I am going away to Mayrhofen in the Ziller Valley in Austria next week with a group of around 10 friends. I lived and ski guided there for a winter (and then summer) season. If this were a French resort, would I not be allowed to show my friends around? Would I have to shell out for a guide to show me around an area I already know and want to show my friends?

Holiday envy. If we're honest I'm sure we can all admit to experiencing this at least once in our lives. Here are five picture postcard holiday destinations that will make you the envy of your friends

Sick of caravan holidays and cheap all-inclusive deals to European resorts? Do something different with your travels in 2013 and consider one of these more unusual suggestions for this year's holiday.

As far as natural advantages go it's fair to say Lanzarote lucked out. The fourth largest and most eastern of Spain's Canary Islands, Lanzarote's also the oldest and flattest. So the wind, rain and humidity that affect its neighbours leave Lanzarote relatively unscathed.

I absolutely love to travel, it's a real passion of mine and so, like a huge number of Brits, as soon as the new year hits, my mind turns to planning my holidays. Here are a few tips that I've learnt over the years to help everyone who is looking to book a family holiday for 2013...

It's a long time since my first and only visit to China - about 20 years ago actually. I'd just finished my first year of study at the University of Melbourne and I decided to go to China to visit my cousin Katrina who was studying languages at the University in Xiamen.

With each sunny - but snow-laden - morning we greet, we know that Spring will soon be rolling round. If you're lucky enough to have that long weekend to yourself, why not treat your friends or family to an Easter break?

Those looking for a little extravagance and pampering this 14 February may want to check out these pictures of some of the finest and most exclusive luxury hotels.

If you're about to suffer through another Hallmark-created holiday with someone you cannot stand anymore, don't do the right thing and call it a day, or try to make more of an effort, just take yourself on holiday, and cheat!

Neither tall enough or blond enough enough to ever live in Copenhagen, it remains one of my favorite cities in the world. Easy to get to, I will jump at any excuse to get on a plane for a dose of the Danish - after all, these are the people that invented Joe & The Juice, absolute genius.

Some are better than others. And those that are the best can be described as nothing less than pure "beachporn"; dangerously beautiful and seriously tempting stretches of sand being kissed by ocean waves, captured in photos that are designed to do nothing but seduce us.

The sights and sounds of our trip - all lost in a blur of alcohol, sweat and after-sun. Not that there isn't a place for the 'don't-remember-it' holiday - but while you're young, free and full of energy, now is the time to see the world, not just the floor of your hotel bathroom. Make sure you experience these ten holidays before your 30th birthday.

A holiday doesn't need to be two weeks somewhere far flung, with soaring temperatures, in order to recharge our batteries. Even taking a couple of days off work to go for a walk somewhere new, eat in a different restaurant, or even sleep in a different bed can radically change the 'work' mindset.

The time has come to take back the cobbles, the castles, the cathedrals, the architecture and art, in fact anything that's even had a brush with a pair of Rohan convertible chinos in the past decade is now fair game. Because if there's one thing tourists like even less than trousers that don't turn into shorts, it's winter.

Spring comes early in the Channel Islands, since they're the most southerly part of the British Isles. It's the ideal time to explore Guernsey's network of excellent walks with over 24 miles of cliff trails. The scenery is constantly changing, whether it's the granite cliffs of the south and east or the sandy bays of the north.

Arriving at the wrong time of year is an easy mistake to make, particularly on a long-haul holiday. You could land in the middle of a tropical cyclone. You may find you've paid over the odds to travel in the peak season, when the 'off' season would have been just as good.

Paris may be the 'City of Love' and Venice the 'Bride of the Sea', but nothing says "I love you" like choosing an original Valentine's Day destination

Something very special that happens every year without fail and without any doom nor gloom, just plenty of elegance, colour and tradition. It is the event of the year in Venice's calendar and it explains why you'll find rows and rows of masks in the souvenir shops and how you will find the magic of Venice is still alive.

The whole trip took about four hours from the centre of London to the centre of Aachen - no endless hanging around airports and you can take as much luggage as you can carry.

I listened to the tolling of temple bells while worshippers poured water over tiny Buddhas as an exercise of purification. Entire families were relaxing in the shadows as dusk descended while hundreds of candles were lit.