To be considered for the series you, and 3 of your friends, relatives or colleagues, need to be available to travel abroad for 10 days between October and December 2010.

If you are up for a challenging travel experience and fit the criteria (minimum age is 12) you can email greatholidayescape@betty.co.uk for an application form.

However one issue that does effect Greece but not so much Turkey is the lack of All Inclusive hotels which have become so popular with holidaymakers looking to mitigate against the poor value of the pound. Many travellers book all inclusive holidays as a way to save on their spending money when they arrive; to pay for all your food and drink in advance means you’re not going to be paying the extra £5-£10 extra on each meal that the exchange rate may have cost you.

This is where Turkey comes into its own; not only do they have a huge selection of all inclusive hotels, but it is also a destination that has traditionaly always offered fantastic value for money. So there you have it, for All Inclusive try Turkey. If  self catering holidays are still more your thing then Greece is still hard to beat.

There are lots of ways to show your nearest and dearest how much you love them on Valentine’s Day. But rather than settling for a box of chocolates and a card, why not think about taking them away for the weekend to one of the most popular and romantic spots in the world?

Here are ten of the best for you to consider – and some of the things you can do while you are there.

1. Paris

Paris is a classic Valentine’s Day destination. You can book flights out to Paris or take the Eurostar, but however you get there you’ll find plenty to do once you arrive.

For example ticket prices to go up the Eiffel Tower range from 4.50 Euros to 13 Euros, depending on whether you want to walk up or get the lift. The most expensive ticket takes you right to the top as well, at which point you will get the best view of all.

Paris City Breaks

Paris Destination Guide

2. Venice

This is the place which offers romantic gondola rides – and you can use them to help you explore the city too. Private rides just for the two of you can be booked costing anything from 60 Euros upwards, so make sure you find room for this in your budget.

You can also see the Bridge of Sighs – and if you are planning on popping the question this year, what better place to do it than this? Last minute savings are available from some airlines on return flights to Venice as well, so you can still save money and have a great weekend abroad.

Venice City Breaks

Venice Destination Guide

3. Rome

Rome is packed with ancient sights and plenty of modern romantic hotels as well. Make sure you stay somewhere central so you are close to all the main attractions such as the Colosseum and the Pantheon.

Don’t miss the Trevi fountain either, in which you should throw a coin if you want to come back to Rome in the future. Flying to Rome from London usually takes about two and a half hours, so you can be in this romantic and ancient city sooner than you think.

Rome City Breaks

Rome Destination Guide

4. New York

This is the ultimate luxury romantic weekend for two if you want to head further afield. Flight times vary but the approximately seven hour flight is well worth it. New York boasts lots of romantic activities you can try together – not to mention shopping for jewellery to commemorate the special day of course.

Central Park is repeatedly said to be one of New York’s most romantic spots – and if you are on a budget you can visit for free as well. And why not book tickets to go ice skating at the Rockefeller Centre?

New York City Breaks

New York Destination Guide

5. London

If your budget doesn’t permit you to go abroad, London has just as much to offer as many European cities. You can fly into Gatwick or Heathrow and travel into the capital from there, or book tickets on a train arriving into one of the major stations in the city.

For those on a budget consider booking last minute availability tickets for one of the top West End shows. Theatre weekends are particularly popular anyway and give you the chance to enjoy a pre-theatre meal at a top London restaurant as well.

6. Lake District

Would you prefer the idea of getting away from it all instead of heading to a big city? The Lake District is one of the top choices for doing this. There are plenty of romantic hotels near Lake Windermere to stay in, and a three day break is easy to arrange.

The best bet is to travel by car as you will be able to visit many of the villages in the Lake District area. You will also find plenty of hotels offering four poster beds and a wonderful view over the Lake District itself, but there is cheaper accommodation available as well.

Cheap Hotels

7. Prague

Prague is located in the Czech Republic and it provides a great alternative to the more obvious romantic cities in Europe. Much of the city is very romantic in nature, not least the Old Town. Head for the cobbled streets and indulge in a luxurious coffee while you soak up the sights.

With flights and accommodation available from around £100 per person upwards for a three night break, you can see it is possible to enjoy a romantic break here at a reasonable cost as well.

Prague City Breaks

Prague Destination Guide

8. Florence

Florence offers a different view of Italy to the one offered by Rome. More centrally located than Rome, it offers many romantic ideas for things to do during a weekend break.

Explore the Boboli gardens which date from the 16th century and offer peace and quiet for strolling hand in hand. You should also be sure to enjoy a horse and carriage ride together on Valentine’s Day itself. This private ride offers the best and most romantic way to arrive at your chosen gourmet restaurant for a gourmet meal to celebrate the occasion.

9. Barcelona

Montjuic Mountain is one of the best venues to head for if you want to treat your loved one to a romantic meal in Barcelona. With amazing views and superb food, it’s no wonder some people head here to pop the question.

Stay near Sant Felip Neri if you can, as this is reckoned to be the most romantic spot in Barcelona. Peaceful, stunning and the perfect place to enjoy some time together, it may not be the easiest place to find. But it is worth persevering.

The flight time from London to Barcelona is around two hours as well, so you can see it’s possible to be in the heart of Spain in a very short time indeed.

Barcelona City Breaks

Barcelona Destination Guide

10. Bruges

If you want to stay a bit closer to home but still enjoy the best the continent has to offer, head for Bruges. There are lots of romantic hotels to choose from here, but Die Swaene is a particular favourite among those looking for some romance.

Cars are somewhat limited in Bruges because of its size. This means you can enjoy a horse drawn carriage ride with your loved one without being surrounded by cars at the same time. Don’t miss the Lake of Love either, or the many canal boats that will take you around the canals of the city.

You can enjoy a swift journey on Eurostar that requires just one change of trains en route in Brussels. You will be in Bruges in less than three and a half hours.

As you can see there are plenty of options when it comes to booking a Valentine’s Day break. And if you turn it into a long weekend every single one of these destinations can be a short holiday you’ll never forget. To get travel advice, quotes and availability on these or any destinations call one of experienced travel advisors today on 01922 700007.

Before you do a holiday search decide what you want to get out of your holiday. Do you prefer the beach or the pool?, Do you ever want to leave the hotel?, what do you like to do on holiday etc etc. Once you work out what you want from your holiday it will make it easier to either do a holiday search online or speak to a travel agent. And don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and speak to an agent, the whole point of a good travel agent is that they should know what destinations are good and give you travel advice, if you find the travel agent you are speaking to is not so knowledgeable on the destination you want to visit then ask I there is anyone else available who has been to this destination. Travel agents are sent on trips to destinations called ‘educationals’ so they can familiarise themselves with the resort and hotels that are there, if you can speak to an agent that has visited the place they are talking about then it’s a real bonus and will help you get a really good idea about the destination you plan to visit.

2. Get advice or recommendations

Read holiday reviews for the hotel or destination you plan to visit; speak to friends and family to see if you know anybody who has been there before, getting advice from someone you know is invaluable as you know if they have a tendency to exaggerate or if they’re fussy. There is no better endorsement for a travel company than if a friend recommends them to you, it encourages and rewards good customer service.

3. Get value for money

A good tip that can make all the difference to whether you get a bargain holiday deal or not is what ‘extras’ you get with your deal. With a lot of holiday packages there are a number of optional extras that may or may not be included in the price, many unscrupulous travel agents can not include some of these extras to make the deal seem cheaper than it is:

Transfers – A transfer is usually a coach that will take you from the airport to your accommodation and take you back again on your day of departure. The cost of a holiday transfer usually ranges from £10 – £35. Do not confuse transfers with a ‘transport supplement’, which is more likely to be a flight supplement, which is a compulsory supplement you pay to fly from your local airport.

In flight meals – Some people prefer to have an in-flight meal some don’t mind going without. They cost around £10 – £15 and you can usually request vegetarian or other dietary requirements at the time of booking. I’ve heard lots of stories of people being given flight meals whether they have booked them or not, but I can say from personal experience that when I haven’t booked one I have not got one.

Extra luggage allowance – The standard luggage allowance on a package holiday is 20kg but this varies with every holiday. More and more frequently we are seeing tour operators lower the luggage allowance to 15kg and charge a supplement for the extra 5kg if you wish to add it on. If you’re the sort of person who travels light then this is ideal but if you like to pack lots of different outfits (as you girls always do) then its worth taking this supplement into account, the last thing you need is to turn up at the airport and find that you’re over your weight limit as you can be charged an excess. Also bear in mind when you’re shopping on holiday that anything you add to your cases while you are away will be weighed on your return, so again if its over the weight limit included in your holiday you can be charged extra. Another good tip if you’re travelling with the family is to check your luggage allowance for infants. Infants often receive a small luggage allowance (around 10kg) also and this can be included in what you take.

There are often several supplements that make up the cost of your holiday, my advice would be to ask about anything you are not sure about and understand exactly what you are getting for your money.

4. Spend a little bit extra

Many people call us up and ask us ‘What’s the cheapest thing you have available?’. That’s no problem and a travel agent can always find you the cheapest holiday deals available that day, but spend a little bit extra and you could have yourself a real bargain. For example it’s not unusual to see the cheapest half board holiday £20 – £30 more than the cheapest self catering, or again an all inclusive holiday may just be slightly more than that. Would you rather pay £129 for a self catering or £199 for an all inclusive? I know which one I would book. If you tell the agent that you want 7 days self catering because you think that’s the cheapest then they may assume you can’t do different durations or board basis, if you’re flexible then let the agent know and if they spot any bargains as they are searching they can let you know.

5. Consider allocated on arrival

Travelling allocated on arrival means that you will not find out which accommodation you are staying at until you arrive. Whilst this sounds a little worrying on face value it can be very useful if you know how to us it to your advantage. There are often many different version of allocated on arrival available from each tour operator and each one can guarantee you something about which accommodation you will be staying at. For instance if you want Tenerife holidays, enjoy luxury holidays, but other than that you are flexible you may get an allocated on arrival holiday that guarantees you a 5 star or equivalent rating. High rating, guaranteed board basis, guaranteed resort or combinations of any of these can often be found saving you hundreds of pounds against booking a specific hotel. A good tip here is to take a look at what’s available at the rating or board basis that’s guaranteed; if you are guaranteed a five star all inclusive then check or ask what five star all inclusives are available, the availability the tour operator has is not only a good indication of the quality of accommodation you can expect but there is also a good chance that you may be staying at one of those hotels. Allocated on arrival holidays are not a risk, just think of it as a reward for being flexible.

6. Ask the agent to call you back

If you don’t mind waiting for some details give a travel agent a call at lunchtime and give them as much detail as possible about what you’re looking for and ask if they don’t mind giving you a call back later on that evening, you can say around what time is best for you and it will save you the cost of the call. If you are serious about booking there are no lengths a good travel agent will go to get your business and make you happy, just make sure they know if they find the right deal then you’ll book.

7. Avoid exchange rate problems

With the pound being so weak against the euro there has never been a better time to go on long-haul holidays or book all inclusive. The exchange rate against the euro has fallen by a huge amount in the last year so at the moment you get a lot less euros when buying foreign exchange than you did previously, travelling to non euro-zones is one easy way of avoiding this which is making far away holidays much more popular this year, especially Egypt holidays. Another clever way to save yourself a fortune if you are going to destinations that have the euro are all inclusive holidays. Booking an all inclusive deal means that you spend less currency while you are away which will help to avoid any exchange rate problems.

8. Fly from an alternative airport

This one can be especially good around half term and for all those people who have to book their holidays during school holidays (extra discount on holidays for teachers imho). Because school holidays vary according to where you are based in the UK there can often be a great deal if you travel to another airport further afield, especially between Scotland and England. As with most of these tips the general rule is that the more flexible you are willing to be the more you could potentially save.

9. Haggle just the right amount

Travel agents know there is a lot of competition for holiday bookings and expect you to want the best deal you can find so don’t be afraid to ask for a discount. Just ask ‘is that the best price you can do if I book it right now’ and if the agent know they can get your business then and there they will break the bank to get you to book and you can be confident they are doing the best they can on price. Another good tip is to get some added value if you’re happy with the price, tell them you’ll book now if they throw the parking at the airport in, it’s not rude to ask for the best deal you can get, the worst that can happen is that they say they can’t. Either way it can often be good fun.

10. Don’t sleep on it

Tongue in cheek this one, but if I had a pound for every time somebody called back the next day and the price had gone up I would be a very rich man. If you find the right deal for you at the right price then book it, don’t worry about whether the price will come down or if you just shop around a bit more etc etc. Only you know what you think a fair price is and how disappointed you could be if you miss out, other people are often looking for exactly the same things as you so deals get booked and flights get filled, there isn’t anything an agent can do to keep your holiday deal for you so if you like a deal go for it.

The views published in this post are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Co-op Travel.

BUDGET LONDON THEATRE BREAK
14TH FEB
1 NIGHT BB AT THE 4* RADISSON EDWARDIAN VANDERBILT HOTEL PLUS A BUDGET MATINEE TICKET TO SEE OLIVER!
from £96.00pp

ORIENT EXPRESS VALENTINES BREAK
CHESTER
13TH FEB
2 NIGHTS BB AT THE 4* QUEENS HOTEL PLUS A 4-COURSE VALENTINES DAY DINNER ON BOARD THE ORIENT EXPRESS, DEPARTING FROM CHESTER STATION
from £375.00pp

ROMANTIC COTSWOLDS BREAK
14TH FEB
2 NIGHTS BB AT THE 4* CHELTENHAM CHASE HOTEL PLUS DINNER ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF YOUR STAY
from £99.50pp

VALENTINES MURDER MYSTERY BREAKS
13TH FEB
3* STA GEORGE HOTEL & SPA IN HARROGATE
2 NIGHTS HB PLUS MURDER MYSTERY EVENT!
from £169.00pp

LUXURY VALENINES THEATRE BREAK
13TH FEB
2 NIGHTS BB AT THE 5* SHERATON PARK LANE HOTEL PLUS A TOP PRICE TICKET TO SEE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA ON VALENTINES DAY
from £254.00pp

ROYAL EDINBURGH BREAKS
14TH FEB
2 NIGHTS BB AT THE 4* MACDONALD ROXBURGHE HOTEL
PLUS A ‘ROYAL EDINGBURGH TICKET’ WHICH GIVES FREE ACCESS TO:EDINBURGH CASTLE, HOLYROOD HOUSE, ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA PLUS 2 DAYS UNLIMTED TRAVEL ON TOUR BUSES!
from £116.00pp

ROMANCE IN BATH!
13TH FEB
2 NIGHTS BB AT THE 4* PRATTS HOTEL PLUS ENTRY TICKET INTO THE JANE AUSTEN CENTRE, WHICH CELEBRATES THE LIFE OF THE FAMOUS ROMANTIC WRITER
from £135.50pp

Just a selection of whats available, if you have any specific requirements just give one of our travel advisors a call on 01922 700 007.

Gambia Beach

The Gambia is one of the smallest countries in Africa, situated on the unspoilt west coast on approximately the same latitude as Barbados. Mostly flat, the country is dominated by the majestic River Gambia from which it takes its name. A sub-tropical climate, fascinating culture, magnificent wide sandy beaches and some of the friendliest people on earth add up to a great holiday destination – whether you are a after a summer getaway or seeking some winter sun.

Here are a few offers i have received so check them out:

2* Allocated on Arrival -Standard room sleeps 3, prices based on 2 sharing

Fri 9th Jan 09      7 nights      Gatwick       from £289.00pp

Tue 16th Dec 08      7 nights      Manchester      from £299.00pp

Gambia Dance

Palma Rima - Sleeps 3, prices based on 2 sharing

Tue  9th Dec 08      7 nights      Gatwick      from £332.00pp

Gambia Beach

Sarges Hotel (Tafbel) - Standard room sleeps 2

Fri 23rd Jan 09      7 nights      Gatwick      from £339.00pp

Gambia Village

For more information on these great offers contact us on 01922 700 007.

Orlando 7 nights going any time between the 9th January 2009 till 31st January 2009 staying at the 3 star Quality Inn Plaza flying from either Gatwick or Manchester with Virgin Atlantic.

All of the above from £445pp!!!!

Offer ends 17th December 2008 so act fast to not miss out on this fantastic deal contact us on 01922 700 007  NOW

You can also pay any outstanding balance on your holiday; you can pay as little or as much as you wish so it’s a great option if you want to pay a little off your holiday every month. Kind of like a holiday payment scheme. Just remember that your balance needs to be paid by 12 weeks prior to your departure.

Would a holiday payment plan help you pay for your next holiday, would be interested if anybody had any comments?

If you want to book this or for more details call us on 01922 700 007.