A day out in Barcelona for the family

Barcelona is a fantastic place to go as a couple for a city break but there are also a wide range of great attractions and activities that are fun for the whole family. From theme parks and zoos, to museums and breathtaking sights, you are guaranteed a family holiday to remember in Barcelona.

Tibidabo Mountain – more than just the Amusement Park

Take a train from the city centre and then change to the Tramvia Blau tram to take you halfway up the Tibidabo Mountain. Taking a funicular train from the halfway point to the top, you will find the Tibidabo Amusement Park waiting for you on the summit. Before introducing the family to the rides and mayhem inside the gates, take some time to enjoy the gorgeous views of Barcelona from the top of the mountain. There is also a beautiful church to explore at the summit, which is well worth a peek before the amusement park. Take the Tibidabo Sky Walk, which offers stunning surroundings and views, and was the location Woody Allen chose for filming ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’.

The amusement park itself is over a hundred years old, making it one of the oldest in the world. Aside from the obvious theme park attractions: rides, restaurants, picnic sites, Tibadabo Amusement Park also features the curious Automaton Museum, which contains some fascinating examples of late 19th century and early 20th century automata. The exhibits in the museum are in excellent condition and the collection is widely acknowledged as amongst the finest in the world. You can easily spend a full day at the summit of Tibidabo, however don’t lose track of the park closing time or you could face substantial queues for the return journey downhill, or worse, find yourself stranded at the top of a mountain!

Hands-on science and historical experiences

Barcelona has plenty standard city attractions, such as the aquarium at Port Vell and the nearby IMAX cinema. At the aquarium, children may be able to engage in ‘Sleeping with Sharks’. This is an event where 8-12 year old kids are given the chance to spend the night at the aquarium, following a programme of educational activities. The Cosmocaixa Science Museum features an outstanding recreation of the Amazonian rainforest ecosystem, with piranhas, crocodiles and other animal and plant species. Kids will also go wild for the Museu de la Xocolata (Chocolate Museum), which, alongside learning about chocolate’s cultural and historical impact, features activities and workshops for a more hands-on experience of the sweet stuff!

More out of the ordinary attractions include the fascinating Poble Espanyol, a real village comprising of a range of streets and squares, free of traffic and surrounded by lush greenery. The Poble Espanyol is an open-air museum, with full-scale replicas of 117 buildings from different parts of Spain. The Poble was built on Montjuïc Mountain, for the 1929 International Exhibition. In addition to an engaging experience of authentic Spanish architecture, the Poble Espanyol also comprises over 40 arts and crafts workshops selling one-off signature pieces. The ‘Poble for Kids’ programme organises activities such as performances and interactive workshops for children.

To feast kids’ eyes as much as their minds, take them up to the observation deck of the Mirador-Collserola Tower, 560m above sea level. From there, it is possible to see 70km views of Barcelona. However, you will need to pre-book a taxi to get there. It is worth asking your Barcelona airport transfer taxi driver when you arrive about how much they’d charge to get you to the tower. For a short drive, the views make the experience utterly worthwhile.

Breathtaking views

And, if it’s views you’re after, you could do much worse than visiting the Montjuïc Magic Fountain, at the end of Avinguda Reina Maria Cristina, during one of the famous displays. During the spring and summer, displays take place every Thursday to Sunday night, from 9-11:30pm (Fri and Sat 7-9pm in winter). The displays are absolutely spectacular: moving water jets, lit in a shifting spectrum of colour, synchronised with light and music. Sometimes, the displays are accompanied by large firework displays, making the spectacle all the more breathtaking.

These are just a few ideas for the myriad ways you and your family can enjoy Barcelona. There are few cities in the world as vibrant, safe and engaging as Barcelona, where a new adventure is around every corner.

This article is brought to you by Holiday Taxis and Holiday Transfers, offering top quality airport transfer service from thousands of destinations at an affordable price.

Photo credits: Barcelona Tbidabo by Shaun Woods, Barcelona Cosmocaixa Science Museum by Wojtek Gurak, Poble Espanyol de Montjuic by gadgetdan, Collserola Tower by Oh-Barcelona.com, and Barcelona Montjuïc Magic Fountain by Christian Baudet.

For more info on Barcelona

Montjuïc in Barcelona – the hill that has it all
Barcelona: Portal to the Fantasy World of Gaudi

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com - Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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48 Hours in Budapest – top things to see on a spring break – video

Last time I was in Budapest it was summertime, with thunderstorms threatening to crack the warm humidity and we took the children to watch the Hungarian folk dancing for the St Stephen’s day festival. This time I was back in February with a breath of snow in the air, but the promise of spring just around the corner. This was a family trip of a different sort; I had 48 hours with my parents and sisters, to see the sights, eat some great food and have as much fun as possible together.

I hope you enjoy the video below about our 48 hours in Budapest

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For such a short trip, I think the choice of a hotel can really make or break the experience, so after reviewing the many hotel options on the Avios website, we decided to go for 5 star Intercontinental Hotel. This classy hotel combines location and luxury and is perfectly positioned on the banks of the Danube, close to most of the main sites of Budapest.

The bedroom window framed a postcard view of the Royal Palace on the Castle Hill, so it seemed obvious to make this the first area to explore. A brisk walk across the Chain Bridge and we found ourselves at the foot of the hill, in front of the funicular which is more of a tourist attraction than something that the locals use. I guess it’s one of those try-it-once kind of things, but a little expensive at 1000 HUF (£2.90) or 1700 HUF (£4.90) return for the 5 minute journey. I’d already tried-it-once on my previous visit, so instead we decided to climb the easy paths that run up the hill. Once at the top, we followed the stone steps to the wrought iron gates that guard the Royal Palace and found ourselves in a wide paved square, beside the upper funicular station.

The Castle Hill

At the top of the hill the views from the balustrade towards the Pest side of the city and down the Danube were spectacular. In front of the Sandor Palace we watched the soldiers marching back and forth and stamping to attention, as they guarded the residence of the Hungarian President. It was pretty chilly, so we kept moving along the cobble street that runs along the top of the hill towards the St Matthias Church.

On our last visit in the summer a couple of years before, the family had decided to let me look around the St Matthias church alone, and sat in a shady cafe just opposite while I went inside. The church interior was surprisingly colourful with painted frescoes and pillars in rich shades of red and ochre. I recalled hearing somewhere, that many Medieval churches had paintwork that was far more colourful than the bare grey stonework that we see today. I loved the multicoloured tiled roof of the church which is not the original, but was replaced when the church was restored after shelling in the Second World War.

In front of the church is the Fisherman’s Bastion, a fantasy colonnade of turrets and arches, built at the end of the 19th century as a monument to the Guild of Fishermen. Here we found more spectacular views towards the Hungarian Parliament Building on the opposite side of the river, built on a similar design to the Houses of Parliament in London. In summer when we were here, there were open air cafes set up on the battlements and in the arcades, and I listened to the gypsy violinists playing Hungarian folk music for the customers, giving everyone outside a free concert. In February it was far from balmy, so we warmed up in the nearby Ruszwurm Cukrászda cafe over a coffee and slice of strudel.

St Stephen’s Basilica

Back on the other side of the river we walked from the Intercontinental to St Stephen’s Basilica, another major landmark of Budapest, with a dome that dominates the skyline. We had a browse around the souvenir shops in the square and the side streets near the Cathedral which are full of little restaurants and bars, making this a good area to eat out (we tried the Strudel House later that evening). We decided to return to the cathedral for Mass the following Sunday morning and afterwards had a look around the Basilica, which is named after King Stephen I, the first king of Hungary who brought Christianity to his country. Canonised after his death, the saint’s mummified hand is displayed in one of the chapels  of the Basilica and is paraded every year on St Stephen’s Day (20 August) which is a national holiday.

Later that afternoon we walked along Andrassy Avenue, an elegant boulevard with shops selling all the top international brands. We passed by the State Opera House, which I would also have loved to visit, on our way to 60 Andrassy Avenue, now known as The House of Terror.

The House of Terror

This museum was once the headquarters of the Hungarian Nazis and until the 1950s housed the communist state terror organisations, where suspects were brought to be interrogated, tortured and executed in the bleak basement prison cells. The museum gives a fascinating insight to how the Hungarian population suffered under Nazi and later communist rule, and is a monument to the victims of terror.

Inside the foyer, we were greeted by a black and white wall of the faces of the victims who suffered here, together with a tank trapped within the inner courtyard, reflecting in a shallow pool of dark water. On the upper floors we passed through a series of exhibition rooms with films and videos showing marching armies and care worn faces of old men and women telling their stories of evacuation, deportation and oppression under the communist regime. The tour ended with a slow descent in the lift down to the basement to a video commentary about the process of execution and then we walked past the cold prison cells. Our visit to the House of Terror was a stark but fascinating and compelling experience that I would highly recommend if you want to understand Hungary’s recent history.

The No 2 Tram

If you want a low cost sightseeing tour, jump on the No 2 tram that runs along the river and stops outside the Intercontinental Hotel. In one direction the tram will take you past the Hungarian Parliament Building to Margaret Bridge and Margaret Island, where we enjoyed an afternoon dip in the open air Palatine Baths on our summer visit. In the other direction, the tram will take you towards the Central Market and Liberty Bridge which you cross to reach the Gellért Baths. You just need to stop at a convenience store to buy a book of tram tickets, which you validate on the tram each time you use one.

The Gellért  Baths

On Sunday afternoon after Mass at St Stephen’s Cathedral and an elegant brunch at The New York Cafe, we took the tram to the Gellért Baths for that quintessential Budapest spa experience. This is one thing that’s equally fun in summer or winter; in summer the outdoor pools and terraces are open, while in the winter you can linger in the steamy Turkish baths with sauna and heated pools. The baths are part of the Gellért Hotel, but if you enter at the side, you’ll come straight into the glass domed foyer to buy your ticket at the kiosk. You’ll be given a rubber wrist band with a magnetic disc which gets you through the turnstiles and opens your changing cubicle where you can leave your clothes and belongings securely locked up.

In the central bath you need to wear a swimming cap, but in the other heated pools this is not required. There’s a small heated pool next to the larger one but at the far and of the baths from the entrance you’ll find heated Turkish baths and saunas as well as treatment cubicles on both side of the building. It’s worth checking which day to go as it seems that on some days, the two identical Turkish baths are segregated into male and female, while on other days all areas are mixed. Last time my parents came to Budapest and tried the Gellért Baths, they were directed to different changing rooms and spent some time wandering around, trying to find each other again. We had a good couple of hours trying out all the pools – our favourite was the beautifully tiled Turkish bath and we braved a run up the cold stone steps to the outdoor pool, which was thankfully heated once we got in. Bring your own swimsuit, towel and cap, as these seemed relatively expensive to hire, and flip flops are also useful to keep your feet off the cold and sometimes grubby floor.

The Central Market

On our final morning, we took the No 2 tram again to the Central Market which I’d also visited on my previous trip. The large, glass roofed indoor market is great to walk around and admire all the fresh fruit and veg, as well as the many stalls specialising in meat products of sausages and goose live pate. There were also as a large number of stalls just devoted to selling all kinds of Paprika products, the favourite spice of Hungary.

Upstairs there are stall selling handicrafts and souvenirs and this is a good place to come to buy small gifts to take home, such as the painted eggs that I’ve been collecting to bring out at Easter or hang from my Christmas tree. Along one side there are also a number of food stalls selling snacks and beer. You might like to try the Lángos which is a typical Hungarian street food; a kind of flat doughnut that’s served with many different sweet and savoury toppings, but traditionally spread with cream cheese with a sprinkling of grated cheese.

After lunch at the Central Market it was time to head back to the hotel to pick up our bags and take our taxi to the airport. We’d packed a lot in to our 48 hours in Budapest, revisited some old haunts and made new discoveries, had fun in the process, but still left plenty to uncover for next time.

More things to enjoy in Budapest

Folk art and Paprika – my souvenirs of Budapest
Memento Park – Icon’s of Budapest’s communist past
Luxury and Location – our spring break at the Intercontinental Budapest

Avios is an easy way to collect points at the places you shop online everyday, when you buy fuel or spend on your credit card. Then you can exchange the points for a flight, hotel, holiday or fun day out with your family. There’s plenty of inspiration on the Avios website to start planning your next citybreak. You can follow Avios on Twitter @AviosUK or on their AviosUK Facebook page and see some flying lawnmowers on the Avios YouTube channel

Through Avios we booked the luxurious 5 star Intercontinental Hotel Budapest which was perfectly positioned beside the Danube for sightseeing. The hotel has a lovely spa with a pool for those early morning swims as well as relaxing treatments. The hotel can be booked using your Avios Points and a room similar to ours at the time that we were there in February was around 15,000 Avios points or £150-180 per room/night including breakfast but may be higher in peak season. It’s worth looking out for packages that include breakfast and use of the exclusive Club Lounge. You can follow the Intercontinental Budapest on Twitter @ICBudapest and on their Intercontinental Budapest Facebook Page.

Thanks to Avios and Intercontinental Budapest for hosting our 48 hours in Budapest.

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Budapest – Spring 2013 photoset

This article by Heather Cowper is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com - Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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Castles and cathedrals by the sea – visiting St. Malo in France

The walled port city of St. Malo, in the north-west of France, is a popular destination for ferry trippers who prefer to go further afield than Calais or Dunkirk. Its location in Brittany, which borders the English Channel to the north, the Celtic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, makes it an ideal place to get to by ferry.

The great thing about arriving by ferry is that you have the luxury of your own transport right from the start. Although it is possible to hire a car, many hire car companies don’t allow you to take their cars on to the ferries, so do check beforehand.

Booking a ferry is simple and can be done online. However, ferry ticket prices can fluctuate depending on the time of year and availability. Generally though, prices are cheaper when booking in advance, whether directly with ferry company or through one of the comparison websites.

Historical Fort National

Once you have loaded your car up with all of the holiday gear you need, you can recuperate on your crossing to the ancient city of St. Malo. Arriving at the wonderful old port as travellers have done over hundreds of years, it is easy to see why St. Malo is still popular today. As an important coastal town many of the tourist attractions are based around its pirate history and the sea. The popular Fort National was constructed in 1689 on the orders of King Louis XIV to protect the port of St. Malo. Though it may not have the most in facilities, it definitely has wow factor. You will enjoy the guided tours, but the best feature is its location and the far reaching views that you can enjoy from its ramparts across the bay and the old town.

Rich maritime history

The castle of Saint-Malo, east of the town, was built by the Dukes of Brittany and later sold to the king of France. It has since been restored, damaged, restored and further damaged right up until the liberation of St. Malo during WWII. There are plenty of displays to see including maritime artifacts, but the best part of the visit for many is the view from the tower.

St. Malo is also famous for being the location of the world’s first tidal power station. This attracts around 200,000 visitors each year who are interested in viewing the lock in the west end of a dam which allows the passage of 16,000 vessels between the English Channel and the Rance.

Saint-Malo Cathedral

Another wonderful place to go in St. Malo is the Catholic cathedral of Saint-Vincent-de-Saragosse de Saint-Malo. The cathedral is a national monument of France and formerly the seat of the Bishop of Saint-Malo. Many visitors point out that is not dissimilar to Notre Dame in Paris. The best time to visit is early in the day when the light streams through the lovely stained glass window and the whole building does tend to become a little dark later in the day.

St. Malo can be a great place to visit if you are on a short trip to France, but it is also somewhere that you can leave behind as you move on to other interesting areas of Brittany, a region that enjoys sunny weather warmed by the Gulf Stream and the occasional windy season, enjoyed by wind surfers from around the world. For more information about St. Malo we suggest you visit the Official St. MaloTourist Office.

This article is brought to you by Ferryonline.co.uk who specialise in offering tickets at low prices for all the popular ferry routes in Europe.

Photo credits: Rempart, St Malo by Pline, St Malo Cathedral by graham chandler, other photos by Ferryonline.

More tales from Brittany
Living on holiday all year round in Brittany
Gone fishing for crabs on the Ile de Houat
How to prepare a crab à la Française

This article by is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com - Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

 Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

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