Holidays & Travel

Family Adventures at Sea: Best UK Cruises for Kids of All Ages

Let’s be honest—planning a family cruise from the UK can get a bit chaotic, can’t it? With every ship promising the time of your lives, it’s tough to know which one’s actually right for your crew. The real trick is matching your kids’ ages, their quirks, and your family’s vibe with the right cruise line. Maybe you’re tempted by the storybook magic of a Disney Cruise Line sailing (who wouldn’t be?), or you want the non-stop action of Royal Caribbean, or you’re after the more laid-back, wallet-friendly feel of P&O Cruises. Each has its own flavor, and honestly, it’s worth poking around...

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New look for Mercure Exeter Southgate revealed

Positioned in the heart of Devon and enjoying a prime location in one of England’s most historic cities, Mercure Exeter Southgate is the gateway to the South West neighboring the famous Exeter Cathedral and historic Quay whilst providing the perfect break en route to the Cornish coastline.

The interior of the city centre hotel is transformed including a redesign of the reception, Gate House restaurant, bar, lounge, terrace and all 156 bedrooms. Mercure, a locally inspired brand, has drawn influence for the hotel’s new interior design from Exeter’s rich Roman and Medieval history...

Frame Your Train competition returns

First Great Western (FGW) has announced the return of the award-winning Frame Your Train competition – running throughout August.

It calls on passengers travelling on First Great Western trains to reach for their smartphone, snap a view from the window, and upload the image to Instagram using the hashtag #FGWFrameYourTrain. All entries are then uploaded to an interactive map, and showcased in an online photo gallery. It couldn’t be easier for all budding photographers out there to get involved!

Each week, for four weeks, a nominated judge will pick their ‘Photo of the Week...

Men will be men!

Men may be increasingly domesticated in the modern home but it seems that when they hit the great outdoors, they revert back to their caveman ways.

According to a new survey, when it comes to the campsite, men and women assume roles that would not be out of place in the film ‘Carry On Camping’.

Men insist on pitching the tent, but then expect women to do all the tidying up and cooking.

GO Outdoors, the UK’s largest retailer of outdoor clothing and equipment, released the findings from a poll as it published its camping tips for the holiday season.

The poll...

Three reasons to choose Exeter for your group holiday

Exeter might not be the first city you think of for a fun-packed group holiday, but after you’ve learnt a little more about this dynamic Devon city, you’ll see why it should top your list.

A Growing City in the Heart of Devon

Exeter has a reputation as a peaceful, leafy and historic city with a grand cathedral and a respected university. While it is of course all of those things, in some ways its national reputation is ripe for an update.

Since 2007, when the Princesshay shopping centre opened in the city centre, Exeter has also become known regionally as a shopper’...

Devon holiday parks celebrate unique double

Two award-winning holiday parks owned by the same Devon family have been awarded the highest accolade achievable in the tourism industry.

Ladram Bay Holiday Park and sister park Castle Brake have both been awarded five Gold Stars each through the VisitEngland National Quality Assessment Scheme.

Ladram Bay is situated in Otterton near Budleigh Salterton on the Jurassic Coast. Sister site Castle Brake is set on the edge of Woodbury Common, only a short drive away from the coast.

The accolade comes after Ladram Bay officially launched close to £3million worth of new...

Essential work to start on Bridge Road

Essential work is to be carried out to the canal bridges on Bridge Road in Exeter next month (August).

On Monday 10 August and Tuesday 11 August, inspections and maintenance work will be undertaken on the swing bridge. Contraflow arrangements will be in place, with all traffic using the bascule bridge.

From Wednesday 12 August to Monday 17 August, the contraflow will run on the swing bridge, as the timber joint between the bascule bridge and the road will be replaced and upgraded with a reinforced concrete and stainless steel structure.

During this phase of work,...

New train livery puts South Devon in the limelight

A branded “Visit South Devon” train has been unveiled to encourage people to visit destinations on the scenic Riviera Line between Exeter and Paignton.

The First Great Western train will travel the region’s rail network for the next two years promoting tourist hotspots including Dawlish Warren, Torquay and Paignton. It marks the latest phase of a wider Riviera Line marketing campaign by the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership as part of the EU Citizens’ Rail project.

As well as traditional and online marketing to encourage people to visit the area by train, the European...

Exeter features in new Staycation Guide

With many Brits looking for cheaper and easier holiday options, staycations are now more popular than ever.

To help with this trend, Jurys Inn Hotels have launched a new Staycation Guide for the UK & Ireland.

From Exeter to Aberdeen and everywhere in between, the guide lists over two hundred attractions across Britain and Ireland, offering a wealth of ideas to suit any taste and occasion. Whether it’s historical landmarks or scenic landscapes, day-trips or longer outings, there is plenty on offer. Ideal for planning summer holiday outings!

With an easy-to-use...

Devon looks set for bumper tourist season

Visitors to Devon’s official tourist information site, Visit Devon, are on the up and predictions expect record breaking visits to the county this summer from both UK tourists and those from overseas.

Visits to www.visitdevon.co.uk for the past month of July are up 45% on last year’s website hits, and for the first week of the summer holidays (week commencing 20th July) website views were up 60%.

Chair of Visit Devon, Victoria Hatfield, says of the increased web views: “We are delighted that traffic to the Visit Devon website is on the increase - it really shows that...

New fleet of trains to bring better journeys to the South West

Rail passengers are set to benefit from better and faster journeys after the government gave the go-ahead for a brand new fleet of trains running between London and Cornwall.

The deal will allow First Great Western to buy 29 new long-distance trains to serve the South West from 2018.

The state-of-the-art trains will have up to 24% more seats compared to the majority of the trains serving the route today, creating more than 1,000 additional peak-time seats into and out of Paddington every day.

The privately funded £360 million fleet, which will be manufactured by...

Holidays & Travel

Family Adventures at Sea: Best UK Cruises for Kids of All Ages

New look for Mercure Exeter Southgate revealed

Frame Your Train competition returns

Men will be men!

Three reasons to choose Exeter for your group holiday

Devon holiday parks celebrate unique double

Essential work to start on Bridge Road

New train livery puts South Devon in the limelight

Exeter features in new Staycation Guide

Devon looks set for bumper tourist season

New fleet of trains to bring better journeys to the South West

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