Isn’t it great when you go on a vacation to somewhere you have never visited before? Do you find yourself getting excited thinking about arriving in a new place to enjoy some free time? Did you know that pets too can enjoy (and benefit from) a break away from home? Increasing numbers of folk are choosing to take their pet with them on vacation and if you visit a place such as the city of Ayr in Scotland you begin to appreciate the many advantages (for you an your pet) such a place has over other cities in the UK. Unfortunately it isn’t very easy finding pet friendly accommodation so I have listed a few Ayr hotels, that allow pets, below.

Located at the mouth of the River Ayr, on the picturesque Scottish south west coast, is the gorgeous town of Ayr. Each year a multitude of visitors arrive to investigate the many places in the town which where frequented by, or have some form of connection with, Robert Burns, the National poet of Scotland world renowned for poems and his lifestyle. Luckily there are a whole host of places to visit if you are interested in the poet’s life and works and even more are to be found in the surrounding countryside. Traveling around the area you will also notice a large number of monuments dedicated to, and statues of, the loved bard.

The general area around Ayr is called the county of Ayshire for which the town serves as the main center (administrative). Overall the county consists of lovely lush and green rural and agricultural land and unspoiled coast and beaches. The lack of pollution is immediately apparent with fresh country smells and crystal clear water, just perfect for you and your pet. Animals love both the countryside and the seaside and as you both explore you may start to suffer from a little deja vu. The fact is that this fantastic part of Scotland is incredibly popular with movie makers and countless number of local places have appeared in numerous works including the mystical cult British masterpiece called “The Wicker Man”. The Wickerman Festival is held just down the road at the end of July each year, it is a family friendly music and arts festival which is growing in size and popularity and I can not recommend it enough.

Although not far away the Wickerman Festival is actually in the next county, Dumfires and Galloway. However, if you are planning to visit you could just as easily stay in pet friendly accommodation in Ayr or Ayrshire. If you do decide to bring a pet on vacation please take the utmost care to ensure there is no damage to your room. Few hotels and guest houses allow pets and if they have a bad experience they may stop allowing them in future.

Three Hotels Which Allow Pets

The Swallow Station Hotel

With seventy three rooms this is a large pet friendly hotel located in the very center of Ayr. Next to the train station the 3 star accommodation has it’s own bar and restaurant and is overlooking Burns Statue Square, about ten minutes from the airport. No extra charges for pets.

The Horizon Hotel

With superb views over the Clyde to Arran this central hotel gives three star pet friendly accommodation without charging extra for allowing your pet in your room. This establishment is smaller than the previous with only twenty five rooms.

The Savoy Park Hotel

Offering free broadband internet to every one of it’s 15 rooms the three star, family-run,Savoy Park Hotel is a great place to stay. Pets are allowed and they do not charge extra! Also features traditional home made food.

Guest Houses In Ayr Which Allow Pets

Canter Holm Guest House

The 3 star, 6 roomed, Canter Home offers superb pet friendly Ayr accommodation in a lovely Victorian residence close to the center of town. Although there is free internet access throughout the guest house they may make a charge if you have your pet staying with you.

Grange View Guest House

The 3 star, 3 roomed, Grange View gives extremely friendly (the owners will make golf bookings etc. for you), pet friendly, accommodation which is just a couple of minutes from the very center of Ayr. No extra charges for pets.

Sadly that is the end of our list as we could not find any more hotels or guest houses in Ayr which allow pets. Please note you should book early as these places can get busy. All that is left to say is have a great time!

If you are looking for pet friendly Ayr hotels or you want to pick up a last minute bargain you will find the above mentioned hotels discounted at http://hotels.simplytop.com/.

Birmingham, England’s second largest city by population, is becoming an incredibly popular vacation destination. With a wealth of industrial heritage, numerous museums, art galleries and the likes, together with countless top class visitor attractions and some of the best venues for live music, the arts and large scale meetings it is not surprising that so many folk take vacations and short city breaks here.

Each year more and more folk are choosing to take their pets with them on vacation. There are many reasons for this increase but probably the most common is that, simply put, people are often not willing to be parted from a pet which is literally part of the family. Another common reason for taking a pet along on vacation is that housing your pet while away can be ridiculously expensive and though hotels sometimes charge a small additional fee for allowing you to have your pet in your room, it is still often far, far cheaper than paying for boarding kennels or similar.

Imagine that you have decided that yes, you will be taking your pet with you when you next take a vacation. Imagine that you also plan on taking a short city break in the English city of Birmingham. Unfortunately you will very quickly discover that only a tiny number of places to stay will allow you to take your pet into your room. As few as one (or less) per hundred hotels and guest houses offer what is called pet friendly accommodation (where pets are allowed).

You will quickly discover what a thoroughly depressing task it is to find pet friendly Birmingham accommodation. Imagine finding the perfect hotel out of say, seventy only to scroll down to the hotel policies and discover those dreaded words, no pets allowed. Understanding this I wish to introduce a few places in Birmingham which specifically say “pets allowed”.

The Etap Hotel The immensely large Etap is situated roughly half a mile from the very centre of the city. The Etap offers pet friendly accommodation at a very affordable cost.

The Novotel Hotel The massive Novotel is a 4 star pet friendly hotel, on Edward Street only minutes away from the heart of the city.

The Malmaison Birmingham The Malmaison is a very large 3 star pet friendly hotel in the heart of Birmingham.

If you would rather book a room in a city centre pet friendly hotel with less than one hundred and fifty rooms then, unfortunately your choice is limited to just one establishment, the Ibis Holloway Circus, which has only 51 rooms.

If you want to choose from more pet friendly hotels in Birmingham and pick up a lst minute bargain you will find the above mentioned hotels discounted at http://hotels.simplytop.com/.

Many folk consider the most beautiful county in Wales to be Swansea. Found in the south west part of Wales this gorgeous county includes such places as the Mumbles and the famous Gower peninsula. Below you will find information to help you get the very best from a vacation in Swansea.

Swansea

Sadly large areas of Swansea were devastated during the German air raids of WWII which resulted in the loss of much of the older city. While many would look at such an event as devastating the people of Swansea took the opportunity to redevelop the city and this development has continued right up to the present day making the city completely different to earlier times. Nearly everyone is in agreement that the work has been a vast improvement and if earlier inhabitants, such as Dylan Thomas who called the city his “ugly, lovely town”, would not recognise the place.

Massive investments have been made in the Maritime Quarter of the city making it a great place to spend the day. The seafront and docks are where you will find Swansea’s finest museums, such as the Dylan Thomas Centre, the Swansea Museum and the National Waterfront Museum. Another great place to visit, especially for families with children, is the LC leisure Complex which features the usual selection of gym equipment, a children’s play area and other facilities such as a climbing wall.

Nightlife In Swansea

Wind Street and Kingsway are renowned for being the centre of Swansea’s nightlife. In these districts you will find an exciting mix of restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs and clubs. Restaurants of note include the excellent La Brasseria which offers excellent Mediterranean and French cuisine (found on Wind Street).

If you enjoy all things Latin American then you really must pay a visit to the incredibly vibrant Cafe Mambo, found at 46 The Kingsway. As well as being a great evening venue you may also want to visit during the day to grab a light snack or small meal.

If you like good old English pubs then two are well worth a visit. the No Sign Bar on Wind Street and, the oldest pub in Swansea, the Cross Keys Inn. Built in the Eighteenth Century the Cross Keys can be found on Mary Street.

Swansea, The County

The vibrant city of Swansea has a multitude of tourist attractions and a lively nightlife. For those who prefer a more tranquil vacation then it is the area around the city which will be of most interest. You may already know of both the Gower Peninsula and The Mumbles as they are immensely popular and often feature is lists of the most beautiful places in Britain and the likes.

Rhossili Bay, which spans some four miles, from Worm’s Head to Burry Holms, is found in the Gower Peninsula. Beautiful sandy beaches, small coves and endless areas of natural beauty are found all over this part of Swansea. However the most well known of Gower’s beaches are those found in Three Cliffs Bay. If you are visiting Gower you may also wish to visit a castle and you have three to choose from here, Penrice Castle, Pennard Castle and Weobly Castle.

As well as the three castles mentioned above Swansea also has Oystermouth Castle which is found in the area now more generally known as The Mumbles (technically Oystermouth). Although many consider the Mumbles just a suburb of the city it is historically separate and sports all of the appearance of a typical seaside resort. Now an increasingly popular place to live with those with larger budgets the area gains its name from the nearby twin islets.

Looking to find the best deal on hotels in Swansea, then visit Karl Fraser’s site to find the most comprehensive listings of Swansea bed and breakfast for you.

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Christmas is unavoidable, so coming up with a plan of action is a must. It’s starting sooner and sooner each year too, so that what was once a festive 2 weeks is now a festive 2 months. The pressure’s on to fight late night shoppers, order turkeys and vast pork pies, and work out how to be in three different places on Christmas Day. There’s no escape.

Or is there? Maybe it’s time to start thinking outside the festive box.

Celebrating Christmas away from home doesn’t mean that you have to lose the festive atmosphere – unless, of course, you want to! The possibilities are endless. All it takes is a bit of imagination and planning – and, if you stay at home, aren’t you doing enough of that anyway?

How about, for example, a city break? Not only are they reasonably priced, but you get to have a break whilst still being back at home for the majority of the festive season. Prague and Vienna are ideal for such a break, as both are rich in history and wonderfully beautiful. You’ll be able to walk around the Christmas markets, sample the various delicious types of foods and, of course, have a festive drink or two.

Venice is another great European city that will make your Christmas totally unforgettable. Gone are the crowds of summer tourists (the population is actually halved in the winter months), and so you can take in the unique Venetian culture and charms, with a little festive spirit sprinkled on top, at your own leisurely pace. If you’re looking for a particularly romantic trip, then it’s absolutely ideal.

Or, how about a guaranteed white Christmas? The ski resorts in Switzerland, Austria and France will not only guarantee you snow, but they, with their pine-covered mountains and crackling log fires, will also give you the complete and perfect Christmas scene. There’s no need to even ski whilst you’re there if you don’t want to, as there is enough in the way of restaurants, bars and shops to keep you entertained.

But for a Christmas with an even bigger difference, imagine being out in the deep, silent snow at night, lying on a reindeer skin as amazing colours dance and shimmer their way across the sky. Imagine the spectacular Northern Lights. Several destinations offer a great chance to see the Aurora Borealis in all its magnificent glory, including Finland, Norway, Sweden and The Yukon.

We hope we’ve offered something for everyone in our variety of Christmas hotel breaks. So, before you dig out those fairy lights for another year, stop for a moment. Do you really want to spend another Christmas half asleep on the sofa with indigestion? Go on… dare to do something different.

This Christmas, why not have a festive adventure away from home? Our Christmas hotel breaks guide offers a number of ideas for a wonderful Christmas spent at one of the worlds most festive destinations. Cheap Hotel Chains price compare all latest cheap hotel deals across the world.

Have you noticed that fewer people are taking a summer vacation to the usual sun and sand destinations this year? One of the main reasons for this is, obviously, the state of the present economic climate but another reason is that more and more folk are looking for a vacation offering something a little bit different. One place which is a superb vacation destination which answers both these issues is the fascinating city of Birmingham in England. Firstly booking your own city hotel (rather than booking a package vacation) will save you a small fortune and coupled with the fact that the British pound is struggling against foreign currencies England is the vacation destination of choice. Secondly city vacations are now more popular than ever and the city of Birmingham ticks all the right boxes for a superb city vacation, such as excellent facilities, extremely interesting places to visit, plenty of bars restaurants, cafes and the likes as well as more cultural attractions such as museums and galleries of the highest standards.

The city of Birmingham has a superb collection of things to do and places to visit including a few interesting museums and art galleries, for example the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Barber Institute of Fine Arts and the new museum called Thinktank in the Eastside. The city also possesses a large number of square miles of parkland and woodland, Sutton Park being the largest with 2,400 acres making it the very largest urban nature reserve in the whole of Europe.

Some Interesting Places To Stay In Birmingham

Macdonald Burlington Hotel

The Burlington Hotel is found within a two minute walk of New Street station and it is right by a 2,000 space car park making it an excellent place to stay right in the heart of the city. This 4 star hotel offers all the modern facilities you would expect along with a most excellent service which is becoming increasingly rare these days.

The Birmingham City Centre Holiday Inn

Another city centre hotel offering superb accommodation at a very reasonable price is the Holiday Inn. This 3 star establishment is a little further away from New Street station (roughly a five minute walk away) but is maybe more suited for those visiting Birmingham on business.

Staying Cool at The Rotunda (Apartments)

If you find boutique hotels appealing then we are sure that Staying Cool at The Rotunda will impress. These studio serviced apartments have a fantastic style and are a great place to stay for a weekend city break. You will be amazed at how little it costs these days to stay in such luxury and Staying Cool at The Rotunda offers both 4 and 5 star accommodation.

The three hotels discussed above are just three of a multitude of fine establishments to be found across Birmingham. Whether you want to stay in a cheap and cheerful chain hotel, a first class luxury boutique hotel or a simple family run guest house you can be sure to find the perfect place to stay available at surprisingly low prices.

Learn more about hotels in Birmingham. Stop by Karl Fraser’s site where you can find the best deals on Birmingham bed and breakfast.

Some of the boldest and most striking scenery in Scotland is found over on the west and in many ways this part of the world is very much on the northwest fringes of Europe. The enormous scenes are simply breathtaking, jagged tall cliffs fall into deep lush valleys, the most dramatic of which is the Great Glen created by a geological shift and further sculpted by the effects of glaciers during the last Ice Age and powerful weather ever since. It is this most spectacular scenery which attracts so many visitors to Scotland each year. Many of these visitors arrive to enjoy a variety of outdoor pursuits such as mountain climbing and mountain biking and the main town of interest for these folk is Fort William.

When you first arrive at the largest town in the Highlands, Fort William, you will most probably be driving along the main road which replaced the seafront many years ago. Thankfully the town’s High Street has kept some of it’s character but most visitors to Fort William are not really here for the town, they are here to indulge in all manner of outdoor sports in the surrounding area. Top of the list for most is Ben Nevis the UK’s highest peak which can be seen towering over the town.

Many people arrive at Fort William to admire the view of Ben Nevis and attempt to reach the summit. One of the things you should know about this Munro is that one route is pretty easy on foot compared to the other which should only be tackled by experienced mountain climbers. Please ensure that you make sure that you are dressed for all weathers as it is likely you will see them all and, even at the height of summer, snow is not unusual. Ben Nevis sees more deaths a year than Mount Everest.

If you are not the type to go climbing mountains then maybe you will appreciate the more leisurely way in which to see the finest sights of the area, by taking a ride on a steam train from Fort William to Mallaig. The West Highland Railway is said to be the finest most beautiful train journey in the United Kingdom.

Anyone who has seen the Harry Potter movies is likely to recognise the Jacobite steam train as Hogwarts’ Express. Each day the Jacobite travels from Fort William to Mallaig along the route which includes the “Harry Potter Bridge” or Glenfinnan Aqueduct. Fans will instantly recognise the aqueduct as well as one or two other spots along the way.

Although you only catch sight of it for a short time it is well worth watching out for the Glenfinnan Monument which was built in 1815 as a memorial to those who fought in the Jacobite Uprising of 1745, and the raising of the standard there by Bonnie Prince Charlie at the start of the rebellion.

When the steam train reaches Glenfinnan Railway Station it will remain there for about twenty minutes which will give you enough time to take a quick look around the lovely museum in the grade II listed building or grab something to eat in the old dining car which has excellent homemade food.

Taking a journey on the Jacobite steam train can be a full day out, leaving from Fort William in the morning arriving shortly after in Glenfinnan and then on to Mallaig returning later that afternoon. That’s twice you will be traveling along one of the most beautiful stretches of railway track in Great Britain.

Looking to find the best deal on hotels in Fort William, then visit Karl Fraser’s site to find the most comprehensive listings of Fort William Hotels for you.

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and also the most popular vacation destination in the nation an many tourists fail to see the enormous benefit of visiting the nearby city of Glasgow.

The number of people taking city breaks and weekend breaks in Glasgow is increasing each year but the majority of visitors are arriving to enjoy the city’s fantastic nightlife. Below I shall introduce you to three of the multitude of places to visit if your tastes are more cultural.

The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum: The Kelvingrove Art Gallery is Glasgow and Scotland’s premier museum and art gallery, and home to one of Europe’s great civic art collections. It has also been voted one of the most popular free visitor attractions in Scotland. You will find Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum on Argyle Street, in the West End of Glasgow, on the banks of the River Kelvin. The gallery was built in a Spanish Baroque style following the Glaswegian tradition of using red sandstone. The building was designed by Sir John W. Simpson and E.J. Milner Allen, and opened in 1901. The museum’s collections were originally from the McLellan Galleries and the old Kelvingrove House Museum in Kelvingrove Park.

The Willow Tea Rooms: It was Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who designed the world famous Willow Tea Rooms, in Glasgow. The tea rooms were a collaboration between Mackintosh and Catherine Cranston, a local business woman, whose father was a Glasgow tea merchant. The tea rooms were located in Sauchiehall Street, and opened for business in October 1903. The name for the tea rooms was derived from Sauchiehall; ’saugh’, being the Scots word for a willow tree, and ‘haugh’, the Scot’s word for meadow. The tea rooms were the only building where Mackintosh had complete control over every aspect of the design. Mackintosh designed the exterior, all the interior decorations, the waitresses’ uniform, furniture, cutlery, and even the menus.

The Museum of Transport: The Glasgow Museum of Transport Technology is located in the Kelvin Hall, opposite the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in the West End of Glasgow City. Kelvin Hall was built in 1927, and originally used as an exhibition centre. In 1987 the use was converted to house the Museum of Transport and the Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena. It one of the most popular museums of transport in the UK attracting 500,000 visitors a year. The museum houses many exhibits of national and international importance. All forms of transport are featured, from horse-drawn vehicles to fire engines, from motorcycles to caravans, even toy cars and prams.

So there you have it, three world class cultural visitor attractions in Glasgow. So next time you are planning a vacation in Scotland why not consider this interesting city as a base. One word of warning though, book your hotel or accommodation early as there are periods when it is difficult to find vacancies.

The article below takes a look at the Scottish city of Glasgow, once the second city of the British Empire, and some of the places in and around the area that you may wish to visit if you choose to take a vacation here.

If you see anything about Scotland you will, almost certainly, also see either bagpipes, kilts or, at the least, some tartan. These items represent “tourist” Scotland, the nice shortbread box cover type of country with spectacular countryside featuring stags and golden eagles. The truth is that Scottish history often reads as a long list of bloody battles and historic sites dotted all over the landscape are the physical remains of a long struggle.

If you want to see as many of these incredible historic sites as possible you will often need to travel vast distances, especially if you are to explore the Highlands. If you want to explore the lowlands of Scotland then few places rival Glasgow as the best place in which to base yourself during your vacation. There are plenty of historic sites in the city itself and many more are easily accessible. I will introduce the reader to three such places to visit, Newark Castle, Crookston Castle and Glasgow Cathedral.

Glasgow Cathedral

The foundations of Glasgow were laid during the seventh century when St. Mungo built his small church on the site. He died in 612 and today he is the city’s patron saint. Over the years the site expanded and the church was much modified and then, during the 12th and 13th centuries, it was built over. On the 6th July 1197 it was consecrated and today it remains as one of the most important landmarks of the city. Few medieval churches managed to survive the Scottish Reformation as most were utterly destroyed, damaged beyond repair or simply abandoned and left to be ravaged by the elements and locals who reused the stone.

Crookston Castle

Crookston Castle is most well known for being owned by the Darnley Stewarts. It was Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley who became the second husband of Mary Queen of Scots. The castle is a stone ringwork fortress and keep built, by Sir Robert de Croc, during the 12th century passing over to the Stewarts i the mid 14th century.

Newark Castle

George Maxwell built Newark Castle, in 1478, overlooking the Firth of Clyde on a commanding position on the south shore. Over the years massive structural changes were made to the building, not least by, Sir Patrick Maxwell who, in 1597, created a new north range. Some elements of the original castle can still be seen and the castle is now in the care of Historic Scotland.

There are plenty more places to visit in and around Glasgow and, if you want to travel a little further, you can easily reach such cities as Stirling and Edinburgh which also feature excellent castles and historic buildings. Glasgow really is an excellent place in which to base yourself during a Scottish vacation.

London, as a vacation destination, is very hard to beat. It is the most popular city in England for city breaks and longer vacations. Most people travel there to take in the wonderful sights of the capital city of England and some endeavor to see the British Royal Family (with the Queen being the top of everyone’s list). Many people head to London to take advantage of the finest shopping in the land.

London is one of the main three cities of the world associated with serious shopping, the others being Paris and New York. Check any bottle of perfume and the city is bound to appear somewhere on the packaging and usually on the bottle itself. Virtually every company involved in the retail trade has it’s UK flagship store in one of the primary shopping districts of London.

Department stores, designer shops, fashion shops and boutiques, music shops, bookshops, jewellery shops and virtually any other type of retail outlet is found within easy walking distance of a London tube station. Usually the different types of store tend to appear in groups in certain areas such as Oxford Street, Knightsbridge, New Bond Street and the likes.

Oxford Street And Knightsbridge

Harrods is, most probably, the most famous department store in England and you will find it, along with the superb Harvey Nichols and other stores, in Knightsbridge. Another incredibly famous department store is Selfridges department store found on Oxford Street. Oxford Street has lots of department stores and it has the reputation of being the busiest shopping street in Europe.

Old/New Bond Street

Armani, Gucci and virtually any luxury brand can be found on Bond Street. Associated with designer clothing, perfume; art, antiques and other items of luxury Bond Street has the biggest number of suppliers the Royal Family than anywhere else in London.

Covent Garden

If you find Bond Street a bit too expensive for your budget then you will find Covent Garden a pleasant alternative. This is where you will find most of London’s smaller independent fashion shops and shoe shops.

Other Places In London Associated With Shopping

Carnaby Street has a long association with fashion and in recent years the street is once again becoming trendy. If you want an old fashioned British tailor then Savile Row is the most famous place but you will also find tailors in and around Piccadilly. Hatton Garden (near Farringdon) is another place to go for jewelry shops. Shopping for books is best done around the Charing Cross Road although you may find some bookshops in Covent Garden too.

Of course there are many, many more places to go shopping in London but I will have to include these in a future article. If you can not find what you are looking for in the places above take a look around some of the many London markets.