We're having a look back at some of our favourite travels from last year - Karen headed to the USA, visiting New York, Miami and Las Vegas, on an action-packed trip. Here's a quick look at the highlights of her visit State-side . . . . The Big Apple ​ I've been to various parts of the States before, but this was my first trip to New York - it's one of those cities that's so well known on TV and in films that you kind of feel that you know it already, so it did feel like I was on a movie set at times - or at least in an episode of Friends!  I chose to stay close to Penn station as I was taking the train to my next destination - the Wyndham New Yorker is in such a handy location, plus I love the Art Deco feel of the place. I used the hop-on hop-off buses quite a bit - what a great way to get around and to take in all the main sights - plus I took a cruise out towards the Statue of Liberty, which was fab! There's so much to see and do that you could g...

We love the USA and one of our favourite areas is between San Francisco and Las Vegas , via breathe taking Yosemite National Park and unworldly Death Valley. Mark recently did this trip with a hire car and had an amazing time. Mark suggests starting in vibrant San Francisco before collecting a car and driving to stunning Yosemite national Park. Continue to Death Valley and finish your USA fly-drive in Las Vegas. The best time to travel is from April to September, when the weather is best and Tioga Pass should be open. Day 1 - UK to San Francisco Fly from London to San Francisco , arriving later the same day. On arrival into this amazing city, make your way to your chosen hotel, for I would suggest a three night stay, this should give you plenty of time to enjoy this cosmopolitan city. Days 2-3 - San Francisco Spend the next few days exploring San Francisco. Perhaps prebook our San Francisco Helicopter tour, the ultimate San Francisco sightseeing trip - witness stunning vie...

Mark is a great fan of the USA and one of his favourite areas is California (and surrounding areas) which is so much more than just the glitz and glamour of the cities, he suggests: I love the USA and would suggest starting in vibrant San Francisco before collecting a car and driving to stunning Yosemite national Park. Continue to Death Valley and finish your USA fly-drive in Las Vegas. Best from April to September. Day 1 - UK to San Francisco Fly from London to San Francisco , arriving later the same day. On arrival make your way to your chosen hotel, for a three night stay - we have a range to choose from, and your length of stay in San Francisco is flexible. Days 2-3 - San Francisco Spend the next few days exploring San Francisco. Perhaps prebook our San Francisco Helicopter tour, the ultimate San Francisco sightseeing trip - witness stunning views of the city skyline, San Francisco Bay and world-famous landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. Da...

Classic USA road-trip country, Death Valley National Park is harsh and barren yet full of natural beauty and stunning vistas, with the lowest point in the US along with the highest temperatures ever recorded. Furnace Creek is at the heart of the park, with points such as Zabriskie Point and Mosaic Canyon offering spectacular scenery. As you head north from Death Valley the altitude increases and the temperatures drop, heading towards the massive Sierra Nevada mountains. To the south, the Mojave National Preserve is the epitome of ‘middle of nowhere’, dotted with Joshua trees, volcanic cones and desert wildlife. This region of the USA offers diverse landscapes and stunning scenery - beware of seriously high temperatures in the summer, but for a few days of open spaces and desert scenery, include Death Valley in to your driving itinerary. Escape Worldwide - Home of Long Haul Holidays  http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk

Escape Worldwide - Home of Long Haul Holidays http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk

We get asked this abit and it can be a bit annoying when you have to pay a full adult price for a package holiday for your child. However there tends to be a reason! If you are looking at a packaged holidays flying with a scheduled airline like British Airways or Thai Airways for say 2 adults and a child and the child is aged 11 and under then you tend to find that the airline will offer a child discount. Most hotels and resorts charge per room and not per person and will let a child share the same room as the adults, for free. So when the package is put together you will get 2 adult prices and 1 child price. However if say only 1 adult and 1 child is travelling then the airlines should still offer a child reduction, but the cost of the room would still be divided by 2 so in this instance the child price will be higher than 2 adult and 1 child sharing. If you holiday is based on a charter flight, say something like Thomas Cook or Thomson airlines th...

Darren is a big fan of Hawaii:  It’s a very long way to Hawaii , so once you’re there it’s worth taking in more than one of the six magical islands that are open to visitors. First stop for many is the island of Oahu , spending most of their time in and around Honolulu and Waikiki , but to get a true taste of Hawaii you’ll need to head over to one of the other islands. Don’t dismiss Oahu as being just the high rise hotels of Waikiki Beach – it’s true, Waikiki is wall to wall hotels crammed in to a fairly average stretch of beach, but there’s something about the place that’s a little intoxicating, with great restaurants, relaxed bars and quality shopping, beautiful sunsets and a stunning setting - no trip to Hawaii would be complete until you’ve been to Waikiki! Elsewhere on the Island there’s plenty of interest. Honolulu itself has been voted the most liveable city in the US and it’s easy to see why – it’s fairly small and easy to get around, plus it has a...