Travel News

Granada attracts a rate of visitors above average for a Spanish province every year, according to the tourist board, and figures are steadily increasing with the last annual statistic standing at a healthy 5.6 million.

The average guest spends €72 (£56) a day with skiers handing over €144 and delegates paying €300. Granada inhabitants earn 14 per cent of their gross domestic product from tourism, which generates 15 per cent of jobs.

What has Granada got to offer?

A collection of Unesco World Heritage sites from the monument of Alhambra and the Generalife to the Albaicin and Sacromonte, which make up part of Granada city, make up some of the most famous sights in Granada. There's plenty of historic architecture to see and places to visit by the best hotels in Granada, including the cathedral and its tombs. Monument the Nasrid alone welcomes more than two million visitors each year.

Sun, sand and ski

The famous Granada ski resort, the Sierra Nevada attracts more than 1.3 million visitors each years. There are 3,478 metre-high summits to shoot down in a mountain range that receive clear weather most of the year.

However, the scores of beaches and inlets of the Tropical Coast are also in demand in the province, which are perfect places to enjoy average temperatures of around 20 degrees Celsius.

Come all year round

Granada has been luring tourists from all over the world, although over half come from Spain. As well as attracting European visitors, Granada city is a favourite among Japanese travellers as is the affordable accommodation in Granada.

It has such a diverse range of activities on offer from water sports along the beautiful coastline nearby to winter sports at the Sierra Nevada, the province of Granada is amenable all year round.

Where to stay?
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Visitors to Madrid this autumn will never have seen so much film. A gay and lesbian film festival is followed by an event focusing on short films then there is a period focusing on experimental masterpieces, which take over the city towards the end of November. It would be hard to know where to start looking for the best hotels in Madrid, but we have a few top tips to get you started.

Gay film

The Madrid Gay and Lesbian Film Festival aims to create a more tolerant view of homosexuality and chooses films with pertinence. They are judged on their artistic merits for prizes such as best feature length and best short film and are voted for by audiences. The festival takes place at cinemas around the best hotels in Madrid from October 30th to November 9th.

Stay in...

For a gay friendly hotel in Madrid, the Hostal Pizarro is for you. It is located by some of the cheap hotels in Madrid in the Chueca district, which is famous for its lively alternative nightlife. The hostel is a great place to get to meet gay-friendly travellers with a large communal lounge, which has Wi-Fi access and a satellite TV. During the day it is home to many of Madrid's best shops. Culture is also only round the corner in the shape of galleries.

Shorts

This film has been the big break for many up and coming film directors, with Daniel Sanchez Arevalo winning last year's City of Alcala award for best director when he presented Traumalogia. For film fans, the Alcala De Henares Film Festivalfrom November 7th to 15th is a must-see with its focus directly on short film. 2008 will be the 37th year the festival has been organised by Alcala de Henares/Comunidad de Madrid. The Audience Award is worth €1,000 (£755). It is also home to the European Competition of Short Films this year which w ... read more

Bonfires that will be lit all over the United Kingdom on November 5th serve as a sinister reminder of a historical punishment for treason in England. Dissenter Guy Fawkes was burned at the stake in the 17th century for his part in a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament alongside King James I with barrels of gunpowder. Those brave enough can stay at a hotel near the houses of parliament. Historically children used to make effigies of one of the United Kingdom's first terrorists to burn on fires lit all over the kingdom, often asking people for a "penny for the guy". Visit some of the venues in our guide from the best hotels in London.

Ealing Cricket Club

Ealing marks the 90th anniversary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) as well as the anniversary of the Gunpowder plot at Ealing Cricket Club on Saturday, November 8th this year. Fireworks will go off to music from 19:30, local time, with Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries and Dambusters chosen to celebrate the work of the RAF alongside some digitally remastered Sir Winston Churchill quotes. The gates open at 18:00, local time, and the Cricket Club will be serving up mulled wine, barbecues and candyfloss. Tickets are £5 for adults and £3 for children under 14. Stay in a hotel by Ealing or catch the tube to Ealing Broadway.

Fireworks at Hampton Court Palace

The Hampton Court fireworks take place on Saturday, November 1st. During the day the Palace boasts an exhibition dedicated to the pin-up King Henry VIII, costumed guides and the famous maze. Visit from the affordable accommodation in London. To celebrate Bonfire Night the architecture will be lit up to music, mirth and song. Tickets are £5 for adults and £2.50 for children with the gates opening at 18:00. Proceeds go to the Historic Royal Palaces, the Hobson Charity and the Gosling Foundation.

The Lord Mayors showdown ... read more

Visitors to the UK can see some of the largest and oldest mazes in the world, usually found in grounds of castles and stately homes, which is all the more reason to go. They are made out of yew or maize and there is even a water labyrinth for those looking for something different. Be sure to wrap up warm and take comfortable shoes and snacks for the journey, because who knows what time you will find your way out.

Hampton Court Palace in London

Stay in one of the hotels near Hampton Court Palace to properly investigate the palace, gardens and maze. Described as the "most famous maze in the history of the world" by Ernest Law in 1926, the maze at Hampton Court Palace certainly lives up to its name. It was planted in the late 1600s from yew and has almost half-a-mile of paths. It was planted for William of Orange by George London and Henry Wise and was the subject of Jerome K Jerome's novel Three Men in a Boat. Thousands flock to it from the best hotels in London every year.

Longleat House in Wiltshire

The longest path in this maze is 1.69 miles, but there are hidden directions under signs for anyone who gets truly lost. More than 16,000 yews make up this maze, which includes six wooden bridges offering tantalising glimpses of the centre that has an observation tower. Longleat is one of the largest English mazes at 1.48 acres in size and was first laid out by Greg Bright in 1975. The stately home and grounds belong to Lord Bath, and are also worth a visit.
Reserve a hotel by Longleat to gain some tips on how to find the centre of the maze from towns folk or from another one of the cheap hotels in Wiltshire.

Hever Castle in Kent

Not only does Hever Castle sport a maze, but Rose and Tudor gardens and topiary. Reserve ... read more

Legendary King Arthur is rumoured to be buried in Glastonbury, Christian saint Joseph of Arimathea is said to have walked through the small market town and it is meant to be the final resting place of the Holy Grail and Chalice of the Last Supper, which contained Jesus' blood. It is also a site where an unusually large numbers of mystic leylines converge. There is something very magical about Glastonbury.

At least 150,000 people seem to think so. They swell the population of this small Somerset market town by 18 times its normal size to attend Glastonbury Festival. The performing arts event takes place over 900 acres at Pilkington Farm and is best known for big bands although there is an arts field, comedy arena, drama stage, food stalls and much, much more. A casino, black tie ball and even a church have even gone up in previous years.

One thing that is synonymous with Glastonbury is mud. With the temperamental climate in the UK, camping in the rain is not for all of us. So when you register for your Glastonbury Festival ticket which went on sale at the beginning October, why not consider flying in, eating out and staying in one of the best hotels in Somerset, to make your experience more comfortable.

Fly in

If you're in too much of a hurry to take a train, car or bus to the event, the nearest airport to Glastonbury Festival is Bristol International. Why not relax in one of the best hotels in Bristol before you pull on your wellington boots and head out into the mud.

It's a wonderful city to explore for some sightseeing either side of the event. An express bus service, called the Flyer, shuttles international visitors to the festival from the airport. A total of 6,500 people travelled in this way last year. Anyone concerned about their carbon footprint, can use the calculator on Bristol International Airport's website and offset their emissions with ClimateCare, which supports renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation.

Fill up first

Not only does 15th century Glastonbury hotel the G ... read more