ExclusiveLondon.co.uk has complied a list of holiday destinations by flight duration to help you choose the perfect holiday. If you don’t like lengthy flights, you may think you are just limited to holidays in France or Germany, but there are many destinations featured below that may be closer than you think. Flight durations are based on flights leaving from London, UK.

1 to 2 hours

Austria (Tryol, Salzburg)
Belgium (Brussels)
Denmark (Copenhagen)
France, North to Mid (Paris, Lyon)
Germany (Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg)
Ireland (Dublin)
Netherlands, The (Amsterdam)
Scotland (Edinburgh)
Spain, North (Bilbao)
Switzerland (Basel, Geneva, Zurich)

2 to 3 hours

Romania (Bucharest)
Hungary (Budapest)
Finland (Helsinki)
Balearic Islands (Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca)
Italy, North (Milan, Venice)
Latvia (Riga)
Lithuania (Vilnius)
Costa del Sol (Marbella)
Poland (Krakow, Warsaw)
Portugal (Lisbon)
Czech Republic (Prague)
Iceland (Reykjavik)
Netherlands, The (Rotterdam)
Bulgaria (Sofia)
Spain, Mid to West (Barcelona, Madrid)
Sweden (Stockholm)
Tunisia (Tunis)
Austria (Vienna)

3 to 4 hours

Bulgaria (Sofia)
Greece, North to West (Halkidiki, Preveza)
Greece, South (Kalamata, Athens)
Greek Islands, North to West (Corfu, Kefalonia, Skiathos, Zante)
Gibraltar (South of Spain)
Turkey (Istanbul, Anakra)
Madeira (Island South of Portugal)
Malta (Valletta, Birkirkara)
Morocco (Casablanca, Marrakech, Rabat)
France, South (Marseille, Montpellier, Nice)
Norway (Oslo)
Portugal (Porto Islands)
Italy, Mid to South (Rome, Naples, Sicily)
Russia (Moscow, St Petersburg)
Spain, South (Seville)

4 to 5 hours

Azores Islands, The (inc. 2 hour flight from Lisbon, Portugal)
Canary Islands (Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Tenerife)
Greek Islands, East to South (Mytilene, Cyprus, Mykonos, Kos, Santorini, Crete, Rhodes)
Egypt (Cairo, Luxor)
Jordan (Amman)
Syria (Damascus)
Turkey (Izmir, Bodrum)

5 to 6 hours

Israel (Eilat)
Africa, West (Nigeria)

6 to 7 hours

Africa, West (Gambia, Ghana, Senegal)
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh)
Oman (Muscat)
United Arab Emirates (Dubai)

7 to 8 hours

Antigua (St John’s)
Barbados (Bridgetown)
Bermuda (Hamilton)
USA, East (New York, Boston)
Canada, East (Montreal)
St Lucia (Castries)
Trinidad (Port of Spain)

8 to 9 hours

India, North (New Delhi)
India, West (Mumbai, Goa)
Pakistan (Karachi)

9 to 10 hours

Aruba (Oranjestad)
Bahamas (Nassau)
Bangladesh (Dhaka)
Botswana (Gaborone)
Cuba (Havana)
Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo)
Jamaica (Montego Bay)
Kenya (Nairobi)
St Kitts (Basseterre)
Tobago
Zimbabwe (Harare)

10 to 11 hours

Canada, South (Ottawa, Toronto)
USA, South East (Atlanta, Miami)
USA, West (California, San Francisco)
USA, North to West (Montana, Seattle)
USA, South (New Orleans)
Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo)
Argentina (Buenos Aires)
Cayman Islands (George Town)
Hong Kong
Grenada (St George’s)
Mexico (Mexico City)
Namibia (Windhoek)
Chile (Santiago)
South Africa (Cape Town)
Sri Lanka (Colombo)
Tanzania (Dodoma)
Zambia (Lusaka)

11 to 12 hours

Australia (Sydney)
Thailand (Bangkok)
Hawaii (Honolulu)
Japan (Tokyo)
Mauritius (Port Louis)
South Korea (Seoul)
Singapore
Venezuela (Caracas)

12+ hours

Fiji (Suva)
USA, West (Las Vegas)
Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)
USA (Montana)

This article was written by Maryse Mignott, for ExclusiveLondon.co.uk. Balance your work and social life by taking part in the London entertainment scene. For the hottest London events, restaurants, clubs, fashion boutiques and much more, visit www.exclusivelondon.co.uk

One example is Beauvais near Paris, where cheap flights from the airport can cost as little as £10.00. Beauvais is a town brimming with culture, with many museums, sporting events and festive happenings, it’s the perfect city break. And of course, it is easy to get to Paris and enjoy the highlights there too – one of the most famous city break destinations and a perfect treat for that someone special.

Other city break ideas include Irish holidays to locations such as Knock, located in County Mayo in southern Ireland, one of the most picturesque counties. With its breathtaking craggy coastline, interspersed with sandy beaches and charming villages, its charm will undoubtedly leave you wanting more. Or perhaps you might try the vibrant city of Belfast in Northern Ireland.

A great traditional winter idea to please all the family would be a trip to Lapland to see Father Christmas. East Midlands Airport actually has day trip to Lapland – which includes a guaranteed private family meeting with the great man himself. But it is also possible, of course, to enjoy a comforting stay in small, cosy, friendly family run hotels as well as participating in a range of arctic activities, such as reindeer, husky and snowmobile safaris.

But further afield, also flying from East Midlands, a fantastic winter sun idea would be a trip to The Gambia in West Africa. With the tour operator The Gambia Experience, you can escape the British winter for under £300 for a week.

Just 6 hours from the UK, The Gambia, known as the Smiling Coast will give you a warm welcome. The former British colony offers a tropical experience, friendly English speaking locals, exotic culture and almost unbroken sunshine from November right through to April The Gambia boasts temperatures of over 30 degrees C, plus stretches of uncrowded sandy beaches, a wide range of restaurants and a variety of accommodation, making it the perfect winter sun destination.

Or even further afield, it is possible to fly from East Midlands Airport to exotic Mexico, sizzling with sunshine and burning with Spanish party passion. With great weather, fabulous food and a vibrant nightlife, Mexico really can be seen as the ultimate holiday destination. There is much to explore in Mexico from the desert sands and Mayan ruins to the jungle and its two coastlines.

Thus East Midlands, along with other UK regional airports, are continuing to push hard to keep variety, value and choice alive at times when the economic challenges for holidaymakers and businesses are clear for all to see.

For American tourists an excursion to the city of Julfureh would be a lesson in history that would be unforgettable. The town became famous when the black writer, Alex Haley wrote his legendary book, Roots. Alex Haley’s ancestor, Kunte Kinte was born in Julfureh. As an added attraction, the tourist can take a trip to James Island which was used as a slave encampment. Studying of the history of American slaves in books seriously lacks the impetus of visiting the country where they came from and the history that led to their part in American culture. The country of Gambia is surrounded by the most perfect beaches the world has to offer. But there are other adventure for a family oriented vacation. Abuko Nature Reserve is on the west coast of Gambia. It is like going back to Eden and finding yourself amidst birds and animals that a loving creator fashioned. You can visit the animal orphanage and take a walk to the Brikama Wood Carving Centre to see some of Gambia’s artists working. There are many day trips to take from your beach resort on Gambia.

Native food on Gambia can take some getting used to as it is highly spiced. But most of the country has international food and a Garden of Eden cornucopia of fruits. Food on Gambia is a gourmet adventure of the known and the selective native unknowns like the Wonjo juice.

Shopping for tourists is almost compulsory for them to feel like they have connected to their vacation spot. But in Gambia souvenirs made from native animals are not allowed out of the country. However, you may purchase native Batik fabric, wood carvings and CD recordings of the fabulous African nation of Gambia. An example of a seven day stay on Gambia would be to book a resort like Kololi. It has to be the most exotic plush version of splendor only imagined in movies of Cleopatra. A room for two with all the amenities and breakfast would run you around 900 dollars for seven days. Of course they is the Sheraton Gambia for 1200 dollars. You can best decide on what package you like by visiting online sites that offer travel and accommodations to the splendidly rediscovered continent of Africa, and your best bet would be to start in Gambia where civilization and the Garden of Eden meet.

A vacation to Gambia may cost just a little over 2500 including flight from the United Kingdom. For an African adventure that is cheap. But you will be treated as if spending like a millionaire by the friendly, courteous Gambian people who speak English and have kept their native customs and beautiful beaches as if untouched by the centuries that has seen them being the hosts for a world full of Europeans who found the northern African coast of Gambia, hospitable and desirable.

The Cape in South Africa has up until very recently always been “the” location to visit if you felt like going to Africa to enjoy the beach as well as all the other great things that only this great continent has to offer.

There are now new kids in town and places like Zanzibar off the coast of Tanzania, Mombasa in Kenya and the stunning beaches in The Gambia have really come in to their own each offering their own unique perspective of Africa but all wonderful beach holiday locations.

Winter Sun Holiday Destination

An obvious reason to pick somewhere on the African continent is to enjoy the beach during the European winter, breaking up your winter and escaping the summer holiday rush. How often these days do we hear of long delays at airports during the summer peak holiday period, delaying thousands of people going on holiday and destroying their few weeks away from the daily grind of work? So escape the rush and go on holiday out of the peak season.

South Africa and Cape Town as a beach holiday Location

Cape Town, right on the bottom tip of Africa is still the most sophisticated beach vacation location in Africa, with the incredible backdrop of Table Mountain, excellent accommodation options and some of the finest places to eat in the world it would be an excellent place to visit even without the beautiful beaches. On top of that you can also enjoy the finest wines and scenery of South Africa on the Garden Route, which stretches from Mossel Bay to the Storms River in the Western Cape. There are ten nature reserves in the area as well as unique marine reserves, home to soft coral reefs, dolphins, seals and a host of other marine life.

Including a round of Golf with your beach holiday has always been popular in places like Spain and The USA, South Africa and the Cape Region have some of the finest Golf courses in the world, now you can combine a beach, golf and safari holiday all in one location, there is nowhere in Europe that can boast that!

So what are the beaches like?

Cape Town has some excellent beaches, False Bay with the long sandy beach which extends from Gordon’s Bay to Muizenberg and includes Boulders Beach and Simon’s Town. The Atlantic Seaboard along the West (Atlantic) side of the Cape Peninsula with well known beaches including Sandy Bay, Clifton Camps Bay, Scarborough and Kommetjie. The West Coast, running Northwards from Cape Town with the windy conditions make these beaches popular for surfing and kite-surfing.

An important point to note is the sea in False Bay is about 6 degrees warmer than the Atlantic Seaboard and the West Coast!

on the negative side, Cape Town is the furthest point in Africa you can travel to from Europe, so expect a long flight around ten hours). Also mentioned above the water can be a little chilly and then it is probably one of the more expensive locations in Africa.

Beach Holiday in Mombasa, Kenya

Kenya is probably mostly thought of for it’s African wildlife safaris on the Masai Mara but also has plenty to offer in the way of beach holidays on the coastline near Mombasa. The city of Mombasa is a typical African city and there is in stark contrast to the sophistication of Cape Town. There are however many excellent restaurants to eat enabling you to sample some more traditional African food as well as those catering to western palates. The old part of Mombasa is also well worth visiting and Fort Jesus, a Portuguese fort built in 1593 by order of King Philip II of Spain, to guard the Old Port of Mombasa, Kenya. It was built in the shape of a man and was given the name of Jesus as a religious reference.

On the coast there are many of places to stay with some of the most luxurious hotels you’ll find anywhere in Africa as well as some fantastic beach huts and cottages as well as basic beach side camp-sites, all in all there is something for everyone.

The scuba diving and snorkelling in Mombasa and the surrounding areas is also excellent and makes a great place to learn to dive with the prices here are much cheaper than many other well know diving locations. Bamburi beach is a great location to base your beach holiday in East Africa, about half an hour from Nairobi, there are some great hotels and beach cottages as well as an excellent PADI dive center located at the well know Travelers Beach Hotel.

Beach and Safari Holiday in Kenya

Obviously no trip to Kenya would be complete without some sort of wildlife safari and they can be organized from Mombasa with a popular destination being the Tsavo National Park, which not as well known as the Masai Mara, but at just over 21,000km sq, Tsavo is the largest national park in Kenya and one of the largest in the world with large herds of Elephant and plenty of lions, it is definitely worth visiting if you want to take a break from relaxing on the beach!

With these two very different African beach holiday options, I hope to have given you a just a flavour of what Africa can offer you in the way of your next seaside holiday.

Located in the Gambia River Valley of West Africa, Gambia is the smallest country on the African mainland. Despite the size, it offers a myriad of exciting attractions for travelers.

The major attractions and excitements that Gambia offers

One of the prime attractions of Gambia is the Abuko Nature Reserve. Despite being the smallest game reserve in Africa, it is a fascinating place to visit. The lush green vegetation all around soothes the eyes, and the thrill of spotting callithrix monkeys, crocodiles, lizards, bushbuck antelopes and stunning birds makes the visit worth it.

The Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Project in Gambia is one of the most successful chimp rehab centers of Africa. It also boasts of being the longest running center. Tourists can stay at one of the guest lodges of the project, and can have a tour of the project under the guidance of the founder Stella Marsden. The project has around eighty chimpanzees and a large number of baboons, hippos, vervet monkeys, western red colobus and a rich population of a variety of birds. Badi Mayo, the Chimpanzee Visitor Camp, is situated almost 270 kilometers up the River Gambia. So it is a time-consuming trip, but one does not seem to notice it in the excitement and thrill of it all

The Nuimi National Park and Jinack Island are enchanting places. The park spreads widely, covering vast areas of the North Bank of the Gambia. It ultimately ends at the Sine-Saloum Park of Senegal. Jinack Island is an ideal place for relaxation and unwinding. Kilometers of sandy beaches are often visited by Atlantic humpback dolphins, ospreys and sanderlings. The middle of the island is ideal for bird-watching. European migrants flock to the island in the winter months and are a treat to watch. Fortunate travelers can also spot a warthog, hyena or even a leopard.

The time from mid-June to early October is humid and hot because of the wet season. This season sees the vegetation grow tall, and as a result, tourists find wildlife viewing difficult. Wildlife becomes easier to see during the period between August and December. This is the perfect time to catch glimpses of dragonflies and beautiful butterflies. The best time to visit Gambia is the time between mid-October and June. It coincides with the prime tourist season, and hence flights during this period are cheaper than the rest of the year.

The best part of a Gambian holiday is that Gambia is only six hours away from London and the other big European cities. This enables one to travel to a different continent with a different culture altogether, with ease. As there is no time difference, there is no jetlag.

The best way to find the cheapest airfare deals and hotel packages is to surf the Internet for websites that give clear comparisons and rate charts.

Gambia is a place that allows one to have a cheap holiday without any compromise on excitement and thrills. Gambia guarantees value-for-money and is entertainment to the maximum. A cheap holiday in Gambia will always be worth it.