We also booked our hotel in Porto using your hotel search function and once again the rate we paid was very good. We decided to stay at the Vila Gale Hotel which we all thought was more like a five star hotel than a four star – very smart and modern. Initially we had reservations about the distance to the town centre but once we established the best route into Porto we realised it was probably only a ten minute walk. Once again the room rate was very competitive and I will certainly use your website search facility again.

We have taken so many photos of this picturesque holiday destination in Portugal and I would definitely recommend taking a cruise up the Duoro river which was possibly the highlight of our holiday to Porto. After the river cruise we sampled some great Port wines – I particularly liked the Sandeman cellars but take care of the uneven, stepped pavement outside as my wife took a tumble on the way out! I have uploaded some of our pictures to your Portugal slideshow featured on the front page of your website.

Mike Drury, London.

“We are really keen to go on holiday to Cyprus next year. We have been on holiday to Ayia Napa which has great beaches, but we would like to see a different part of the island and wanted to obtain a good but reasonably priced hotel recommendation. Do you know of one near the beach and amenities.

Any advice would be appreciated.”

Citybreak replies:

Hi Robert,

Having consulted with a number of our Flickr members, who know and love Cyprus for the great photo opportunities it presents them, I would suggest the ‘Pernera Beach Hotel’ situated near Protaras. Several of our members thought it deserved a four star rating despite only having three. It’s right on the beach and a short walk to the shops, bars and restaurants. Water sports available on the beach include windsurfing, jet skiing, water skiing, parasailing and snorkelling. The hotel has two floodlit tennis courts, a volleyball court and mini-football. Table tennis, French boules, archery, pool, darts and squash are available to guests, as is the hotel’s fully-equipped gym.

If you would like a restaurant suggestion too then why not try out the ‘Taverna Kamares‘ – it overlooks the sea with traditional rural Cypriot-style decor and serves traditional Cypriot cuisine. Then there is the ‘Bilio Bar‘ – an outdoor beach bar serving drinks and both local and international dishes.

I am told that guests of the Pernera Beach Hotel enjoy a complimentary buffet breakfast each morning. Make sure you visit the Fig Tree Bay Beach and Agia Triada Beach which are both nearby and amongst the best in Cyprus. Don’t forget you can book into the Pernera Beach Hotel using our discounted hotel booking facility on the home page. Or just click here. It goes without saying that you can book your car hire online with us too – but then I see you did last time for which many thanks!

“This is the perfect holiday planner, concentrating on the world’s most desirable travel locations, with specific attention paid to when it is best to visit them. The team of consultants (acting under Doyle’s expert direction) have provided a series of concise and informative essays on everything from the wonders of the Galapagos Islands to the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef, and from the mule trails of the Cinque Terre to the highly civilised streets of Boston, USA. The latter destination is a good example of precisely what the book does well: pithy, not-a-word-wasted essays giving all the essential information on the destination, with a sidebar on the left of the page detailing how to get there, suggested accommodation and restaurants along with all the information about the weather you’re likely to need (the latter is particularly useful — how often have you seen abroad tourists either underdressed or overdressed, not having done their homework?). On the right hand side of the large, eye-catching spreads are historical details — never couched in dry prose, just a concise and lively presentation of the facts. A major plus, of course, is the sumptuous photography; everything from a brightly painted, flower-bedecked skeleton at the Mexican Day of the Dead to a glowingly lit night canal in Amsterdam does perfect justice to its subject.” –Barry Forshaw

Travel: Where to Go When

Brian Carling studiously learnt his words so that he could present the film in a professional manner. The coup de grâce was the unexpected guest star – Sean Connery himself! He appeared while we were filming at the 18th hole of the Aloha Golf Course in Nueva Andalucia and sank an amazing putt – to our delight.

“Viva en Espana”
(Part 1)

“Viva en Espana”
(Part 2)

There are a number of even greater ’stars’ that feature in the personal interviews shown here. These include Phillip Burrows, Angela Drury and Mick and Sue Hillyard – all of whom were personal friends – and I’m sure they look exactly the same today as they did all those years ago! What really lovely people who took the whole film production so seriously and did so well.

We hope the amateur film gives a taste of what Marbella was like in those early years and which today, in many respects, remains exactly the same! Enjoy….

Having booked our holiday throughcitybreak we would like to thank you for an adventure we will cherish for a lifetime!

City Break Car Hire specialise in car rentals from Beauvais Airport and other popular destinations in France. City Break will compare all the reputable car hire providers to find you the very best deal available with an easy pick up at the airport. The best car hire deals are always obtained when you book in advance so don’t leave it till the last minute!

Getting around Mallorca in a hire car was easy and our accommodation was ideally placed near the main city marina -and with great views. The people in Mallorca are relaxed, the beaches we felt were probably amongst the finest in the world, and the food and drink was full of regional variety.

Indeed Mallorca offers great variety and our hire car enabled us to see and do so much especially seeing parts of the Island we would never have otherwise visited. There are endless beaches to explore, with the most charming yachting marinas along the sun kissed stretches of coast.

Thank you Citybreak for helping us book a great online deal with you.

Brian & Lesley Marks, Surrey.