One of the main reasons for my rather ardent enthusiasm towards the opportunity I was given to spend a year of my degree in Switzerland was - of course - the skiing. It’s actually impossible to avoid, it’s a cultural phenomenon here, and an infectious one at that. My Swiss friends were all skiing before they could walk and the word ‘beginner’ attached to anyone over the age of seven automatically signifies ‘foreigner’.

Let’s not forget, though, that I am a student and it’s a well known fact that skiing isn’t a past-time which comes cheap. There are the clothes to start with – if you don’t have your own and you can’t borrow from a friend, renting an entire outfit is a rather harsh on anyone’s budget, to the extent to which it’s probably just worth buying some second hand gear if you’re planning more than three or four trips. Then there are the skis, boots and poles, which are usually reasonable value to hire, but are still a major factor in the overall cost. Travel insurance rockets mile high as soon as you even whisper the word ‘snow’ and assuming you don’t own your own James Blunt style après-ski chic chalet accommodation is going to be necessary in one form or another.

The location on everyone’s lips come November is usually Verbier – a destination popular with natives and holiday makers alike. Now, to hire a chalet in Verbier while the snow is still in good condition is likely to be the biggest expenditure yet, and certainly isn’t an option that my lowly student budget could even begin to comprehend. But what do students do when they travel? They rough it in youth hostels and make the best of things, and I had every intention of doing just that until I found that Verbier’s only hostel had been fashioned out of an out-of-use bomb shelter and came with a claustrophobia warning. Whilst the dormitory names were rather entertaining – ranging from ‘Stairway to Heaven’ to ‘Barry’s Bowl’ – I was not entirely enamoured with the prospect of spending my wearied nights in a disused bunker. Though, admittedly, it is rather impressive that it came with the tag line ‘the world’s only atomic proof hostel’. If only they’d omitted the second, rather off-putting line – ‘still the original bunker feeling!’

If you are going on a ski vacation on a budget, though, the accommodation isn’t all that important. I can’t say I actually spent much time in the hostel, nor would I had I signed up to anything more expensive. I recommend having a look at HostelBookers.com for a directory of hostels – including Verbier’s very own ‘bomb shelter’. I also did some shopping for the cheapest skiers travel insurance out there, and Go Travel was the cheapest I could find.

Some newbies to cruising are surprised to find out that planning a cruise involves making a lot of decisions during the planning process. Any one of these choices can affect your overall enjoyment of the trip. So before you hop on board the first ship that sails by, take a few moments to think about each of the following issues:

Money

How much money do you want to spend on your holiday? If your resources are limited, you might consider a three or four day cruise as opposed to the more traditional seven day cruise.
Booking as early as possible to get the best rates can also be a money saver.

Alternatively, if you’re fairly flexible about your travel plans, you can wait until the last minute and book for cheap on a ship that hasn’t filled up yet. Cruises Direct and holidays from Travelzoo both offer astonishingly low rates on last minute deals. Meanwhile, Abercrombie and Kent can offer luxury holidays and cruises if you have a larger budget.

Location

Cruises go just about anywhere accessible by water, so take some time and decide what you really want to see most. The lush beaches of the Caribbean? The pristine wildlife of Alaska? Perhaps the ruined yet still majestic temples of Athens?

When choosing your cruise, take a close look at your ship’s itinerary. If there is one place you particularly want to see, make sure it is on the itinerary. Not all Mediterranean cruises, for instance, stop in Athens.

Party Animal vs. Adventurer

Next, take a minute to think about what kind of traveler you are. Do you enjoy a nonstop party atmosphere? If so, you might want to consider traveling on one of Carnival’s Fun Ships.

Are you an upper middle class passenger who enjoys fun combined with a degree of elegance? Princess, Norwegian Cruise Lines, or Holland America would probably be perfect for you. Worried about keeping young children entertained? Disney may be the way to go.

Are you the kind of woman who likes to run with the wolves or the kind of man who’s only happy with survival gear in hand? Maybe you should give the big name cruise lines a pass and check out the smaller lines such as Adventure Cruises or Abercrombie & Kent.

As long as you know what you want, there’s something to suit just about every taste in the cruising world.

Dinner: Early or Late?

The larger cruise ships typically have two dinner seatings, the early seating between 6:00 and 6:30 pm, and the later seating between 8:00 and 8:30 pm. However, since Norwegian Cruise Lines introduced freestyle cruising, which allows you to eat when and where you like, other cruise lines have also opted to allow travelers to select “open dining.” Many cruisers still opt for traditional dining; they enjoy knowing precisely when, where, and with whom they will take their meals. Other travelers have embraced the less restrictive arrangements. You can decide what is right for you and your party.

Cruising is a fun, relaxing way to see the world, but you’ll enjoy your trip even more if you plan it with your unique needs in mind.  

If you've always wanted to explore the natural beauty of North America, then you’ll be able to find some incredible gems hidden in the National Parks of Canada. There's no better way to experience the natural beauty of the country than by touring one, or several, of the country's more than 40 National Parks. If this article wets your appetite, then you can find at more at the Parks Canada Agency website.

British Columbia National Parks
No trip to British Columbia is complete without a visit to Glacier National Park, assuming you don't visit during the coldest months of winter when the park is not accessible. The park, which lies in Canada's Columbia mountain range, is home to grizzlies, caribou, and a variety of other species native to the area. Skilled skiers delight in the back country skiing opportunities available within the park.

When in British Columbia, you'll also want to visit Kootenay National Park. This park is open year round, and provides visitors with glimpses of interesting scenery. Where else can you see cacti and glaciers in the same location? You'll enjoy an amazing glimpse of the unique beauty of the Canadian Rockies when your trip includes a stop at Kootenay National Park.

National Parks in Alberta
If you're travels will take you to the Canadian province of Alberta, you must visit both Banff National Park and Wood Buffalo National Park. Both parks are open year round, with the exception of Christmas Day, weather permitting. When you visit Banff, you'll be able to tour a majestic cave, see a real hot springs up close, and enjoy the breathtaking scenery that consists of awe-inspiring glaciers and mountains.

Wood Buffalo National Park is an ideal destination for those who enjoy outdoor activities, including bird watching, hiking, and canoeing. The most adventurous travelers may want to try backpacking and camping in the remote wilderness park, but others may elect more modern accommodations in one of the nearby towns.

Yukon National Park
If your travels take you to the province of Yukon, you'll have an opportunity to view the highest peak in Canada in Kluane National Park. Known for its enormous ice fields and steep, rugged scenery, this park is home to Mount Logan. With its peak height of 5959 meters, you won't find a taller peak anywhere in the country. Because of the icy terrain, you'll need to visit this park between May and September, because it's not open to the public the rest of the year.

Planning Your Canadian National Parks Adventure
These are just a few of the many breathtaking and awe-inspiring national parks located throughout Canada. No matter which of the country's many provinces you plan to visit, you won't be far from a National Park with scenery sure to take your breath away. For cheap flights to Canada, take a look at Cheap Flights.co.uk, while ASDA’s travel website can provide you with some useful guides for the region.

Manchester is now one of the hippest cities to visit in England with a heap of clubs and bars, and a fashion scene that rivals London. There is also the rather magnificent Manchester United Football stadium to entice you too. If you aren’t familiar with Manchester as a place to visit in Europe, then here are a few reasons to forgo London for the sake of this Northern city instead.

Old Trafford Football Stadium

Whether you’re a fan of the team or not, Manchester United has a firm place in the history of football and any fan of the sport will marvel at this giant of Old Trafford, also known as the ‘Theatre of Dreams’. It was built in 1909 to fit 80,000 fans, which makes it the biggest club in Britain. You could - if you’re lucky – try and get a ticket to one of the matches and catch modern legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney in action. If you can’t hold of a ticket or are out of season, walk around the stadium and grab a historical tour at the museum, going back in time to the golden days of the Busby Babes. Alternatively, have a wander over to Eastland’s, the Manchester City Stadium if you want to join the more authentic fans. Both will offer a great slice of Manchester’s old and modern culture, and football history.

Nightclubs

Manchester’s nightlife is certainly a good reason to visit the city. Since the legendary days of the Hacienda, clubs have been a big part of the makeup of this city. Try Sankeys for house music and weekly tribal sessions with top djs (all inside an old soap factory, for extra charm). If you want to put your glamorous or glitzy outfits on then head to Opus nightclub for an upmarket atmosphere and a swanky bar, which is probably a hangout for Manchester United footballers. In the Northern Quarter is Mint Lounge, an underground club that’s a little bit more edgy and chilled out, playing live jazz and soul.

Shopping

Anything London can do Manchester does better, or at least can boast the kind of boutiques that stand along Bond Street. The Manchester set take pride in their appearance and dressing up is a big deal. For the chicest shopping, head down to King Street for Vivienne Westwood, Hermes and Mulberry. Cathedral Street has its own Selfridges and Harvey Nichols for Miu Miu, Prada, and Space NK for makeup and perfume. Bring your credit card to Manchester; you’ll be laden with bags and goodies. For cheap flights to Manchester, check out Fly Monarch, who fly directly to the city from all over Europe and could come in handy when booking your holiday. Don’t forget your credit card, but also don’t overlook travel insurance, which is a must when going anywhere. Try AA Travel, for travel insurance that could be purchased online and keep you protected against any mishaps along the way.

Tuscany is without doubt one of the most beautiful and historically significant areas of Italy, characterised by its rolling hills, historic towns, and the capital Florence: crucible of the renaissance. Flying in to Pisa, it would seem churlish not to take a trip to the infamous leaning tower, situated beside the equally spectacular (if a little more perpendicular) Pisa Cathedral, and the monumental Camposanto in the walled Piazza del Duomo. This square is an astonishing sight, not least when you realise that these magnificent examples of Romanesque architecture have been standing for upwards of 900 years. No wonder the tower is leaning.

From Pisa, it’s about an hour’s drive or bus-ride to Florence, the Tuscan capital. At the heart of the city is the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore; known simply as ‘the duomo’: a vast Basilica encrusted in panels of green and pink marble, bordered with white and crowned with Brunelleschi’s infamous dome. 600 years after its completion, the dome is still the largest dome built with bricks and mortar in the world. As the recognised birthplace of the Italian renaissance, Florence has several astonishing art collections. Florence’s finest art gallery, the Uffizi, houses some of the world’s most celebrated art works by da Vinci, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Bottichelli and Titian, to name a few. Many of these works were part of a hefty bequest by the last member of the Medici family – who ruled Florence for hundreds of years, and were renowned for their patronage of the arts.

Florence is a great base from which to journey deeper into the Tuscan hills, as it is situated equidistantly between other worthy destinations such as the Siena (home to the dramatic annual horse race in the Piazza del Campo), Lucca (a stunning medieval town with still-intact Renaissance-era city walls), and Vinci: birthplace of Leonardo. These places are generally reachable via bus, but the hiring of a car for the duration of your stay is recommended, especially if you fancy exploring the hillsides in a little more depth. In terms of accommodation, Florence is of course heaving with hotels, all scrabbling for tour custom. Be careful here, because the tarifs can vary wildly from place to place, so it’s worth shopping around. Alternatively, you could stay in one of Florence’s many hostels, which offer a cheaper, often more reliable, service.

The hills surrounding Florence, incised by the river Arno, provide easily accessible and tranquil oases to view the busy city below. Watching the sun set over Brunelleschi’s dome from one of the villages that dot the hillside is an extraordinary sight: the rooftops glowing orange in the dying light, all trace of city hubbub silenced by the distance, and replaced by a twilight chorus of birds in the olive groves. Tuscany comes into focus at moments like this: its history, its landscapes, its beauty.

When you're heading to foreign lands, don't forget to book travel insurance. If you have an EHIC Card, then this might necessarilly provide you with the correct cover if you fall ill while away, and it won't protect you against loss or accidental damage. For low cost travel insurance, take a look at Go Travel.