Situated on Spain’s North East coast, a mere 2 hour flight from London, lies the hustle and bustle of Catalonia’s greatest city. From the sandy beaches of the city center, to the non-stop maze of bars and clubs scattered throughout, Barcelona is the ultimate destination for a weekend abroad with the lads.

If you are within Europe, there are no excuses. Everyday hundreds of cheap flights land in Barcelona’s El Prat airport, with hundreds more hitting the RyanAir runways of the nearby Girona and Reus airports, both within just 90 minutes of Barcelona’s city center. Momondo.com will allow you to search for the cheapest flights to Barcelona, including both the Girona and Reus airports automatically.

Once you have landed the limits are endless. Kicking off with an ice cold sangria on the Barceloneta beach is a sure fire way to get the weekend started right. The numerous “Churinguitos” or beach bars that line the coastline, are a great stop for both beers and sangria. Anything more than this, such as cocktails or a bit of grub, should not be done at these bars. The prices are five star, while the quality is on par with a college cafeteria. The Port Olimpic has some decent options for food, although on summer weekends, it can often be impossible to show up with a group and lack of reservations.

The Port Olimpic is also a great location after hours. Home to Barcelona’s trendiest and most famous nightclubs, this has been the go to spot for this city’s party crowd since its development in 1992 for the Summer Olympic Games. The most recent of these clubs is “Pacha”, a sister club to the world famous Ibiza nightclub of the same name. On average these clubs cost about €15-€20 to enter, often including one drink with the entrance. The cover charge can usually be skipped if you have a rep helping with your vacation. Reps can also be very useful in ensuring you actually enter the club, as many of these big nightclubs frown upon large groups of men. Do not wear fancy dress, they will not let you in. No exceptions. Dress to impress… that means no shorts!

Keep in mind, Spanish partying starts late, very late. It is not uncommon for these clubs to be completely dead until 1:00 AM. If you spend all day drinking in the sun, a traditional midday siesta may be the only solution to allow for more partying.

After closing the club at 6:00 AM, spending an hour trying to find a non-existent late-night kebab shop, yet eventually surrendering to your rented bed, it is not uncommon to wake up well into the afternoon. It is for this reason you should avoid booking any activity before noon. Just like Barcelona’s nightlife, the days here start late, and so long as you are up before 2:00 PM you should be able to make the most of your day.

Barcelona has your typical stag weekend activities; paintball, go karting, limos, the works. Thanks to its coastal placement however, this city is able to offer a whole lot more! The most popular of these unique activities, not just with stags, but with all the travelers alike, are the coastal booze cruises. A couple hours’ unlimited beer and sangria as you party up and down the coast. Some of these boat trips even include an all-inclusive BBQ, as well as a chance to anchor up, and go for a swim.

If an afternoon back on the drink is testing your gag reflex, perhaps a day up in the world famous Costa Brava is a better choice. Kayak and snorkeling trips are a popular way for stag groups to explore the jagged cliffs, and caves, of this amazing part of Spain. Pissup.com offers both these activities, as well as several others. They are well established and provide free consultation so it is a good idea to see what they can offer you before trying to plan everything on your own.

Sundays are a day of rest and relaxation, and in Barcelona, nearly 80% of the city shuts down on this day. This is a good reason to plan for the beach. Most hotels and apartments will allow you to leave your luggage after checkout, so you can pack up, drag yourself to the water, and let the last few rays of sunshine wash away your sins. This is the perfect close to an amazing weekend in Barcelona, and you will honestly be amazed at the curing properties the Mediterranean Sea seems to have on your aching body.

So what are you waiting for? Leave the dreary London skyline behind and lose yourself in the Spanish city that never sleeps!

Exploring a town, city or region for the first time is always great fun, and there are various ways you can go about it, from the conventional to the wacky, weird and wonderful.

Playing it safe and taking the traditional city tour can be great for those of us looking for a dependable, reliable way to make sure we don’t miss out on any highlights.

But for those among us seeking a little spirit and adventure in our voyages of discovery, there are usually fairly inexpensive alternatives to the humdrum, injecting that frisson of excitement into our experience of a destination.

Take a look at these five delicious European mad modes of transport from east and west, to guarantee your sightseeing has an air of eccentricity about it! Click the numbered headings to read more about each quirky conveyance.

1.) Enjoy a city tour of Prague in a shocking pink Škoda Felicia convertible…

Although Prague is culturally and economically on a par with the rest of its European counterparts today, you can still hark back to cold war days with a tour of the city’s hotspots in this iconic communist convertible.

2.) Take the longest trolleybus ride in the world – from Yalta to Simferopol…

Most tourists opt for a plane or taxi, but you can cruise through the Crimean mountains in a genuine old Škoda trolleybus on this epic 86 kilometre journey at the pace of a snail.

3.) Ride the meanest, greenest solar train to see what’s what in Maastricht…

It’s quirky, clean and fun, and will get you round the sights of the Dutch city of Maastricht using nothing but the power of old Phoebus himself.

4.) Drive your own Trabant around Berlin’s east side…

Get behind the wheel of a real, live genuine Trabant and explore Berlin as part of a Trabi Safari. It’s not so bad once you’ve mastered the revolver gear shift…

5.) From the French frontier to the Dutch border, discover the scenic Belgian coastline on the Kusttram…

The De Lijn Belgian Coastal Tramway is a great way to cover the whole of Belgium’s diverse coastline – all 68 kilometres of it!

You can pretty much guarantee that London will give you a good time, no matter who you are.

Whether you’re a tourist visiting the bright lights of England’s capital for the first time, or a hardened Londoner who chews on jellied eels, bellows Knees up Mother Brown at passers-by and understands why taxi drivers don’t go “sath of tha riva”, there are always new discoveries to be made in this sprawling city.

Of course, other guides might try to fob you off by recommending the staples – Buckingham Palace, Westminster, the National Gallery. But we’ve put together something a little different, the places that it might not occur to you to visit.

If you’re travelling from Gatwick Airport, drop your car off at the Gatwick Meet and Greet, make your way into the city and get ready for a good time.

Have your Great Expectations met at the Charles Dickens Museum.

Charles Dickens – writer of Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol and countless others – used London as the canvas for almost all his tales. Famously, the esteemed writer would wander around the most impoverished areas of the capital at night, using the squalor as inspiration.

The Charles Dickens Museum is the home to this legend’s canon, and features a slew of facts, relics and manuscripts from the writer’s life. Situated in the house where Dickens once lived, it’s a truly unique experience that almost lets you breathe the same air as one of Victorian England’s true greats.

The finest grub in Chinatown

Chinatown is one of the finest places to eat in all of London – that is, if you’re a fan of Chinese food.

To start with, try out the modestly priced Four Seasons, a restaurant famed for its Cantonese-style roast duck. If you’re heading down Wardour Street, you’ll find it easy to spot – it’s the one with the barbecued meats displayed in the window.

If you’re looking for a more authentic look to your dining, try out Longji on Charing Cross Road. Kitted out just like a Hong Kong fast food joint, it’ll give you the flavour of Asia in both sight and taste.

A laugh of an evening

The Comedy Store has become a mecca for stand-up comedy in the UK, priding itself on presenting the best in up and coming comics.

Originally making its name during the alternative comedy scene of the 80s, it played host to figures like Alexei Sayle, Rik Mayall, Paul Merton, Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French, among others.

Now, it’s where comics come to make a name for themselves and, if you’re up for a laugh, it’s the perfect end to your night.

We’ve been waiting for so long…it’s been hard and we almost lost hope. But you’ve finally arrived and we are ready to enjoy you and your #LongerDays…

WELCOME SPRING!

The long winter, with its meagre daylight hours, is at last drawing to a close. There is a freshness; a lightness in the air that hails the oncoming spring to summer, and the promise of long days and bright nights. It is time for adventure.

The North Face® are inviting those intrepid walkers, runners, hikers and climbers to explore longer, making the most of those wonderful, longer days ahead. And for those more sedentary specimens amongst us, why not take up the challenge and make this the season to do more, live more and seek out adventures you’ve never dreamed of. Most of us lead busy, hectic lives these days, so take the opportunity to embrace your inner explorer and revitalise your spirit.

Take up the inspiration and get involved in the fun and action, head over and like
The North Face® on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and Instagram, and check out their official website for the skinny on how you can become part of the great adventure.

Don’t forget to include @thenorthface.europe when posting on Facebook, or @thenorthfaceEU for tweets, and to embrace the experience to the fullest, download the Explorer app to your mobile now, create your profile and start adding your pictures and stories – the more the better! And keep the excitement going by retweeting and reposting every time you or the campaign get a mention. Keep your followers up to date and share, share, share!

There are daily prizes to be won in the Explorer Photo Competition, so whether you’re on a mountain summit or blazing your favourite trail, share your pictures and experiences using #LongerDays.

Make the most of the longer days, and live life to the full with The North Face®.

Post sponsored by The North Face®

It sulks, brooding across the bay. The clouds, dark and impendent, sit like gods around its perimeter; gods whose charge it is to let nothing in or out. The black, lapping water foreshadows untold terrors apt to befall any who would dare to harbour an endeavour to penetrate this fortress’s ’mail. Shadowy wings mimicking Pterosauria circle menacingly overhead. Better that you turn your back and walk away now than entertain any thought of going out there.

Such is the impression created by the former island gaol of Alcatraz as you view it at the dusk of a squally day from the safety of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco Bay. Filled with fear and fascination, you determine to discover its mysteries first hand. Tomorrow is the day.

Of course, as you approach the landing at Pier 33 in sunshine the following morning, all the previous day’s forebodings seem utterly ridiculous. Alcatraz looks perfectly innocuous basking in yellow light, and you look forward with renewed vigour to the adventures that await. You board your craft and begin the half hour trip out to the notorious island.

Disembarking your vessel of conveyance, you cannot fail to experience the sense of awe that comes from setting foot on such an historic site. Since it opened as a federal penitentiary in 1934, ‘the Rock’ became home to some of America’s most infamous criminals, including Al ‘Scarface’ Capone and Birdman Robert Stroud, right up until its being decommissioned in 1963.

For those who seek to immerse themselves in the history of this most legendary of prisons, disappointment will not make an appearance. To simply wander around the island itself would be reward enough for one’s efforts, but the experience goes way above and far beyond, allowing access to the cell blocks and main buildings, recreation yard and grounds, all exquisitely enhanced by audio and video presentations. But Alcatraz offers so much more, being a home to rare flowers and plants, marine wildlife and thousands of roosting and nesting sea birds.

Scattered haphazardly around are 19th century buildings from the time of Civil War, when the island served as both a harbour defence fort and a military gaol.

Traces of the American Indian Occupation, which began in 1969 once the prison had closed, are still visibly evident, and stand in testimony to a milestone in the rights movement, and provide yet another rich perspicacity into US history.

The day done, all that remains is your return trip to the mainland and, as the sun dips, caressing its orange fingers over the lonely island, a deep sense of satisfaction can be felt deep in your heart. As the delicious delights of discovery dance enticingly in your memory, you are blessed yet further with the most stunning and romantic view of the city skyline and Golden Gate Bridge, as your craft floats dreamlike towards the berth whence you departed so many hours ago.

You can make the trip to the Rock with several reputable companies; we used the excellent Alcatraz Cruises. Booking prior to arrival is strongly recommended.

A city tour can be a useful device with which to acquaint oneself with the often many and varied quarters a new playground of adventure has to offer.

There is, indeed, not much more disheartening to the intrepid traveller than gaining fleeting glimpses of treasures undiscovered from the dusty window of an airport or railway station bound taxi cab.

Finding both value and requisite quirkiness fused pleasurably in one offering can be a little irksome, and require much tramping and traipsing of dusty streets and squares, and consorting with guidebooks. Let us save you that trouble in Maastricht – simply seek out the innovative Solar Train, whose soft amble and green conscience make it the perfect conveyance for acquainting yourself with the main cultural staples of this splendid Dutch city.

Claimed to be a world first, this cheeky little road train trundles and winds along main streets, squares and cobbled alleys with ease, imparting historical knowledge through its tiny speakers at almost every bend in the road.

A different, fun and inexpensive environmentally friendly way to do your sightseeing, the Maastricht Solar Train will surely catch on in other cities soon. Hop on at Kesselskade and enjoy the ride!

Visit www.vvv-maastricht.eu/day_out/zonnetrein_maastricht

Tickets available at:
VVV Maastricht
Kleine Staat 1
6211 ED Maastricht
Netherlands

Tel.: 0031 (0)6 1236 4416 for reservations

Any self-respecting sci-fi buff will always thrill to the happenstance of the discovery of some new exhibition or artefact, but occasionally such an operation will throw itself in your way in the most unlikely of venues and circumstances.

Such is the case in the quiet Herefordshire town of Bromyard – so quaint and picturesque in itself that it rather more suits the appellation of ‘village’ – where can be found, without much in the way of looking, The Time Machine Museum of Science Fiction, nestling mysteriously at 12, The Square.

In fact, The Time Machine is the type of collection that will thrill even those who are not such devout fans of the genre, by presenting a beautiful collation of models, toys, screen-used props and a cornucopia of memorabilia from the golden age of sci-fi TV set happily alongside the most up-to-date acquisitions from recent Dr Who episodes featuring Matt Smith. You’ll also find some great displays from such classics as Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Star Trek, Star Wars, Red Dwarf and Buffy, that ever-resourceful vampire slayer.

The Museum is open every day during all Bank Holidays and all local School Holidays from 10.30am to 4.30pm, and the same times Wednesday to Sunday from April through to September. October to March it is still open every weekend.

A rare treat, this stunning exhibition is lovingly presided over by the owner, who delights in sharing a lifetime’s collection with his eager visitors.

At £8 a throw for adults (£6 for kids) this is an amazing experience, enhanced by authentic musical scores which add an ambience of magic and excitement, and – in our opinion, at any rate – not to be missed.

Featured on BBC 2’s Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, Friday 8th November, 2013

Visit www.timemachineuk.com

The Time Machine Museum of Science Fiction
12 The Square
Bromyard
Herefordshire
HR7 4BP
England

Tel.: 0044 1885 488329

Email info@timemachineuk.com