My BookingNew Year's resolutions and holidays to make them happen
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If you’ve listed down your resolutions for the New Year you may already be thinking of just keeping up to the “less chocolate” one until March. But have you thought about how travel could help?
Travelling more and seeing new places might well be on your list, but with the destinations in this guide you’ll be all set to tick off some of the tougher resolutions as you go too.
Get in shape
Losing weight, getting healthy or exercising more is the big resolution that crops up every year and a holiday might feel like the eating excess you don’t need. But how about getting active on any of the following trips instead:
- Ibiza’s Yoga Retreats – Sure it’s famous for its clubbing scene, but Ibiza’s wellbeing scene is the one on the up. Amazing retreats hide out in the beautiful island outskirts and the weather is great even in the off-season. Check flights
- Smooth Tarmac Cycling in Spain – Girona to the north of Barcelona is a stunning region the professionals absolutely love. But Majorca is the place really setting itself up for cyclists, laying smooth roads in the mountains to create a resort-come-2-wheeled oasis. Check flights
- Outdoor Adventures in Plitvice National Park, Croatia – Beautiful waterfalls and fabulous forests make the Plitvice National Park some playground. Great for hiking boots, swimming goggles and kayak paddles. Check flights
Tick off some of your bucket list (maybe even face your fears)
We all have that one thing we’ve always wanted to do, or maybe you just haven’t found the right trips for your bucket list yet. Either way, this year could be the year to get things ticked off the list:
- Paraglide over the Swiss Alps – You’ll be flying high after taking in panoramic views of snow-capped peaks in Switzerland. It’s an experience that should glide into any adventurer’s bucket list.
- See the Northern lights – You’ll barely believe they are a natural phenomenon as they light up the sky. Witnessing the aurora borealis is a once in a lifetime treat, that is unless you’re an Icelandic tour guide. Cruise through Norway and have a look or take a flight right to Iceland.
- Try your luck in Monte Carlo – Monaco is more than a little bit lavish and don’t we all know it. Driving a convertible through the F1 circuit streets and visiting the world-famous casinos is sure to make anyone feel like a celebrity. Check flights
Eat better
Switching to healthier food or cooking more is a tough resolution to keep to when hectic lifestyles get in the way. Our tip, put the hectic lifestyle to one side on a trip to try amazing new foods instead:
- The taste of Italy - Abistecca alla Fiorentina (Florentine Steak), Cacio e Pepe (Rome’s Pecorino pasta) or Coniglio Alla Vernaccia (San Gimignano’s rabbit)? That’s just for starters when it comes to Italian food. Check flights
- Fresh salads and olive oil – It has to be made in the Med. We’d like to set ourselves the challenge of finding the best Greek salad on every sunny island! Check flights
Stop procrastinating…maybe
Finding the motivation to work hard and achieve those goals you’ve set yourself is a tough task when there’s pottering around the house to be done and Facebook’s infinite stroll to get through. Getting away might just bet the perfect antidote; well that or one of these three relaxing destinations is worth putting everything on hold for:
- The Bulgarian Riviera – The Black Sea washes ashore an amazing variety of beaches in Bulgaria. The famous Sunny beach offers value worth partying about, but Ahtopol and Sozopol are there for those really wanting to get away. Check flights
- Sunshine-splashed Cyprus – Cyprus just does island holidays right. Beachside towns enjoy a buzz about them but scenic trips out to the hillside couldn’t be more serene. Check flights
- Turn up to Turkey – Turkish coastal resorts like Antalya or Dalaman cater so well to the turn-up and relax holidaymaker. Enjoy the comfortable all-inclusive life with access to plenty of spa treatments and home will feel a million miles away. Check flights
Meet new people
A new year can quite often be about turning a new leaf and maybe getting yourself out there is all part of that. The beautiful thing about travel is that it’s a shared experience whether it’s someone you meet there or take with you. Here are our picks for trips with a communal spirit:
- Go on a multi-stop tour – Guided tours don’t have to be limited to palace grounds or a town centre. Multi-stop tour providers could take you on an itinerary spanning the whole of Europe. A tour you can share with like-minded travellers!
- Head to a quirky festival – Festivals are often intimate affairs and whether musical or otherwise, when you head overseas it’s easy to find yourself hanging out with new people from all over the globe. You could go traditionally German with some friendly beer-drinking at Oktoberfest or head to Budapest for the big-name line-up of Sziget Festival.
Save more money
Okay so a holiday might be a nice-to-have but that doesn’t mean every destination involves splashing the cash. These three destinations will all trump home when it comes to the price of a pint (Source: Europe’s Cheap Beer Index):
- Get the Czech in Prague – With a national average of £0.71 pint prices, heading to the Czech Republic might work out cheaper than a UK night out by the time you’ve paid for the taxi home. Check flights
- Sunny savings in Bulgaria – With pints on average costing £0.78 in Bulgaria and great value accommodation; flights to Bulgaria might just pay for themselves. Check flights
- Spend a little time in Slovakia – Bratislava sits not far from Vienna pint prices on the banks of the Danube with an average of £0.79. Check flights
Read more
How hard is it to find the time to get through a good book? Put stopping and starting behind you and head out to the best fortnight resorts instead (these destinations work well for spending more time with loved ones too should the novel not live up to the hype!):
- Bookmark Tunisia – Tunisia offers great value for longer holidays with resorts where days add up to discounts. Take an extra book to enjoy in all that sunshine. Check flights
- Winter reading on the Canary Islands – Page-turning on a sun bed just isn’t a possibility in most places out of the summer season. Page-turning on a sun bed just isn’t a possibility in most places out of the summer season. That’s not the case for Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura though with winter weather regularly above 20°C. Check flights
- Tell the tale of Malta – A few famous novels have a Maltese setting and it sure does make for a pleasant one. Pick a bench by one of the many harbours and watch boats come and go as you flick through the pages. Check flights
Get away from the television
Many of us resolve to swap the small screen for a bit more art and culture. Luckily in Europe we have cities brimming with amazing museums, galleries and culturally-important events:
- Check out Riga’s revival – Former Capital of Culture Riga added hundreds of small sculptures to celebrate winning; filling the city with influential art. Not that its all new, Latvia’s turbulent past is well worth exploring in the city too. Check flights
- The Gaudi side of Barcelona – Antoni Gaudi was an architect with a colourful vision that makes you marvel at Barcelona’s buildings. Once you’ve spotted all in situ, head to the Gaudi House Museum in Park Güell to nosey at some of his smaller items. Check flights
- Artistry in Amsterdam – Amsterdam is very much a celebration of culture everywhere you look. And where better to have a look around than the history of Dutch art in the Rijksmuseum or at modern photography in Foam. Check flights
Travel more and see the world
We’ve really got the resolution to travel well covered for you. Have a look how far you could go when you connect:
- Connecting flights with KLM mean you could satisfy your craving for colourful Cuba or say “yes” to the Seychelles.
- Head to the Hollywood hills from Leeds Bradford Airport with Aer Lingus connections in Dublin.
Those feeling generous could help others with our seasonal trips perfect for gifts. And if you just fancy being less stressed than last year, heading out to any of our destinations should help with that!
