The Forest of Bowland, Lancaster, Morecambe Bay, Heysham, Blackpool, Preston, Lytham St Annes; just a taste of where you can go on your holiday to Lancashire, a lovely north west coastal county in England.

An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the Forest of Bowland is part of the Pennines covering over 3100 square miles of Lancashire. Ideal for mountain biking, dog walking, fishing and walks, the area is dotted with quaint villages such as 16th century Downham. Clitheroe in the Ribble Valley is a good choice for visitors to the Forest and dates back to Saxon times. The visitor’s information centre is located on Church Walk.

Preston is an excellent shopping location and offers a great choice of museums, super restaurants and all night clubbing. Make sure you tour Preston with a Blue Badge Guide! Blackpool; the winter Illuminations, the summer days on the long sandy beach, the Pleasure Beach, tram rides.

Lytham and St Annes on Sea are two separate coastal towns. St Annes is closer to Blackpool and boasts a fantastic sandy beach and dunes, many excellent hotels, a cinema and plenty of activities to keep the family happy during the summer with many open during the winter too. Lytham, famous for the Royal Lytham Golf Course, is on the estuary, and no sandy beaches here; however, the upmarket town centre is quaint and lined with many independent stores and charming boutiques.

Blackburn is a historic former mill town, surrounded by rolling countryside whilst Burnely is a market town encircled by woodland, waterways and farms which are linked by the Burnley Way stretching for around 40 miles; perfect for cycling. The seaside town Morecambe on Morecambe Bay is renowned for its theatre shows and plays, and is also in Lancashire.

So if you’re looking for a boisterous party town like Blackpool, quaint locations like Downham or fabulous beaches as in St Annes, then a Lancashire holiday is for you!

Steeped in history, retrace the steps of the legendary character, King Arthur, at Tintagel Castle, or take a stroll through one of England’s oldest and most historic towns, Otter St Mary. For the most dramatic coastline that Devon has to offer, head to either the long sandy beach of Woolacombe on the north coast or in the south, Exmouth and Dartmouth.

Known as the English Riveria, travel to the Devonshire towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham which cover a 22 mile stretch of coast full of stunning scenery, often with a mild climate and with a fantastic choice of glamorous shops and chic restaurants.

Car hire in Devon is highly recommended if holidaying in the area, not only because there is so much to see and walking won’t put a dent on the percentage of extraordinary places you are able to visit, but because the roads are often winding and steep although beautifully picturesque.

Ninety five miles of the coast running from Dorset to East Devon is known as the Jurassic Coast and has been declared a World Heritage Site. This section of the coast is also part of the 630 mile South West Coast Path National Trail, which leads from Minehead on the north Devonshire coast through Bude, and onto Cornwall’s Newquay to pass Falmouth, Plymouth, Exeter and Weymouth then onto Pool Harbour in Dorset.

Collect car hire Devon with easyCar and explore or holiday in one of the county’s two National Parks: Dartmoor National Park and Exmoor National Park. There are tonnes of opportunities to cycle, walk or horse ride, and accommodation in these areas is generally quaint, with camping very popular in the summer.

If you are lucky enough to be in Devon from the 11th to the 12th August 2009, take a trip to Plymouth Hoe for the British Firework Championship (weather permitting) or to Dawlish for their Carnival and Air Show on the 20th (2009). Various races will be held in Torbay around the 21st /22nd August, with the Darmouth Royal Regatta held from 27th to 29th.

With so much to see and do in Devon, you’ll be booking your next holiday here before you’ve finished the current one!

The Blue Ridge Parkway stretches from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and is one of the most beautiful scenic driving routes in America. The parkway is 469 miles long and took more than 50 years to construct.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is about 1 and a quarter hours drive from Richmond Airport, and you can hire a car at the airport for your trip. If you want to explore the route thoroughly, it can take up to ten days to complete.

The route winds through some of the most beautiful parts of the USA at an average altitude of 3,000 – 4,000 feet, giving you the opportunity to take in some stunning scenery.

To break up your trip, there are also plenty of attractions that you can visit nearby, such as Stonewall Jackson House, Virginia Safari Park, the VA Museum of Transportation, The Natural Bridge and Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest. You can find plenty of places to stay in the area and a range of restaurants where you can stop for something to eat.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is open all year, although some sections may be closed during bad weather or for repair during the winter season. However it is advised to avoid the winter months, as the best times of year to take a car hire holiday in this part of the USA are in Spring, early Summer or in Autumn.