A French/Italian border break

For our annual break back in 2009, me and my other half headed to a friends family home on the picturesque French/Italian border. Here's a review I wrote for travelbite.co.uk about our adventure...

At the heart of the Italian Riviera lies the seaside city of San Remo, sandwiched neatly between the warm Mediterranean and the Maritime Mountains.

Once the playground of Europe's aristocracy, today the area enjoys popularity from Italian and German tourism; but as I found, the English voice is rarely heard on San Remo's sunny shores.

No doubt overshadowed by its popular French neighbour, Nice, San Remo's recognition as a British tourist destination appeared to be rather silent on my trip there in early September. But with a balmy climate, and plenty to see and do, the area is a real gem of a short-haul trip; particularly for the budget-conscious traveller.

With flights into Nice on many low-cost airlines, the onward journey to the Italian city is easily reached under an hour by train if you don't fancy renting a car; a decision I was glad to have made as it afforded the opportunity to gaze out of the window at the winding coastline, including the luxurious Monte Carlo.

Once in San Remo there's a huge amount to do for those who don't fancy being a beach bum, none of which will break the bank:
A newly created cycle path runs right along the coast through San Remo. Local businesses have cottoned on to the money-making possibilities from this pursuit, and if you shop around there are some really good deals for renting bikes. For 16 Euros each, we were able to rent bikes for the whole day, complete with locks and basket!

Given that most of the track winds along the beachside, it is relatively flat, a fact you'll be glad of in the midday heat. And what's more, you can go for miles in either direction using San Remo or Arma di Taggia as your base. We particularly enjoyed stopping off for gelato in Santo Stefano al Mare, and drinking early morning coffee on the beach front just west of San Remo.

The track is particularly suited for families, as the only traffic is other bikes, making it safe for little ones, and the paths are wide, running in either direction. Many of the rental shops also have bikes with baby seats for those too little for stabilisers.

Rather ambitiously we rented bikes from Arma di Taggia and decided to cycle to an artists colony in the hills we had heard about. If you value your knees at all, this is a bad idea, and with hindsight I'd recommend car or bus. But if you're feeling fit then it's a lovely winding journey up the side of a very steep mountain to this small Italian paradise at the top.

We were lucky enough to have been told about Bussana Vecchia by a local Italian we know from home, but part of the wonder of this tiny place is its anonymity. Formed by an artist colony after an earthquake devastated the village, galleries and restaurants are now built among the ruins.

The higgledy piggledy nature adds real warmth, and if you've ventured up the mountain on foot or cycle your aching muscles are soon forgotten as each turn proves something exciting to explore. The discerning art lover will find the galleries varied, with sculpture, watercolour, ceramics and acrylics to suit. Each gallery has a transient feel, which was proven when we spoke to the owner of a tiny antique shop (which had the most spectacular view out to sea) who told us he rarely spent more than a few months there before taking his wares to Paris or London.

And if like us you're starving by the time you reach Bussana Vecchia, the three or four restaurants at the top have something for every budget. We opted for the 'middling' priced restaurant, which had great views across the coast. A plate of freshly made gnocchi and a glass of local red wine later and we were feeling suitably refreshed to freewheel back down to the beach.

Positioned high in the mountains east of San Remo lies the tiny village of Castellaro. Easily accessed by bus for a few Euro, the village is an opportunity to experience a bit of real Italy. You'll struggle to find anyone who speaks much English, so come armed with your guidebook; but this certainly adds to the charm.

Dinner at the village's only restaurant, run by the very welcoming Gian Marco, is a must, with fresh stone baked pizza's and local fare, including the owner's home-grown olive oil. A word of warning though, this little restaurant is very popular, so for parties over two make sure you book in advance.

Further up the mountain and you will come across the church at Lampedusa, which is beautiful to walk around and situated conveniently next to a cliff-top restaurant/bar with wonderful views down the valley towards the Med.

Further down the mountain towards Arma di Taggia you'll find the Castellaro Golf Resort, and although we didn't have time for a visit, we were told by the locals that the greens are superb with some wonderful panoramic vistas.

With its mild climate, even the city of San Remo itself is a pleasure to walk around. Some of the street stalls are wonderful if you're staying in self-catering accommodation, and watch out for local produce which is in abundance.

The harbour is a good place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the shops, with a large array of maritime vessel on show. Particular hotspots for the culturally conscious are the old town of Pigna and the Russian Orthodox church built in the early 1900's.

In true Italian style, it is the cuisine which is a real draw for tourism, with enough pizzeria's to happily keep you fed on a week-long holiday. Off the beaten track in San Remo, you'll find some beautiful jewellery shops and galleries down wooky looking alleys, and freshly brewed Italian coffee is served in abundance in the city's al fresco cafe's to perk up the weary wanderer.

Less than half an hour from San Remo by train you can be in the playground of the rich and famous in Monaco. Having never visited the area before we were ready to explore, and were surprised to find there was plenty to do without the need for casino tokens.

Walking round the harbour is a real pleasure, and we stood wide-eyed as vast yachts made their way out to sea, complete with butler and on-board sports car!

A real treat was found when you walk to the front of the harbour where it meets the Med; here there is a buoyed off area for swimming, with the water clear enough to have a snorkel. A word of warning though: to get into the water you need to jump off the breakwater into the sea or clamber down a ladder, and the water is deep and sometimes rough; so perhaps not best suited for little ones or weak swimmers.

But back in the main town you can wander the streets made famous by Formula One, stop off for a lunch time baguette and enviously window-shop through some of the most exclusive shop-fronts in the world.

For more information about visiting the San Remo area go to the Italian Tourist Board website.

A Brit abroad

While the intrepid traveller may well turn their nose up at holidays in the Spanish resort of Benidorm, the destination remains a hotspot for sun seeking British holidaymakers.

I was asked to review the destination for travelbite.co.uk to discover the best theme parks for a family fun holiday.

You may not get a culture shock or a 'once in a lifetime' experience in Benidorm, but what a holiday to this popular section of the Spanish coast will give you is guarantees.

A family trip to Benidorm will guarantee good weather, good beaches, good food and - most importantly - good fun; so you can't really blame the thousands of Brits who flock there every year for choosing the safe vacation option.

But while the beach is great for sandcastles and suntans, a fortnight's break spent by the warm Mediterranean waters may appear a little tedious to some. That's why the Spanish Tourist Board has gone all out to provide tourists with some family fun away from the coast, with a number of theme parks.

Benidorm has certainly hit the nail on the head when it comes to variety, meaning whether your kids are water babies, animal lovers or squeal at the idea of rollercoaster's, you're sure to find something to suit.

First off we headed to Aqualandia and MundoMar, just a few miles from the main Benidorm town and easy to access with plenty of buses between the two.

The parks handily lie right next to each other, and tickets can be bought for both together (which might be a good idea for those on a budget or if the weather is looking a bit iffy for the water park).

MundoMar is a small zoo, specialising in marine life, but also home to monkeys, toucans, bats and a menagerie of other exotic creatures. Kids can get involved with the dolphin and seal shows, feed the monkeys in their enclosure and throw fish to the penguins (who I have to admit looked a little beleaguered in the Spanish heat).

The star of the day was certainly the adorable new arrival in the dolphin tank, although a rather naughty sea lion also had his fair share of fans at the sea lion show, complete with pirates!

We then headed next door to Aqualandia, a water park of quite some size and, given the crowds, considerable popularity.

What was so great about this park was it appeared to cater for everyone. I saw families with toddlers, teenagers and grandparents, all enjoying a day out alongside groups of twenty-somethings. Our group was relatively mixed in age and taste, yet we were all able to find enjoyable attractions.

For the non-thrill seekers there are jacuzzis, the Lazy River, a wave machine and waterfalls, while for the adrenalin junkies the Black Hole, Big Bang and Kamikaze will have you shaking in your flip flops. The Rapids were certainly my favourite of the day, although the huge jacuzzi pool was rather tempting after a long day on your feet.

In what turned out to be a rather whistle-stop tour, the next day we headed to two more theme parks, Terra Natura and Terra Mitica.

Terra Natura is an animal park split into different 'countries', with a small water park, Aqua Natura, within its grounds. New this year is the 'Poisonous Creatures' display in the huge manmade volcano in the middle of the park, with a birds of prey show also making its debut this year.

The park is quite large so most families would want to get there as it opens to make the most of it I should think, and it's definitely worth taking your bathers for a swim with the sharks in the Aquarium! The highlight for me was certainly the elephant enclosure, which you can even take a zip wire across.

Note to families with little ones though - a lot of the park was open air, so remember to pack the sun cream, hats and plenty of bottled water.

The real selling point of Terra Natura is certainly the 'no barriers' concept, which makes it feel more like a safari park than a zoo. There are buses from Benidorm, although if there are enough of you to fill a taxi this is probably the easiest and cheapest way to get there. When we went tickets started at 18 Euros, but make sure you look at the group deals which will make a visit considerably cheaper.

We then headed to Terra Mitica, by far my favourite of Benidorm's parks.

The theme park has just undergone some renovation, spanning a huge area a few miles from the town and easily accessible by bus or car. Prices on our visit started at 32 Euros.

All the traditional theme park rides are resident, such as the log flume and merry-go-round for the little ones. But there is also a great variety of other attractions, including a 100m high viewing tower (showing spectacular views of the Benidorm area), an indoor paintballing centre and a fantastic Roman style show, complete with circus performers.

Once again there is a real variety, so however old your children there is bound to be something for them to enjoy. While Terra Mitica is rather pricey, especially as you aren't allowed to take your own food and drink in, it is a great day out, and a pleasant change from the beach.

Benidorm's theme parks are a great way to relieve the potential monotony of a beach holiday, especially for families.

As a personal recommendation, look at the websites before you go to search for the best ticket deals and to make sure your favourite attractions at the parks are open that week. If in any doubt, the Spanish Tourist Office is always on hand to help.

With some recession busting deals out there for families at the moment, a trip to Benidorm could guarantee a fun-filled holiday.