If you’re planning on visiting Rotterdam any time in the near future then there’s one great way of getting there. I recently traveled over there by ferry Newcastle Rotterdam route and I couldn’t praise it enough.


Not only is it a great price on the tickets but from the staff right through to the comfort was top notch. It only took us a few hours to get there and I would defiantly do it again especially as Rotterdam is a great place to visit.


We decided to go over just for the weekend and got a return ferry ticket from Newcastle. The holiday was a total success with there being so many things to do when we got there. There were that many different cafes and restaurants I think we spent most of the time eating in between visiting the fantastic culture in and around the city.

Just a quick note to let you, our glorious readers, aware that the ferry company DFDS Seaways are offering 2 for 1 mini cruise deals to Amsterdam and Esbjerg (Denmark) - the offer ends on the 31st of January so you will neeed to be quick off the mark! Bookings can be made from the DFDS Seaways website.

If you're looking for a little more information on these destinations we have some posts which you can refer to:

Destination Esbjerg - Denmark

and

Amsterdam - Classic Mini Cruise Break Destination

If you decide to book a trip, let us know how you get on!

The Festive Break is becoming an increasing popular option for many UK residents. Many are choosing to spend their Christmas and New Year in a continental city.

Most popular destinations include:

• Amsterdam
• Bruges
• Brussels
• Hamelin
• Paris
• Olso
• Copenhagen
• Cologne
• Berlin
• Rome
• Milan
• Rotterdam

All of these cities have certain characteristics in common, Including; Impressive architecture, vibrant nightlife, Christmas markets and great shopping! - These all contribute to an atmsophere that is completely different from that which prevails in the UK. It is easy to see why festive breaks are an atractive option.

Here are pictures to whet the appetite!


Amsterdam


Grand Place, Brussels


Bruges at Christmas


Xmas on the Champ Elysees

Ferry operator DFDS Seaways offer a number of package trips to many of these destinations, ferry bookings are still available.

Haarlem is a wonderful Dutch town which is well worth visit. It is also an different option from other more typical destinations around Europe - we're willing to bet that very few of your friends will have visited Haarlem meaning that you could become a travel-pioneer.


Why should we visit Haarlem?

Character and atmosphere is what Haarlem enjoys in abundance. It is a  900-year-old town with a historic center full of beautifully designed medieval houses. It also boats a 13th-century city hall, an historic chruch (Sint Bavo) and is home to the oldest museum in Holland, the Teylers Museum http://www.teylersmuseum.nl. There is also the Frans Hals Museum featuring the works of the Dutch Master. Haarlem is also the center of a flower-growing district and a principal export point for flower bulbs.

The town's main square (de Grote Markt) hosts a very lively market on Mondays and Saturdays - here you can find anything from flowers, textiles to delicious stroopwafels (A wafer), fresh Herring and much more. It is mainly because of this market and the collection of diverse and interesting shops that has seen Haarlem voted as the 'Best Shopping City in Holland' several times.

You can get to Haarlem with a cruise from Newcastle to Amsterdam - its only a half hour drive.

Many would be forgiven for having the impression that Denmark is a much under-utilised tourist destination. However, Denmark is actually only second to Sweden as the most popular tourist destination in Scandinavia, not bad for the smallest country in the region. Its close proximity to the UK ensures that Denmark is an ideal location for a short break from the UK. Outside of the major cities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, which are great destinations within themselves - is the picturesque city of Esbjerg on the Southwestern coast of Denmark.

Here are three excellent reasons to visit Esbjerg.

   1. Go somewhere a little different from everyone else -  Travelling to somewhere like Esbjerg is just a little bit cooler than what all your friends are doing. After you have been you can tell them all how fantastic it was and encourage them to do the same.



   2. A truly stunning location - Esbjerg has a natural environment to match the most beautiful areas in Europe. Huge beaches, stunning coastal scenery and and an abundance of wildlife contrast with the surrounding farmland to great effect.




   3. An interesting cultural experience - As well as a number of relaxed and friendly restaurants, coffee shops, bars and night clubs, Esbjerg has a number of cultural attractions to enjoy including the Musikhuset musical centre, (designed by the architect Jorn Urtzon, Sydney opera house architect) has excellent productions over the entire year. On the periphery of the city you will find the international class Fisheries and Maritime Museum.



Ferry crossings to esbjerg are available from Harwich in the UK. Have you been to Esbjerg? - please let us know your experiences!

As we are just getting started on this blog, we thought that it would be a good idea to get an impression of the likes and dislike of the Livejournal community when it comes to mini cruise travel. Do you prefer the sophisticated cafe culture of  northern Europe, the sultry southern climate or the cool and elegance of Scandinavia? Why not fill in our exciting poll on your favourite mini cruise destinations - the results should make interesting reading!

Poll #1381166 Favourite mini-cruise destinations
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 0

What is you favorite mini-cruise destination?

On any Mini-Cruise Short Break, time is obviously of the essence. It is a good idea to have a planned itenary for your trip, as it can be difficult to squeeze everything into a few hours.

Therefore, we thought that we would kick off our blog with a quick guide to what you could do on one of the most popular European mini cruise breaks destinations - Amsterdam.

When travelling to a city that you may not have visited before, it can be difficult to navigate around and keep within budget - partly because of unfamiliarity with the local shopping culture where you can purchase day-to-day goods at a decent price (as opposed to exploited-tourist levels). This issue has become much more pointed in 2009, with the pound weakening against the Euro.

Anyway we digress, let's cut to the chase - here are a few handy tips of what you could get up to on your short break to Amsterdam.

Travelling about the city

If you plan to travel around Amsterdam quite a bit (and have a decent level of fitness!) - the best thing to do is probably to hire a bike. There are numerous hire points throughout Amsterdam - see this site for more information. If cycling is a little too energetic for you then travelling by tram is by far the best public transport system in Amsterdam. You should invest in a Strippenkaart. This enables travel around Amsterdam transport zones for just a set price - these can be bought at numerous points throughout the city.

Supermarket shopping is the way to go!

You can save some cash buying your food (and drink!) from a supermarket. Many offer substantial discounts on multipack deals.

Where possible - use your hotel

If your hotel offers any meals inclusive then try and take advantage of it. In particular, breakfast is 'the most important meal of the day' and will set you up for a hard days tourism! You could use this time to plan the day ahead and perhaps converse with the staff as to what they would do if they could, their local knowledge could be invaluable.

Eating Out - Plan Ahead

Its a very good idea to have at least an idea of where you want to eat. The same maxim applies to all major cities - the main tourist areas are going to be over-priced (Damrak, Dam Sq, Damstraat in Amsterdam). Whats great about Amsterdam is that there are loads of hidden gems to be found off the beaten track.

Art lovers - get a Museumkaart

Amsterdam is home to many fine museums such as The Van Gogh Museum and The Rijksmuseum. If you are going to visit a few museums, get a Museumkaart - this actually lasts a year and you get free entry to around 400 museums across Holland (many of which are in the Amsterdam area).

Where possible - use your hotel

If your hotel offers any meals inclusive then try and take advantage of it. In particular, breakfast is 'the most important meal of the day' and will set you up for a hard days tourism! You could use this time to plan the day ahead and perhaps converse with the staff as to what they would do if they could, their local knowledge could be invaluable.

Travel smart

The ferry operator DFDS Seaways have some great mini-cruise to Amsterdam deals on their website. Well worth it, far more fun than going by plane!

Above all - enjoy your short break in Amsterdam, it is a fantastic city!

Hello travel fans, and welcome to the Mini Cruise Breaks Blog. As you can probably tell, we are massive fans of Mini Cruise Holidays and here we aim to post all the latest news, information and offers that we come across on this growing sector. We are positive that there are millions of you out there who are similarly enthusiastic about this type of holiday and we hope that you will get in touch with us. Our blog will be updated regularly, therefore it's probably best to bookmark us or subscribe to our RSS feed.