Bargain Villas Cheap villa rental » travel

‘World’s smallest apartment’ on sale in Rome

admin — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 09:45:41 +0000

A former porter's closet measuring five square metres (55 sq ft) has gone on the market in Rome at £43,000

An apartment in a coveted district of Rome city for just 50.000 euros Photo: CEN

The property, which is being described as the world's smallest apartment, lies in the heart of the Italian capital, which has become one of the world's most expensive cities for property, but is barely large enough to contain a single bed.

The owner of the bijou property says he has been inundated with queries since putting it on the market a few days ago.

Presented as a "compact bedsit", it is located on Piazza di Sant' Ignazio, a picturesque square overlooked by an enormous Renaissance church.

One report described it as "little bigger than a wigwam" while Il Giornale, a daily newspaper, commented: "In Rome, people now live like rats".

The flat consists of a ground floor bathroom with a shower, sink and lavatory and a ladder leading to a sleeping platform just big enough for a single bed. There is a single window, but to open it you have to climb over the bed.

It lies just behind Palazzo Grazioli, the imposing mansion which is rented by Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, as his private residence in the capital.

So, if your looking for a cheap apartment in Rome why not check out Bargain Villas: Cheap Villas Rome & Cheap Apartment Rome

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Iceland Volcanic Ash Cloud Shuts Spanish Airports

admin — Sat, 08 May 2010 13:59:14 +0000

Spain has closed 15 airports as a cloud of ash from an Icelandic volcano drifts south over Western Europe.

National airport management agency Aena said nine airports closed early on Saturday and six more shut from 1200 local time (1000 GMT).

The restrictions would be in place until at least 1800, Aena said

Most flights between Europe and North America are being diverted because of the ash cloud's latest drifting, officials at Eurocontrol said.

Flights are being rerouted north and south of the 1,200 mile (2,000km) long cloud.

On average, 600 airliners make the Atlantic crossing every day, correspondents say.

Spain has closed 15 airports as a cloud of ash from an Icelandic volcano drifts south over Western Europe.

Aena said the airports affected were Bilbao, San Sebastian, Vitoria, Zaragoza, Pamplona, La Rioja, Santiago, La Coruna, Vigo, Asturias, Santander, Leon, Valladolid, Burgos and Salamanca.

Eurocontrol, the agency that co-ordinates aviation safety in Europe, said airports were also expected to close in northern Portugal and parts of southern France.

In the UK, some flights to Spain were being affected.

At London Stansted, 22 Ryanair flights to the Canary Islands, mainland Spain and Portugal were cancelled, along with three EasyJet flights.

Flights from Gatwick to Portugal, Alicante and Madrid were cancelled and at Heathrow some flights to La Coruna in northern Spain were also grounded.

Last month, thousands of travellers were stranded after ash shut down airspace across Europe.

Recent images have shown activity in the Eyjafjallajokull volcano intensifying.

Experts at the UK's Met Office said it was sending ash up to heights of 30,000 ft (9,100m).

Flights across Ireland and parts of the UK were disrupted earlier this week.

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Save a stonking 33% on late deal villa holidays!

admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:06:06 +0000

Book your villa within 10 days of your travel and you could qualify for an automatic discount of 33% when you choose an Interhome villa

Booking a late villa holiday deal? well all I can say is lucky you!

Right now when you search for a cheap holiday villa at Bargain Villas you could get a stonking 33% discount!

And the best thing about this offer is that you don't have to do a thing to qualify for it...no ones gonna ask you to sign over your soul, donate a kidney or shave your eye brows off for it....simply book a villa within ten days of travel and the Interhome price you see will include a 33% discount! Good innit?

This offer is subject to property availability and can be with drawn by Interhome at any time so don't mess about, search Bargain Villas today for your next cheap holiday villa.

With over 45,000 properties to choose from your bound to find a Bargain!

Search: Cheap Villa Holidays

Terms: Offer opened 22/04/10 and is subject to availability. Offer applies to rentals booked within ten days of travel date. Example. If you are travelling from UK on 10/04/10 your villa must have been booked after the 01/04/10 for rental start date of 10/10/10. Offer can be with drwan by Interhome at any point. Happy booking!

See Richard Branson’s amazing Underwater Virgin Sea Plane!

admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:20:13 +0000

With all the recent problems with air traffic it would have been pretty handy to have a couple of these little beauties on standby.

The incredible vehicle has space for three passengers, who breath through integrated SCUBA gear, to sit down as it flies around just above the sea bed.

It is the only one of its kind in the world and unlike a normal plane it uses its wings to force it downwards so it stays submerged.

Sir Richard said: "It's like an airplane that flies underwater, a little fighter plane."

Unfortunatly we dont have access to Necker Island but we do have over 45000 other properties to choose from. Why not search Bargain Villas for your next cheap villa holiday

Article Source

Latest satellite image of Iceland Volcanic Ash Cloud over the UK and Europe

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:06:51 +0000

Meteorologists say the ash cloud could remain over Europe for a further five days. Air traffic chiefs said the UK will remain on lock-down until at least 7am tomorrow. But transport boss Lord Adonis last night forecast "significant disruption" for at least the next 48 hours. Air traffic control company Nats said the ash cloud is "moving around and changing shape".

Latest satellite image of iceland volcanic ash cloud - Meteorologists say the ash cloud could remain over Europe for a further five days.

Huge numbers of Britsh travellers are stranded over seas and many more UK holiday makers are being forced to cancel their holiday. Our suppliers are also taking rebookings from those already booked at Bargain Villas

7 Good sightseeing Apps!

admin — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 12:55:43 +0000

Although I am a fairly well traveled nerd its fair to say that after a few days of bodging my way aroud I always have a flick through a local signtseeing book for a little insperation. However these days its pretty simple to get your eyeballs on some local knowledge with the help of your smartphone - here are 5 great Apps to consider;

Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com) – 35 city guides for iPhones, with useful listings, maps and images. The newest development is Compass Guide apps for Google Android phones, an augmented reality guide to various cities (only available in the US at present).

Wallpaper (www.wallpaper.com) – 10 city guides including Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Berlin and New York. Simple to use and stylish, with useful cross-references.

Footprint (www.footprintbooks.com) – about to launch destination guides for Peru, Brazil and Argentina, with a South Africa guide launching in time for the World Cup. Good, simple listings and inspiring photographs, plus reader reviews.

AroundMe (www.tweakersoft.com/mobile/aroundme.html) – a listings app that uses GPS to tell you about nearby sites, banks, cafés and restaurants.

Of the emerging augmented reality apps, some of the betters ones include Wikitude (www.wikitude.org), Layar (www.layar.com) and Acrossair (www.accrossair.com).

So, thats the Apps sorted now how about the accommodation. Search Bargain Villas for a cheap holiday rental.

Dubai – This weeks top destination

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:18:34 +0000

This week sees Dubai rise to the top of our user search rankings. Dubai is rapidly becoming one of most exciting modern destinations for UK holiday makers. Check out a few of the reasons to make Dubai your next holiday choice;

Spectacular and Modern Architecture

Leading architects from around the world consider Dubai's sprouting modern Buildings to be remarkable. Design masterpieces include the Burj Khalifa skyscraper and Burj Al Arab hotel (both Hillman Gold Medal winners). Dubai also has the wave-shaped Jumeirah Beach Hotel (see photo), the twin Emirate Towers, and the Dubai Gulf & Yacht Club's clubhouse.

Superb Shopping

Dubai is known worldwide for its shopping variety and bargains. The highlight is the gold market where artistic jewellery is sold. You will also find traditional souqs (markets) wending down narrow covered alleys and streets. And, there are well-appointed stores in air conditioned modern malls featuring the latest in international fashions.

Great Beaches

Dubai has long stretches of beautiful, unspoiled white beaches. It also has upscale umbrella-dotted beaches. The best is Jumeirah Beach, located near the Burj Al Arab hotel. In the summer, practically every day is sunny.

Check out some hot holiday rental properties in Dubai - Search Bargain Villas

Alicante Villa travel guide

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:12:31 +0000

Alicante is the capital of the Alicante province, located to the south of the community of Valencia.

It is immersed in history as an important port of the Mediterranean coastline. The city's population as of 2009 is just under 350,000 and is the second largest city in Valencia. The early years of the 20th century were tough for the region, but since the latter half of the century the city has been transformed due to the growth of tourism. Tourist development has created plenty of employment in the city. The Port of Alicante has been redeveloped since the decline of the 1980's - it is now one of the most important ports in Spain for cruise traffic.

The city is well served by motorways and Alicante Airport is one of the busiest airports in Spain, and there are further plans for its expansion. The city is well connected to Madrid and Barcelona through local Spanish airlines and with many cities in Western Europe through the major carriers.

Things to Do and See in Alicante

There is plenty to see and do in Alicante, and the following are some of the key attractions in the city:

The Santa Barbara Castle is located on Mount Benacantil and overlooks the skyline of the city - indeed it is the landmark of Alicante. The castle was constructed by the Moors in the 10th Century and offers so much for the visitor. In particular, the views from the Lookout Tower are just magnificent.

The Explanada de España promenade is lined by exotic palm trees and it consists of over 6 million marble stones. Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful promenades in Spain, it is a meeting point in the evenings for the people and tourists who flock to Alicante. Many concerts take place here, particularly during the summer. The promenade features a monument for Mark Hersch the artist who resides in Alicante.

The main church of the city is the Concatedral de San Nicolás de Bari, which originates from the 17th Century and is a wonderful display of Valencia architecture. Other religious sights include the Basilica of Santa Maria, which is built in Gothic style at the location of the old mosque.

The Baroque style Casa de La Asegurada, which was built in the latter 17th century is the oldest civil structure in the city, and is now home to the Museum of Contemporary Art of Alicante. The Archaeological Museum of Alicante is also well worth exploring.

Another sight worth seeing is the Huerta de Alicante Towers, which were built to defend Alicante from the Barbary Pirates from the 17th century onwards.

Playa del Postiguet is the urban beach in Alicante and is well worth checking out.

There are plenty of parks and family activities to be enjoyed in Alicante - El Palmeral Park is one of the most popular parks in Alicante. It has walking trails, playgrounds, lakes, picnic facilities and much more. Another parkyou should check out is El Ereta Park, which is located on Mount Benacantil.

Festivals in Alicante

Some of the most prominent festivals in Spain take place in Alicante, and these are:

Las Hogueras de San Juan - St John's Bonfires festival

The most popular festival in Alicante takes place around the Summer Solstice. The main part of the festival is the street procession, with the floats festooned with effigies, which are sacrificed by burning on the final night of the festival at midnight. This fun filled festival places a major emphasis on partying, eating, drinking and dancing.

Alicante Summer Festival (Festival de Verano de Alicante)

Runs for a month from the end of July to the end of August usually. This festival is a celebration of local and international music, brilliant dance and theatre. It offers a great day out for couples and families. The Alicante Summer Festival is not based on Religon, and as such there are no street parades. It usually takes place at the one location at the Port of Alicante.

Moors and Christian Festival

The Moors and Christian Festival takes place at different locations at different times throughout the summer in Alicante. It offers a unique mix of street entertainment, together with historic and religious celebration!

Shopping In Alicante

The Rambla de Méndez Núñez is the traditional shopping area of Alicante. This is a vibrant street to browse through that will afford the visitor a terrific choice of shops as well as a proper glimpse into the city life of Alicante. There are plenty of arts and craft shops dotted around the city where you can pick up some local handicrafts. Jewellery and leather goods are the things to watch out for when grabbing a bargain!

Eating Out In Alicante

Alicante offers great choice when deciding where to eat out - Calle San Francisco is a great area to look for some good value restaurants. Tapas bars have their origin in Alicante and there are plenty of bars in the city that serve tapas. The area around Town Hall Square and the Plaza de Montaceta area has plenty of tapas bars and restaurants.

If you are based in Alicante, the best way to explore the city and region is to hire a car. For the very best deals in car rental, visit our Car Hire Alicante Airport page. Search cheap Alicante Villas at Bargainvillas.co.uk.

John writes for Novacarhire.com - an independent car hire reservation website where you can book low cost car hire at over 5,000 locations worldwide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Downes

3 Cool Travel Gadgets

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:55:56 +0000

I have to admit that like most people im a sucker for a good gadget and here are 3 pretty cool travel gadgets that might just flick your switch.

Freeloader Solar Chargers

This slick pack of solar power is a very neat take anywhere power station. It clips apart easily, you just affix the two solar panel wings to the main unit and it'll soak up the sun turning it into stored power for when you next need it. Once charged, the Freeloaders' internal battery can power an iPod for 18hours, a mobile phone for 44 hours, PSP for 2.5 hours a PDA for 22 hours and much, much more!

The central unit can also be charged up from your PC by USB cable if the sun's looking a little on the shy side. It comes in either silver or a rather fetching steely pink with a whole clutch of adaptors for all your gizmos.

For more info, click here:?Freeloader Solar Chargers

?

Digital Luggage Scales

With a set of lightweight Digital Luggage Scale you can weigh all of your cases to make sure they don't exceed the maximum baggage allowance - and they're small and light enough to pop in your handbag.

Jetting off around the world on less than the price of an airport sandwich is all well and good, but one pair of sandals too many can have you cursing the god of luggage while airport officials bite a hefty chunk out of your holiday pocket money by way of an extortionate excess baggage charge - and that's just on the flight out. If, like lots of inebriated tourists tend to do, you find yourself inexplicably drawn to that wicker donkey you spied in Alicante (it's going to look just fabulous next to the chaise lounge, isn't it?) you could find that your cerveza-fuelled impulse buy becomes even costlier when you check in for the flight home.

Perfect for the jet setter who doesn't want to skydive into the red.

For more info, click here: Digital Luggage Scales

Phone Home For Less With Go-Sim

Holidays are a time to relax, so the last thing you need when you get home is a huge phone bill. Overseas call charges can cost you a fortune but help is at hand to help you keep your costs down.

With GO-SIM it won't cost you the earth to keep in touch, even when you're on the other side of the globe. In fact you can save up to 85% on calls from 175 countries around the world. Or to put it another way, you can chat for up to six times longer than you would with a standard network provider.

As the world's leading supplier of global SIM cards, there are a number of other exciting benefits too. For example, in over 75 countries your incoming calls are FREE. So depending on where you are, you won't have to pay a penny if someone contacts you. You won't get charged for any texts you receive either. Add to that the fact that your GO-SIM card and any credit on it never expires - unlike similar services - and you've got incredible savings for life.

GO-SIM really is the perfect travelling companion. You can top up online, anytime, and we'll even give you ?5 or ?20 free airtime to get you off to a flying start. So no matter how far you travel, make sure you pack a GO-SIM card.

For more info click here: Phone Home For Less With Go-Sim

All these handy travel?gadgets and more?can be found at http://www.iwantoneofthose.com

Karl

BargainVillas

karlh@bargainvillas.co.uk
http://www.bargainvillas.co.uk REMEMBER: Home owners sign up for FREE at http://www.bargainvillas.co.uk/. Pay NO Advertising fee's or commissions....Ever!

5 Holiday Packing Tips

admin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:28:52 +0000

5 packing tips for holdays

When it comes to getting things organised for a holiday I have to admit im pretty rubbish at it. Last trip I packed for I forgot underwear and socks...Therefore I tend to leave this aspect of travel to my girlfriend who is far more efficient than me. With this in mind here are a couple of useful tips;

1) Roll and not fold: Roll clothes instead of folding them, it creates less creases and saves space. Honest!

2) Mix it up: If packing 2 or more cases spread clothes between cases. If a case gets lost you'll still have something to wear.

3) Make it visible: Use a bright strip of ribbon or tape to wrap around your case for easy identification when collecting your baggage.

4) Security: Ensure that the zips are strong on the cases and that you have good quality padlocks on the checked in baggage. Keep a spare one for your hand baggage as well. Combination locks are useful if you don?t want to have the hassle of looking after keys.

5) Useful items to consider packing: Money belt, spare specs/contact lenses, chargers or batteries, universal adapter plug, a pen, pack of cards, small sewing kit medi-kit: plasters and headache tablets

More tips available at http://www.bargainvillas.co.uk/traveltips.aspx you can also help others (like me) by adding your own travel tip!?- Let us know what have you forgotton to pack?

Karl

BargainVillas

karlh@bargainvillas.co.uk
http://www.bargainvillas.co.uk REMEMBER: Home owners sign up for FREE at http://www.bargainvillas.co.uk/. Pay NO Advertising fee's or commissions....Ever!