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The City of Arts and Science is Valencia’s “city of the future” a huge complex of museums, it has an incredible 60-foot entrance with 55 arches. The city is vitually underwater and includes an aquarium, science museum, planetarium and a performing arts center.

The Oceanographic, is the largest marine park in Europe with  a series of parabolic buildings - don’t miss the high-tech tour of the world’s marine habitats.

The Prince Felipe Museum of Science is installed in the roof that is in the shape of a  a dinosaur’s spine, it includes a 130-foot transparent wall. This is an interesting child-friendly interactive museum with holograms and lasers.

Yet another part of the complex is The Hemispheric the state-of-the-art planetarium which has an IMAX theatre which shows various films throughout the days and weeks.

A combined ticket for all the attractions which can be used over three days, for further details see their website.

If you’re looking for a hostel priced but hotel standard room in Valencia - look no further. Rooms Deluxe is just the spot, centrally located, clean and efficient there’s even a kitchen, residents lounge and free internet access.

City of Arts and Science, Valencia

Rooms Deluxe is a new breed of hotel, where each of the 28 rooms has been designed by a different local artist. You can take your pick and choose which room you’d like to book. Would it be the Buddhist temple, the flamenco suite, the retro future or the Mediterranean room?

Located just metres from the City of Arts and Sciences and close to the beach you couldn’t ask for a better location for 45 Euros a double room, all are en-suite and some triple rooms are available.

If you’re planning on visiting Madrid then check out the Madrid Card for tourists before you go, it’ll save you some euros and make sure you see the most for your money.

Standing around the Prado

The card will allow you

• free entry to more than 40 of the major musuems
• as many trips as you want on the Madrid Vision tour bus
• all visits which are part of the Discover Madrid Programme Madrid Fun Fair, Madrid Zoo and Aquarium, Cable Railway, Faunia, Imax and more…
• entry to the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, thanks to the new Bernabéu Tour

You’ll also get big discounts in shops restaurants, shows and leisure centres for adults and children.

When you buy a Madrid Card you’ll get a guide with all the information on the associated establishments along with a useful city map.

Check out the Tourist Travel Pass too for unlimited underground and bus use.

The ease of train travel in Spain is constantly improving, the latest service launched between Barcelona and Madrid and AVE service between Madrid and Malaga has been really popular.

Roman amphitheatre and railway station, Tarragona

The AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) reached a top speed of 350 kph or 220 mph on these longer trips which would take around five hours by car. With trains being laid on especially for certain events more and more people, even locals are looking at them as a serious alternative to lengthy drives or flying.

Spanish business people have always used air links between the major cities, as a decent train service was none existent, and the huge distances needed to be covered were an impossibility by car within a working day. The plans for a better rail communication system all across Spain are exciting and of course a far more environmentally friendly option than a single-occupant car trip or flying.

One day we might see a high-speed train link from London, France and down to the south of Spain, but for now it’s getting better all the time.

You can book online for slightly cheaper fares.

Good - easy to use meta search tailored to your specific requirements with simultaneous search of standard and dynamic packages which delivered competitive prices

Bad - very little information about the accommodation or resort provided

Rating out of 10 - 9.5 This is how travel search should be - user friendly delivering results based on your criteria.

When I read that Holiday.co.uk claims to “find exactly what you want”, I thought I’d give it a test run to see if it lived up to that claim.

I decided to search for a Winter Sun holiday flying from Scotland for one week on 21 November 2008, plus or minus 7 days. I started off searching for a beach holiday with no destination specified. The cheapest holiday, a dynamic package ( where the flight and accommodation came from different suppliers) was £120 per person for flight and self catering studio at the 3 star Mediterraneo in Nerja, Spain. An upgrade to a one bedroom apartment with balcony took the price per person up to £165. The apartments receive pretty favourable reviews.

Nerja seafront by Sonti Malonti

I thought I’d compare prices with a couple of other suppliers. The cheapest offering from Travelsupermarket.com was £176 for a one bedroom apartment at the 2 star Vistamar in Benidorm. Reviews of the Vistamar were varied with a few reviews from hen/stag parties (enough to put me off).

I tried to get a price on Expedia and although I entered the dates in November it came up with options in July. When I returned to home page to start the search again, I noticed that I had to either select to search for a standard package or a dynamic package, when on Holiday.co.uk one search brought up results for standard packages and dynamic packages.

By that time I was fed up with Expedia so decided to try Holidaywarehouse.co.uk where I’ve found cheap holidays in the past. The cheapest option with them was a self catering standard package in Gran Canaria priced at £293 per person. However when I clicked through this came up as sold out, very annoying. Now I acknowledge that the weather will probably be warmer in the Canaries in November than in mainland Spain and it is a much longer flight which makes the holiday more expensive.

I have to say that I was very impressed with Holiday.co.uk. It did come up with the cheapest holiday with accommodation which is rated as reasonable in user generated reviews. I think I’d rather stay in Nerja than Benidorm, as Nerja iss not quite so touristy as Benidorm. Holiday.co.uk was the easiest and most detailed search to perform, out of four sites that I tried.

There are also further search options on Holiday.co.uk where you can search by keywords such as quiet, kids entertainment, history etc. You can also further refine your search by criteria such as average temperature, specific tour operator, board basis etc.

My only criticism is that there was not much information about the hotel, only a pretty brief description, one tiny photo and no reviews. However I don’t consider this to be a serious defect, as I always look for information and reviews on several different sites before I book accommodation.

So based on my trial run, I’d rate Holiday.co.uk as excellent, delivering on their claim to find exactly what I wanted, a cheap Winter Sun holiday, with the no hassle or laboured searching. This is how I want travel search to be, user friendly and with personalised results.

Have you used Holiday.co.uk, how would you rate it?

In this guest post Diana Perez, a Spanish journalist shows us how to get off the beaten track in Barcelona.

Barcelona is one of the most popular tourist city destinations in the world. Its streets are always full of people, regardless of the season. It is the favourite holiday destination for most tourists: famous because of its good weather, its delicious Mediterranean food and its spectacular architecture – cradle of artists as important as Gaudí. But Barcelona is much more than a simple tourist city. Probably, most of you already know the typical and always crowded tourist streets, monuments, clubs, restaurants, shops or museums. But, what about `the other´ Barcelona? There is another city behind this scene: an alternative, amazing city that hosts a reach subculture. Art, music, cinema, gastronomy, and a whole world to discover!

Barceloneta by Pierre Phaneuf

Other neighbourhoods

Let’s begin with an alternative tour among the city. Everybody knows Ciutat Vella (Old Town),that includes El Barri Gòtic, El Raval and El Borne, and forms the monumental center of Barcelona. But moving away from the crowds around El Born and the Gòtic Quarter and heading down to Barceloneta, we find an old fishing village close to the harbour. It’s less crowded and feels more authentic than other parts of the city. The area was developed on a grid pattern and the narrow streets hanging with washing give it a certain air of Naples. There are lots of restaurants, specialist in seafood.

Poble Sec is a charming neighbourhood located between El Raval and Montjuic. Despite its excellent restaurants, nightlife and central location, this neighborhood is off the radar for most Barcelona visitors.

In guidebooks, Poble Sec is usually lumped in with the gardens, museums and Olympic constructions of Montjuic – if it’s even mentioned at all. But with low-key hotels and apartments available to rent, Poble Sec is a wonderful place to visit and to stay in Barcelona. It has ethnically diverse, quiet streets, real local flavour and a wide variety of dining and nightlife options.

Sarrià is a gorgeous, 1,000-year-old village. It has become a haven for petit bourgeois merchants, writers, and artists, as well as a home for many Barcelona schools occupying what were once summer mansions for the city’s commercial leaders. It’s a must to do a stop in Bar Tomás, famous for its patatas bravas (potatoes with a sauce of pounded garlic and olive oil).

Keepin’ it real in Sarria by jpvarga

Good food, better restaurants

Flash Flash (C. La Granada del Penedès, 25) was inaugurated in 1970, and has become an essential reference point. Hamburgers, steaks salads, and over 70 types of tortillas are served up in a pop-art setting of funky black-and-white murals and white leather banquettes. It’s completely authentic!

Misaki (C. Aribau, 40) is a small Japanese restaurant. It offers a very large variety of dishes and regional specialities in a familiar, cozy space. Probably, it is one of the best Asian food restaurants in Barcelona, even you will not find it in any restaurants guides. Do not expect to find a super-modern local. This is a family, small restaurant managed by Misaki, where you’ll eat quality Japanese food. Delicious!

L´Hortet (C. Pintor Fortuny, 32) is the best vegetarian restaurant and enough of a reason to travel to Barcelona! For less than 10 euros you can have a nice three course menu. Vegan vegetarian friendly place that offers a good value set menu at lunch time. Don’t miss it!

7Portes (Pg. Isabel II, 14) it is one the most classic of Barcelona’s eating-places. Here you can enjoy the finest Catalan cooking in an intimate setting or in one of the spacious banquet halls, accompanied by Spain’s best wines and “cavas” (sparking wines) from the well-stocked cellar.

Gaudi, off the beaten track

by mike 23

Gaudi’s work is admired by architects around the World as being one of the most unique and distinctive architectural styles. His works are all over Barcelona. There are some world famous Gaudi´s builds like Parc Güell, Palau Güell, Sagrada Familia, Pedrera or Casa Batlló that give Barcelona a special magic. But there are some of Gaudi´s lesser-known, beautiful contributions that you shouldn’t miss:
The Gigantic fountain in Parc de la Cuitadella
The Three Graces Fountain in Placa Reial
The amazing wrought-iron embellished street lamps that line the streets are 125-year-old originals in the heart of the city. In Plaza Reial, by Las Ramblas, Passeig de Gracia and the old port entrance.

More than culture: more music, more art, more cinemas…

MauMau: (C. Fontrodona, 33) this cultural centre and lounge club built into an old warehouse is discreetly hidden away in a quiet backstreet. It’s a unique space, ideal for all kinds of presentations and projections: art, theater, lectures and other activitie. Since May 2002, Maumau runs a Funk, Soul, HipHop & Rare Groove session, weekly at dance venue Apolo. There is an interesting weekly agenda with the best of alternative culture in Barcelona!

Antisonar: Anti-Sonar is the alternative music party to Sonar, which runs in Barcelona at the same time. It’s totally free. Whereas Sonar attracts a moneyed, trendy, international crowd, Anti-Sonar is an anarchic impromptu festival for the scruffier inhabitants of Barcelona who can’t afford or simply resent the festival and the hordes of techno tourists that take over the city for the weekend. Don’t expect any big name DJs. Expect unrelenting hard techno, and bring your own water, beer, absinthe, and sun cream, as you’ll be dancing through into the morning. Usually located on the outskirts of the city near to the Sonar by Night festival site, follow the crowds or ask around.

Cinema Maldà: (C. del Pi, 5) located in the middle of Ciutat Vella’s neighbourhood, this special cinema projects Bollywood’s movies in original version and independent movies. This spring, cinema Maldà, now known as the Maldà Arts Forum, expanded it programming and artistic offer to include other arts such as music, theatre, performance, literature or journalism. It is a must for all film fans. On top of providing high-quality cinema, Maldà allows its visitors to enjoy two films (run consecutively) for the price of one.

There are infinity proposals to enjoy of the other Barcelona: the city that many tourists and even Catalan people do not know. Look for the best alternative leisure and cultural offers of the city in `La Butxaca´, a very special leisure guide of Barcelona (it’s very difficult to find). And now, have a great and different time in this original city.

Diana recommends Apartments in Barcelona for your stay in Barcelona.

Unbelievable but true, Travelodge have rooms for only 10 euros in Spain for stays during August 2008. You’ll need to book at least 21 days in advance and book before the 3 August 2008. The Travelodges are located in Malaga, Madrid, Zaragoza, Valencia and Barcelona.

Atardecer en Zaragoza by alyn

I just did a quick check on the Travelodge site and did find some rooms available at this price but I’d advise you to book as soon as possible to snap up this bargain rate.

Economy Car Hire are offering a 10% discount on bookings made online for Spain and her islands during July and August 2008, if you book before the 11 June.

Alpujarras by traskas

I’ve used Economy Car Hire twice and rate them highly as they have a no excess policy, unlike some other so called “inclusive” prices where you can be stung with an excess of several hundred euro if your hire car is damaged or stolen. Their prices also include a second driver free of charge.

On the last two occasions I booked car rental in Italy last month and November 2007 in the Canaries, Economy Car Hire had the best deal for 2 drivers. Spain is good value for car hire as I paid 50% more for car rental in Italy than in the Canaries.

As always do shop around for the best deal and read my car hire tips.

Girona is an ideal short break destination easily reached from all over Europe with Ryanair flights. Most people get straight on the bus to go to Barcelona. However if you are looking for somwhere a bit quieter and different, Girona is a good choice. Girona was christened one of the most underrated and overlooked destinations by Fodor’s and I certainly agree.

The riverside in Girona

Girona is a really beautiful city, with medieval origins, situated on the River Onyar. You could easily spend a couple of days wandering round the old town, walking the city walls, visiting the cafes, restaurants and shops. With the Tiquet M5 you pay the full entrance fee at the first city museum you visit and receive a 50% discount when you visit the other musuems. The grand cathedral, housing the widest unsupported Gothic arch in the world, dates from the 11th century. The Jewish quarter is one of the largest and best preserved in Europe.

Square in Girona

I’ve visited Girona couple of times but all too briefly, once an overnight after an evening arrival at Girona airport and the other visit was on a day trip when I was staying on the coast We stayed at the centrally located 3 star Hotel Peninsular. One of best aspects about the Peninsular was the sumptious breafkast buffet.

If you have more than a couple of days, Girona offers many possibilities for day trips either by rail or bus or hiring a car. You could have a day by the sea, I really liked Cadaques on the Cap de Creus penisula, north of Girona. It was a favourite of both Picasso and Dali. You could go inland and visit Besalu, the Dali Theatre-Museum in Figueres or the lake at Banyoles. If you’re feeling adventurous it doesn’t take long to reach the the Perpignan area in the south western corner of France.

Besalu, Girona Province

This post was featured on the Carnival of Travel Guide no 8.

We spent the last week of November 2007 on DIY holiday in Fuerteventra. We like going on a Winter sun holiday at this time to get some sunshine in the middle of the dark UK nights. Fuerteventura is one of the Canary Islands and you can expect temperatures to average the low 20 degrees centigrade in Winter and it’s light from around 7am to 7pm.

The beautiful golden sandy beaches on the east coast are best part of the island. I’m not a great swimmer but swimming there was wonderful in the clear turquoise water and I took the plunge once or twice a day. It’s a bit cool at first but you soon get used to it.

Sunrise at Costa Calma

We drove through the mountains to Betancuria and in the village square the main attraction is a donkey drawing water in the traditional manner. Just as well that the village wasn’t depending on him for their water supply as he was stationery except when his master walked behind him egging him on.

Betancuria donkey

The sea on the west coast is much rougher and the beaches mainly full of pebbles. At Los Molinos there’s a coastal path which leads to some caves. Just the turn off for Los Molinos, south of Tiefa there’s a very attractive windmill.

Tefia windmill

Overall Fuerteventura is a great destination for sun worshipers and beach sports fans. I enjoyed our holiday there as it was relaxing. There’s not a lot else to do and see on Fuerteventura as the island is primarily barren. There are either resorts full of hotels and tourists or pretty uninspiring inland villages. It was too hot for me a couple of days with the temperature reaching 28 degrees. You have to careful not to get sun burnt as the breeze can mislead you into thinking it’s not that warm.