There are many fabulous and exciting countries to visit for a New Year holiday worldwide.

Cheap holidays to Dominican Republic in the Caribbean are available at the moment (13 December) for one week departing from Gatwick on Wednesday 30th December with Thomson Holidays.  Stay in the four star plus all inclusive ClubHotel Riu Bambu in Bavaro, Punta Cana including coach transfers from £1393 per person.  Wake up on New Year’s morning to the beautiful sight of fourteen miles of white tropical beaches, and blow away the cobwebs of 2009 with games of water polo and volleyball, scuba diving lessons and windsurfing.

The beautiful Maldives and spectacular Seychelles in the Indian Ocean are extra special New Year holiday destinations. Kuoni Holidays have last minute offers for 7 nights from 28 December staying at the boutique five star Velassaru Hotel in the Maldives from £2263 per person, and Labriz Hotel in the Seychelles from £4401 per person.

Tropicalsky are offering holidays at the end of December to Le Meridien on the island of Phuket in Thailand, from £1209 per person for six nights and holidays to the Grand Mirage Resort and Thalasso Spa in Bali for 7 nights from £1439 per person.

If you are looking for a New Year Holiday for the family with lots of activities, a holiday in Orlando, Florida is always popular. Not only is there an extensive choice of accommodation in and around Orlando, but so much to keep the youngest to the oldest member of the family happy. Travel to the Orlando Theme Parks, Movie Studios and Orlando Shopping Malls and factory outlets for an exciting Florida holiday at New Year.  Holidayhypmarket have New Year package holidays available from £1193 per person for 7 nights, flying from Gatwick on 28 December and staying in a two star Resort hotel on room only basis.

You’ve been to New York and Paris, and you’re booked to go to Amsterdam, but where could you go that will still keep you interested during the cool days and nippy nights on a November City Break?

Oslo is the capital of Norway and the cultural and historic hub of the country. Surrounded by forests, hills and mountains, Oslo has nearly 350 lakes and is actually made up of 40 islands within the city’s boundary which are ideal to explore by boat or mini-cruise. Visit the many historic buildings in Christiania Torv in the heart of Oslo, stroll through the many beautiful parks including Vigeland Park and St Hanshaugen Park, and take a sightseeing tour of Homenkollen, the Viking Ship Museum, Kon-Tiki Museum and the Opera House.  At the beginning of November the temperature will hover around freezing point, so make sure you wrap up warmly for your city break in Oslo, a fabulous interesting and pretty holiday location.

A little closer to home is Brussels, easily accessible with many flights from the UK, direct Eurostar train from London and Ashford, and just over two hour’s drive from Calais.  Steeped in history, Brussels is the fascinating multicultural capital of Belgium and of the European Union.  The architecture is stunning with the classical Royal Palace Koningsplein standing alongside gothic churches and cathedrals, round the corner of stunning art nouveau houses and art deco buildings. Visit the little boy statue on Eikstraat and Stoofstratt near the Grand Place (Market Place), shop till you drop, dine in fabulous restaurants and taste the most delicious chocolate and buy the most delicate lace.

A little cheaper than New York, but still as stunning, is Boston, one of the USA’s oldest cities, situated in New England on America’s east coast.  In this picture postcard city, Boston is a romantic city with cobbled alleys and softly lit streets. There are many museums and theatres to visit in Boston, and for American sport fanatics prebook tickets to watch the Boston Red Sox play baseball or Boston Celtics play basketball, or make a cultural visit to the Boston Opera House or Boston Ballet. The restaurants are excellent with the sea food, particularly good. 

For a sunny November city break, how about Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)?  Choose from a luxury five or six star hotel overlooking the Arabian Sea or a more budget priced hotel or self catering apartment in the heart of Bur Dubai with the business and commercial centres a short trip away.  Dubai is a shoppers dream as goods are duty free. Don’t leave before you have visited Meena Bazar!  Shop in Deira City Centre for department store goods and souvenirs, Burjamen Centre for designer clothes and jewellery, Al-Ain in Bur Dubai for gadgetry, and themed Ibn Battuta Mall for gifts from different areas around the globe – amongst others! Deira is the north side of Dubai with Bur Dubai in the south and the city is divided by Dubai Creek. The well know tourist area is Jumeriah. Visit the Grand Mosque, souks, Dubai Museum, the Sheikh Saeen Al Maktoum House in Port Rashid and enjoy the activities at the Wild Wadi Waterpark.

Daylight hours will be shorter, the days and nights colder but at the end of October the event mainly “celebrated” in America but also gradually continue to become more commercialised in the UK; Halloween!

This year the 31st October falls on a Saturday and not only will there be the usual evening fancy dress parties and trick or treat visits, but also many other presentations and celebrations too…

At the British Library near King’s Cross and St Pancras in London, a 90 minute illustrated talk will be given at 2.30pm about the sensationalised photographs of spirits and ghosts from the late 1800s to early 1900s “Imagining the Impossible” (book in advance £6.00).

Halloween at the London Dungeon starts on the 17th October, and is a real family favourite. Not for the faint hearted and adored by pre teens and older, be prepared to be spooked, pounced on and frightened by the most fabulously dressed ghosts, ghouls and witches. There are also “Dungeon” sites in Warwick, York and Edinburgh.

The Thorpe Park theme park starts is Fright Nights in the middle of October with its Halloween themed nights; open until 10pm. Hampton Court will start its Ghost Tours for the over 12 years at 7.30pm, with tours adapted for 8 to 12 years starting at 5.30pm.

The London Ghost Festival will host numerous events which take place at various venues from the 23rd to 31st with the grand finale being the Halloween Ball at Charlton House, SE7.

To explore London on the spookiest night of the year, why not join the popular The Blood and Tears Halloween Walk starting at the Barbican Tube station? The tour commences at 7pm and 9.45pm, but do book in advance.

We’ll look at some of the popular seaside resorts and towns between Bordeaux and Biarritz.

Brits often associate the seaside and France with the Cote d’Azur or French Riviera where the coast is lapped by the Mediterranean in the south, and forget that there is the northern coast running along the English Channel and the Atlantic coast and the Bay of Biscay – both boasting some of the most magnificent beaches in Europe.

You’ll not only enjoy over 10 miles of staggering beaches in Lacanau and fantastic surf conditions, but also an enormous lake with many sandy beach which is very popular with families and a huge pine forest ideal for cycling, walking and horse riding; in fact Lacanau is recognised as having its own microclimate.

Over five miles of sandy beach line the resort town of Arcachon which is favoured by those looking for lazy days on the beach or a whole host of sporting activities in the summer, including wind surfing, water skiing and motor boat hire. Arcachon Beach is often recognised in photographs by its rows of blue and white stripped tents. Abatilles Beach is popular with young children as there are summertime play areas.

As Biscarrosse has developed over the mainland and a “T” shaped peninsula, the resort has three centres which are linked by a number of tracks and circuits developed for walkers and cyclists. There is a leisure park open from February to November with over 100 activities for children from 4 years old and adults, and the Promenade en barques in Biscarrosse Village where you may hire a boat and explore the local lakes and marshes.

The fashionable holiday resort of Biarritz is located close to the Spanish border and is known as the “Pearl of the Basque Coast”. Ryanair flies into Biarritz-Bayonne Airport with Pau being a suitable alternative although car hire is necessary. About four miles of sandy beaches greet you in cosmopolitan Biarritz, a resort where classic style and modern living combine. There is a huge choice of accommodation in Biarritz including the stunning Hotel du Palais on the water front.

From personal experience, I can’t recommend car hire enough. Whilst the centre of a busy resort like Biarritz has everything you need within walking distance, there are just so many other areas, beaches and towns to visit in the vicinity. Also the Pyrenees mountains are on your doorstep and perfect for horse riding and escaping the heat in the summer, or skiing in the winter!

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!