Soak up romance of Italy
Ferry Inn. Horning is just ten miles from Norwich and three miles from the village of Potter Heigham, with its medieval bridge. Grand Lodge sleeps six, from £325 for three nights: watersidebreaks.com. The renovation of Bristol’s historic inner-city docks, with galleries, museums and restaurants has increasingly made it the place to be.
But quayside accommodation has traditionally been limited and expensive – until the arrival of the Kyle Blue. This houseboat hostel is moored on Wapping Wharf in the heart of the harbour between the award-winning attractions of the SS Great Britain and the MShed Museum.
It has private and shared accommodation, a kitchen, lounge, and upper-deck terrace, and is easy walking distance from the city. Dormitory bed £29, private double cabin £59: kylebluebristol.co.uk. EXPERIENCE the beauty of Venice and Florence on a two centre trip for £649. The deal includes four nights at t the four star Palazzo Dal B Borgo in Florence, followed b by three nights at the four s star Savoia Jolanda in V Venice, both h on a B&B Painted Lady, Swallowtail and Clouded Yellow are custom-built, wide-beam canal boats which have come to rest on the reedy banks of Blagdon Water, a private trout lake on the Devon-Cornwall border.
These comfortable, cosy boats have all the canal holiday feel but with none of the hassle. Only the wind and the wildlife disturb the e tranquil water. The boats are 100 metres s apart, on private jetties, and each ch has an extra onshore boathouse e with more living space and facilities. No flight paths, no motorway noise, just the gentle rustling of reeds and lapping of the waterside world. Sleeps four, four nights from £325: blagdonwater.com. basis. Internal rail transfers, private water taxi transfers in Venice and return flights from Gatwick with BA, leaving on November 20, are included. Call 01293 765 066 to book,or find out more at citalia.com. The newly built Samphire Houseboat stands aloof from the assortment of expensive yachts at Chichester Marina. Moored on the calm waters of a small canal off Chichester Harbour, itself designated an area of outstanding natural beauty, this is an ideal place to let the world drift by. It has i its own private garden on one side and, on the other, lily-covered water, moorhens and swans. The top deck is a great place to wa watch the sun go down. High windows an and floor-to-ceiling doors open out to th the back, this is sophisticated designer liv living brought to the water’s edge. The ma marina has a restaurant within walking dis distance. The Samphire sleeps four, from £95 per night, holidaylettings.co.uk. I WANT to ski but my other half is too chicken. Where can we go that will suit him too? EASY. Innsbruck in Austria. There are nine ski resorts on the doorstep of the capital of the Austrian Tirol. But the historic city is full of things to keep tourists happy.
The Olympic Ski World Innsbruck lift pass gets you 300 kilometres of snow-sure pistes and a free, comfortable and eco-friendly bus service to get to them.
The Nordkette, which has great views of Innsbruck, is often skied by city folk who have a few hours to spare – that is how close it is.
Crystal has launched a City & Ski package staying at the 3 star Hotel Zillertal from £619. Call 020 8610 3123 or see crystalski.co.uk. HERE is a lightweight glove that can be worn on its own or under a heavier glove or mitt when it is really cold. And possibly the most vital feature nowadays is the inclusion of tech touch thumbs and fingers that mean you can keep them on while using a smartphone.