Travel News Monkey

For those of us who wish to enjoy the character of the places we visit without having to deal with crowds of like-minded people, traveling in winter is a good idea. Places like Paris, London, and Rome are less crowded in winter and travelers can take in the sights at a much more leisurely pace.

Of course, you may not be able to spend leisurely hours in cafeterias, take walks in parks, or hunt for bargains in summer bazaars but you will get the most out of your visits to art galleries, museums, cultural events and such places. In the summer-time these places are too crowded but if you are an art lover then a visit to the museums of Rome, London, and Paris becomes immensely more pleasurable when you have time on your hands.

The Vatican museums are far too crowded during the summer for one to really take in the grandeur of the works of the great masters. However, in winters you do not have to face queues extending up to 300 yards and you are free to gaze for hours if you wish at the ceiling of the Sistine chapel or visit the Colosseum and imagine what it must have been like during its heyday.

Luck is also a factor because you may have to put up with the occasional winter shower. Yet, inclement weather allows you to see features of a place in a different perspective, stripped of the multitudes; the plazas and squares present a different look. The restaurants catering mainly to locals put on display flavors different from what they serve to tourists.

Not to forget, prices in the off-season are significantly lower than what they are in peak season.

The cruise industry in Europe is offering stiff competition to the Caribbean. The year 2007 has been good for cruising in Europe and the industry hopes to repeat the good performance in 2008. U.S interest in European cruises is also being fueled by the slide of the dollar. Americans are turning away from air travel and turning sea ward to discover Europe. The Mediterranean and the Baltic are amongst the hotter European destinations that are attracting cruise enthusiasts. Americans find the booking system working to their benefit as well.

They can book for European cruises paying in dollars and thereby avoid the weak currency exchange rate. Cruising is a hit in Europe despite the high rates and one is expected to book six to nine months in advance. The months from May to September do yield slightly lower prices. Early or late season rates are up to as much as 40% less than what they are when the boats are full.

The popularity of European cruises can be gauged from the fact that several cruise companies are diverting their ships from the Caribbean to the European waters. In fact, there are many cruise companies introducing new ships, for example the Jewel River Cruise Line will introduce the Jewel Imperial Blue, a boutique luxury ship to European waterways in May.

Russian tourists are heading in increasingly large numbers to tourist spots in Europe. According to The Sun, countries such as Spain and Italy are fast becoming major attractions for the Russians who wish to travel abroad for their holidays. In fact, Turkey which has always had a sizeable number of British tourists now has more Russian tourists than British holiday makers.

Another commentator labeled the Russians as a strong tourism force. Although not mentioned anywhere, I feel that along with Turkey, Portugal too is probably a hotspot for Russian tourists on account of its inexpensive tourist spots.

However, all-round interest by tourists of different nations could also lead to an escalation in realty prices as foreign investors rush to cash in on the tourism boom.