January City Break Deals are available in abundance. Christmas is over, the New Year has started and we just want the party season to continue – or simply escape it!

So a romantic weekend in Paris or a few days in Barcelona? A city break in Rome, Italy or a shopping trip in Milan and a quick trip to the ski slopes? Follow the tracks of the stars through Cannes or enjoy a cheap weekend mini break in Amsterdam? A mid week city break in Porto, Portugal or a relaxing UK city holiday in Edinburgh?

Drive, hire a car, jump on a plane or sit back on a train to Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. Spend happy at the January sales, marvel at Turner’s watercolour collection at the National Gallery and explore the Old Town and New Town of Edinburgh, a wonderful UNESCO World Heritage Site in the city’s heart with its magnificent architecture and winding streets. If you take your city break in Edinburgh during the 25th January you’ll find you’re in Scotland for Burns Night, a celebration of poet Robert Burns who wrote Auld Lang Syne.

Book a cheap flight to Porto or Oporto for a January city break in Northern Portugal. If the weather is clear take a helicopter tour of Porto flying low over the River Duoro and its many bridges, the Vila Nova de Gaia centre for Port wine production and Porto’s spectacular Cathedral. Narrow streets, lined with picturesque Portuguese houses, lead you through both modern shops and unique boutique stores and round Porto’s many monuments and museums.

The weather is generally mild in Funchal capital of Madeira Island during January. The city slopes down from 1200 metres to the harbour, and staying high in the Monte area is a great experience as Funchal is access either by gondola lift or by the famous toboggan where two traditionally dressed drivers run with a large wicker basket at speed to Livramento. A city break in Funchal can either be relaxing in one of the many beautiful four and five star hotels, or exhilarating exploring the panoramic city with its extensive shops and levada walks through the hills.

Take a short break in Rome, on the banks of the Tiber River and enjoy this spectacular historic city with its many UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Visit the Vatican Museums and Roman Colosseum, the Borghese Gallery and stroll up the Spanish Steps. There are many archaeological sites in Rome including the Pantheon, Trajan’s Market and Forum Romanum.

There is a huge selection of New Year breaks and New Year holidays in the UK to choose from.

Hire a car with easyCar and drive to a comfy country bed and breakfast for a quiet New Year break, or stay in one of the Warner Leisure Hotels for 3 or 4 nights including New Year’s Eve, and enjoy the party, evening meal, live entertainment, a piper and fireworks.

If you want to simply relax, or celebrate the festive season in full party style, there are plenty of hotels offering New Year Breaks in the UK to suit every requirement. Choose a secluded country house or a city centre hotel, a quaint rural Inn or a hotel spa resort which offers activities all through the year.

Celebrate the arrival of 2010 on a New Year Break in the Cotswold countryside, amongst the Welsh hills, on the edge of Lake Windermere in the Lake District or overlooking the south coast from Brighton.

Enjoy a two night New Year Break arriving on 28 December at Centre Parcs in Longleat Forest or five nights arriving on 30 December at Whinefell Forest where you should wrap up warm and experience a whole assortment of indoor and outdoor activities over the New Year period.

Greet the New Year with traditional Hogmanay celebrations in one of Scotland’s Hotels of Distinction such as at the Four Seasons Hotel in St Fillans, Perthshire or Ruttlets Country House Hotel in St. Andrews, Fife. 

The New Year celebrations in Edinburgh are renowned worldwide. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party is a programme of music, lights, dancing and midnight fireworks to see in the new decade. Stage events start at 9pm on Princes Street and it is worth pre booking tickets to the various events to avoid disappointment!

As Big Ben in London tolls midnight on December 31st 2009, hold hands with the person next to you and sing…

“Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and auld lang syne
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,
We’ll take a cup o kindness yet, for auld lang syne.”

Happy New Year!

What could be a better way to get your Christmas shopping underway than by visiting one of the superb Christmas Markets which will shortly take throughout the length and breadth of the UK?

Next to the Abbey in the centre of Bath, festive wooden chalets will be set up donning Christmas gifts from 26th November to 6th December.  There will be three Christmas Markets in Bristol this winter, with twenty bespoke stalls selling their gifts at Goldbrick House, local gifts available at the Southville Centre and German crafts at Cribbs Causeway.

In London, visit the Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park which will be open from 21st November to 3rd January set in German wooden chalets, and the Spirit of Christmas Fair to be held at Olympia for just five days from 4th November should be quite spectacular! The largest London winter festival however boasting more than 70 stalls, as well as entertainment, music and husky dog sledding, will be in December between Southwark and Blackfriars Bridges on the South Bank, called the “Bankside Frost Fair”.

There will also be the Victorian Festival of Christmas at the end of November in Plymouth, with the Annual Worcester Christmas Fayre and Frankfurt Christmas Market, Birmingham, in the West Midlands.

Throughout December Manchester residents will be able to enjoy their traditional German Market, and in Chester the Christmas Market will have a truly continental flavour too. Along the cobbled streets of the city of Durham will be the Christmas Festival on the 5th and 6th December, with a children’s lantern procession, carols in Durham Cathedral, and over one hundred craft stalls and eateries. Around Grey’s Monument from 23rd November to 5th December you’ll discover the Continental Christmas Market in Newcastle upon Tyne, with the Christmas Market from 9th to 13th December.

Within the castle walls and through the town centre of Caerphilly, Wales on the 12th and 13th December Christmas fun will be had at the Caerphilly Medieval Market.

In Scotland, Edinburgh’s Christmas will start on the 26th November for around six weeks in and around Princes Street.  The Christmas lights will be switched on in the city and there will be an ice rink, funfair and German Market. In Glasgow, the bustling shopping district and St Enoch Square will be transformed into a winter wonderland from 27th November until Christmas Eve.

Fire Eating displays, mulled wine drinking, shopping and eating, as well as Santa visits will be available from mid November to mid December in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

It’s now just over a week to go before the events start at the magnificent Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland’s capital!

And easyCar STILL HAVE EDINBURGH HOTELS AVAILABLE!  From a mere £51 for a bedroom in a three star hotel in Edinburgh for one night, easyCar can simply arrange your accommodation in the city during Fringe which runs from the 7th to 31st August 2009, with or without easy Car hire.

For the opening night of the Fringe, Edinburgh hotels start from £88.20 at the two star Boreland Lodge Hotel just a few miles north of the city in Inverkeithing (search under Edinburgh online) – that’s just £44.10 each if two share a twin or double room!

If you’re looking for a hotel that’s a little different to the norm, how about the three-star Indian themed, Original Raj Hotel?  Located just a quick stroll away from Edinburgh’s Haymarket railway station, the hotel is in the city centre and 15 minutes from Princes Street; prices are from £119 per room per night.

Two and three star city centre or suburban hotels in Edinburgh, four star popular chained airport hotels such as the Hilton Edinburgh Airport and historic hotels with modern interiors like the Parliament House near Edinburgh Castle – easyCar still has availability!

And Edinburgh Fringe Festival tickets?

The official Edinburgh Fringe Festival website is the place to visit to prebook tickets, or the office on Edinburgh High Street. Whilst some of the shows may be sold out now, with over two thousand acts performing throughout Edinburgh during August, you’re bound to find something to interest you – in fact, they’ll still be so much choice, you won’t know where to start!  There is a currently a two for one offer at participating shows on the 10th and 11th August, and the website provides plenty of information about the acts and locations.  At the Fringe Festival website, download the events programme to ensure you make the most of your visit to Edinburgh.

Prices are corerct as at 22nd July