Take your other half on a Bond-style adventure in Monte Carlo. There are plenty of high class games joints to take your pick of Martini. Go to Casino Monte-Carlo in Place du Casino where you can play like a veritable king or queen surrounded by stained glass windows, sculptures, and paintings. Treat your Valentine's date to a game of roulette set to get the heart racing, Chemin de Fer, Black Jack or Craps.

Alternatively, head to romantic Montreux nestled deep in Switzerland to wrap up warm with your beau. Opulence is a must on February 14th and what better place to take your five star date then Fairmont Le Montreux Palace – they are not to know both hotels in Monte Carlon and Montreux are allowing early birds to secure special Valentine's Day deals.

Fairmont Monte Carlo

This area inside Monaco is a must-visit for any young couple that wants to strut their new status. Monte Carlo is also a winner for the defined generation of couples who want to celebrate their special day with an element of decadence. For both, the casinos are places to spend your cash and buried deep inside most of the best hotels in Monte Carlo are plenty of places to choose from.

Fairmont Monte Carlo is offering anyone who books for Valentine's Day a special advance in one of its seaside rooms. Each of the 619 it has to offer has a marble bathroom and balcony for sheer joyful rest and recuperation. It is located between the casino and the ocean, so you and your partner can enjoy the hustle and bustle of Monte Carlo commotion or quiet alone time by the sea.

This hotel's Room and Spoon includes a special one night's accommodation in the comfort of a Fairmont room, a special Valentine's Day Dinner at the Argentin Grill for two and a romantic dessert for two served with one spoon as well as a breakfast in bed for two.

Fairmont Le Montreux Palace

This five star palace is among the best hotels in Montreux to choose if you would like to spoil your other half for Valentine's Day. It is luxury at its highest, described as the 'Pearl of the Swiss Riviera'. By booking a room at Fairmont Le Montreux Palace you will be able to take advantages of all the perks. They include health, wellness and fitness at the Willow Stream Spa centre. As one guest wrote: "It was a delight to stay at this hotel where staff still truly looks after you and puts in that (little) extra effort that makes a big difference."

The Fairmont Le Montreux Palace was built in 1906 and contains much ot its traditional charm while retaining modern amenities including the latest in technology. It has been recently refurbished and has several restaurants and bars to choose as well as a romantic setting on the lakeside.

A Valentine's Day package here includes one night's accommodation with lake views, a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of champagne on arrival. You and your partner will be able to enjoy pre dinner drinks at the Bar de Rose d'Or and breakfast in the Restaurant La Palmeraie as well as the chance to splash out in the Hammam, sauna, Jacuzzi and fitness centre in the Willow Stream Spa. To celebrate Valentine's Day there will be a late check out of 16:00.

Forget Australia's Gold Coast rips or Hawaii's heady breaks, England's south coast is about to become one of the next surfing hotspots thanks to groundbreaking ocean engineering.

Work has already begun on a £3 million artificial reef that is tipped to increase the number of good surfing days off Boscombe beach in Poole Bay from 77 to over 150.

The reef, which will measure the size of a football pitch, is made from dozens of specially-designed sandbags placed 200 metres off the coast.

Surfers should start reaping the benefits of the technology by the end of October but water sports schools in the area are already reporting a rise in new starters.

Andy Joyce of Surf Steps tells the Guardian: "We've got people taking lessons so that when it's working they'll be able to use it. It's created a real buzz."

Other beachside attractions in the area include the Bournemouth pier arcade and pier theatre, which has also recently undergone redevelopment.

Travel into the Cornish past with a new ferry service from Falmouth to St Mawes.

The vessel is made from traditional wooden materials rather than contemporary fibreglass products for a real sense of history recreated.

In addition, it was designed and created by a local boatbuilder in Penryn, who slaved over the plans and building for two years.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, the latter of which gave the boat her title, opened the 20-minute service this month. They also took turns driving the ferry over to Falmouth.

Garrick Royle, operations manager for Cornwall Ferries, said: "The new ferry looks lovely and we were all surprised when they both expressed an interest in taking the wheel. They seemed very relaxed and were obviously enjoying the trip."

For ocean activities in the area, Orca Sea Safaris operates wildlife watching, boat trips and eco tourism excursions from its base in Falmouth all year round.

Brush up on nautical knowledge with a whale-watching trip off Spain's most southerly point.

The seas off Tarifa are the meeting place not only of two continents and two oceans, but also a host of marine mammals.

Plankton-rich waters mean it’s a favourite cetacean hunting ground and the Foundation for Information and Research on Marine Mammals (firmm) is encouraging tourists to take a peek.

From Tarifa harbour, the organisation arranges regular boat trips of 20 people at a time, all chaperoned by an onboard marine biologist who offers expert advice on the animals.

Back at the port, firmm offers further talks for those interested in finding out more.

As well as offering boat trips, Tarifa is the popular centre for a range of other water activities including wind and kitesurfing. Lessons in these sports are aided by the fishing town's reputation as the wind capital of Europe.

Learn how to throw a house party in style by interrupting a British break with a trip to alcohol mecca Vinopolis.

The London complex is located near the banks of the River Thames very close to Borough High Street and offers regular cocktail-making masterclasses so visitors can amaze friends with mixing talents on their return home.

Each session lasts just 90 minutes but teaches the art of shaking, stirring, straining and, ultimately, drinking.

Five of the world's most popular cocktails are demonstrated and there is even the chance to create an original concoction at the end.

Classes are held on the first Thursday of each month under the supervision of an expert Vinopolis mixologist.

Alternatively, the centre also holds whisky masterclasses on the second Thursday of every month, teaching about the drink's heritage, production and offering various tasting tips to truly appreciate the luxury beverage.

Get the lion's share of family entertainment in Germany this summer with a trip to the zoo in the town of Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock.

The wildlife park has recently welcomed the arrival of six rare white lion cubs after both the centre's white lionesses gave birth simultaneously.

While half the offspring are being looked after by their mums away from the media glare, three have been chosen to take part in meet-and-greet sessions with the public.

They will be raised by keepers at the zoo and are expected to be an enormous crowd-puller over the busy school holiday weeks.

It is not the first time a German animal sanctuary has attracted a flurry of press coverage. In 2006 Knut the polar bear spawned books, toys and DVDs after he was rejected by his mother and adopted by keepers at Berlin zoo.

He celebrates his second birthday at the centre in December.

Leave the sat-nav in the rental car - Mallorca offers one holiday experience where getting lost is part of the fun.

Amaze'n Laberintos is located on Playa de Muro and comprises a giant wooden labyrinth stretching over 1,350m.

Visitors are issued entry tickets that must be validated at four hidden checkpoints inside the maze before boasting they have completed one of the biggest labyrinths in the whole of Europe.

Upon starting the trail, four raised platforms can be mounted to allow confused explorers to get their bearings. Further clues lie in remembering the fairytale-type pictures posted on the walls of the maze.

Confident visitors can enter a race against the clock with prizes up for grabs to those who complete the challenge fastest.

For more labyrinthine laughs, visit Northern Ireland's Peace Maze in Castlewellan Forest Park. It is the largest permanent hedge maze in the world and constructed from 6,000 yew trees planted by people from around the country.

While France may the celebrated home of some of the world's best cinema, the country's picture houses are worth seeing in their own right too.

Among the finest examples is Paris' Studio 28, which nestles on a quiet street in Montmartre near the Moulin Rouge.

The venue first opened for movie presentations in 1928 and quickly became the trendy meeting place for local artists, painters and writers.

Since then it has been lovingly restored to maintain its old world charm, while also now boasting Dolby sound, a wide screen, air conditioning, a terrace for pre-movie drinks and snacks and 170 comfortable seats.

It shows a mixture of European and American films - both art house and mainstream blockbuster - and has even appeared in some! A scene from the 2001 feel-good French hit Amelie was shot inside.

For more great cinema experiences in the French capital, try Japanese-inspired La Pagode or La Cinematheque Francaise, which also houses a comprehensive film archive.

Holidaymakers looking for activity breaks in Europe have been urged to consider an Estonian vacation.

While capital city Tallinn is already making a name for itself in international tourism, director of Enterprise Estonia Egert Anslann insists the rest of the country also has something to offer for adventurous travellers.

Kayaking, canoeing, skiing, cycling, fishing and golf remain among the biggest draws outside the cities.

In addition, a burgeoning spa business means R&R holidays in the eastern European country are also on the rise, with excellent service and treatments offered at lower prices than neighbouring Scandinavian counterparts.

Mr Anslann adds: "Summer is the best time to come as we have concerts and a midsummer festival, which is not celebrated in the UK. We have big fires, eat, drink and dance!"

Estonia lies in the Baltic Sea below Finland, with Tallinn situated just 40 miles south of Helsinki across the Gulf of Finland.

If High School Musical and Mamma Mia! hits are taking over your home this year, pack kids off to an all-singing, all-dancing camp in England's Peak District.

Catering for children aged seven to eleven, Camp Beaumont promises hours of fun for budding Zac Efrons or wannabe Vanessa Hudgens.

Young vacationers spend the week rehearsing for roles in the camp-themed Beaumont High Musical, which is then showcased to parents at the end of the holiday.

As well as acting activities, children are also encouraged to try their hand at adventure sports, including climbing and zooming down zip wires.

Archery, abseiling and mountain biking are also on offer under the expert tuition of qualified instructors.

Other residential holidays run by the company include a wet and wild week on the Isle of Wight, an 'all-American' camp in Norfolk, adrenalin pursuits in Wales and a special teen retreat called The House.