Skills Holidays has launched its 2009 UK and continental holiday programme and there’s much to mark the company’s 90th year in the business of pleasure.

Founded in 1919 by Arthur Skill, the current managing director’s grandfather, the family firm has pulled out all the stops to offer the best ever choice of stylish holidays for travellers from the East Midlands, South Yorkshire and further afield.

According to managing director, Nigel Skill, there are 40 new holidays on offer with over one hundred other choices developed around popular and long established near and distant favourites. “Over half the programmes will be operated using our top class Premier coach fleet including our latest arrival, a £235,000 fifty three seater coach.
“In 2009, we’ll be offering everything from 13 days in South Africa to weekend breaks on the Malvern Hills. New additions include luxury ladies’ and gents’ three day weekend breaks at a Lincolnshire spa resort; Mothers’ Day at the ‘Pudding Club’ in Gloucestershire and a spooky tour to York to explore the city’s ghostly haunts.

“Alongside a full complement of continental tours to places including the Med, France, Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic, I am delighted that we are able to offer one of the best ever ranges in our 90 years of service,” says Nigel.

Search for Skills Holidays Here

Grand UK Holidays, specializing in over-55 travel, announced that it has been forced to discontinue the free insurance it has offered on domestic breaks for the last 25 years.

The travel operator said that it needed to make the change in its 2009 programme due to the new FSA regulations stipulating how travel companies are permitted to sell insurance, effective 1 January.

To replace the insurance feature, customers will receive a ‘price-back insurance’ offer if they choose to buy Grand UK’s own insurance for domestic coach holidays – anywhere in England, Scotland or Wales. Customers would receive a voucher worth £10, which could be used toward the purchase of their next holiday their next holiday, subject to certain conditions.

The company’s sales director, Harold Burke, said: “This has upset the travel industry and is not necessarily better for the consumer.

“It is making the whole issue more difficult and more expensive to operate, which will ultimately have an impact on the consumer.”

Grand UK’s summer 2009 programme marks the company’s 25th anniversary, and features 42 new itineraries. Holidays by air are up by approximately 40 per cent.

“Despite the credit crunch, more of our customers are taking holidays by air, as well as river and ocean cruises,” Burke added.

“We are not seeing cutbacks or people trading down at this point in time. There may be an impact in the future but we are not seeing evidence of it so far.”

The brochure sees the introduction of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines alongside 12 itineraries on the ship Marco Polo. Two new river cruises have also been added.

Search for Grand UK Holidays

Christmas markets offer a different twist to the festive season; stalls bursting with traditional crafts, unusual gifts and local treats, they are ideal for a last-minute shopping spree! Each Christmas market has an enchanting character of its own, with an overwhelming romantic and quaint atmosphere. Dancing glittering lights and the occasional fluttering of snow only serve to enhance a special pre-Christmas glow.

You can travel to some of the most desirable European destinations in November or December including Germany, France, Belgium & Italy. These holidays are a great way to really take part in and experience the way fellow Europeans celebrate the festive season. Delight in traditional foreign diversions that will most certainly involve live music, lots of local gorgeous fare and fun, whilst observing the quieter, reverent spiritual rituals. There are a vast amount of holidays to choose from, the only problem you will encounter is deciding on your personal choice!

Make a confirmed booking to a Christmas Market with any coach operator between 24th September and 31st October, and you will be entered into a prize draw to win 1 x Marks & Spencer Christmas Hamper worth £80, which includes:

Traditional Willow Picnic Basket with lid • Mulled Red Wine • Monte Oton Garnacha WIne • Monte Oton Viura Wine • Classic Recipe Fully Iced Christmas Cake • Classic Recipe Christmas Pudding • Strawberry & Oudinot Champagne Conserve made with Fairtrade Sugar • Christmas Teabags (40 bags) • Christmas Coffee • Spiced Fruit Chutney • Scottish All Butter Shortbread Selection • Chocolate Selection • Brandy Butter
(In the event of supply difficulties, Marks & Spencer reserve the right to substitute goods or packaging of equal quality and value)

Search for Christmas Markets here

Competition is now closed

Winner announced shortly

Terms & Conditions

• The draw is open to all UK residents and the winner must be over 18 only due to nature of prize.
• No cash alternative - If hamper is unavailable, then a prize of equal or higher value will be awarded.
• Only one entry per household.
• You will only be entered into the prize draw if you make a confirmed booking with coachholidays.com between 24th September and the 31st October to any Christmas Market in November or December 2008 with any tour operator featured on our website.
• The draw will take place on Monday 3rd November.
• The winner will be notified within 14 days of the draw being made. The winner’s name and county will be available on: www.coachholidays.com or by sending a SAE to: Coachholidays.com Christmas Hamper Competition, 62 George Street, Croydon, CR0 1PD.
• No correspondence will be entered into. The decision is final. The promoter is Coachholidays.com.
• If we are unable to contact any winner after making reasonable efforts to do so within 12 calendar days, then the prize will be deemed to have been forfeited, and we reserve the right to offer the prize to the entrant whose name is next drawn at random.
• We will only ever use your personal details for the purposes of administering this competition, and will not publish them or provide them to anyone else.

We are delighted to announce that Edwards Coaches of Pontypridd, South Wales will be joining the prestigious line up of coach operators that we offer on the coachholidays.com website.

The Edwards family has operated buses and coaches in South Wales since 1925 and during the following 20 years or so, the company’s main source of income was the “local bus service” into the market town of Pontypridd. Later on as the near-by Treforest Industrial Estate expanded, many factory workers were transported to & from work and also during the Second World War, to the munitions factory at Bridgend
The 50’s and 60’s brought new ambitions for Edwards and indeed its clients. Their luxury coaches boasted a heater and radio, picking up clients from all over the South Wales Valleys and transporting them to popular UK destinations, such as Bath, Blackpool, London and Stratford. During the early 60’s, tours were organised as far afield as Austria, Belgium and Paris.

Since those early days, the company has expanded and diversified progressively, acquiring several smaller local firms. Presently, they operate a fleet of over 100 buses and coaches from their head office just outside Pontypridd and employ 150 local inhabitants. Last year, they also carried over 5,000 students to school each day and provided over 50,000 clients with their own customised, value for money package holidays.

They are also very proud and honoured to be chosen as the company to transport the Welsh Rugby team to training sessions and matches in Cardiff, which ultimately led to the well-earned Grand Slam successes during 2005 & 2008. They also transport the national rugby teams of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Fiji for the Autumn Tests in addition to providing transport for the 2007 Rugby World Cup and the 2008 Junior World Cup teams.

Unlike some other coach tour operators, Edwards Coaches are very aware that by owning and operating their own fleet of coaches, they not only have total control over the condition of the coach in which their customers travel, but also the attitude and competence of the driver, who plays a very important part in the success of the holiday.

The company has recently increased and renewed their holiday coach fleet, investing over 2 million pounds in the last two years on brand new, executive coaches. These new executive style coaches are manufactured to a common specification and are all fitted with air-conditioning, reclining seats, toilet/wash room, CD, VHS/DVD players, satellite navigation etc, and with a maximum of 49 seats  providing adequate leg room.

They have also been awarded a number of prestigious accolades at the UK Brighton Coach Rally over the years: ‘Welsh Coach of the Year’ 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008, ‘UK Coach of the Year’ 2007, ‘Setra Coach of the Year (Manufacturer)’ 2007, ‘Peter Rogers Memorial Cup’ (highest placed CPT member in all categories) 2007, ‘Best Co-ordinated Coach Interior’ 2005.

Fully bonded under the Confederation of Passenger Transport CPT Bonded Coach Holiday Scheme and with their own ATOL licence issued by the Civil Aviation Authority customers can relax in the knowledge that their holiday is fully protected.
They also hold the much acclaimed CoachMarque which is the quality standard of the CPT.

They do not profess to offer the cheapest holidays, although you will find that their rates are very competitive compared to other companies, however they focus on quality and constantly strive to create the perfect holiday for their passengers, from the highest quality to the best value, from city cultures to scenic spectaculars. New hotels, itineraries and destinations are continually being added to their tour programme, ensuring that the holidays are always fresh and up to date.

The 2008 UK & European holiday brochure is their largest yet - 130 full colour pages featuring new destinations as well as the ever-popular favorites. They offer approximately 300 local pick-up points as well as door to door pick up’s on some of our longer European tours including exciting new destinations to Eastern Europe featuring Zakopane in Poland, Berlin and Dresden plus Prague.

If you don’t live in South Wales and feel that you may be missing out on the opportunity to experience one of their tours do not despair. We are working closely with Edwards to ensure that they can offer departures along the route for example, Reading and Dover on their continental Coach Holidays as well as various other departures to join the Edwards tour coach in your chosen destination.

Coachholidays.com are very excited to have struck this pot of gold in the hillsides and valleys of South Wales and once you have had the chance to tour with them we are sure that you will share our excitement.

Check our Edwards Coaches web page on coachholidays.com very soon to search for their latest holidays.

Alfa Travel today confirmed that there will be no surcharges on their holidays as a result of increasing fuel costs. Managing Director, Paul Sawbridge, said:

“Everyone knows that fuel costs have risen dramatically in recent months and most of our competitors have introduced surcharges of between £1 and £3 per day. On a Continental coach holiday, this can increase the cost by anything up to £42 per person.
“Some operators are also adding currency surcharges reflecting the fall in the value of the pound against the Euro, which can make the surcharge even greater. If they also levy a credit card charge, which can be as high as 2% of the holiday price, the combined cost of their hidden charges can easily exceed £100 per couple on a longer Continental holiday.
“We estimate that if prices of fuel, gas and electricity stay at current levels, the fuel and energy costs for our coaches and hotels will rise by roughly half a million pounds this year, so I can fully understand why they have taken this action.
“However, we believe that changes of this sort in a company’s costs should be absorbed by the company for holidays which have already been advertised. We will therefore not be increasing the cost of any of the holidays featured in any of our published brochures.
“This guarantee includes all holidays featured in our Summer 2008 and Autumn 2008/Spring 2009 brochures.”

Follow this link to search for Alfa Travel holidays

We are delighted to announce The Crusader Summer Sale which starts today !!
27 fantastic reductions with one of the South East’s finest fleets of German Setra touring coaches!

Bruges 3 days 18th July was £164.00 Now £126.00 Saving £38 !!
Paris CP 18-Jul 3days Was £154 Now £117 Saving £37 !
Eden Project TGC 18-Jul 3 days Was £195 Now £148.50 Saving £ 46.50!!
Lake Maggiore by air AIM 20-Jul 7 days Was £570 Now £450 Saving £120.00!!
Bournemouth EBQ 20-Jul 7 days Was £395 Now £306 Saving £89.00!!
Blackpool EB 21-Jul 5 days Was £279 now £215.10 Saving £63.90!
Torquay ETQ 27-Jul 7 days Was £359 Now £274.50 Saving £84.50!!
Paris Weekend CP 01-Aug 3 days Was £164 Now £117 Saving £47.00!!
Gardeners Weekend EGW 01-Aug 3 days Was £179 Now £135 Saving £44.00!!
Cotswolds ECW 04-Aug 5 days Was £275 Now £211.50 Saving £63.50!!
German Cities & Berlin CBN 10-Aug 7 days Was £480 Now £378 Saving £ 102.00!!
Five Star Dresden CDR 10-Aug 7 days Was £520 Now £414 Saving £106.00!!
Paris Monets Gardens CPM 10-Aug 5 days Was £280 Now £225 Saving £55.00!!
Edinburgh Tattoo EE 10-Aug 5 days Was £299 Now £243 Saving £56.00!!
Llandudno ELS 10-Aug 7 days Was £359 Now £279 Saving £80.00!!
Bruges CBR 15-Aug 3 days Was £164 Now £126 Saving £38.00!!
London ELW 15-Aug 3 days Was £145 Now £112.50 Saving £32.50!!
Eden Project TGC 15-Aug 3 days Was £195 Now £148.50 Saving £46.50!!
Bournemouth EBQ 17-Aug 7 days Was £399 Now £314.10 Saving £84.90!!
Shropshire ESS 18-Aug 5 days Was £289 Now £233.10 Saving £55.90!!
Amsterdam CA 29-Aug 3 days Was £174 Now £135 Saving £39.00!!
Bavarian Alps CBA 29-Aug 9 days Was £555 Now £445.50 Saving £109.50!!
Italian/French Rivieras CDM 29-Aug 9 days Was £486 Now £392.40 Saving £93.60!!
Blackpool Illuminations EBL 29-Aug 3 days Was £145 Now £114.30 Saving £30.70!!
Rome & Sorrento CSA 31-Aug 12 days Was £821 Now £629.10 Saving £191.90!!
Lake Geneva CSV 31-Aug 7 days Was £450 Now £344.70 Saving £105.30!!
Newquay ENQ 31-Aug 7 days Was £345 Now £264.60 Saving £80.40!!

Find all these deals and more on our Special Offers page on Coachholidays.com

Please note: These are for South East only departures

Seasoned traveller Billy Lawes regularly enjoys coach holidays - but he took his first ever flight earlier this month at the age of 90.
The World War Two veteran had travelled to the Continent by boat on active service, and has taken more than a dozen coach tours with over-55s operator Grand UK Holidays.
But despite living about six miles from Heathrow, in Langley, he’d never taken to the skies before.
He flew with Aer Lingus from Heathrow to Cork on June 2, and at the end of the flight was invited to meet the captain in the cockpit.

“I felt like a celebrity when he congratulated me on my flight,” said Billy, who only mentioned it was his first flight after dropping his pen and chatting to a fellow passenger.
Married for 57 years, until his wife died 10 years ago, Billy had not ventured anywhere by plane, preferring coach holidays.
“My wife never wanted to go anywhere by plane or boat, but I have always fancied seeing the Ring of Kerry,” said Billy.
“I also have friends out there – including one chap who I taught accordion to – and they collected me during the holiday for a tour.”

He flew on a Grand UK Holidays’ five-day break to Cork, which includes a full day coach tour to Killarney and the Ring of Kerry.
He had no worries about flying for the first time, and the only problem was having his nail clippers confiscated on the journey home – he’d had them since World War Two.

He said the Montenotte Hotel in Cork where he stayed was “lovely”.
“I had a huge bed…we could have had an orgy up there!” he joked. “Ann Pedrick, the tour manager on the holiday was out of this world, she knew so much.”

Now back at home, he has already booked his next break with Grand UK Holidays – to Weymouth - and is looking forward to planning another flight.
Billy was on the ‘Ireland’s Second City’ holiday, which features departures from Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick and Birmingham to Cork.
It costs from £319 for five days, including return flights, four nights’ half-board accommodation and the coach tour of Killarney and Ring of Kerry.

The Guild of British Coach Operators members had cause to celebrate at the 2008 Coach Tourism Awards organised by Coach Monthly magazine, winning no less than 4 prestigious awards, including Coach Tour Operator of the Year! Held at the Ricoh Arena on June 5th, the accolades awarded to members of the Guild of British Coach Operators came thick and fast:

Eddie Brown Tours - voted UK Holiday Programme of the Year for the second year running. The judges noted Eddie Brown Tours ´commitment to quality´ and how ´the company keeps raising the bar´.

Galloway European Coachlines - Coach Tour Operator of the Year (fleets of over 10 vehicles). The judges comment - ´a worthy winner´. What more can we add!

Meanwhile, recognising the people behind successful companies, Epsom Coaches´ Alistair Scott was voted Coach Tourism Manager of the Year.

Other Guild members who were shortlisted as finalists included Skills Holidays and Woods Coaches.

The UK remains the top destination for holidays despite unpredictable weather, new research shows.

More than three quarters of UK internet users - 21 million adults - plan to take a main holiday of seven nights or more away this year, with the UK the most popular destination, followed by Spain, the US and France.

Data produced by research firm Continental Research shows that the South West (Devon, Cornwall and Scilly Isles) is by far the most favoured domestic holiday destination with 35% heading there in 2008 for a main holiday or short break.

Other popular regions are Wales (19%), Somerset and Dorset (18%), Scotland (18%), Yorkshire (13%) and the Lake District (11%).

The popularity of the UK has grown in recent years with many mentioning the great scenery (56%) and no language barrier (47%).

More than 40% are fed up with air travel, 37% also believe it is kinder to the environment to stay in the UK. and 44% worry less if they are ill.

Colin Shaddick, Continental Research’s report author, said: “The British are perhaps used to unexpected heat waves or chilly washouts, so it doesn’t stop us taking our main holiday or mini-breaks here in the UK.

“The UK is also the most popular destination for short breaks. Amongst the 58% of internet users talking a paid for short break in 2008 the UK dominates the destinations visited, followed by the nearer European countries especially France.

“The opening of the new Eurostar terminal and the shorter travel times this service now offers to the continent are likely to encourage more people to think of France and Belgium for short breaks in the future and may compete more aggressively with some UK regions.”

At Coachholidays.com we are very proud to be in the forefront of technology. We were the first site to be able to search for coach holidays leaving from your home town and now we have made our search even better and more accurate to save you clicking through numerous pages to find your perfect holiday.

We need your help in testing and using the search to find your next coach holiday. If it’s proves to be a success, then please let us know, if it doesn’t work properly, then again, please let us know so we can fix it!

HOW IT WORKS
1. Select the departure date of when you would like to go. You can select either a certain date or just a month.
2. Choose +/- Days to check either side of your chosen date.
3. Select a Duration if needed.
4. Select your Departure Area, such as Surrey or Dorset, then you can enter your home town to narrow the search even more - Quick Tip: if a tour doesn’t pick-up in your town, try a nearby town.
5. Next select an operator if you prefer one to another, if not, just leave this as Any Operator.
6. Now, this is where it has changed. Instead of selecting where you would like to go, i.e. England, France etc, you can now type in your holiday destination. In the example image opposite, you can search for holidays leaving from Croydon, in June and going to Bournemouth. You can type anything you like in this box, a few examples below:

• Isle of Wight
• London
• Torquay
• Dublin
• Paris
• Berlin
• Bruges
• Barcelona

or if you want a broad search like before, just enter the country you would like to visit, e.g. England, Italy, France, Spain etc

You can also put in this box the tour code of the holiday if you know this, e.g. BSSANSD

This new search is still in development and we would love to have your feedback, positive or negative, it all helps in providing you the best possible site to search for your next coach holiday.

Please leave your comments below, use the quick poll or email me personally at phil@coachholidaynews.com

We regret to announce that due to the continuing increases in the price of Diesel, Shearings Holidays have found it necessary to introduce a £1.00 a day fuel surcharge on all its UK breaks as from 09:00 hrs today, Friday 9th of May 2008. We will be posting a warning on every Shearings UK holiday but due to the size of the task this will take some time.

We will keep you updated with any other Surcharges from other operators as they happen.

Silver Service fleet set to grow to 29 strong

The expansion of Leger’s Silver Service fleet comes as the operator celebrates its 25th anniversary.

The nine new Silver Service coaches take Leger’s luxury fleet to 29 and include five 40 seater, 13 metre Silver Service coaches and four 36 seater, 12 metre Silver Service coaches.

Offering a more comfortable, pleasant and convenient way to travel, Leger’s Silver Service coaches are becoming increasingly popular with three out of five guests choosing to upgrade to Silver Service.

Huw Williams, Marketing Director at Leger Holidays said, “Over the past 25 years we have firmly established ourselves as a leading provider of European coaching tours. The expansion of our Silver Service fleet marks our continued growth and means that we are even more equipped to meet the ever increasing demand for our Silver Service breaks.”

Silver Service coaches feature:
• Extra Legroom
• Deluxe reclining seats, leather headrests, and footrests for comfort
• A maximum of 40 seats, allowing for a smaller group size and a more personal holiday experience
• Climate controlled deluxe coach travel
• Spacious rear lounge to relax and meet fellow travellers
• Satellite navigation display which allows you to watch your journey progress
• Individual personal headphones which can be used to listen to music or watch a DVD at your leisure
• Passenger reading material, cards and board games
• A washroom and a servery which offers a range of refreshments
• Personal flip-down tables for you to write, read or enjoy your refreshments in comfort

Silver Service coach holidays include:
• Extra included excursions (on most departures) to enhance your holiday experience
• Porterage in all hotels, allowing you to travel without having to carry heavy luggage around
• Reserved seating on your main tour coach

For those seeking something just that little bit more special as part of their coaching break an upgrade to Silver Service is the ideal option. For just a small extra cost, the option to upgrade to Silver Service coach is now available on a wide number of Leger tours.

Look on our website to search for Leger Holidays

The soaring rate of the Euro has prompted a boost in domestic bookings for many holiday firms as travellers seek the best-value breaks.

Over-55s specialist Grand UK Holidays is well placed to take advantage of an increase in demand for British tours, because it has a wide domestic portfolio.

Grand UK Holidays sales director Harold Burke said: “Our escorted tours and self-drive holidays across the UK have always represented good value for money. But if people are concerned about the costs of dining and driving abroad, then there are plenty of scenic and historic destinations here on their doorstep which offer affordable holiday options.

“Our customers, being retired, are not tied into peak season or school holidays so they can take breaks when the prices are lower – saving them more money.”

Grand UK Holidays offers a wide range of breaks in England, Wales and Scotland, with many departures in May. The 2008 brochure features:

• Heartbeat Country & the Heritage Coast - only £357.93 – departs May 17

Eight days, including coach travel, half-board accommodation, and two full-day excursions – one to Whitby and the North York Moors National Park and the other along the ‘Heritage Coast’ to Flamborough Head and Beverley.

• The Heart of Wales – only £334.65 – departs May 17

Eight days, including coach travel, half-board accommodation at the Glen Usk in Llandrindod Wells, which is owned by sister brand Grand UK Hotels, and three excursions – one to Aberystwyth, one to the Cambrian Mountains, and the third to the Heart of Wales Railway for a journey on the train to Llandovery.

• Beautiful Beaulieu & The Isle of Wight – only £247.35 – departs May 19

Five days, including coach travel, half-board accommodation, entertainment and two full-day excursions - one to the New Forest and Beaulieu, with its National Motor Museum; and one around the Isle of Wight.

• Country Gardens of Lincolnshire – only £241.53 – departs May 26

New for 2008, this five-day holiday includes coach travel, half-board accommodation, entertainment and two full-day excursions with personalised guided tours of wonderful gardens, ranging from the formal to intimate hidden gems.

• Shakespeare Country & the Cotswolds – only £290.03 – departs May 26

Another new tour for 2008, this five-day holiday includes coach travel, half-board accommodation, entertainment and two full-day excursions – one to the scenic Cotswolds and Cirencester, the other to Warwick and Royal Leamington Spa.

• Coast to Coast – £425.83 – departs May 31

Eight days, including coach travel, with excursions to see the Lake District, Kirkcudbright, Dumfries, Edinburgh, Hexham, North York Moors Coast and National Park, and Richmond. This twin-centre holiday offers half-board accommodation in Dumfries and Darlington.

For bookings call 0845 330 3747 or see www.coachholidays.com

Under the Sea Change initiative the government has promised £45 million to help regenerate England’s once thriving seaside towns. The first resorts to be allocated funds were announced recently by the Culture Secretary, Andy Burnham. Blackpool, Dover and Torbay will be the first towns to receive up to £4 million of goverment funding through the scheme together with up to 12 other seaside towns who will also receive smaller grants this year.

The Sea Change programme will place culture at the heart of this regeneration by investing in public space, arts, cultural assets and heritage projects to bring a sense of pride, enjoyment and celebration.

Many seaside resorts have experienced declining economic circumstances as a result of changes in tourism and issues relating to housing and transport. The Department for Culture, Media & Sport believe that public investment in cultural projects and public spaces can give a huge kick start to local regeneration. The programme will work to ensure that investment in cultural projects complements and enhances wider regeneration programmes. Culture is important to all places, but this programme will target seaside resorts as a means to help them improve the quality of life for residents, attract new and more visitors, and help restructure the economy.

In 2001, the English Tourism Council said “Seaside resorts have made an enormous contribution to the cultural identity of England and contain some of the finest examples of our built heritage. This is overlooked rather than promoted.” In 2003, CABE and English Heritage published Shifting sands which demonstrated that high quality buildings and open spaces can radically enhance the ways that historic seaside resorts are developing, changing and re-inventing themselves. Sea Change draws on the lessons of Shifting Sands, and following the Communities and Local Government Committee report on Coastal Towns in 2006/07 represents a positive response to the issues indentified in seaside resorts. Recognising the impact of climate change on patterns of behaviour, Sea Change also offers new opportunities to enhance the visitor experience encouraging greater numbers of people to spend holidays and short breaks at England’s seaside resorts.

Sir John Sorrell the chairman of CABE commented: “CABE believes that investment in design and culture can trigger the regeneration that England’s much loved seaside resorts need. We want to see exciting and innovative projects which build on the strong identity these towns enjoy and give them the best opportunity to recapture their original flair. Sea Change will be a catalyst for a brighter future through well-designed buildings, spaces and places.”

Sea Change runs for three years with £15 million allocated to resorts each year. The leading partner behind the initiative is the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) who are working together with Arts Council England; BIG Lottery Fund; English Heritage; Heritage Lottery Fund; Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and the Regional Development Agencies. Local authorities will submit projects and must match 100% of all funding given in order to qualify for the grant with the key criteria being that the resort is in an area of social and economic deprivation which is in need of regeneration. For more information visit www.cabe.org.uk and search for Sea Change.

From 21st to 29th June 2008 Blackpool is the meeting place for veterans from all over the UK. Events held throughout the week are designed to entertain young and old and bring together Veterans of all ages.

Events include:

Military Exhibition and Flying Displays 21-22 June - Promenade
Spitfire, hurricane and hawk will display aerobatic skill, the RAF Falcons drop in, in graceful parachute formation and the Royal Marines recreate a spectacular amphibious attack on Blackpool’s beach.

Aero GP 28-29 June – Promenade
An exciting air race delivered by veterans for veterans showcasing amazing aerobatic racing skills.

Veterans’ Sporting Weekend 28-29 June – Stanley Park
Anyone for cricket or golf? Join veterans and forces teams for two days of superb summer sports.

In addition there will be a gala dinner which will be held on 25th June at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool together with many more events taking place throughout the week.

Blackpool is also proud to host the nation’s Veterans’ Day celebrations on 27th June
when Blackpool will welcome veterans from all over the world to join together in a series of events celebrating the achievements of veterans during their service and in their civilian lives.

Many of our operators run tours to Blackpool during this time. For further information and to find out whether there is a tour departing near you visit coachholidays.com or call our reservations line on
0845 330 3747

Alternatively, if you just need a hotel to stay in at Blackpool, visit our UK Hotel Breaks page.

For further information and regular updates on events during Blackpool Veterans’ Week visit www.veteransweek.co.uk

Coachholidays.com are pleased to announce that Excelsior Coaches will be working with us as we continue to offer our customers a wider choice of holidays.

Not all coach operators are the same. With 85 years of experience Excelsior Coaches provides the most modern air-conditioned fleet in the Southern region and is one of only 35 elite Coach Operators in the United Kingdom to be awarded by the Confederation of Passenger Transport prestigious Coach Marque.
 
The Confederation of Passenger Transport in accrediting Excelsior Coaches with this award recognised the organisation as “one of the highest quality coach service providers”.

Excelsior, based in Bournemouth, pride themselves on offering exceptional service. They provide a modern, comfortable and safe coach fleet at very competitive prices. Operating an extensive tour programme they offer over 100 Continental and United Kingdom tours and are confident that you will find a tour to suit your requirements.

As Excelsior says:

It gives us great pleasure to bring you our 2008 tour programme. Here you will find a wide range of tours departing throughout spring, summer autumn and winter, up to and including our Christmas 2008 tours. We have included your favourite destinations as well as a variety of new places to visit in the United Kingdom and Europe.

During the last year we have expanded our fleet to 21 luxury executive coaches. We also now offer an enhanced home pick up service.

We are also dedicated to improve our impact on global warming and are working closely with the Carbon Trust to achieve this. Every client of Excelsior can be assured that they are reducing as far as is feasible the impact of their travel on the environment.

To all of our regular clients and first-time travellers we look forward to welcoming you onboard.

Look out for Excelsior holidays on the coachholidays.com website now.

The Crusader Open day takes place on Saturday 8th March 2008 at their headquarters in Essex. Crusader will run a FREE coach from Croydon, Bromley and Orpington for any of our local customers who wish to visit this event. This not only offers you the opportunity to experience the luxury of travelling on a Crusader coach, but also gives you the chance to meet the Crusader team at their offices and workshops in Clacton-on-Sea.

Check out below what’s on offer!

Highlights of this annual event include:

• Tours of Crusader Holidays offices, workshop and garage facilities.
• Crusader’s new coaches will be on show plus vintage coaches and buses. You can go on board, chat to the drivers and ask our mechanics those technical questions you have always wanted to ask.
• Visit their Operations and Reservations Departments for an insight into how they get you to and from your holiday successfully.
• Meet hotel suppliers who will be displaying details of their hotels.
• See Dream 100 radio station presenting an outside broadcast with the final of the wedding competition sponsored by Crusader.
• Meet the staff from Butlins including a Butlins Redcoat and Billy Bear!
• New’ for 2008 there will be a presentation of the Crusader Holiday’s Travel Club for frequent travellers.
• Enter Crusader’s free draw for a 2 night Weekend break for 2 people in London at the Thistle Tower Hotel, including breakfast.
• Refreshments

In addition, for coachholidays.com customers there is a chance to enjoy a couple of hours visiting Clacton-on-Sea, one of Essex’s and England’s best known resorts. With spacious sandy beaches the resort prospered with the introduction of the railway in 1882 and became famous in the 60’s with the ‘Mods’ and ‘Rockers’ fights. The resort is still very popular with plenty of shops, entertainments, attractions and accommodation. A real family resort!

Places on the coach are strictly limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. If you are interested in visiting please call into our shop in Croydon or phone on 020 8234 1629.

For those of you who wish to make your own travel arrangements the event takes place from 1000hrs – 1500hrs at the Head Office, Crusader Business Park, Stephenson Road West, Clacton CO15 4HP. There will be free coach transport to and from Clacton Railway Station (Ring Crusader on 01255 425453 for further details).

Passengers’ Pulse Rates Monitored To Test Four Modes of Transport

In what is believed to be the first experiment of its type in the UK, Leger Holidays, in conjunction with leading travel trade publication TTG, has used digital monitors to test passengers travelling on four modes of transport to find out which offers the most and least stress-free travel.

Participants in the experiment, four female travel agents and their families, used digital blood pressure monitors to record their pulse rates in a diary every 30 minutes while travelling to Disneyland Resort Paris from the UK.

Findings show that, comparing the initial pre-journey reading, and then looking at each subsequent 30-minute reading, the mode of transport which showed the pulse rate decreasing most consistently hour-by-hour was coach. The indication being that the coach passenger was becoming more relaxed and less stressed than the other three passengers.

Bottom of the list – seemingly the most stressed – was the travel agent travelling by Eurostar; her readings showed a greater consistency of increasing pulse rate readings as her journey from the UK to France unfolded.
The second most stressed passenger, was the agent travelling by air, leaving the self-drive passenger runner-up to coaching as the least stressed participant.

Huw Williams, Marketing Director at Leger Holidays, said:

“A holiday should be an enjoyable experience from the moment you leave home to arriving back, and of course everything in between.

“Part of our plan in starting this experiment was to isolate some of the trigger points which cause stress, and then try to eliminate them from our passengers’ journeys.

“We appreciate that to make this absolutely scientific, we need to add in more factors, such as testing a much larger sample size over more holiday experiences. However, what this does for us is provide a good indication of some of the more general factors.

“For example, the results indicate that for the participant travelling by coach the most stressful point was just prior to the journey – perhaps finding travel documents and waiting for the coach to arrive – but once on-board the traveller became consistently more relaxed.

“For the self-drive participant, the most stressful points were packing the car and adjusting the headlight reflectors in France – simple pre-advance advice about preparation might be all that’s needed here.

“For the Eurostar participant, pulse seemed to rise during the queue to get onto the train and then during the mid-part of the journey itself – perhaps going through the tunnel was an anxious moment for this particular agent.

“The air passenger’s pulse rate rose during a flight delay and again transferring to the hotel shuttle bus – unfortunately delays can affect all kinds of transport, but perhaps there is something we can look into for transfers.

“At Leger we are constantly looking for ways to make it even easier for our customers to experience the best of Europe in the most comfortable and enjoyable way, and this experiment is just one of the ways in which we are working to achieve this.

“It has been a valuable exercise and now we must look to see what changes we can bring to benefit our customers.”

The festive holiday is always a great event with Shearings Holidays and they are now offering customers the opportunity to book their 2008 Christmas or New Year Celebrations at 2007 prices.

Join friends old and new and celebrate away from home with stunning locations across Britain. Superb hospitality, great entertainment and traditional fayre will guarantee you a festive treat!

If you haven’t visited Europe at this time of year then you have missed something glorious. Discover new towns or revisit your old favourites across Europe – from the Tyrol to Lake Como, from Prague to Bruges, Shearings are sure to have something to suit your taste.

There is also the opportunity to book your visit to the European Christmas Markets. With prices from only £209 this is a fabulous way to spend time Christmas shopping in the traditional and festive atmosphere of these famous markets.

These holidays and more are now available at coachholidays.com. But beware - to take advantage of these great prices, holidays must be booked before 29th February 2008.

Coachholidays.com is pleased to announce that Consort Travel will be joining our website.

Based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Consort Travel (Glade Travel Ltd) is now in its 25th year of operating holidays. They offer a vast choice of coach tours, air holidays and cruise packages, and their 2008 collection is their biggest and best yet. They have picked out the best destinations and scenic journeys to delight their customers and over the years have built a reputation for providing superb quality and outstanding value for money. As well as Spring, Summer and Autumn tours they also offer a fairly extensive Christmas programme. Pick up points are offered throughout Scotland, England and Wales.

All Holidays By Coach Offer:

• Local meeting points – or make your own way and meet at the port
• No overnight continental travel – overnight stays in quality hotels are included
• A relaxing journey - all modern coaches are air-conditioned with WC & on-board washrooms.
• Safety as standard – seat belts on all coaches, speed restrictions and regulations covering drivers’ hours are strictly enforced
• Value for money packages – All holidays offer included excursions, sit back and relax with the services of experienced drivers.

All Holidays By Air Offer:

• Departures from a choice of regional airports
• Transfers between the airport and your accommodation
• A Tour Manager or Representative to assist you upon arrival
• All UK and overseas airport taxes

All Cruise Holidays Offer:

• Departures from a choice of regional airports
• Transfers between the airport and your accommodation or cruise ship
• All meals on board
• Entertainment by day and night
• Porterage onboard ship
• A Tour Manager or Representative to assist you upon arrival
• All UK and overseas airport taxes

In addition to their standard tours Consort also offer Gold Selection Tours which guarantee a minimum of 4* accommodation. Alternatively on certain departures within their tour programme, there is the opportunity to travel on their luxurious Royal Consort coach.

Check the coachholidays.com website soon to see if there is a Consort Tour departing near you.

Holidaymakers aged over 55 can put a spring in their step by booking an Easter or spring break with Grand UK Holidays.

The over-55s specialist operator offers great value for money with its four-day Easter breaks from just £154.23, and five-day spring short breaks, also from £154.23.

For the Easter holiday period, there is still availability in seven UK locations, from the sunshine resorts of the south coast to magnificent Snowdonia and beyond. With all coach travel and sight-seeing excursions included, as well as half-board accommodation, evening entertainment and free insurance, these bargain breaks won’t break the bank.

All Easter breaks depart on Good Friday (March 21) and return on Easter Monday (March 24). The hotels available are Grand UK Hotels in Llandudno, Skegness, Kendal, Sandown, Bridlington, Blackpool and Torquay.

Customers can also meet like-minded people and enjoy an affordable spring break with Grand UK Holidays’ range of spring short breaks, from £154.23 for five days. The perfect tonic to recharge your batteries, these popular short breaks are available at seven hotels in scenic touring locations around the UK. Departure dates are throughout March (except Easter weekend), and the price includes all coach travel, half-board accommodation, two sightseeing excursions, evening entertainment and free insurance.

For bookings call 0845 330 3747 or see www.coachholidays.com

Coachholidays.com are pleased to announce the inclusion of the 2008 tour programme from Wessex Continental.

Wessex Continental Travel, based in Saltash near Plymouth, operate tours from the Avon, Devon and Cornwall areas via the Plymouth Ferryport. Pick ups for most coach tours start in Bristol and follow a route down to Plymouth via the main towns.

As well as sightseeing tours to France, Spain and Portugal, John Hill the owner of Wessex Continental is keen to point out their specialist programmes of Wine Tours and Jazz Tours, which are quickly becoming some of their most popular events.

As John says “Yes, we also run wine tours and have been doing so for over 25 years. The Tour Director who travels with these holidays is Stephen Barrett, the well known broadcaster and writer and wine lecturer. The tours shown are our public programme but are in no way the complete picture. We are happy to arrange a wine tour to any destination.”

A programme of holidays featuring Jazz at the hotel (and on the ship) started about 15 years ago with a visit to Cantabria in Green Spain - the area of Spain stretching from the French border at Bayonne, starting with the Basque Region and continuing through Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia eventually finishing at the northern border of Portugal. As the popularity of these tours increased Wessex Continental made a second departure to Brittany in Spring and in 2008 a third, longer tour has been added, to Portugal.

In addition to the Panama Jazz Band Wessex Continental will also be handling the arrangements for two more Bands in 2008, the Dart Valley Stompers who play Trad in a driving manner and the Band of Gold, a versatile band with rock and roll and swing as their mainstay but also playing the Blues and Latin American rhythms. The Dart Valley Stompers and Band of Gold are led by award winning Jeremy Huggett and the visit to Spain with them also features New York trombonist Jim Fryer.

Led by trombonist Colin Kingwell, the Colin Kingwell’s Jazz Bandits have been in existence since 1956. They have played in Denmark, Holland, Sweden, France, Switzerland, Cyprus and U.S.A. The band plays in the New Orleans style and is popular in clubs and festivals throughout the U.K. An ideal band for dancing and rapport with audiences.

In particular John wishes to promote the benefits of travelling with a local tour operator.

“Our aim is to design no-hassle tours that will please you and persuade you to return with us in the future. To do this, we go out of our way to select suitable hotels; to avoid any daft departure times; to make the travelling as leisurely and as comfortable as possible and not an endless yomp for hours on end. We listen to what our clients say and where appropriate we will make refinements and after doing this since 1974 we’ve generally got it right. Almost all the trips use the Plymouth Ferryport so the boring drive into the traffic jams of the East of England is avoided and when your holiday ends you are home in a jiffy.

We don’t attempt to do it as cheaply as possible. As they often say, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. We strive for value for money at all times and we don’t cut corners. We want to provide a holiday that we would be pleased to join ourselves (and do!) so that means every aspect has to be spot on.

When making your holiday decision we hope you’ll consider our programme very carefully and that you’ll choose your local, caring Operator who’ll look after you all the way.”

Coachholidays.com is looking forward to working closely with Wessex Continental in the future, and promoting their coach tours from the South West. Look out for their holidays appearing on this site soon.

Leading operator Leger Holidays has been awarded the title of Best Coach Operator for 2008 by UK travel agents at the prestigious national travel industry Globe Awards in London.

Peter Raynor, retail sales director, who received the award from radio and TV personality Mark Lamarr, said, ‘It’s a fantastic achievement to win the award for the second year running and demonstrates the relationship Leger has developed with travel agents’.

He added, ‘We would like to thank our all agents for their support, in particular WA Worldchoice and coachholidays.com, who are Leger’s number one agent in the UK’.

Peter Bowles and Penelope Keith boost interest in historic hotel

Fancy following in the footsteps of Audrey fforbes-Hamilton and Richard DeVere?
Fans of the classic series To The Manor Born are in for a treat with the BBC1 special this Christmas Day – and they can also experience life in the manor with over-55s specialist Grand UK Holidays.

Its ‘Somerset Hideaway’ holiday is based in Cricket St Thomas – the house which famously features in the television series as Grantleigh Manor.
Now a Warner Historic Hotel, the Grade II listed building features a heated pool, sauna and fitness studio as well as evening entertainment in the Pavillion Cabaret Room.

Sales director Harold Burke said: “We find that a television series can really boost the popularity of certain destinations, and we anticipate a surge of interest in our Somerset Hideaway holiday after people have enjoyed the festive special edition of To The Manor Born.
“In 2007, more passengers than