Are you thinking about a going away before Winter hits us but not sure where to go?  We’ve put together a list of the top 3 destinations to visit in October, so have a look and see which one takes your fancy!

Morocco

Morocco is the perfect place to visit if you want hot weather, October temperatures in Morocco can reach up to 24°C.  You can spend your time sunbathing on some of the lovely beaches Morocco has to offer including El Jadida. However, if you prefer more of an activity based holiday you can take a surf board down to Dakhla Bay and ride the waves.  With over 20 golf courses, Morocco has lots of land based activities to take part in too and the best bit is that it’s only a 3 hour flight from the UK!

Venice

One of the best cities to visit during October is Venice.  Venice starts to calm down in October so there aren’t as many crowds (it also means that the hotel prices and airfares are cheaper).  This makes October the best month to see Venice’s most beautiful sites.  You can take a romantic gondola ride through the canals, take a tour round the gothic Doge’s Place or even take a seat outside one of the boutique cafes and watch the world go by.

Lake District

If you’d prefer to stay in the UK then what better place to visit than the Lake District? There are so many activities that you can make the most of during October including taking a stroll around the national park.  If you’re feeling a bit more ambitious you could always climb Scafell Pike! 

These are our recommendations for the top destinations to visit in October, if you have any other destinations that you’d like to suggest then please let us know in the comments below.  If you’re interesting in visiting one of these destinations we offer buy now pay later and will price match if you find the same accommodation cheaper elsewhere, so use our hotel search to find what you’re looking for!

This year has seen a rise in people looking for and going on last minute holidays.  Even the search term ‘Last minute holidays’ rose from 301,000 in May to 450,000 in June (Research carried out by Greenlight Agency).  There are many reasons why last minute holidays have risen in popularity this year, here are the ones we’ve picked as the main reasons:

1.    The economy – we all know the best deals can be found on last minute holidays and this year we’ve been very cost-conscious and willing to wait last minute to book our holidays!

2.    The volcano – last year we saw the ash from the Eyjafjallajoekull eruption cancel, delay and in some cases extend holidays!  Maybe this year people didn’t want to risk booking a holiday early only to have it cancelled by volcanic ash.

As well as a rise in last minute holidays, there has been a shift in the most popular holiday destinations with Spain, Cyprus and Malta coming out on top in 2011.  This is most likely down to the turmoil in the Middle East.

It’ll be interesting to see if last minute holidays and the European destinations are just as popular next year.  If you’re planning on booking a holiday soon we offer buy now pay later and will price match if you find the same accommodation cheaper elsewhere, so have a go at using our hotel search to find your holiday.

A recent survey carried out by Jet2 has revealed that 31% of Brits repack their case at least twice before their hols, and that it takes over an hour to do it! So with this in mind we thought we’d give you the benefit of our insider knowledge and give you the top 5 packing tips from the Lodging World team.

1. Check Your Allowance
Gone are the days when there was a blanket allowance across the airlines which was nice and generous! These days there’s a lot of variation, so our biggest, most important holiday packing tip is to check with your carrier what you are allowed to take.

2. Keep Rolling
The smaller you make your items the more you can fit in, so go for the roll around with any light items like linens, vests and light dresses. This also reduces those pesky creases which get into your clothes while in transit, so a win win situation!

3. Forewarned, Forearmed
Before you pack those heavy electrical items like hairdryers and travel irons or thinks which are likely to spill like shampoo and shower gel, check the hotel’s website or give them a call. If they have these things in the room or available from reception, then why waste space and weight taking them. Tip Tastic!

4. Decant
If you do need to take liquid toiletries, then decant, decant, decant! Instead of taking bulky bottles or paying for mini versions, just decant your usual favourite products into clear bottles, pumps and pots. These are really cheap to purchase and usually come as sets in a clear bag, for double spill protection.

5. Be a Clever Bookworm

Taking books or magazines? Don’t stack them one on top of the other, spread them across the case to distribute the weight. They also make a great clothes press if they are heavy enough, so put them between some of your light crease prone items.

Of course if you're reading packing tips you're probably nearly on your way, but when you're booking your hotel for your next trip then we can help. We offer buy now pay later and will price match if you find the same accommodation cheaper elsewhere, so use our hotel search now!

It’s just been the UFC Battle on the Bayou in New Orleans and while most people watching were glued to the fighting we were sneaking a peek at the New Orleans skyline behind!

If you we’re like us and fancy a slice of the party city then here are some top tips of what to see, what to do and where to stay.

First up you need somewhere to stay and we’ve heard nothing but good things about the Green House Inn, New Orleans,  which provides the luxury of a hotel in the more relaxed setting of a Bed & Breakfast. It combines friendly hospitality with Jacuzzis, Aveda bath products and a library with high speed internet.

If you’re going to New Orleans then you have to go to a festival and Nov & Dec are great for these. If you like your festivals distinctly critterish then you can’t go wrong with swap fest in early November, where you can see swamp critters, much on Cajun food and shake your tail feather to a range of music at Audubon Zoo!
If the arts are more your thing then the Fringe Festival will be right up your street, with an array of unsigned acts, one man shows and never seen before plays there’ll definitely be something to whet your cultural whistle.

Aside from it’s festivals New Orleans is also famous for it’s delicious food too and your trip would feel incomplete if you didn’t at least try a gumbo or jambalaya and grabbed a Beignet as a snack. Beignets are a donut, but not as we know them and they really have to be tasted to be beli

eved! And if you’re after the perfect Gumbo then the word from the locals is that Mr B’s is the place to go for authenticity and taste.

Whatever you get up to in New Orleans (and you can get up to a lot!) it’s important you have a great place to come back to after a long day sightseeing or a hard night partying and whether you choose a B&B, high class New Orleans hotel or a self-catering apartment you’re sure to get the New Orleans friendly hospitality!

If you book with Lodging World, then most o our hotels offer buy now pay later and if you find a lower price elsewhere we'll pay the difference, so start your hotel search now!

Welcome to the brand spanking new Lodging World blog, where we'll be posting advice, travel news, tops tips and special offers, as well as all the news and insights from Lodging World. We're currently busy creating some interesting blog posts for you all to read, so stay tuned for more...