BRAND ADVICE

Get set for sunshine!

With people leaving it later than ever to book their holidays there are some great deals available on flights and breaks right now. Flights to Bulgaria, Greece and Italy are particularly good value - so here are a few ideas to get you in a holiday frame of mind. What are you waiting for?

Stylish shopping in Italy

If you fancy a stylish weekend break with fantastic shopping – and people-watching to boot, Milan is the place to head for. The UK is well served for flights to Italy – you can fly there from most regional airports. As you’d expect for the style capital of Italy, the shop windows here are so clean the sunlight bounces off them and dazzles your senses. And their shelves are adorned to symmetrical perfection with beautifully starched shirts, diamante encrusted bags and thick luxurious ties. What’s striking is the understated, small town feel of the luxury shop fronts - perfect for the rich and famous to slip into virtually unnoticed - and perfect for you too. And if you’d like a little beach to throw into the mix; how about Sardinia? This beautiful island in the middle of the Mediterranean has long been a magnet for international jet-setters with its swanky marinas, fantastic dining and sugar-sand beaches. For a little credit card action, head for capital city Cagliari and the stylishly smart shops along Via Roma. This attractive 19th-century row of arcades reads like a roll call of all the most fashionable Italian brands. You can reach Sardinia from the Italian mainland by ferry or by plane and during the summer there are flights to Sardinia direct from the UK too. To find out more about Sardinia you can check out the official tourist website at www.sardegnaturismo.it.

Tremendous temples in Greece

Most people jump on flights to Greece to head straight for the beaches. But if you’re more of a culture creature on holiday, the Greek islands and the mainland offer a treasure trove of stunning ancient artifacts. Athens, the capital, is like a vast open air museum. The mighty rock of the Acropolis towers over the city, topped by the lofty pillars of the Parthenon. Scattered on the hillside around it are temples, the old Roman Forum, columns, porticos and pathways. The fantastic new Acropolis Museum puts it all into context for you as well. The city yields many more historic sites and museums – the National Archeological museum is particularly impressive. Information about Greece’s museums is available at www.culture.gr. Athens can be sweltering in summer though, so if you don’t like the heat, head for the breezier islands instead. There are literally hundreds to choose from but Crete remains a perennial favourite – coupling stunning sites with lovely beaches. Top of any culture vulture’s list here are the amazing 3500-year-old Minoan palace of Knossos, the ancient chapels and churches dotted across the countryside, many decorated with remarkable frescoes and the vast Greco Roman ruins at Gortys. Flights to Crete are available from the mainland or direct from a good selection of UK airports.

Cheaper beaches in Bulgaria

In the Eurozone, but not in the Euro, Bulgaria is top of the list for cheap holidays in Europe. The country’s Black Sea coastline is perfect for a great value beach break. For the full-on costa-style experience at a low cost price, head for the resorts of Sunny Beach and Golden Sands. Bulgaria’s two most developed beach resorts have been upgrading their facilities at serious speed of late. Gone are the drab 70s-style apartment blocks and the awful buffets – now you’ll find great value resort hotels, fine food and booze, rocking nightlife and, of course plenty of sun, sand and sea. If you’re looking for something a touch more sedate, Varna and Albena offer similar attractions without quite so much late night revelry. The more up-market resorts of Sveto Konstantin and Lozenets are increasingly popular too and they still offer great value for money. If you hire a car, it’s not hard to escape the crowds anywhere along this coastline – large stretches of it remain virtually untouched.