Italians are a passionate bunch and it’s hard to put my finger on which one of their passions is the greatest. It’s not just the food, art and language or the fashion, architecture of football that has me hooked – it’s everything. Book your V Australia ticket to Milan and see for yourself what this cosmopolitan city means to you. Read more »
Next up in our series of European cities you should see is Geneva, Switzerland. From the familiar (fondue and chocolate) to the unexpected (the vistas and family fun) this city is sure to impress. Read more »
Tagged as Best of Geneva, destination, Etihad, Europe, Geneva, Restaurants, Switerland, Travel.
Where to stay in Manchester
Unlike central London, staying in the heart of Manchester is an affordable option, with all the popular attractions nearby. Whether you’re after a hotel, apartment or comfortable backpacker hostel, Manchester has something to suit all budgets. Read more »
Tagged as destination, england, Etihad, guide, manchester, UK, vaustralia.
Fly V Australia (along with our partner Etihad) & experience Manchester’s best!
Known for its influence in history, sport and music, Manchester has changed quite a lot since its industrial past and has transformed into a vibrant city ideal for sport & music lovers, students and history enthusiasts. Read more »
Tagged as destination, england, holiday, manchester, UK.
Fly V Australia (along with our partner Etihad) and Russia in style!
With the Cold War ending some time ago, countries like Russia became available to those that wanted to explore a lesser travelled country. Now is a great time to start thinking about seeing sights such as The Kremlin, Red Square and the Lenin Mausoleum!
GUM at Red Square
Moscow’s best shopping:
Head to GUM at 3 Red Square for Moscow’s best (and most expensive) retail therapy. Burberry and Hermes grace its architecturally designed halls and the food market boasts something from every corner of the world.
If high-end fashion doesn’t appeal to you (or your budget), the building itself (once used by Stalin as the headquarters for his Five Year Plan) is steeped in history and incredibly beautiful. If visiting on a weekend, expect to see more than one bridal party stopping at the shopping mall for opulent wedding photos.
Moscow’s best historic site:
Directly opposite the GUM shopping precinct in the Red Square is Lenin’s Mausoleum. Made of polished black stone, be sure to check when this popular site is open -you can reduce your time spent queuing by arriving (really) early. Security guards patrol the lines so ensure you behave appropriately and leave bags and backpacks at home as you won’t be allowed to take them in. Once you make it through all the protocol (and it is worth it) you are ushered through in groups of 12 to 15 to view the body. Regardless of whether you have a firm grasp on Russia’s communist history, this is still a moving experience.
Moscow’s best gallery:
O2 Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton
The Tretyakov Gallery is dedicated to fine Russian art. With more than 150, 000 pieces featured in the collection, the paintings, sculptures and graphics depict more than nine centuries of Russian art history. Most of the exhibition includes English translations. Open Tuesday through Sunday, the gallery is located at 10 Lavrushkinsky Lane, metro station Tretyakovskaya.
Moscow’s best views:
The O2 Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton is the place to see and be seen. With sweeping views of the Red Square and beyond, this upmarket bar, come sushi restaurant and dance floor should be at the top of every visitors list. The lounge itself is a contemporary fusion of glass, cream leather, steal and wood with a few Faberge egg inspired chairs thrown in for good measure. Along with an extensive cocktail and champagne menu, it also serves Moscow’s best sushi and sashimi. In summer a sizzling grill serves succulent seafood and steak but don’t be fooled by the bbq. A relaxed rooftop lounge during the day – after dark you dress to impress. You can find the Ritz-Carlton at 3 Tverskaya Street.
*****
Flights from Sydney to Moscow from $1885* – Available for a limited time only – visit the vaustralia.com website for more details
Tagged as destination, holiday, kremlin, Moscow, Red Square, Red Square Lenin’s Mausoleum, Ritz-Carlton, russia, Tretyakov Gallery.
With the Royal Wedding just days away and the country abuzz with all the new developments surrounding the 2012 Olympics there’s no better time to start organising your trip to sunny London.
Fly V Australia (along with our partner Etihad) and arrive at the wedding in style!
With such an eclectic mix of old and new, London is the place to play tourist. First things first, start your day with a traditional English breakfast of fried eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, mushrooms, baked beans and cup of tea. If that doesn’t get your heart started (or stop it completely) nothing will. The Breakfast Club cafes are in three (almost four) London locations and are the perfect place to try this menu staple.
The London Eye
Find your bearings with a tour on one of London’s famous big red buses and work out the lay of the land. Similarly the London Eye situated by the River Thames offers a bird’s eye view of the city and beyond.
The Tower of London (See photo at top of page) is a UNESCO world heritage listed site that simply can’t be missed. Entertaining guides provide an interesting and sometimes unbelievable insight into the buildings colourful history and the Jewel House is home to the most dazzling collection of (functional) crown jewels in the world. With the upcoming nuptials, be on the lookout for the ‘in use’ signs and speculate how they’ll look on Prince William and Kate!
Next, immerse yourself in a little celebrity (if the tabloids haven’t already got your attention) with a visit to Madam Tussauds. Rub shoulders with rock, pop, sporting, political, historical, fashion, Bollywood and Hollywood royalty – and a few monarchs for good measure! Located at Marylebone Road, it’s an easy walk from the Baker Street Station.
Borough Markets in London
My absolute favourite thing to do in London is to visit the Borough Food Markets. Take the tube to London Bridge Station and the market is just a few minutes away. Start at neighbouring Café Monmouth for a cup of London’s best coffee. Find a spot at the long wooden tables and you’re in for a treat. £2 will get you all you can eat house made bread, butter and jam – which in my opinion is the cheapest and best thing you can do in London. After you’ve had you fill, stroll across to the markets and spend a couple of hours savouring (and photographing) everything from pork pies and cider to English preserves and French pate. Open Thursday through Saturday this foodie heaven offers an impossible variety of fresh seasonal and organic food. Do not pass go, without a morning spent here.
Oxford Street is the place to go for an English retail fix. Spanning one-and-a-half miles long, it’s the quintessential London shopping experience and reputedly the busiest strip in the world. A department store mecca, everything and everyone from Marks & Spencer, Debehams, House of Fraser, John Lewis to 21st century shopping encounter, Selfridges will keep you busy for hours. It’s also home to affordable fashion favourites H & M, Zara and Topshop.
Prince William and Kate Middleton
Buy a punnet of fresh English raspberries while you work your way through the Portobello Markets in Notting Hill. Held every day except Sunday, the markets sell everything from bric-a-brac, food and vintage clothes to antiques and collectables. The street itself is a haven for fashion, art and lifestyle boutiques and a great place to people watch over coffee and cake. Get off the Tube at Notting Hill Gate Station and follow the crowds.
Best of British!
With fares this low they won’t last long. Now is the time to book your trip to London with V Australia and our partner Etihad and visit the sights, maybe walk down the route where the future King & Queen travel on their wedding day!
Flight from Sydney to London from $2025* – Available for a limited time only – visit the vaustralia.com website for more details
Tagged as britain, england, holiday, kate middleton, london, prince william, royal wedding.
Fall in love with the city of light with V Australia’s one-stop flights to Europe. Thanks to our partner Etihad, you will be saying “Paris je t’aime” in no time at all.
Food in Paris:
Visit Le Grenier à Pain Abbesses for the best baguette in Paris!
A typical day in Paris, I am sad to learn, does not start with a buttery chocolate croissant. Instead, mid-week breakfast usually comes in the form of a warm baguette, dipped in black coffee or served with butter and jam. Anyone who has tried a baguette in France can attest this was equally good. In fact, the French, take their baguettes de tradition so seriously that in 1993 they enacted the ‘French bread law’ which basically results in you enjoying the best bread you’ve ever had. A visit to Le Grenier à Pain Abbesses, will have you convinced. (38 rue des Abbesses in the 18th arrondissement)
Food it seems, along with fashion forms a generous part of the social fabric of France. The French take their time, both in preparing their meals and consuming them – evident in their four-course-lunches and six-course-dinners. A fantastic way to savour some sophisticated French cuisine is to dine at lunch. Many of the cities restaurants offer a set lunch menu or formulas at a fraction of their dinner menu prices. La Table Lauriston is a great example of how to enjoy some bourgeois classics in opulent French surrounds, without breaking your holiday budget. (129 Rue Lauristin, 16th)
Paris (thankfully) is a city best explored on foot, perfect justification for my two-crepe-a-day addiction. A visit to world famous food market, Richard Lenoir, does little to help. Open Thursday and Sunday, the bustling slice of Parisian life is the place to go to pick up fresh produce, bread, cheese and cured meats. With my treasure in tow it was time to enjoy one of Paris’s many parks and gardens, a boating picnic at Bois de Vincennes in the cities east, almost too French for words.
The sights
With so much history and so many cultural pockets to the city, it’s hard to know where to start. A visit to the Eiffel Tower seems as good a place as any and with seven million people visiting the iconic landmark each year – they can’t all be wrong. Dusk is a magic time to take it all in and there are lift and stair options that will get you to the very top.
A must see: The Eiffel Tower at dusk
A trip to Napoleon Bonaparte’s final resting place at the Church of St Louis goes hand in hand with the almost too conveniently located Saxe Breteuil markets. Spend Saturday morning immersed in all things French. From fur and carpets to cookbooks and crockery – visiting a market is the quintessential Paris experience that simply can’t be missed.
Busy with worshippers, the Notre Dame is perfect on Sundays. Inside, three beautiful stain-glass rose windows and a 7800-pipe organ will leave you more than impressed. A healthy climb up the 387 steps of the North Tower offers breathtaking views of the entire city, a one-of-a-kind tourist experience.
Bastille Day Celebrations in Paris
Along with architecture, Paris has more than it’s fair share of museums. A trip to the Louvre to ponder Leonardo’s Mona Lisa or across to Marmottan Monet to see a wealth of impressionism will have even non-enthusiasts in awe.
No city boasts such a hedonistic blend of food, fashion and art quite like Paris. It’s easy to see why year in, year out Paris remains the number one tourist destination in the world. Having barely touched the surface of what it’s like to be in Pairs, there’s no better time to see what all the fuss is about.
Take advantage of V Australia’s fabulous fare offers and arrive in time to celebrate Bastille Day on July 14. Along with our partner Etihad, we’ll take you to Paris in style.
*****
V Australia and our partner Etihad Airways, fly to Paris and for a short time only we can offer the following:
Sydney to Paris from AUD$1935* Economy Return
Book online or visit your travel agent before the 18th April PLUS when you book economy tickets through your travel agent, you can receive a free upgrade to premium economy (conditions apply, see your travel agent for more details)
*****
When visiting Dublin, by flying with V Australia and our partner airline Etihad Airways, you need to know where to go right? So here are a few key things that you simply must have on your travel-to-do-list!
Dublin’s BEST pint:
Kehoe’s on Anne St is a perennial favourite amongst Dubliners and fills each night after work. With a great mix of locals, the cosy pub is a good place to escape tourist hub Temple Bar and enjoy an expertly poured pint!
Dublin’s BEST shopping:
Home to a thriving market culture don’t leave Dublin without visiting locals favourite the Moore St markets. The busy market is open Monday through Saturday, walk the cobblestone streets and sample a great mix of food cultures from around the world. Close to bars and restaurants, the market turns into a popular meeting point for locals on Friday and Saturday nights.
Dublin’s BEST Irish stew:
Visit O’Shea’s Merchant Hotel at 19 Talbot St for a warm Irish welcome and tasty lamb stew. Close to everything the popular bar features live music every night with traditional dancing on Thursdays and plenty of Irish banter.
Dublin’s BEST tour:
The Guinness Brewery of course! Learn how to craft the perfect brew and take an entertaining look at the history of Guinness. Work your way (and your appetite) up the seven-story building to a pint of Guinness and your favourite stout infused meal at the Gravity bar, which boasts 360° views of Dublin city and beyond.
But these are only scratching the surface of what you can do in Dublin – Tell us your ‘best of Dublin’ experiences in the comments below!
*****
V Australia and our partner Etihad Airways, fly to Dublin and for a short time only we can offer the following:
Sydney to Dublin from AUD$1939* Economy Return
Book online or visit your travel agent before the 18th April PLUS when you book economy tickets through your travel agent, you can receive a free upgrade to premium economy (conditions apply, see your travel agent for more details)
*****
Tagged as best experiences, Dublin, Dublins best pint, Dublin’s best Irish stew, Dublin’s best shopping, Dublin’s best tour, ireland, V Australia.
Our one-stop flights to Ireland will have you on the ground enjoying some Irish craic in no time at all. Find inspiration on the best things to do in Dublin here.
A typical day in Dublin isn’t as wet as the rest of the Ireland would have you believe, but you should still come prepared. Spend a morning working out the lay of the land, walking the cobblestone streets and talking to locals, who, much like the city itself are full of charm and personality.
For the best breakfast in Dublin head to Bewley’s on Grafton St (Leffey St end) and order their right of passage full Irish breakfast. At around 10 euro, the poached eggs, grilled bacon and pork sausages along with roast tomato, mushrooms, toast and of course (gulp) black pudding represents great value. For those who aren’t nursing a hangover, there’s also a great selection of yoghurt, bagels, pancakes and porridge.
Kilmainham Gaol
A must see on any visitors list, the Kilmainham Gaol (now a museum) offers an insightful and at times moving look at the history of Ireland’s nationalism. A prison for almost 128 years, many of Ireland’s rebellion leaders were residents at one time or another. Accessible by tour only, make sure you arrive early in the summer as it gets very busy, and bring a jacket – as it gets surprisingly cold inside!
Situated at the mouth of the Liffey River, Dublin is the place to go for fresh seafood. Salmon and cod are the most popular, along with scallops, lobster, mussels and oysters and keep your eyes open for Dublin Bay prawns – yum! It’s hard to imagine anyone could be hungry after such a big breakfast but great value fish and chips can be found wrapped in butchers paper with chunky chips and sinful batter at Leo Burdock’s, 2 Werburgh St.
The most important day on the Irish calendar is of course, March 17, St Patrick’s Day. Having just missed the official celebrations, you can still find plenty of Irish spirit. Join locals at one of the popular pubs along Harcourt, Camden and Leeson streets for a game of rugby and post match pint.
For traditional Dublin fare, Gallagher’s Boxty House is hard to beat. Sit by the peat fire and find comfort in their Irish stew, Gaelic pancakes and bread and butter pudding.
These are only a tiny snapshot as to what you can do once you land in Emerald Isle, and we’d love to hear what your favourite places are in Dublin!
*****
V Australia and our partner Etihad Airways, fly to Dublin and for a short time only we can offer the following:
Sydney to Dublin from AUD$1939* Economy Return
Book online or visit your travel agent before the 18th April PLUS when you book economy tickets through your travel agent, you can receive a free upgrade to premium economy (conditions apply, see your travel agent for more details)
*****
Tagged as Dublin, Etihad, Inspiration, ireland, where to go.
Since the launch of V Australia in February 2008, Australians have once again been inspired to travel abroad.
“Flying Fabulous” to Los Angeles was a term first coined to describe the superior service and old world glamour V Australia was bringing back to airline travel.
Now, along with our partner Etihad Airways, we’re proud to be able to extend that “flying fabulous” experience to Europe.
Over the next few weeks we’ll be showcasing our one-stop European destinations (like London, Paris and Milan) and sharing our picks for the best things to do while you’re there.
So stay tuned and keep a close eye out for our inspiring European destinations with fabulous fare offers too!
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