Your backpacking travel planner

There has always been a tradition for Brits to head abroad for their summer holidays, and when you consider the steady stream of poor weather that we all have to endure throughout the winter months it really is no surprise! By the time we enter spring, everyone is longing for the sort of sun and warmth that can only be provided by a weather system not found in our own country!

Obviously finances play a huge part both in terms of where people go, and whether or not they go at all. With this in mind it is important to consider the more affordable places to visit which will give you a total chance of scene, as well as climate.

One of the first places to spring to mind is Malaga, in Spain. Spain is renowned for being a cheap place to stay. Food and drink is a fraction of what you would expect to pay here in the UK, and on top of that, the coastal resorts surrounding Malaga have wonderful weather records. Of course, despite the fact that flights to Spain are in general very affordable, you still have to consider trying to find the best deals, which is why you should think about having a look at off peak flights to malaga. You can save a lot of money by searching in this way and getting there cheaply will only make you value your holiday even more!

If you enjoy backpacking in Europe then one country that you really must see is Spain. When it comes to Europe’s top holiday destinations, Spain certainly has them in abundance, whether you are a holidaymaker looking to travel with your family to some of the country’s many great beaches or a young backpacker looking to explore some of the great cities that Spain has to offer tourists. The country remains the top holiday destination for people travelling from the UK, with literally thousands of Brits flying to Spain each year in search of some summer sunshine. If however like me you prefer to be a little more adventurous than just lying on a busy beach all day, then one of the best ways to get around if you want to explore mainland Spain more feely is to look for cheap car hire Spain online.

You will be pleased to know that there are many rental companies that tend to operate in and around Spain’s major airports - such as those found close to Barcelona and Madrid. Getting car hire Madrid airport for example, is a very quick and easy way to get set to travel and explore the surrounding mountains and countryside. In order to save time, you can book online and then simply pick up the keys on arrival at your holiday destination, then simply drive away and start exploring! I would always advise that booking your car hire services online is highly recommended as it is quite simply the quickest, cheapest and most convenient method of renting a vehicle in Europe.

Based on my personal experiences, the city of Barcelona is clearly one of the best holiday destinations you could ever hope to visit in all of Europe. The capital of the Spanish region of Catalonia, Barcelona is for me one of the best all round cities you can visit, as it offers a little bit of everything for tourists, backpackers, holidaymakers and other visitors alike who may travel to the city. Whether you are interested in art, architecture, sport, beaches, food, or nightlife from your favoured city holiday destination - there is little doubt that Barcelona can proudly offer each of these aspects in one form or another, all wrapped up in to one top holiday destination. Why not check out my travel guide to Barcelona to find out the best places to visit on your backpacking holiday in Barcelona. If you ever get bored of the city itself and wish to travel further affield in the surrounding area, then why not check out the local options for cheap car hire in Spain either from local rental services or by checking the latest prices online.

If you are travelling to the city from overseas, you will know doubt be pleased to hear that the city of Barcelona is easily accessed via several different airports in the region, with frequent and affordable budget flights taking off from the UK often flying to the nearby Reus Tarragona Airport. Although 30 miles from the centre of Barcelona, it is still very easy to reach the city by either public transport such as the frequent bus services or airport taxis, or there is also the alternative of car hire Reus Tarragona Airport if you feel you may want to go on beyond the city of Barcelona and explore the coastal region of Catalonia.

If you’re thinking of doing some traveling in Europe this summer then one of the many top holiday destinations you should give some consideration to is the Granada region of Spain. One of the counties unique autonomous communities, the city of Granada can be found in the fantastic Andalusia region of Spain. Accessing the city from abroad is easily done, and to have all the freedom you may need to explore the surrounding region you can easily find local services offering car hire Granada airport. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to find out how affordable car hire Spain can be – and it certainly gives you a viable alternative to public transport which in such a large European country can be quite time consuming.

As well as the City of Granada itself, the region of Andalusia offers fantastic coastal areas that attract many thousands of tourists to the region each year. Although the package holiday heavy Costa Del Sol region is not necessarily everyone’s cup of tea, the area does have some great beaches and resorts for families to take a holiday in Europe. I feel however that the Sierra Nevada area offers a little more to visitors, and sports a fantastic national park that yo8ung travelers may like to take time out to explore. This mountainous region of the country boasts the highest peak in all of Spain - Mulhacen – which stands at just under 3,500 metres.

The island of Majorca has for many years now, proven to be one of the most popular and frequently visited holiday destinations in Spain for holidaymakers from the UK and other countries in Western Europe. Situated in the beautiful crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean, Majorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands and has always had a great deal to offer visitors of all types. Indeed, whether you are looking to soak up some summer sunshine and relax on the beach or by the swimming pool with your family or children, or are alternatively looking for a wilder and booze filled party holiday with the lads, Majorca holidays have always offered affordable and fun packed times for its visitors of all types and demographics. From the UK it is very easily accessible by plane - with flight times in the region of two to two and a half hours. There are also many great package holidays to Majorca available at fantastically low prices these days so a holiday in the sun wont cost you an arm and a leg either. The towns on the island are famous for their great nightlife and restaurants, and during the day there are many great activities for all the family such as water parks and beautiful sandy beaches. If you are looking for a great holiday this summer why not check out a holiday for you and your family or friends now!

Anyone else feel like they need to get away for a short city break somewhere? I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty fed up with all the freezing cold weather and snow were having in England at the moment. It’s cold, dark and quite frankly, all a little depressing sat in the office at the moment. Think its time to get the lads back together and visit some of the fantastic cities I’ve already visited on my backpacking travels around Europe. You may notice that in some of my older posts I wrote a backpackers guide to Barcelona - without a doubt one of my favourite cities to visit because it has something for everyone from the football fan, food lovers and those who are interested in the arts. Luckily at this time of year in particular I’ve found that you can get cheap flights to Barcelona relatively easily - and you can always save money by booking online. I remember visiting the city in January 2008 and was pleasantly surprised that the temperatures are still very mild - certainly a lot higher than the sub zero temperatures we’ve got in the UK at the moment.
If Spain is not the place for you, then maybe you could try a short winter break to Paris? If you are traveling with a partner as a young couple then maybe Paris could be a better option for you. Please take the time to read my blog post review of the city to get a great travel guide to France’s capital - and hopefully learn about all the best sights to see in this beautiful, historic and romantic city. Again, it seems that flights to Paris are pretty inexpensive at the this time of the year, so I would probably now is a great time to let your hair down for a few nights and begin to enjoy fine wining and dining in some of the best restaurants that Europe has to offer. So what are you waiting for, check out my city guides and forget the winter blues - get yourself on that plane right now!

My scheduled posts on Mallorca didn't go up as hoped, so I'm going to save my best boutique hotels and best restaurant lists for another day, as I have some packing to do... I will post them over the next week or so, though, I promise. Especially as I've heard that UK travellers are now scrambling to get away from the dismal weather, and naturally, many are heading to Spain. For now, I'll leave you with a final pic that might entice you away...

And here are some more of Mallorca's most stunning beaches (my favorites anyway), where you can soak up some sun, work on that tan, and have a wade in the calm sea; continued from part 1 (below):

* CALA TORTA – a beach beloved by locals and expats and popular with travellers on driving holidays, Cala Torta is reached by a winding road through a national park; turn-off just out of Artà on the road to Capdepera. Although the road was recently sealed, there’s still a very rocky, dirt section near the end. There’s a small beach bar and lifesavers, but no toilets, so watch where you step when walking over the sand dunes!

* CALA MONDRAGO – in the south near Santanyi, these two adjoining sandy coves boast perhaps the clearest water of any of Mallorca’s beaches; while the first one gets crowded, the second cove is quieter.

* CALA D'OR - you'll find one of Mallorca's prettiest beaches, with aquamarine water that looks especially lovely in the late afternoon, just in front of the hotel of the same name. Surrounded by low cliffs and white Ibiza-style houses belonging to affluent Spaniards from Barcelona and Madrid, aside from hotel guests, it's pretty much local-owners and wealthy holiday-makers. This is a beach that's worth checking into the hotel for.

* CALA SANT VICENÇ – several coves surrounded by rocky sandstone cliffs where the local teens like to lay their towels on the rocky ledges, flirt, and dive from the rocks. Far from unspoilt though, and the characterless town is comprised of little more than hotels and holiday houses. Don’t stay here, do a day trip instead.

* PORTO CRISTO – this fine beach has one of the loveliest settings, in a bay embraced by low cliffs, and on a day when the sea is sparkling diamonds, and kids are diving off the swimming pontoons, it can seem like one of the most stunning beaches in the world. This is a touristy town, though, with the road running along the beach lined with takeaway food places, generic restaurants, and souvenir shops. There are far worse places to spend a holiday on Mallorca though.

What have I left out? What are your favourite Mallorcan beaches?

Mallorca became one of Europe’s most popular summer destinations for a reason. There’s no denying the island boasts stunning beaches. Unless you have a boat, though, it’s impossible to escape the crowds; don’t believe anybody who tells you any different. Even beaches proclaimed by locals as Mallorca’s most off-the-beaten-track were crowded when we recently went to investigate. Don’t even think about Magaluf, Palma Nova or Cala Millor, these are the spots to lay your towel – or rent a sun-bed!

* ES TRENC – for many sun-worshippers, this is Mallorca’s most sublime stretch of sand. Popular with naturists, this long, skinny beach is certainly a beauty, with pristine, aquamarine water and snowy sand. Reached by dirt roads and tracks through small sand dunes, it may not be the easiest beach to get to, but it still gets crowded.

* TRAMUNTANA MOUNTAINS – while you’ll need a boat to get to the best swimming spots on the spectacular coast skirting the majestic Tramuntana mountain range, there are some alluring beaches that can be reached by skinny tortuous roads, including Cala de Sa Calobra and the slightly more accessible, Cala de Deià. While it's not an easy drive to reach them (especially Sa Calobra), and it’s mindboggling how buses get here, they get very busy and it’s a long hot walk from the car park in summer.

* PORTO COLOM – several tiny crescent-shaped sandy beaches on an attractive bay; they’re miniscule but picturesque, backed by pine trees, with casual beach cafés overlooking the water. A marina and fishing town with cute fishing sheds beneath colourful houses, and good restaurants and bars, Porto Colom is one of the most alluring and laidback of Mallorca’s holiday towns. It's incredibly popular with Germans and Scandinavians who rent houses or dock their yachts at the marina for a while; most signs and menus are in German.

See part 2 for more beaches... pictured? Let me know if you can guess. This one was hugely popular but difficult to locate, and it's in my least favorite part of Mallorca I have to say.

Of course experiencing local culture is not high on every traveller's list of priorities - as we were often reminded in Mallorca. Some people simply want to lie in the sun and read a book, others just want to have fun with friends, and they don't care where they do it. But when I write, I write with a different audience in mind - one for whom experiencing local culture, language, history, art, and cuisine and so on are just as important than lying by a pool. Unfortunately, Mallorca has for too long focused its sights on promoting sun and sand - or bucket and spade - tourism. And through its efforts to make the holiday experience for sunworshippers cheap and easy, the island has lost much of its culture and destroyed some of its coastline in the process. I'm talking about the wall-to-wall high-rise hotels, the once-pretty coves now backed by ugly concrete apartment blocks, the menus in four languages and featuring beef stroganof and fish and chips, and an abundance of tacky souvenir shops, Irish bars, British pubs, betting shops, and lap-dancing clubs. This is what I don't like about Mallorca. Mass tourism in its ugliest form. And sadly, it can be a challenge to escape it. It's not a handful of towns that have given over to package tourists, as is the case in Cyprus, but a whole stretch of coastline west of Palma, another in the north, and dozens of other spots in the east and south. And don't think Mallorcans are happy about this. Most we met are not - especially the younger generation - but they seem powerless to do anything about it and admit they've lost control. Why? Because much of the development is foreign-owned. Mallorca makes a great case study for how not to develop tourism. But on a positive note, it's also a brilliant candidate for an experiment in sustainable tourism and how to turn a destination around.

So what did we not enjoy about Mallorca? Well, Mallorca is not for everyone. Sure, that could be said about a lot of places, but there are some destinations that few people dislike: Paris, Italy, Thailand for instance. And perhaps it's just that - despite the stunning landscapes, fascinating people, beautiful hotels and fabulous restaurants - Mallorca is not for me. Would I go there again? To work, absolutely. I'd happily go back and talk to the island's talented chefs or write about its burgeoning wine industry. Off-season though. Would I go there on holidays? No, most probably not. And for us, that's one of the criteria we use to judge a destination. If it's the kind of place where I think "I'd prefer to be lying on that beach than writing about it" or a place I make a mental note to return to one day, then I place it fairly high on my list of great destinations. But it's more complex than that. There are other things I disliked about Mallorca. Mainly, that Mallorca did not feel like Spain. Nor did it feel Catalan. Juxtaposed with Barcelona, where we spent five days after Mallorca, that was even more apparent. Barcelona is a cosmopolitan, multicultural city, immensely popular with tourists, with a reasonable-sized expat population - yet it's still retained its unique Catalan identity and essential Spanish-ness. Mallorca, sadly, has lost a lot of the characteristics that make it Mallorcan. They are still there, of course - the language, cuisine, arts and crafts, traditional customs, etc - they're just very hard to find. We located them of course - because that's what travel writers do - but I continually wondered how tourists there for a week fared. Mallorca is a place where you most definitely need to use a quality guidebook, follow some good local blogs, have a local guide, or quickly make local friends, if you want to experience the 'real' Mallorca - or as the Mallorquins like to say, 'the other Mallorca'. Unfortunately, for most tourists visiting the island, the closest they'll get to Mallorcan culture are artificial experiences (as fun as they can be) like La Granja, pictured.

We've finished our work on Mallorca - Terry shooting photos for three books, and me updating a travel guidebook. It was nearly seven weeks in total, and by the end of it Terry felt like a contestant on Survivor, desperate to get off the island. Did we not enjoy Mallorca? We did - absolutely - to a certain extent. We met some incredible people, both Mallorquins and expats, from chefs and sommeliers to hotel owners and bartenders. The people were definitely the highlight of our stay. We also checked in to some stunning hotels, ate some extraordinary food, and drank some superb Mallorcan wine. After that, it was the landscapes that took my breath away - the spectacular coastline with sheer craggy cliffs that dramatically drop down to the sea, crystal clear aquamarine water lapping white sand beaches, sailing boats bobbing in the sea off-shore, and the typically-Mediterranean scenery that I have always been besotted with: mountains thick with pine, cypress and cork-oak trees; terrace hillsides covered with vineyards, olive groves and citrus orchards; countryside fragrant with wild lavender, myrtle and thyme; and old villages that tumble down hillsides, dominated by monumental churches and charming cafe-filled squares, with cobblestone lanes lined with sandstone houses. And in Mallorca there was an added bonus - the ramshackle windmills scattered across the whole island. But...?

Pictured is Pollenca, one of my favorite Mallorcan towns in the north.

As we travelled around Mallorca over the last (gulp) six weeks (a long time to spend on the one island), we spent a lot of time visiting Mallorca's beaches - although sadly not spreading our towels out on them. Rather, Terry was photographing them, and I was checking them out for an update of a guidebook - so every visit was a hit and run. I admit that I may well be out of touch when it comes to inflatable beach toys, but I was astonished to see the variety of blow-up beds, lounges, tubes and toys, some especially whacky, like this double tube being carried by these guys in the picture. I wondered if floating about on this thing together was something they found to be lots of fun (they looked a bit too old to me), or whether a silly inflatable was simply a cool beach accessory. Nothing quite says 'summer holiday' like carrying one of these under your arm as you traipse along the sand.

As we've spent a long time living in the Gulf we've seen a lot of kooky round- abouts. Al Ain in the UAE probably wins the prize for kitschiest with its giant coffee pots but Mallorca follows pretty close behind with some of the most surprising roundabouts around. One I like features a traditional stone wall and wooden fence of the kind you typically find leading to fincas in the countryside here, but the most bizarre one must be this roundabout boasting a big deckchair at Can Picafort, a busy resort town on the northeast coast where tourists moved around on family-sized pedal-vehicles on the main road and they have eateries named Pizzeria Hamburg and Taverna Bavaria. Apt? Had any experience with kitschy roundabouts? Where is the most bizarre one you've seen? Or simply the most memorable?

I love shooting signs on our travels. They reveal so much about a place, its culture, norms, codes of conduct and acceptable behaviour - all of which can often be in conflict, or at least very stark contrast to those of tourists visiting the place. Many churches (and mosques) throughout the world require modest dress codes of visitors. In Italy, the signs outside churches prohibit you from entering in shorts, short skirts and revealing tops. In Mallorca, the typical tourist's street 'attire' warrants this sign. If you saw people walking around the street, you'd completely understand. At Palma airport, minutes after a young male British traveller arrived and collected his luggage from the baggage carousel, he was already pulling off his t-shirt.

Manor houses transformed into magical museums, remote hilltop monasteries boasting breathtaking views, and verdant botanic gardens providing relief from the sun have all captivated me far more on this trip than any beach resort. And yet I have to admit that I am one of those people who occasionally likes to spend a week soaking up the sun on a stunning stretch of sand somewhere, and who has secretly been dreaming of a holiday doing nothing but reading books by a hotel swimming pool. Probably because these are the very things I no longer have time to do, despite spending some 300 nights on average a year in hotel rooms. Yet most of Mallorca's beaches are too crowded for my taste and their surroundings are often marred by ugly hotel developments. A place that I found especially enchanting was the lush Jardines de Alfabia near Soller. While the gardens themselves are lovely, with their leafy walkways, tinkling fountains and tranquil ponds, it was the splendid residence that they're tangled around that once belonged to the Moorish viceroy of Mallorca, that I found even more compelling. Sumptuously decorated with rich brocaded furnishings and colossal works of art on the walls, it was one of those places that took you back in time for a while when the world was a very different place. Take a peek inside here and let me know what you think.

We've been on the road again in Mallorca, so much so that I can now say we have well and truly crisscrossed this island - by car, foot and bike. There aren't too many cities, towns, resorts and villages we haven't visited over the last five weeks and they include a lot we wished we'd never been and don't ever need to return again, as well as some we would have liked more time exploring and would happily revisit one day. But while Mallorca is a magnet for beachlovers (most of those 11 million tourists visiting each year and the almost-20% of the population of expats are here for the sun, sea and sand) we've found the interior far more alluring. Some of the beaches are certainly attractive - especially the snug horseshoe coves with aquamarine waters protected by craggy cliffs - but unfortunately unsightly hotels have been allowed to develop around many of the best stretches of sand, spoiling their natural beauty. By contrast, the rural areas remain as they have for decades - if not centuries. Stone farmhouses and sprawling fincas with ramshackle windmills dot the landscape, their gardens luxuriant with wild cacti, oleander, bougainvillea and palm trees. Often surrounded by olive groves, citrus orchards, and golden fields dotted with haystacks, they're a delight to drive or cycle through, and even better to expore on foot - although not during summer. In Mallorca, you can give me one of these bucolic landscapes to explore over a crowded beach to lie on any day.

When my co-writer and photo- grapher husband Terry and I aren't on the road doing research, and therefore don't need to move hotels every night or two, we prefer to try a few hotels in a city and then spend the rest of the time in an apartment. If we're working on a city guidebook for big cities such as Buenos Aires or Amsterdam or Milan, then we might spend a couple of months or more holed up in a place, pounding the pavements most days, writing in the afternoons and evenings, then heading out at night to try restaurants and bars. Our aim during these stints is to live like locals and get to know the locals as much as we can so we can find those hidden gems only locals and expats know about. Mallorca has been no different, except, because the island is small, we've spent just a couple of weeks in the city of Palma, and the rest of the time on the road, driving around the island. We spent two weeks in this sprawling, rustic-chic apartment in a renovated historic building in the old city owned by a lovely man (a former fashion designer) who has as much character and charm as the atmospheric accommodation he rents out. I found the place on Owners Direct, an excellent site which (along with vrbo.com) I've used all over the world and absolutely love because there's no middle man. You can check them both out here. Is renting apartments something you do when travelling? And how often would you rent and why?

We've been renting an apartment in Palma's old town for the past two weeks - although we're about to head on the road again around Mallorca for five days of pick-ups of photos Terry couldn't get the first trip round due to cloudy weather. I love the streets of Palma's old city (pictured), especially at night, and I must admit I'm going to miss them, even though we've only had a short time here. While the old town lacks the buzz of other parts of Palma - there are very few restaurants in this area of the city, and just a few cafes and bars a couple of blocks away, it's the tranquility and moodiness of this part of the city that's so appealling.

Mallorca boasts some alluring mountain- top villages and towns that seem to tumble down the hillsides, such as Deia and Valldemossa (pictured). They have charming stone buildings, churches on the main square, and old men lingering at their favorite cafes. Valldemossa has the added attraction of a former Carthusian monastery that's famously known as the place where lovers Chopin and George Sand holed up for a few months, which Sand wrote about in incredible detail in her book "Winter in Majorca". You can visit their suite of 'cells' with gorgeous garden terraces and spectacular valley views. Deia has also been a favourite with writers and artists, and there you can visit the former home of poet Robert Graves, now a museum. It's also a very handsome place with equally stunning vistas from its windows. Surprisingly, the desks where Graves chose to write don't take advantage of them. The towns are undeniably touristy though, so there's no escaping the tacky souvenirs, tour groups and menus in four languages, but they're still enchanting and worth a visit all the same. The best way to avoid the crowds of course is to stay overnight when the tour groups have gone home and the moonlit streets are more tranquil.