First the serious stuff. Iceland devalued its currency (the krona) about 14 months ago, following the financial crisis. This has helped the country as far as tourism is concerned as it has meant the price of everything has moved from expensive to affordable.

In answer to the all important question how much is a pint of beer in Iceland the answer is £3.60 according to our favourite beer comparison site www.pintprice.com. This compares very favourably to the average price of £6.00 in that other Northern Lights favourite Norway and is only slightly north of the average price of a pint in London (£3.20).

Hotels are also now great value, with hotels in Reykjavik being the first port of call for most visitors. We just did a sample search and came up with the following absolutely amazing rates for a 3 night stay in February

Cabin hotel in Reykjavik – 3 star – £57 pounds for 2 people – that’s less that 10 pounds per person per night

Loftleidir hotel in Reykjavik - 4 star – £75 pounds for 2 people – a nice 4 star hotel for just £12.50 per person per night

You can fly to Iceland with Icelandair from Glasgow, Manchester and London Heathrow, all at great prices.

Some of you will be pleased to know that McDonalds pulled out of Iceland last year. Iceland joins Albania, Armenia and Bosnia Herzegovina as the only countries in Europe with no trace of the Golden Arches!

Onto the Northern Lights. BBC programmes like Joanna Lumley in the land of the Northern lights (admittedly filmed in Norway, the land of the £6 pint!) should whet your appetite. They are one of the natural wonders of the world and there’s never been a cheaper time to check them out.

When you’re there, Northern Lights Tours are easily found and relatively inexpensive. Reykjavik Excursions has daily tours from £24 and Iceland Excursions from £30. Remember, as with all natural phenomena, you can’t guarantee a sighting, but you will often be offered another tour the next day if nothing is spotted. The best chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis is between October and March.

The Northern Lights in Iceland are a joy to behold – cross them off that ‘to do’ list now!

The 2010 Nice Carnival (Carnaval de Nice), in the South of France, is one of the largest carnivals in the world, running from 12th to 28th February.

Processions take place day and night with up to 20 floats telling the story of this year’s carnival theme, the “Blue Planet”. The floats all converge on the Place Masséna in an explosion of colour and gaiety. More than a thousand musicians and dancers from across the world perform in the dazzling parades.

The Promenade des Anglais, so long the playground of the rich and famous, forms the backdrop upon which the flower battles take place. From floats strewn with all manner of flowers, extravagantly dressed performers, dancers and singers create floral showers, consisting of such beauties as mimosas, gerberas and lilies.

Lasting more than two weeks, the carnival turns Nice into a fairy tale destination. Book your trip and let the Carnival of Nice transport you away from the snow and slush here in the UK!

TravelRepublic can offer everything you require if you plan on visiting the Carnival:

Flights to Nice to get you there!
Hotels in Nice to stay in!
Transfers, car hire, insurance, airport parking!

An alternative to staying in Nice for the Carnival would be to holiday in Cannes. Nice is easily reached by the train that runs along the coast. Cannes SNCF station is very convenient for the Croissette where most of the hotels are.

Finally, you can get tickets in advance from the Carnival website for the special events/parades, or buy them on the day from temporary ticket offices on the parade circuit. These open 2 hours before start time.

Kick start Spring with a visit to the Carnival in Nice!

The recent spell of freezing weather in the UK has left a number of professional sports teams in something of a quandary. How do they keep their elite, highly paid athletes in top physical condition with training facilities buried under inches of ice and snow?

In the case of the footballers from Peterborough United and the rugby stars of Warrington Wolves, the reigning Rugby League challenge cup holders, the answer appears to be to catch a flight to Tenerife for some warm weather training. There are also unconfirmed reports that a number of the QPR squad were spotted in Linekers Bar in Tenerife at the weekend enjoying a few ‘isotonic’ drinks.

Peterborough are rock bottom of the Championship and are clearly hoping that some hard training and a holiday in Tenerife will transform their season. Their next match is on Saturday 16th January against Derby County. We will be watching with interest to see whether the Tenerife sun has had the desired effect.

Warrington Wolves return from Tenerife in time for a friendly match with Leigh Centurions on January 17. They open their Super League campaign on Sunday February 7 against Harlequins.

If you fancy taking a leaf out of their book and heading to Tenerife at the first opportunity, there are some amazing flight deals to be had on our website (prices are current at time of writing).

Flight from Luton to Tenerife – Fri 15th Jan – £69 per person
Flight from Bournemouth to Tenerife - Fri 15th Jan – £70 per person
Flight from Gatwick to Tenerife – Thurs 14th / Fri 15th / Sun 17th Jan – £70 per person
Flight from Stansted to Tenerife – Fri 15th Jan – £70 per person
Flight from Glasgow to Tenerife – Sun 17th Jan – £80 per person
Flight from Birmingham to Tenerife – Sat 16th Jan – £104 per person
Flight from Manchester to Tenerife – Fri 15th Jan – £119 per person

With hotels in Tenerife from £10 per person per night a 7 night break for two can come in under £20 per person per day when you add the price of the flight and the hotel together. A week in Tenerife could prove cheaper than the gas bill in the current climate!