Travel News

Edinburgh may be synonymous with the biggest New Year street party in the world or Hogmanay as the locals like to call it, but there are plenty of activities and events in the countdown to Christmas. Make a note of November 22nd to reserve one of the cheap hotels in Edinburgh because the fun starts from here.

Light Night

Up goes the famous Edinburgh Wheel, around goes the carousel and on go the Christmas lights on November 22nd. The event signals the switching on of more than 200,000 lights around Princes Street and a 13.5-metre tall Norwegian Christmas tree donated to Scotland's capital city by the people of Hordaland. The Winter Wonderland Ice Rink also opens two new skate rinks beneath Edinburgh Castle on Light Night. There is also the Ice Bar created by specialist company Ice Box with "hot apple and chocolate drinks available throughout the day" according to the Scotsman. The bar had not been granted an alcohol licence as of September.

Head to East Princes Street Gardens for the switch on at 17:15Nativities

Unravel the controversy behind sculptor Tim Chalk of Chalk Work's interpretation of the nativity scene. It is unveiled with a carol service on December 2nd for the fifth time. The local artist challenges people's perceptions of a nativity scene while concentrating on the arrival of a baby in difficult circumstances.

Go to the foot of the mound at Princes Street Gardens by the Floral Clock for 16:00Santa Stroll

Father Christmas arrives in Princes Street Gardens on December 13th, which he will visit every day to feed his reindeer - borrowed from Cairngorm Centre - and collect Christmas wishes from a post box. Children are welcome to come and visit and ask for gifts. Check into some affordable accommodation in Edinburgh in time for a Santa stroll, taking in the read more

Paris is well known for its use of the guillotine, seen as one of the most humane methods of punishing criminals during the French Revolution. In the 12 months from 1973 the Parisian authorities lopped off 1,225 heads. Today this grim fascination with the macabre has not changed, with some very sinister exhibitions offered by the affordable accommodation in Paris over the next few months.

Marie Stuart exhibition at Musee National de la Renaissance

Although these heads have not been severed, the carved wooden roundels have been sent from a time when the Scottish also were known for torture and bloodshed for a special exhibition dedicated to Mary Queen of Scots, known in her birthplace of France as Marie Stuart.

It allegedly took two attempts to behead Mary Queen of Scots after she was sentenced to death on suspicion of attempting to supplant Queen of England Elizabeth I. Objects from Mary's reign and early life in France go on display at the Renaissance Museum in Paris from October 15th to February 2nd, including portraits, jewels, personal objects and art work.

Curator of the exhibition Thierry Crepin-Leblond said: "The exhibition Mary Stuart is an occasion to show … unknown and impressive pieces that the Queen of Scots used to admire in the Inner Hall of her father."

Musee d'Orsay looks behind masks

Masks from Carpeaux to Picasso follows the history of covered faces, focusing on the late 19th century when the art form saw a disconcerting revival drawing from its background in Japan and ancient Greece.

The Orsay Museum explores their popularity among European artists such as Klinger, Gauguin and Picasso with a display of paintings and artefacts. The exhibition runs from October 21st to February 1st. Orsay Museum also hosts concerts and lectures as well as expos.

Discover what makes a man at the Musee de l'Homme

The brain of philosopher Rene Descartes, an assassin's skull and crystal head are among the macabre exhibits at the read more

France fits the bill for today's tourist when it comes to train travel, according to a travel survey. With only a third of people polled by visitbirmingham.com limiting the amount of time they would be prepared to travel by rail to two to three hours, French cities make the perfect train breaks.

Within three hours of each other are beaches, vineyards and piste, accessible by high-speed, low-cost, environmentally-friendly trains. You can even get from London to Strasbourg on the German border in five hours, travelling by Eurostar or TGV. A train trip around French cities would be ideal for budget travellers who want a lot of different sights to see.

StrasbourgStrasbourg is one of the most interesting places to visit in France because of its ties with neighbouring Germany. The culture, in fact, is described as Alemannic and it shares governance of the major trading river through Germany, the Rhine, which lies on the city's edge alongside other popular attractions the Black Forest and the Grande Ile, which was classified as a world heritage site by Unesco in 1988.

Train travellers should book into one of the cheap hotels in Strasbourg early to take time wandering around sights like the 19th century astrological clock on the Gothic Cathedral, which has lengthy shows. La Petite France is an enchanting neighbourhood where visitors can breathe in the smell of freshly baked gingerbread and take in restaurants inviting aromas.

Train services operate westward towards Bordeaux and Toulouse as well as eastward to Offenburg and Karlsruhe in Germany.Bordeaux

Over three hours away from Strasbourg by train is the world's wine capital of Bordeaux, which also has some of the best beaches. The best hotels in Bordeaux will have a seaside ... read more

Three in four people prefer to go away with their partner rather than their friends according to a survey by visitbirmingham.com. Now uber-couple Brangelina have chosen to move to Berlin after six months in Provence, reportedly to patch up their marriage, maybe a trip to Europe's "alternative" capital is just what you need.

Find your own Palais Schlosspark

Short of a bob or two for a multi-million pound Palais Schlosspark, like Brad and Angelina's? Some of the best hotels in Berlin can be found in nearby Steglitz-Zehlendorf, while the cheap hotels in Berlin are mainly located in Friedrichshain.

Low rents attracted a laidback artistic community in Friedrichshain. There are plenty of low-price bars, cafes and restaurants here, where you can mock up your own Brangelina getaway.

Fly by night

Rekindle the romance by taking your pick from one of several flights around the city with Air Service Berlin. Brangelina have a helicopter pad at their new gaff, so why can't you chopper around the city too?

The Air Service Berlin company runs Raisin Bomber flights with leather armchairs, seaplanes from the Spree River and flights by hot air balloon. All the experiences take in the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building. The price is €146 (£116) with children under 11 half-price, which would be perfect for Brangelina's young brood.

Want to see Wannsee Lake?

Brad and Angelina's new mansion skirts Wannsee Lake, which is made up of Grosser and Kleiner (Bigger and Smaller) Wannsee. The waterways are located on the river Havel and are separated only by Wannsee bridge. The larger of the two lakes covers 2.7 sq km, leaving little hope of catching a glimpse of the Hollywood couple from the other side.

However, Stern and Kreis do offer 25 different trips around Berlin by water, with some on a hotel boat lasting several days. Not many people know seven per cent of read more

One and two-bedroom serviced apartments at the top of an iconic sixties city centre tower block are now among of the best hotels in Birmingham, having been awarded a five star rating by Visit Britain.

Staying Cool was given the award in September, recognising a chain that boasts all the frills of a boutique hotel yet retains clients' independence. The company has individually-styled serviced apartments in Barcelona, Devon and Manchester and has won Best Serviced Apartments Manchester 2008.

Rotunda

The Rotunda is a unique cylindrical building, which was built in 1965 as part of Birmingham's post-war modernisation effort for £1 million and is part of the Bullring sport and shopping arcade.

It is a Grade II listed building, in which Staying Cool opened top floor serviced apartments in May. The building is 81 metres tall and was originally designed as an office block with a restaurant planned for the uppermost floors.

Location

Contemporary architecture fuses with historic canals and squares around the affordable accommodation in Birmingham. Iconic buildings include the new Selfridges at the Bullring, Ikon Gallery at Brindleyplace and science museum Thinktank at Millennium Point.

As well as several bars and restaurants converted from the old buildings near the canal network, there are plenty of fashionable venues by the workshops and galleries that make up the Jewellery Quarter.

Staying Cool is part of the Bullring, so apartment guests do not have far to walk ... read more