The third largest city in France after Paris and Lyon, Marseille (sometimes spelled Marseilles in the UK) is rapidly becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Heathrow and Gatwick Airports in London serve the city with multiple departures every day. The city's main airport, Marseille Provence Airport, is the fourth most trafficked airport in the whole of France. Business travelers and tourists alike crowd its terminals. Once travelers disembark at the airport, they enjoy excellent local public transportation.

It is located on the south east coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea and is the largest commercial port in the country. The old port area that was popular prior to the'70s oil crisis has been redeveloped with an investment from the European Union.

The completely refurbished Old Port is now home to hotels, restaurants, bars, and caf?s, as well as a private marina. This renovated port is north of the new active commercial port, where over 100 million tons of freight?the majority of it petroleum?pass every year. Marseille's position as a hub for industry and trade is complemented by its excellent infrastructure for travel by air, land, or sea. It is one of the major ports of entry into France, especially popular with travelers from Italy, Spain, Greece, and the Middle East.

With its location on the Mediterranean Sea, Marseille has mild winters and hot summers. The coldest months of the year are January and February, with July and August being the area?s hottest months. Harsh, cold winds blow into the city from the Alps in the winter and spring.

It is also headquarters for the Marseille Provence Metropolis, the second largest research center in the country. Thousands of research scientists are employed at the Marseille Provence Metropolis.

In addition to industry, plenty of shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, museums and theaters can be found in this city. Culture lovers are especially enamored of Marseille due to the large number of theaters in the city, including la Crie, le Gymnase and the theatre Toursky. The Marseille Opera is also very popular, with a season from September to June.

Like other areas of France, It is well-known for its incredible food. Local favorites include pastis, which is an alcoholic beverage similar to beer made with aniseed and spice. Other popular items are aioli (mayonnaise) served on fish or hardboiled eggs, tapenade, bouillabaisse, panisse and navette. All dishes are made with local ingredients, which make them very flavorful. Many restaurants can be found in the city's Old Port area, which is the site of a daily fish market. The Old Port area is very beautiful at night, making it a popular spot for a long evening meal.

Noteworthy architecture in the city includes the Abbey of Saint Victor, one of the first places of Christian worship in France, and the Phare de Sainte Marie, a lighthouse lying on an inlet in the Old Port, as well as Museum of Old Marseille.

With everything that Marseille offers UK tourists, it is easy to see why it is growing in popularity as a vacation destination every year.


Tom Martens is the content coordinator for Bestukflights.co.uk the UK's premier flight and travel comparison portal which includes a detailed section on Travel and Flights to Marseille

Flying to destinations throughout Europe has been popular with UK travelers for so long because of the proximity Britain has to its neighbors. In a time when people are talking about the credit crunch, it's no surprise that European holidays work out as a cheaper alternative then going further afield. The various destinations work as beach holidays, as cultural breaks or romantic weekends; in fact the world, or rather Europe, is your oyster!

Traveling to Europe is simple and fairly cost effecting from the UK. There are lot of options to choose from depending on where you are in the UK. Firstly you will want to decide on your destination , because the prices are affordable and there are many options, some people take this opportunity to discover a new location. If you are booking online this is even easier, because you can enter the day you want to travel and the amount of people traveling, followed by the airport you want to leave from and then see which destinations are available.

If you select to go for a destination in Europe then this is as simple as there are several budget airlines like Easyjet, and BMI Baby. These fly to short distance locations in Europe and are thus quite cheap. There are some luxury airlines such as British Airways which offer flights to Europe. It is not necessary to choose a luxury flight for short distance travel as it is not utilized properly.

Popular European destinations include France, Italy, Spain and Germany. All of these countries have an abundance of airports and you will be directed to the one closest to the city you want to visit. In France there is Paris, as well the northern and southern territories. In Spain there are main cities like Madrid, but there are also the Holiday Islands that are filled with sand and sun. Many UK airports will fly to these locations because they are so popular.

Bruges in Belgium, and Prague in the Czech Republic are some of the most beautiful regions. These cities are popular for their striking architecture; and these places have frequent flights, besides plenty of hotels available all the year round. Prague has a major airport, which is modern and flights from Easyjet, Jet2, British Airways, and BMI Baby land here. There are also many budget to flights to this destination.

There is also Scandinavia, a beautiful part of Europe filled with history and lots of quirky cultural traits; this includes Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. You need to search a little harder for flights to these locations but they are by no means impossible; Easyjet and Finnair both fly to Denmark, as does British Airways. I you specifically want to visit one of these locations go directly to the airlines website and search for the location so you know whether or not you are wasting your time.

Traveling to Europe is in rage as it takes less time and saves money. With a valid British passport, citizens of UK can easily go to Europe. For some good deals, you can look for the last minute and with cheap airlines deals. Remember to see the exact last minute holidays listed on websites, such as lastminute.com, as they help you find a cheap deal for flights and accommodation. This saves money and time. This gives enough reasons to holiday in Europe.


Graham McKenzie is the content coordinator for Bestukflights.co.uk the UK's premier flight and travel comparison portal which includes a detailed section on Travel and Flights to Venice

South America is a large region in the South of the USA. There are some major countries that make up the continent include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Cayenne, Peru, Lima, Uruguay and more. Spanish and Portuguese are both largely spoken languages in South America, although French, Dutch and English are also spoken.

South America's culture is very rich and you can see the glimpse of cultures of Spain and Portugal because it is connected with Europe. If you love warm weather and like to meet friendly people then South America is one of the great places to visit; you can generally get tasty food in South America and it also contains so many historical places to see.

Normally, you will get a lot of flights to Latin America however they are not economical from UK. But there are also means to get cheaper flights like you have to avoid booking your tickets on the weekends mainly Saturday, and you can also try to take an indirect route (your tour operator will generally take of these points). Some of the airlines that operate flights to Latin America are Iberia Airlines, Continental, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic. Most important destinations of Latin America where you can fly to are Sao Paolo, Mexico, Quito, Rio, Havana, San Jose, and Santiago. You will not face legal problems while entering with a valid UK passport. There are some places which are known as problematic zones for travellers in Latin America so it is very important to check whether the place is safe or not before visiting to it.

The atmosphere of South America changes very frequently. You can find a series of arid desert circumstance in Peru and Chile,and on other hand you can also find damp and stifling weather circumstances of the Amazon. Gran Chacowere of Argentina is the victim of the hottest weather which reaches a shocking 44 degrees centigrade at times. It is very important for travellers to carry sun cream and other skin protections when they travel to Latin America as most of the time you will get clear sky and hot weather conditions.

You can do a lot of energetic things in South America. You can visit Angel Falls in Venezuela. It is the world highest waterfall, with recorded height of 321 feet; which is 15 times more in height than Niagara Falls. To get a view from the bottom, take a raft up the river or enjoy more alterative views by going on an expedition. The Rio Carnival in Brazil is famed as being among the biggest, and liveliest carnivals in the world.

This takes place every February but make early bookings as the flights are much sought after during this time. Various attractions like Corcovado Mountain and the excursions Sugar Loa Mountain Day Tour can be enjoy while you are in Rio. The excursion will let you explore the rain forest, and you can enjoy visiting the Christ the Redeemer statue, situated atop the mountain.

In Chile, you can enjoy trekking to the world's ancient wonder called the Machu Picchu, an Inca Ruin. The Incas were found in'00s, but now is flanked by tourists from all around the world. Do bring your camera along as South America is scenic; it's the landscape and people are very charming.


Graham McKenzie is the content coordinator for Bestukflights.co.uk the UK's premier flight and travel comparison portal which includes a detailed section on Travel and Flights to Venice