK cottages and self catering accommodation across the UK including all of the Hoseasons catalogue.  UK cottages and self catering accommodation search >

Taking your beloved family pet on your summer holiday is not always as easy as it sounds.  So many parks, campsites and chalet owners are not keen on animals being on the parc andas a result your choice can become quite restricted.  Whatever the rights ot wrongs of the views of parc owners staying somewhere your pet is not welcome is not much fun and can turn the holiday into a stressful event for all concerned.

Find Holiday Parks has added a selection of holiday parks to its directory that are dog friendly, so that you can now rest assured that your whole family will be welcome on your holiday travels. Search dog friendly parcs in France >

As many people are preparing to escape the UK for a warmer Christmas holiday, there is no better time to remind those flying of our favourite travel tip…. buy your food and drink before you get on to your ‘low cost’ airline. 

A recent study by Which? has shown that Ryanair travellers fare worst, having to pay £16.05 for a sandwich, small tub of Pringles, bottle of sparkling water, cup of coffee and a small bottle of red wine.  Flybe doesn’t come in much better at £11.95 with BMIbaby cheapest at £10.50.

So, if you are not careful, your low budget flight is not going to be much cheaper than that of a national airline!  However, by simply purchasing your food and drink in the airport terminal you could save yourself a small fortune.

We are pleased to announce that you can now search the Find Holiday Park directory for parcs close to a beach in France. This latest search should make it even easier for you to find the perfect holiday location and accommodation for you and your family. Search France holiday parks close to the beach >

The France holiday directory on Find Holiday Parks includes all of the Eurocamp and Key Camp sites in one place and includes the family favourite regions of the Vendee, Brittany, Loire Valley and of course the Cote d’Azur.  You will find accommodation ranging from the traditional mobile homes and tents through to chalets, lodges and tree houses!  Search France holiday parks >