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Top 10 Easy-to-Reach Holidays

While travelling deep into a country reveals regions that far fewer tourists bother to visit, sometimes it can make a refreshing change to visit parts which can be accessed more quickly from the UK.

Proximity to an airport doesn’t make such areas any less alluring – indeed, the ever-expanding network of flights, particularly new routes pioneered by ‘no-frills’ airlines to smaller regional airports, serves numerous regions of astonishing beauty. Here are some of the best walking and cycling holidays for an easy getaway, many of which offer options to fly from an airport near you, drive to from the UK, or take a train to in a matter of hours.
  • After collecting your suitcases from the arrivals hall, head over to the car hire desk to pick up the car keys, and 45 minutes later you can be relaxing in the lush, fragrant gardens or swimming in the inviting pool of the Elia Traditional Hotel and Spa, which makes a superb base for a week of walking and exploring in north-west Crete. Heavenly! Fly to Chania, where you pick up a hire car (drive from airport 45 mins, drive to airport 45 mins). Traditions & History of Crete walking holiday >
  • Given that the island of Menorca is only a fifth of the size of its better known neighbour, Mallorca, it perhaps comes as no surprise that you spend no longer than half an hour in the car getting from and to the airport. Some of the easiest travel arrangements in our Top 10 Easy-to-Reach Holidays combine with the island’s tranquil charm and gentle scenery of rolling hills and golden beaches washed by turquoise seas, to make for a very relaxing holiday. Fly to Mahón, where you pick up a hire car (drive from airport 30 mins, drive to airport 20 mins). Jewel of the Mediterranean walking holiday >
  • Seemingly a world away from the resorts that stretch either side of the capital, Palma, the island’s most exquisite villages are only a 35-minute drive from Palma’s airport. Leading from idyllic Fornalutx via elegant Sóller to Valldemossa, our walking holiday explores the heart of the Tramuntana Sierra, where mountains plunge into the sea and terraces of olive and orange trees stretch as far as the eye can see. Fly to Palma de Mallorca, with connecting taxi transfers (out 35mins, home 35mins). Mountains & Villages of Mallorca walking holiday >
  • The charming small city of Innsbruck is one of the jewels of the Austrian Tyrol, and its airport provides easy access to another of the region’s treasures, the Leutasch Valley. Framed by the dramatic, jagged peaks of the Wetterstein chain, whose lower slopes are thickly forested, this is an idyllic valley, dotted with pretty villages and onion-domed churches. It exudes the very essence of the Tyrol: charming and traditional, with high standards of hospitality. Fly to Innsbruck, with connecting taxi transfers (out 50mins, home 50mins). Alternatively, Austria is easily accessible by rail from the UK. Leutasch Valley walking holiday >
  • Iseo is the smallest of Lombardy’s four major lakes and, though it nestles between the famous lakes of Como and Garda, is a secret jewel. To the north, the landscapes are rugged and wild, while its southern shores are backed by gentle, vine-covered hills, as you’ll see on the taxi ride from Bergamo. This being a very indulgent holiday, there’ll be ample opportunity to sample the area's delicious Franciacorta wines over the course of the holiday. Fly to Bergamo, with connecting taxi transfers (out 1hr, home 40 mins). Secret Lake Iseo walking holiday >
  • One of the joys of walking in the Arrabida Natural Park is that you feel as though you are exploring a virtually unknown corner of Portugal, yet it is within easy reach of the capital, Lisbon. Another highlight is the variety of the scenery: glorious beaches of white sand; vineyards producing Moscatel dessert wine; and tranquil hills peppered with reminders of bygone times. Fly to Lisbon, with connecting travel by taxi (out 1hr, home 45 mins). From Cape to Castle walking holiday >
  • Ljubljana Airport is actually some 25km north of the capital, making it very convenient to reach Slovenia's famous lakes and the dramatic mountains which frame them. Our holiday starts close to the Italian border, before exploring the wild but beautiful landscapes surrounding Lake Bohinj and then finishing with a day by idyllic Lake Bled. Here, you have the option of upgrading to the Vila Bled, a high-quality hotel with a fascinating past and an idyllic location above the lake. Fly to Ljubljana, with connecting taxi transfers (out 1hr, home 45mins). Lakes & Julian Alps walking holiday >

 
  • The highlights arrive thick and fast on our hotel-to-hotel walking holiday in Northumberland. First you have the opportunity to walk right beside the sea, along the sweeping sands of Druridge Bay, before heading inland to Alnwick where there is a magnificent medieval castle, superb gardens and beautiful, landscaped parkland to explore. Later in the week, you’ll be wowed by the castles of Dunstanburgh and Bamburgh, and if you’ve driven to the holiday, you can easily visit the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, located a short distance from your final hotel.
  • Another French region easy to reach by car is the Loire Valley, famous for its châteaux. Our cycling holiday gives you the opportunity to visit up to five of the best-known ones – 'moated' Azay-le-Rideau, Villandry with its splendid gardens, Sleeping Beauty's Ussé, Saumur and formidable Chinon – while our walking holiday visits three. If you're taking your car on holiday, there's nothing to stop you from adding an extra night or two at your first or last hotel, so that you can visit even more. You could also take the opportunity to call in at one of the many vineyards and take a few bottles home with you! If flying, we recommend arriving in Tours or Paris CDG, but the Loire is also easily accessible by rail from the UK.
  • Make the journey a memorable part of your holiday and travel by car and boat from the UK to Spain. There are crossings from England’s south coast to both Santander and Bilbao, with most journeys taking just 24 hours. Once arrived, we recommend exploring the Spanish Pyrenees, where we offer options for centre-based exploration, or hotel-to-hotel walking from the Pyrenees mountains to the Mediterranean sea.

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