Looking to find the best-value five-star accommodation that money can buy? Then head to Poland!

In a top 10 affordable luxury hotel list compiled by website Hotels it was the Polish capital Warsaw that took the gold medal, where the average price of a five-star hotel room costs just £84.

Marrakech in Morocco was found to offer the next best value for money based on average room prices per night last year.

European destinations dominated the list, occupying seven out of the 10 positions. Budapest (£105), Tallinn in Estonia (£112) and Berlin (£114) also offered comparatively affordable five-star rates.

Hotels chief marketing officer Nigel Pocklington said: “Britons looking for a taste of the high life but working to a budget don’t have to travel far to find some great deals.

“Eastern European capitals in particular offered excellent value in 2011, despite some substantial price rises as demand for rooms increased from bargain-savvy visitors.”

The most expensive five-star rooms were found in New York, averaging £340 per night. Paris came in a close second at £326, while Tokyo took third spot at £292.

London, on the other hand, had an average five-star rate of £225 – putting it 12th on the list of the most expensive luxury hotel destinations.

Copyright Press Association 2012

New figures reveal that airports run by BAA, such as Heathrow, saw a rise in the number of travellers that passed through its gates in April.

Its six hubs handled nearly 9.09 million people overall last month, which is a 0.1% increase compared to the same month last year, according to the Spanish-owned operator.

Heathrow saw a slight jump in the volume of passengers in contrast with figures recorded in April 2011 – totalling 5.8 million travellers. But data found 2.7% fewer people travelled through Stansted Airport last month when compared with the same month last year, and Southampton also recorded a 3.1% decline.

Findings showed that European charter traffic, including North African charter flights, tumbled 6.5% in April, while the number of passengers who flew towards a North Atlantic destination decreased by 0.9%.

“These are encouraging figures for Heathrow and BAA’s other airports. However, the modest growth in passenger numbers at Heathrow, the UK’s only hub airport, comes from larger and fuller aircraft, not from more routes and frequencies to emerging markets. This lack of connectivity is damaging the UK economy,” said Colin Matthews, BAA chief executive.

Figures also dipped for Gatwick airport, which used to be owned by BAA, as it saw a total of 2.72 million travellers in April. The number is a 1.3% drop in comparison to 2011’s April figure. It is now run by Global Infrastructure Partnerships, which is expected to acquire BAA-owned Edinburgh airport.

Copyright Press Association 2012

A new report has shown that over £22 billion of the UK’s economy is made up from travellers buying British products before going away.

So, if you’re spending too much on items such as clothes, sun cream, toiletries and travel agent services then take solace in the fact that you’re helping the UK’s debt recovery!

According to a study, which was enabled by the travel company Abta, an average of £532 per person is spent before even reaching the airport to head off to sunnier climates.

And it doesn’t stop there, as almost £1.8 billion is spent at the UK duty free shops inside the airports to get holidaymakers in the mood before they actually leave the country, showed the figures from the Centre for Economics Research.

Mark Tanzer, chief executive of Abta, said: “For too long it has been assumed that by going abroad on holiday, money is being taken out of the UK economy.

“The Government must recognise and support outbound travel in its current and future policies and planning strategies to deliver growth to the wider economy.”

Not only does the sector contribute hugely to the economy but it also directly employs around 620,000 people and makes up for 2.6% of all people in full-time jobs, which is significant in today’s job market.

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Travel firms selling cruise liner tickets are slashing prices in an effort to bolster plunging sales, according to new reports.

Although UK cruise companies have been particularly badly hit, experts have pointed out that the interlinked nature of the industry has seen firms across Europe suffer from falling sales figures.

The crisis means travellers can head from UK airports such as Stansted and Gatwick to embark on a cruise around some of the most beautiful parts of the world for a fraction of the normal cost.

“The cruise market is weak because it is trans-European,” said Bob Atkinson of TravelSupermarket.

“If bookings are poor in Spain, Italy and France then the cruise lines aren’t getting the numbers they need to fill cruises, that means more go on sale in Britain.

“Book at short notice and you’ll probably get a great price, with cruise lines also chucking in free flights and on-board spending. Royal Caribbean voyages from Southampton start at £699 and can include $100 of onboard credit. It’s effectively a discount of 20-30%.”

Mr Atkinson went on to point out that the trends affecting the cruise industry could also be indicative of the travel sector as a whole, with people “hedging their bets and spending cautiously”.

The cruise industry has hit the headlines in recent months, after two liners from the same company ran into serious problems at sea. Most recently the Costa Allegra caught fire near the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, while the Costa Concordia vessel ran aground and capsized, killing at least 25 people. Both ships were operated by Costa Cruises.

Britons rate travelling the world higher than marriage and kids on their things-to-do-in-life list, with men and women having very different views on the importance of tying the knot.

Most women rated having children second on their list and marriage came in at fourth. However for men, marriage only scraped into the top 10, in ninth place, whereas having kids was third.

For both sexes though, travelling the world was ranked as the number one goal on the general public’s ‘bucket list’. Many Britons aim to have at least one foreign holiday a year, flying from major UK airports such as Heathrow and Stansted.

The poll, carried out by Microsoft search engine Bing, showed that men’s ambitions were more child-like than women’s and acting in a film, driving an F1 car and recording an album were in many top 10 lists.

In the same survey, Bing also asked people what their dream job would be, with pilot shown to be the preferred choice of most people in the UK.

Women and men both wanted to own a business though, with the majority of men stating they would like to own a bar or restaurant and women saying they would like to be in charge of a shop.

Not all selfish and flashy however – working for a charity was rated highly among the top 10 dream jobs, as well as being a writer or photographer.

Copyright © Press Association 2012

A new survey reveals that many holidaymakers would rather go on a trip abroad with their pet than their family.

More than a tenth (13%) of the 2,010 adults questioned in TravelSupermarket’s poll said that when travelling, they prefer the company of their pet to that of their parents, siblings and other close family members. And findings also show that almost 40% are now bringing their pets abroad with them on holiday.

Almost half (47%) of travellers flying from the UK’s major hubs, such as Stansted or Luton airports, without their favourite critters said they missed them the most while abroad, and a tenth of the parents quizzed admitted they would choose their pet over their children to go on holiday with.

Furthermore, nearly one in five (18%) said they treat their pet to a souvenir when they come home from a trip, while almost 50% said they like to lavish them with attention.

The survey also indicates that two-fifths of holidaymakers often call home to see how their pets are doing, and more than a third (36%) said their biggest concern was the health of their animals while away on a trip.

TravelSupermarket’s Bob Atkinson said: “We all know that Brits love their pets and this research has found that many pet owners are happy to admit we actually miss our furry friends more than we miss immediate family and friends when we are away.”

Copyright Press Association 2012

The increasing popularity of South Korea among air passengers has been recognised by British Airways, which has announced a new route from Heathrow Airport to Seoul.

Tickets are now on sale for the six-flights-a-week service to the South Korean capital, which begins on December 2. Fares to South Korea have been fairly high in recent years due to high demand for tickets driven by a reluctance among airlines to put on flights to the country.
Flights to the country were axed by the airline in 1998 for “economic reasons” but made a brief return last year after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan. British Airways staff stayed in Seoul overnight due to safety fears over staying in Tokyo.
The Foreign Office said around 100,000 British people visit South Korea every year. Popular sights among tourists include the Great Gates of Seoul, the historic city of Gyeongju, and the semi-tropical Jeju Island.

Commercial director at BA, Drew Crawley, said: “We have seen significant growth in customers wanting to travel to Seoul for both business and pleasure. It is a vibrant city with a strong economic base.
“Equally, there are vast numbers of South Korean companies wishing to come to the UK to do business as Asia’s economies continue to grow. We want to ensure that we do our bit in bringing as much business and tourism to the UK as we can.”

Copyright © Press Association 2012

Around six million Britons are set to jet off on holiday around the Queen’s Jubilee Bank Holiday at the beginning of June.

The figure from the Association of British Travel Agents suggests that a host of people are taking advantage of the extra day off, which means that most people only need to take three days off work to have a consecutive nine-day break.

There is reported to have been a 50% year-on-year increase in bookings and searches for the week of the Jubilee, and UK travel website lowcostholidays insists that “unreliable and miserable British weather” is a major contributing factor.

Schools are also on holiday during that week and Greece in particular is providing a huge number of bargains, with managing director of Jewel in the Crown Holidays, Platon Loizou, confirming that many operators have lots of packages left to sell.

“After all the demonstrations, they can’t shift holidays for love nor money; seven nights with accommodation on Zante and Corfu start at £129, flight-onlys from £125,” he said.

There are even “buy one, get one free” offers available and Olympic Holidays are trying to encourage people to travel to the Greek Islands and Cyprus with better than half-price packages from Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Belfast and Glasgow.

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British Airways has started flights on a new route from Heathrow Airport to the Italian city of Bologna.

The new daily service left Heathrow for the first time at 9.30am on April 29, and will depart for northern Italy at that time throughout the year.

It is hoped the route will help ease the burden on Gatwick Airport, which currently has 20 Bologna-bound British Airways’ flights per day.

Situated in the Emilia-Romagna region of the country, Bologna is one of the most picturesque cities in northern Italy.

Holidaymakers can sample coffee shops, bars, or even some authentic Bolognese sauce at one of the restaurants on the Piazza Maggiore, which is one of the largest squares in the old part of the city.

The Piazza Maggiore and the surrounding area is inspired by the Renaissance period, with its legacy in plain sight at Palazzo D’Accursio situated nearby.

Just around the corner is the iconic town hall, which boasts a large collection of art produced by a variety of famous Italian painters.

If you prefer the countryside, then why not venture slightly outside town to the medieval town of Dozza.

The small cobbled streets and brightly decorated buildings make the sleepy town of Dozza the perfect option for a day trip.

Copyright Press Association 2012

More than 25% of parents want to take their children out of school to go on holiday this year, a survey has shown.

The poll, completed by LV= travel insurance, found that most of these parents will be undeterred by the prospect of being fined, due to the holiday savings on offer during term time.

Researchers also found that the majority of parents (55%) have opted for this kind of break before to take advantage of cheaper flights and accommodation at times when airports are quieter.

In recent years more families have started to favour these holiday options, with the number of respondents who took term-time breaks in 2004 (7%) tripling to 21% last year.

With Britain falling back into recession the country’s financial woes have been brought into sharper focus, but many people will be reluctant to go without their annual summer holiday.

As a result, the number of parents taking their kids out of school is set to rise again to 29% this year.

Along with finances, the poll revealed that some parents find it hard to secure annual leave during peak periods, which is why they have to look at other options.

Selwyn Fernandes, managing director of LV= travel insurance, said: “The difference in price for taking a trip during the school holidays and during term-time is huge.”

He added that many parents are happy to risk a fine for these holiday practices because “they can save 10 times that by holidaying outside of the peak season”.