DFDS Seaways know that money is a little tight after the Summer holidays but we still want to spoil ourselves and have fun so they have a great offer right now
2 for 1 is back!
Yes, for selected departures between September-December, you can now book a Mini Cruise to Amsterdam from only £79 for 2 people.
It´s perfect for an Autumn/Winter getaway, whether you want a short break with your friends or partner, a relaxing break in one of Europe's finest cities, or use the trip to start your Christmas shopping, with a vast number of shops from small boutiques to designer department stores.
A Mini Cruise to Amsterdam includes; • 2 nights accommodation in an en suite cabin • Coach transfers to/from Amsterdam city Centre • Live entertainment onboard • Approx. 5 hours in Amsterdam
There are also a variety of 2 for 1 offers available on the DFDS Seaways Themed Mini Cruise range, including the annual and ever popular Halloween Mini Cruise, Haarlem Mini Cruise, School Disco Mini Cruise, Tropical Party Mini Cruise, Christmas Panto Mini Cruise and Utrecht Mini Cruise.
In addition to great restaurants, bars and the famous on-board entertainment, DFDS now offer the Wildlife Watching Experience
Learn about the wildlife of the North Sea as you sail to Amsterdam. Led by the leading wildlife charity ORCA, the the wildlife experience is fun for both kids and adults. All of these special offer cruises can be found at DFDS Mini-cruise to Amsterdam
You may know Antwerp in north Belgium for its diamonds. In fact 70% of the world’s diamonds hail from Antwerp.
It is a vibrant city (population 470,000+) for shopping, fashion, business, culture (theatre, opera, museums) and nightlife. Now there is a new reason to visit.
Antwerp has developed part of its harbour and port area into the fashionable “Het Eilandje” (The Little Island). The centrepiece is the 60 metres high MAS – Museum Aan De Stroom (Museum on the River MAS www.MAS.be) which cost 33.5 million Euros and opened to the public on 13 May with a four-day long festival of dance, theatre, films, tours and free visits to the 10-storey urban icon. The MAS is a collection of 470,000 pieces in permanent museums plus temporary exhibitions eg diamonds and silver, a gift shop and museum square for open-air events or just to rest and watch the world go by. The harbour museum shows a non-stop 360° panorama film of shipping movements in the harbour via webcams. There are plenty of choices for good food and delicious Belgian beers. Don’t miss Felix Pakhuis and Het Duvels Genot.
I took my sons on 15 May. We saw exhibitions containing collections from the city’s museums: Life and Death – myths, religions and the impressive collection of Paul and Dora Janssen-Arts with relics from Latin America; A World Port (fantastic collection of ships); Metropolis; Power & Prestige and a temporary exhibition “Masterpieces in the MAS" (until 30/12/2012) with classical and modern art. There is also a floor of storage showing collections which do not fit into the other exhibitions. Plenty for everyone to see and find their favourites.
On the 9th floor is a viewing platform giving an impressive 360° roof panorama over Antwerp through 6m high glass with the occasional open circle to give the best quality photos. The building itself is built from hand-cut Indian red stone and designed as a giant storehouse with stacked containers or boxes to create a spiral tour with constantly changing views from the curved glass panels on each floor adjacent to the different museums. 3,000 aluminium hands, the symbol of Antwerp, adorn the stone. It is a striking design.
Antwerp is the second most important port in Europe, after Rotterdam, and the 13th busiest worldwide, handling an average volume of 160 million tonnes of international maritime cargo. Its location 80km inland offers the most environmentally-friendly means of cargo transport saving on the carbon footprint of truck movements. 14,000 ships and 55,000 barges call at Antwerp every year. The River Scheldt has been deepened to give a 15m draft.
The MAS has been built between Antwerp’s two oldest ports which have been totally renovated. There is an inner harbour in Willemdok with a high class of boats. Bonapartedok next door will be a museum dock for historic ships.
You can also fly to Antwerp (Deurne) from London City or take the Eurostarto Brussels then change and arrive at the truly impressive Antwerp Centraal Station which is right next to the city zoo and round the corner from the Diamond centre. Have a look at the flash mob video on YouTube which took place in the station in 2009 to “Do-Re-Mi” from “The Sound of Music”. This promoted Belgium’s own search for a Maria to star in their Flemish speaking musical.
Antwerp is over 500 years old. Have you visited yet?
Ah the Emerald Isle! I have been watching Terry Wogan's Ireland program on BBC and it has given me a thirst to visit Ireland...and not just for the Guinness.
Ireland is beautiful, has a wonderful culture and you never know when a sing song will break out.
The best way to visit Ireland is in your own car so "you'll be needing a ship". Those Ferry Nice Folk at Norfolk Line/DFDS have just the ticket - a ferry from Liverpool to Ireland from just £79.
There are more than 26 crossings each week between Belfast and Birkenhead (Liverpool). They can also help with a weekend break or a short holiday in a luxurious cottage, so go ahead book online to Ireland.
EasyTravelReport is a useful site to check the latest on potential air strikes, public transportation strikes or anything else which could affect your holiday:
Air traffic controllers vote to go ahead with 3-day strike starting August 18th but talks continue to try and avert union action.
Ryanair has asked the Spanish government to help ease the effects of the Spanish air traffic controller strike which, if it goes ahead, will start August 18th and last three days.
The strikers are protesting at government plans to change their work hours and reduce overtime pay and more than 2,000 nationally have voted for the strike which could affect some two million passengers (many Spanish workers take their holidays in August and the strike couldn’t come at a busier time).
The dispute with the Spanish government has dragged on since February, when overtime hours and controllers’ pay were slashed. According to some reports, some controllers were earning as much as £290,000 a year, more than the Spanish prime minister Mr. Zapatero earns, and the government wants to increase their hours and shorten their rest breaks.
Now Ryanair is calling for standardised pan-European air traffic control following recent action by French air traffic control staff. The airline is suggesting that if strikers in Spain, for example, took action, disruption could be minimised by having controllers in other countries handling the air traffic until strike action ended.
A spokesperson for Ryanair said: “Air transport and tourism are vital to the Spanish economy and the Government must ensure that Spanish airports remain open during strikes by calling on the military to provide air traffic control services … this happens in many other European countries when strikes threaten air transport. “[The threatened] Spanish air traffic control strikes and the industrial action taken by French ATC workers in recent weeks highlight the urgent need for a standardised Europe-wide system of air traffic control to ensure that striking air traffic controllers in one country do not hold the travelling public to ransom.”
I am a member of a travel club which offers champagne quality travel at beer prices, like this one in Athens:
DREAMTRIP INCLUDES:
•5 Day & 4 Night stay at the Hotel Metropolitan •Superior room accommodations •Breakfast included •Hotel taxes included •Supervised hotel fitness center •Outdoor heated swimming pool •18 hole golf course approximately 6.5 miles from the hotel •Tennis courts approximately 3 miles from the hotel •Jogging path across the hotel property •Must provide your own transportation to hotel •Must have a valid passport
HOTEL INFORMATION: The Metropolitan hotel with its unique cosmopolitan atmosphere, combines traditional hospitality and luxury in central Athens. With a view to both the Acropolis and the Aegean Sea, the fully renovated Metropolitan hotel is ideally situated in front of the Faleron Olympic Coastal Park for both leisure and business travelers. This luxurious hotel in central Athens is only 10 minutes away from Syntagma Square, the center of Athens and the port of Piraeus. The Faleron Olympic Coastal Park is now hosting exhibitions, conferences and events.
The number of available rooms at this price is limited so first come, first served. Only members of the Dream Trips travel club may book at these low prices. Hundreds of other Dream Trips are also available throughout the world including cruises, weekend city breaks, hotels, resorts and self-catering accommodation.
Fancy a trip to Seville for some Spanish sun? But your travel partner prefers a weekend looking at Roman ruins?
Well, with Brussels Airlines you can save 50%* on flights to all European destinations this spring, so you can go to both Seville & Rome! Or perhaps, you prefer London & Barcelona. Or how about Marseille & Venice? There are over 40 European destinations you can choose from.
Wherever in Europe you choose to go this spring and whether you pick one, two or even three destinations, you can fly there at -50%*! Which means you can travel twice as much!
So hurry! Book your flights by midnight 1 March 2010, and fly between 10 April and 30June 2010.
Save 50%* to over 40 European destinations:
Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Bilbao, Birmingham, Bologna, Bristol, Budapest, Catania, Copenhagen, Krakow, Faro, Florence, Geneva, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Lisbon, London, Lyon, Madrid, Malaga, Manchester, Marseille, Milan, Naples, Newcastle, Nice, Oslo, Palermo, Palma de Mallorca, Porto, Prague, Rome, Seville, Stockholm, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Turin, Venice, Vienna, Vilnius, and Warsaw.
* This discount is valid for all return tickets booked between 23 February and 1 March 2010 for a European flight between 10 April and 30 June 2010. This discount only applies to the base price of a b.light or b.flex ticket. It does not apply to airport and fuel taxes or ticket processing costs. It is only valid on flights to and from Brussels, operated by Brussels Airlines.
Visit European Travel blog for European travel ideas and special offers and EuroTravel the one-stop site for travel to and within Europe.
Have you thought about a mini-cruise from Newcastle to Amsterdam?
In addition to great restaurants, bars and the famous on-board entertainment, DFDS now offer the Wildlife Watching Experience 
