New Year and Christmas is proving to be an even more popular time for holidaymakers to leave the UK in search of a different festive experience. According to ABTA, it estimates that 4.25 million Brits will be travelling away during this period compared to just under 4 million last year.

Peak travel days are expected to be 22nd and 23rd December so holidaymakers can touch down and settle in just before Christmas day.

Types of holidays vary greatly, some opt for warmer climates such as the Canary Islands, Dominican Republic and Cuba, whereas others want a Christmas snow at ski locations.

Paris, Reykjavik, Rome, Dublin and New York are popular New Year’s Eve destinations for a party vibe.

Mark Tanzer ABTA chief executive said: “With all the doom and gloom of the economy it looks like people are keen to escape for a break, whether they are visiting friends and family or looking to enjoy winter sun or guaranteed snow.”

Check out lots of foreign holiday lets at the Villaseek website to get your perfect festive getaway sorted.

From all at Villaseek, we would like to wish readers of this blog a very Happy New Year! Most people will be back at work from today, but let’s try to ignore this for now and think about the holidays which have just gone by. Where did you go? Have you been abroad to one of Villaseek’s villas and how did you find it? I was not lucky enough to go abroad this year, but did have a cosy time at home eating lots of crackers and cheese in front of the Christmas television!

The past year has been full to the brim with travel stories, so I will soon post a run down of some of the most prominent in case you missed out on any! 2010 certainly was an eventful year for the travel industry, and in many ways I think most will be hoping that 2011 will be much quieter!

For the moment though, let us indulge in the holidays which have just gone by. Below is a festive picture I took with my new camera to get you in the mood. Please let us know what you got up to over these holidays, try also to include links to pictures of your holiday villas and surrounding scenery so we can get a feel for where you’ve been!

There’s a new reason for visiting Florida, especially if you have young Harry Potter fans in tow. Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando has just opened its newest, grandest and most ambitious addition: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The Wizarding World is full of sights from the Potter universe. Rides including Dragon Challenge, Flight of the Hippogriff and the Forbidden Journey promise to bring thrills to guests of all ages, while sights like Ollivander’s Wand Shop, Hagrid’s Hut and Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods will delight Potter fans.

If that list of whimsical flights of fancy leaves you cold, flight search website Skyscanner is trying to drum up business with a list of alternative wizard venues. Starting with New Zealand, used as the setting when JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed. With unrivalled vistas and great natural beauty, it’s the perfect setting for the wizard Gandalf to bestride Middle Earth. Tolkien fans continue to catch flights to New Zealand to experience the world of hobbits, elves and orcs for themselves.

Orcs no good? Then there’s always the Wizard of Oz, in Kansas, USA. In 1900, L. Frank Baum described the adventures of one Dorothy Gale, a young girl who is whisked away by a tornado, ending up in the Land of Oz. Befriending a talking scarecrow, a cowardly lion and a tin man, she journeyed to visit The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and get back home to Kansas, where today fans can visit the Oz Museum which holds masses of memorabilia from the books, films and musicals.

Possibly even more magical, if you’re a basketball fan, would be a visit to the Washington Wizards in Washington, DC. Based in the capital city’s Verizon Center, this professional basketball team had a genuine wizard of the court play for them in the form of superstar Michael Jordan from 2001 to 2003. They still fill their arena for every game and their skill and showmanship make for an unforgettable experience. Or so they say.

Closer to home is Parc Asterix, a theme-park 22 miles north of Paris that’s based on the world of cartoon character Asterix. There you can meet the wizard, a member of Goscinny and Uderzo’s tribe of rebellious Gaul warriors who comically torment Julius Caesar’s legions in ancient France. Getafix is a potion-concocting druid who can prepare an elixir that grants superhuman strength to those who drink it.

Hello,  

Theoretically, the weather in the UK is at its best in July and August, which is why many people not tied by school holidays choose to go away at the end of the summer, in September and even October. There are big advantages to going away at this time – you don’t need me to tell you, but I will anyway: villas and apartments are cheaper after the peak summer season; the weather is more pleasant – you can actually go for walks and not be uncomfortably hot; the sea is at its warmest; and there are fewer people around, particularly little people.

If you decide to take an end of summer break, well here is a taster of some of the cultural events on offer in popular villa holiday spots:

FRANCE

29 Sept-5 Oct 

BIARRITZ FESTIVAL 

This year’s Biarritz Festival is dedicated to Latin America. There’s a week of exhibitions, concerts and workshops as well as the film competition, in which respected directors hope for festival prizes.

Every month (but more pleasant when not during the heat of the summer)

OLD BOOK MARKET

Aix-en-Provence

On the first Sunday of each month, you can browse through old and rare books at the Place de l’Hotel de Ville. Birthplace of Emile Zola, the town has great charm and a strong literary tradition.

October

INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL 

Montpellier

Guitar playing in all its guises at venues all over town. The festival features guitarists from around the world including Australia, Venezuela and the USA.

SPAIN

10 Sep-11 Oct 

SEVILLE FLAMENCO FESTIVAL 

Seville

 What better place to see flamenco than in its birthplace city? Seville’s 15th biennial flamenco festival features world famous artists – dancers, singers and guitarists  – performing all over the city, mainly in theatres, but some in the open-air.

October

CAVA WEEK

Sant Sadurní d’Anoia

Catalunya’s main Cava-producing town celebrates by crowning its Cava Queen; a huge bicycle race; an art exhibition; lots of music and the annual Barcelona train ride: every Oct 12th, 1000 people from Barcelona board the Cava train, are met by carnival characters and treated to a tour of cellars, lunch and entertainment.

ITALY

Oct 2008 

FOOD FESTIVAL 

Abbadia San Salvatore

Local cooks compete to create the best Tuscan meals in the main square of this medieval town. If you’re lucky you get to sample some of the dishes, all based on local ingredients. The two day festival also features dancing and live music, arts and crafts exhibitions and antique stalls.

2nd week, Oct

CHESTNUT FESTIVAL  

San Giovanni Ilarione

The scent of chestnuts roasting permeates the air  at this festival. The chestnuts are de-shelled in the main square where there is live music and parades.

CROATIA

Nov

INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL 

Pula

Croatia International Music Festival features contemporary Croatian music from soloists, ensembles and guest musicians in various venues.

BARBADOS

3-11 Oct 

TASTE OF BARBADOS

Sample Barbadian dishes at venues all around the island during the Taste of Barbados Food Festival. There will be talks, tours of rum factories and sugar plantations and farmers’ markets amidst a party atmosphere.

USA

11-12 Nov 

ORLANDO BEER FESTIVAL 

Orlando’s Universal CityWalk turns into one massive celebration of beer for one weekend in November. During the 8th Orlando beer festival,  more than 150 beers will be featured. Plenty of food, live music and entertainment, too.

13-15 Nov

NATIVE AMERICAN CELEBRATION

Silver Springs

This annual festival celebrates Native American Culture with dance performances, food and live entertainment, including various educational  events put on by the White Buffalo Society.