Many European countries offer vacations like no other and every country is unique and offers something different to the people who visit.  There is one country that rivals the rest in terms of history, architecture and spectacular scenery and that is Italy.

Italy, which is in south-central Europe and is bordered by France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia sports a temperate seasonal climate in most of the lower areas of the country which means the weather is never too cold or too hot and that is only one of the things that draws millions of tourists to the country each year!  Here are some more of the top attractions that await you when it comes to Italian Holidays:

1)            Visit Venice, one of the most Unique cities in the world!

2)            Explore the ruins of Pompeii

3)            Take some Tuscany Holidays in the most popular wine country in the world

4)            Take a side trip to the island of Sicily and bask in its beauty

5)            Visit Rome and see The Coliseum, the Pantheon, St. Peter’s Square, The Sistine Chapel and the many museums in the area.

Italy is also known for its world-class restaurants known for serving up some of the best meals in the world. Fashion is also a big thing in Italy so you know you will have one of the best shopping experiences of your life if that is something you like to do while traveling.  Many sightseeing tours are available and you have the option to travel to various locations along the coast, through major cities, in the countryside or a combination of all three.  City walking tours are also popular and allow you see the city from a local’s point-of-view.

A vacation to Italy is guaranteed to be like no other and with some planning, you will get a great deal and great itinerary for your next visit to this popular and world-class destination!

Thomson Holidays have launched a Greener Holidays brochure to help customers choose a more environmentally friendly break next summer. All holiday properties included in the new brochure are Travelife certified, which means the accommodation has been recognised as working towards pre-defined sustainability goals.

Thomson is working towards having all of its hotels Travelife certified within five years and hopes that over 50 per cent of its customers will be staying at Travelife accommodation by the end of Summer 2011.

The new brochure is only available online – a step which the firm says will save on paper and printing. Customers can request a copy of the brochure online and specify which destinations they are interested in from a pre-defined list. A customised version is then sent to the customer by email, removing the need for paper copies to be sent by mail or picked up in a Thomson high street shop.

The new online-only brochure is part of a comprehensive sustainability plan which Thomson has implemented to improve its environmental performance across all levels of its business. Some of the commitments Thomson has made in its 2010 sustainability plan include reducing energy use in its high street stores by 7 per cent and cutting carbon emissions from its airline by 6 per cent over the next four years.

As well as the new Greener Holidays brochure, Thomson has launched a new website called Holidays Forever. This new portal is designed to share information with customers on Thomson’s current environmental performance and future commitments and includes surprisingly up-front information about the impact travel and tourism has on the environment and communities around the world.

The new website also includes tips for customers on how to have a greener holiday which include packing light, choosing Travelife certified hotels and using less water and energy while abroad.

Other things Thomson is doing as part of its sustainability plan include reducing the number of pages in its in-flight magazine and ditching the use of plastic blanket bags on-board Thomson flights. The airline is also due to start recycling on board waste from November 2011 – a move which will no doubt sound long overdue to many customers.

It is interesting to see how a major mainstream tour operator like Thomson has approached the issue of sustainable travel – we’ll be watching closely to see how other travel companies respond over the coming weeks and months.

The Lake District is a fantastic place to visit and as part of a new series here on Green Travel Blog we decided to take a closer look at the best tourist attractions and places to stay so you can plan your Autumn break or perhaps next years summer holiday.

Things to do

The Lake District is absolutely packed with different attractions and things to do but we have narrowed down the top attractions from a very large list. To view more, visit the official Go Lakes site which has an extensive list

Another useful website to consider is Lakestay which offers useful information on accommodation listings, the best ways to take in the natural beauty and history of the area along with Cumbrian sports and attractions. It also includes upcoming events, recent articles and news to make sure that visitors have the inside knowledge on how to make their trip one to remember.

Grizedale Forest

Grizedale Forest is perhaps the most action packed day out in the Lakes with mountain biking, a Go Ape course and dozens of other forest activities as well as trails and fantastic views.

Internationally renowned for its forest sculptures, Grizedale Forest Park offers the complete day out with an extensive range of activities and adventures to get involved in.

Extra tip – if you like Grizedale also try Whinlatter Forest visitor centre too!

If mountain biking is your thing, check out Northern Munkies for a guide on routes to take and the right mountain bike to choose.

Windermere & Ullswater Cruises

Cruising on one of the beautiful lakes in Cumbria is a must do activity for your Lake District holiday. The two most popular cruise locations are Windermere and Ullswater and both are spectacular and excellent value for money as well as being a great way to take in the scenery.

Ravenglasss & Eskdale Railway

Probably the most spectacular train ride in the North the Ravenglass & Eskdale railway takes you on a journey for seven miles from the delightful coastal village of Ravenglass through two glorious valleys to the foot of England’s highest mountains.

Each of the locos travel’s some 6,000 miles per year on average, hauling trains consisting of ‘breath of fresh air’ open carriages, practical open-sided ones and cosy covered saloons. That’s more trains, on a longer line, than any other heritage railway in the Lake District. As you might expect with Britain’s Favourite View and deepest lake in the next valley, England’s highest mountain at its head, Eskdale and indeed all the railway, is in the Lake District National Park – beyond the commercialism and hustle-bustle – simply surrounded by spectacular beauty.

Outdoor Activities

If you are young and fancy making the most of the outdoors, visit activeoutdoors which provides ideas, information and inspiration on fun outdoor activities and adventure for young people. There is an extensive list and a wealth of information about lots of outdoor activities available in The Lakes, so whether you are an adrenaline junkie or just fancy trying something different this site is for you.

Museums and Attractions for Children

If you like museums, why not go to the Pencil Museum. You can learn about the history of pencil making and see how Derwent Fine Art Pencils are made today, as well as being amazing by the worlds longest coloured pencil and seeing a World War 2 pencil designed like a James Bond gadget.
There is also Cars of the Stars Museum featuring celebrity television and film vehicles including Herbie and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Children and Adults a like will love to visit World of Beatrix Potter and Lakes Aquarium for a fun filled day out

Places to stay

Although there is a big choice of accommodation in the Lake District it’s well worth booking early, especially in peak season. Most hotels are relatively small and can get booked up months in advance.

The most popular accommodation in the Lakes is usually a self catering holiday cottage of some kind and there are lots of ways to book.

The largest provider is Cumbrian Cottages who have over 900 Lake District Cottages on their books, all with minimum 3 star VisitBritain ratings.

If you want to book direct with a holiday cottage there are literally hundreds of amazing cottages to choose from.

You could also try Holiday Lettings which offers over 250 holiday homes in the Lake District. Holiday makers can choose from spacious villas, resort apartments, sprawling gites and farmhouses, cosy romantic retreats, cottages, barn and chapel conversions. Booking a holiday home direct with the property owner or manager through Holiday Lettings will save you money and has the advantage of providing first hand knowledge of the property and location.

Brackenrigg is situated in the heart of the Lake District National Park located in the peaceful Naddle valley and just 2 miles from Keswick. Brackenrigg Barn has 3 cottages converted from a traditional stone ‘bank’ barn and retain many original features. Brackenrigg Barn and High Rigg have both achieved a Silver Award from the Green Tourism Business Scheme, and piloted the new Biodiversity Award sponsored by Natural England. Whether you are looking for a cosy retreat for two, or a family holiday, this is the perfect place to escape to the countryside with lots of things to do right on your doorstep.

The gloomy economic climate is leading more of us to spend our holidays in the UK, tourism experts have revealed. New figures released by VisitBritain, show that more people are taking their holidays in Britain instead of travelling abroad.

“I wouldn’t say the recession is benefiting us, but the economy is definitely a driving factor to get people to stay at home,” Sarah Long, a spokeswoman for VisitEngland, said at a tourism conference this week.

“We’ve analysed the trends and there are ‘switchers,’ which are people who are reluctantly switching from an overseas holiday to a UK holiday and others, perhaps younger people, who are finding new things to do in the UK.

“I wouldn’t say the recession is benefiting us but the economy is definitely a driving factor to get people to stay at home,” said Sarah Long.

Both VisitBritain and VisitEngland are expecting to have their funding slashed when the results of the government spending review are announced this week, according to TravelMole.

British holidaymakers are responsible for three out of four pounds spent on holidays in the UK and domestic tourism is destined to rise by around 5 per cent over the next ten years.

Tourism bosses will no doubt be hoping to persuade some of those switching foreign holidays for UK breaks into long-term converts. One sector that they will have to try hard to convince according to recent news is the over 50s.

Bucking the trend for seaside holidays and domestic coach tours, travel operators are reporting a boom in bookings for “grey gap years.” Empty nesters with money to burn are increasingly looking for long haul holidays and extended trips, operators including Saga and Bridge the World have confirmed.

And while young people are taking more holidays in the UK, it remains to be seen whether they continue to do so when their economic outlook improves. Although awareness of green travel is growing, it is still a minority interest when you take into account the scale of travel undertaken by the UK population for business and leisure purposes.

One can only hope that the UK tourism industry isn’t dealt too much of a blow by government spending cuts and that tourism agencies can continue their work promoting the UK as an attractive option for travellers of all ages.

Travel group TUI has been commended for its professional approach to reducing carbon emissions and fighting climate change.

The travel operator with own brands including Thomson and First Choice, was this week ranked 6th in an annual report called the FTSE 350 Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI).

The CDLI highlights companies which show the “most professional approach” to climate change issues on a corporate level. TUI was ranked in the top 25 per cent of companies included in the 2010 CDLI and was the only travel operator included in this year’s report.

The CDLI is compiled by Pricewaterhousecoopers on behalf of not-for-profit organisation, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). Paul Dickinson, Executive Chairman of the CDP said this week:

“The Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index recognises companies that demonstrate good internal data management practices for understanding greenhouse gas emissions, including energy use.

Companies that make this index have also demonstrated clear consideration of how climate change is and will impact on their business. As companies’ understanding of climate change issues grows, they are better placed to take positive action to manage and mitigate its risks.”

TUI has made several moves recently to demonstrate that it takes sustainability issues seriously. It published its first Sustainability Report in August this year, which revealed the progress the group is making across its portfolio of brands.

According to the report, TUI is “actively engaging” 71 per cent of its suppliers on environmental issues and has reduced direct carbon emissions generated by its airline by 3.6 per cent since 2007/2008.

The group has committed to reducing carbon emissions by 6 per cent by 2013/2014 and recently announced that it will include data on sustainability issues in its annual financial report.

Commenting on TUI’s 2010 inclusion in the CDLI, TUI Chief Exec Peter Long said:

“We are delighted once again to be recognised for our good corporate governance in respect of carbon management and the progress we have made this year. We have a firm commitment to manage our environmental footprint from the Board level down.”

TUI says it plans to increase the number of green offerings available to customers from 2010 by launching new brochures and is working on ways to improve the ways it communicates with customers about sustainable development issues.

If you’re thinking of booking a holiday though one of the TUI brands such as Thomson or First Choice, keep a look out for properties flagged as belonging to the Travelife scheme. These properties are actively engaging with TUI on environmental issues and working to reduce their carbon footprint.

Europe’s first-ever ecotourism conference gathered the great and good of the green travel movement to the small town of Pärnu, Estonia last week. Delegates debated critical issues, challenges and the future of sustainable travel. Here are some of the hot topics which we think will be re-surfacing as top green travel trends for 2011:

Zero Carbon Hotels

Climate change is not going away and tourism is one industry in particular that is at risk from the threat of global warming. We’ve started to see the first zero carbon hotels open in Europe over recent months. As governments introduce incentives for green businesses and pressure grows on the travel industry to green-up its act, expect to see more travel businesses focusing on eliminating, reducing and measuring their carbon footprint from 2011 and beyond.

“Voluntourism”

Travel in 2011 is going to be all about the experience – maximising the positive impact of travel as well as minimising the negative. “Voluntourism” or volunteer tourism enables tourists to contribute and benefit local communities while seeing the world and is destined to increase as travellers look for more meaningful ways to travel and contribute to local communities. Expect to see more volunteer activities integrated into green and sustainable travel programs through 2011 – and not just those aimed at backpackers and gap year students.

Slow Travel

Sticking with the theme of experience – more and more travel businesses are recognising that travelling can be more than just a means of getting from A to B. As well as companies and websites facilitating cross-country train and ferry travel, expect to see more businesses promoting slow, memorable travel where “getting there” is an important – if not the most important – element of the holiday.

Local Travel Movement

The local travel movement aims to connect tourists with local people while on holiday, ensuring enriching experiences for both parties. We’ve already seen movements like couch surfing gain ground over the past few years. Now a new website for the Local Travel Movement hopes to take things to the next level. Proponents of local travel believe it is the only truly green way to travel, as it ensures you respect local traditions and culture as well as the natural environment.

Green Travel Networks

As social media provides more opportunities for like-minded travellers to connect online and in real life, expect to see more green travel networks developing and expanding.