Whilst some students still enjoy the wild neon strips of Zante and Magaluf – a holiday of hung-over days in bed or on a sun lounger – many will be looking for something slightly different this summer. Finding the perfect place for your girls holiday can be difficult. You do not want to be surrounded by vomiting 18-year-olds, small children or honeymooners. You want somewhere beautiful but not boring. You want somewhere with culture and a nightlife. Ultimately, you want glorious sunshine, a pool or beach, and a bar nearby so you can have cool cocktails in the warm evenings. All this on a student budget. Here are the Her Campus picks to get you inspired for the summer…
Barcelona – The Sizzling Summer City
The famous beach city is a fabulous place to go with the girls. It is a sunny city filled with fountains and palm trees, cafes and bars. You can stay in a vibrant contemporary apartment – try www.housetrip.com – from around £200 a week per person. Explore the city streets with its crazy Gaudi architecture and visit the stunning mosaic Güell Park before heading to the beach and relaxing in one of the bars dotted along the sand in front of the fantastic city skyline. In the evening, you can try one of the many local seafood restaurants and at night Barcelona offers the diverse range of bars and clubs that you would expect from any exciting European city. With flights in June at just under £100 a return, Barcelona could be the perfect girls getaway if you love the buzz of a city.
Zakynthos – The Grecian Paradise
Although this Greek island is more commonly known as Zante – exactly the place you want to be avoiding – if you go further North of the Laganas strip, the rest of the island is a haven of incredible scenery. There are many exquisite villas with private pools and dazzling views throughout the island for between £150-200 a week per person. There are sandy beaches – home to sea turtles – and many activities to do such as scuba diving and snorkelling in underwater caves, as well surfing and boat trips to the famous shipwreck beach.
In Zakynthos town, you can relax in a traditional Ventian style café or tavern and taste some of the local cuisine such as fresh fish. The nightlife is not manic, but there are several lively bars in the old towns and the Laganas strip is always a taxi ride away if you ever needed a wilder night! The fact that Zante is such a popular clubbing destination means that you can make use of the discounted flight prices which are a little over £200 return.
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Loire Valley – The Charming Chateau
A road trip to France can be a fun and relatively cheap way to go on holiday, although you do have to be careful about the prices of French motorway tolls. If you are travelling with a big group of people, it is very easy to be able to afford to stay in a fairy-tale Chateau complete with a pool, as prices can be between £100-200 a week per person. Chateaus are dotted all over France – take a look at http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/ – but the Loire Valley is particularly beautiful. The nightlife is mainly centred around Tours in that part of the country but there is the occasional club in towns such as the historic Chinon, where you can kayak down the winding river in the sun. Accommodation of this size probably means days by the pool and in the evenings, dinner parties and lots of wine in the grand dining rooms. Driving to France also gives you the freedom of a car that is unusual on other holidays, so you really aren’t trapped in one area. So if you are looking for a larger group, living like princesses in the middle of France could be the perfect holiday for you and your girlfriends.
Croatia – The Festival Flavour
For some, Summer means choosing between festivals or a holiday. As a complete contrast to the famous tradition of mud, rain and cold camping at Glastonbury and Reading, Croatia holds the perfect combination of good music, a sandy beach and the hot Mediterranean sun. Flights are around £150 a return and with Hideout, Dimensions and Outlook all set to be huge summer parties, this could be the perfect place for fun festival-lovers.
Mallorca – The Mediterranean Heaven
Puerto de Pollença, situated in the North of the island Mallorca, offers everything you need from a girls holiday. The fresh white apartments overlook pools and colourful flowers on one side, and impressive mountains on the other. You can stroll along the famous pine walk, a cobbled street stretching all along behind the sandy beach, with its restaurants and cafés overlooking the pretty port of boats. During the day you can take a boat trip through the crystal blue waters to a nearby bay or visit the old town of Pollença, with its historic squares, markets and churches. Typically for Balearic towns, the place becomes bright and lively as you approach midnight. There are plenty of bars in Pollença and a club to dance at, and with flights in June around £100 a return, the Mediterranean island offers the perfect combination of sun, culture and nightlife.
So whether you love festivals or cities, castles or villas, there are many places that really do have everything you need for an unforgettable girls holiday this summer.
Photo Credits: holidaylettings.co.uk/; barcelona-apartments.pro; achtypistours.gr/; booking.com/; hideoutfestival.com/; ownersdirect.co.uk/