That’s why we’ve rounded up the top six most current travel programmes we think you should be watching. Some of them you may have seen and some of them you might just thank us for later.

All we can say is, put your feet up and enjoy and, at the end, start planning your next trip – whether it’s a another tour of iPlayer or a round-the-world adventure.

1) World’s Most Dangerous Roads

This three-part series combines a few guilty pleasures – travel, cars, celebrities and adrenalin-packed driving – as different famous duos tackle some of the world’s most infamous roads.

But it’s not just a thrilling HD ride for Top Gear enthusiasts, the programme gives a great insight into how to get around some of the world’s more obscure destinations and, we must admit, there are plenty of laughs.

Now in its third series, World’s Most Dangerous Roads has most recently seen Angus Deayton and Mariella Frostrup take to Madagascar’s notorious mud-marred roads and dangerous river crossings in episode one; Hugh Bonneville and Jessica Hynes embark on a road trip through Georgia in episode two, and funny men Phil Jupitus and Marcus Brigstocke negotiate high altitude driving in Bolivia in episode three.

Originally aired on BBC Two, you can now catch it on iPlayer if you haven’t already.

2) Italy Unpacked

If you’re passionate about food and travel – and perhaps art – then you’ll love this follow on from last year’s Sicily Unpacked which sees chef Giorgio Locatelli team up with British art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon to explore the culinary and artistic culture of Northern Italy.

An unlikely combination of interests perhaps, but it’s one that really works and makes for great TV viewing as the pair visit Emilia-Romangna, Bologna, Modena, Parma and Ferrari – also indulging in their love of fast automobiles in the home of the ultimate supercar.

We love Giorgio’s sampling of the local cuisine and lessons in Italian cookery as they travel. But we’re not the only ones to think it’s worth a watch. Art lover and foodie Kay Gale rates it highly too – check out her review over at The Single Gourmet and Traveller blog – also found tweeting @travel_gourmet

Catch Italy Unpacked on Fridays on BBC Two or previous episodes on iPlayer.

3) The Riviera: A History in Pictures

Here’s another series packed with European history – presented by actor Richard E. Grant who follows in the footsteps of famous artists who’ve painted on the French Cote d’Azur.

In the most recent BBC Four episode, Richard explores the life and brushstrokes of Henri Matisse – stopping at his favourite continental cafes and other haunts along the way.

In this second episode, entitled ‘The Golden Era’, he explains how the Cote d’Azur became both a playground and studio for the masters of modern art against a backdrop of azure water, golden sand and clear, blue skies.

It’s a great watch for anyone who’s a fan of the French Riviera or for anyone planning a trip along its coast stretching from Italianate Menton in the east to the coveted bay of St Tropez in the west.

Expect some great insights into Monaco, Nice, Antibes, Cannes, St Raphael and many places in between.

Watch the programme on BBC Four on Tuesday nights and catch the first episode on iPlayer.

You can also follow @RichardEGrant on Twitter.

4) Great British Railway Journeys

If you’re on track to be a bit of an anorak we hope you’re already glued to this hugely successful series, which is now in its fourth season, because it’s fascinating from both a travel and historic perspective.

The series, which first launched in 2010, follows the UK’s favourite politician, Michael Portillo, as he travels around the British railway network with the help of a Victorian guide book penned by George Bradshaw and ponders how times have changed.

In the most recent episode of part two of the current season, which started on January 7, MP Michael meets and feeds the crew of Britain’s newest warship and discovers that the Victorians planned to overturn a potential French invasion on the Portsmouth to Gomshall line as he travels onwards to Grimsby.

Watch the series unfold nightly on BBC Four or catch up on iPlayer.

Find Michael on Twitter @M_Portill0

5) Gods & Monsters: Homer’s Odyssey

Fans of poetry, Greek mythology or the Greek islands will appreciate this one-off travel-cum-history programme which features modern day poet Simon Armitage as he embarks on his own Greek adventure – following in the footsteps of personal hero Odysseus whom, he admits, he may not really like but is fascinated by.

He delves into the magical and strange adventures of the controversial once warrior king who pioneered the Trojan Horse and inspired Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey – a piece of work which was described by the late Virginia Woolf as being ‘alive to every tremor and gleam of existence’.

It’s certainly one to make you think and there’s some stunning imagery of Greece to boot.

Originally aired on BBC Four on January 10, you can catch the programme on iPlayer for a limited time.

6) Scottish Passport

For a glimpse of easily attainable holidays abroad from the UK, as well as short breaks a little closer to home, join the Daily Record’s most prolific and self confessed ‘hack’ Paul English as he presents a very Scottish holiday programme which, in its first episode, covered the likes of Salou on the Costa Dorada, Malta and ‘Nae Limits’ activity breaks in Perthshire, Scotland.

He’s joined by other leading travel writers and presenters, such as Sarah Heaney, who test out resorts and attractions in the name of research.

We love the feel of this fun series which tells it like it is and is almost reminiscent of BBC One’s Holiday programme which launched in 1969 and reached its heyday in the 80s with presenter Cliff Michaelmore at the helm.

Available to Scottish viewers only, check out Scottish Passport on Monday nights or on STV Player for a limited time.

You can also follow @ScotPassport @PaulEnglishhack @MissHeaney @NaeLimits on Twitter and check out the Scottish Passport website.

The post Top six travel programmes you should be watching appeared first on MyTravelMoney.co.uk.

A number of top female travel executives have been honoured in the Queen’s New Year list for their services to travel and tourism.

Among those to make the roll of honour were Thomson Airways Managing Director Chris Brown, who landed an OBE for services to aviation; lastminute.com co-founder Martha Lane Fox, who also received an OBE – for services to charity and the UK digital economy; P&O Ferries Chief Executive Helen Deeble, who received a CBE for her services to shipping; British Holiday and Home Parks Association Deputy Director General Winifred Clark, who won an OBE for services to charity and the tourism industry, and Belfast City Tour Service Manager Dianne Leeman, who was awarded an MBE for her services to tourism and hospitality in Northern Ireland.

Other travel industry professionals to be recognised were Air Miles founder Sir Keith Mills, Co-operative Group Chief Executive Peter Marks, Lochs and Glens Holidays Chairman Michael Wells, and Le Mon Hotel and Country Club Managing Director Francis Brady.

UK Visa application to be simplified for Chinese visitors

Home Secretary Theresa May has vowed to simplify the Visa application process in a bid to attract more Chinese visitors to the UK.

Her pledge follows new research which shows that 61 per cent of Chinese people who chose not to visit the UK were put off by the Visa application process, whose forms are currently in English rather than Mandarin.

Mooted changes to the process are to include shortened online application forms, dedicated Embassy staff to aid business travellers and translated forms – all of which are to come into effect in 2013.

Birmingham Airport could be renamed after 70s rock legend

It’s rumoured that Birmingham Airport could be renamed after controversial Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne.

The claims were reported by The Birmingham Mail after Councillor Philip Parkin told the paper talks had been held with a view to honouring the iconic 70s rock band.

Although nothing has been confirmed, if the name change goes ahead, it would mirror the moniker choices of Liverpool’s John Lennon and New York’s JFK airports.

Thomson experiences stellar Christmas Day

Tour operator Thomson has reported a record Christmas Day after experiencing a 90 per cent increase in online sales compared to the same day last year.

The most popular destinations booked on its best ever Christmas Day were the sunny resorts of Tenerife, Majorca and Sharm El Sheikh.

The post Weekly travel news round up appeared first on MyTravelMoney.co.uk.

But how will this affect the travel industry?

According to industry insiders, the sector has already experienced slowed business and leisure travel planning as a direct result of uncertainty over future tax rises.

Proactive firms have been cutting back on business travel in fear of said higher taxes and ahead of potential spending cuts in the New Year.

The Global Business Travel Association has predicted that companies will spend around £12 billion less on business travel in 2014 if the mooted tax hikes and spending cuts go ahead.

And even Expedia, the world’s largest travel agency, has reported that regular client bookings, which normally grow in tandem with the overall economy, have been down lately.

ABTA also reckons that a further increase in Air Passenger Duty will be revealed following today’s statement – which would signal another major blow for the travel industry.

In a recent survey, it revealed that two thirds of those interviewed think Air Passenger Duty is already too high and that half of the UK public believe the tax puts the economy at a disadvantage.

In an interview with Travelmole, Chief Executive Mark Tanzer, who met with Treasury Minister Sajid Javid earlier this week, said: “Despite the clear calls from the public and businesses, the Government is still refusing to commission an independent review into Air Passenger Duty. It’s evident that the Treasury is still to be convinced of the merits of this approach.”

But all is not lost in this respect, according to Tanzer, who believes that company and consumer pressure is the answer.

He added: “With another rise in Air Passenger Duty expected to be announced, it’s vital that businesses and consumers continue to maintain pressure on the Government to freeze Air Passenger Duty until it has conducted a proper independent analysis on the impacts of this on the economy.”

We’d love to know your thoughts here at MyTravelMoney.co.uk. Do you agree with Air Passenger Duty, for example? And what else can the travel industry do to ensure its survival during the European financial crisis?

Share your opinions with us over at Twitter.

The post How tax hikes and spending cuts will affect the travel industry appeared first on MyTravelMoney.co.uk.

East Midlands passengers bid Bmibaby farewell for the very last time on 9 September as the budget airline made the final touchdown of its short career on a one-way flight from Malaga.

They landed at 10.45pm at East Midlands airport where the no-frills carrier, which launched ten years ago, was grounded for good as a result of BMI’s BA take-over.

The move has left 450 staff redundant but more opportunity for the likes of Ryanair and Flybe to expand. It’s thought that Jet2 and Monarch will swoop in and pick up the most lucrative routes. In the meantime, passengers are expected to have to travel further to fly.

easyJet finally flies the flag for allocated seating
Britain’s largest budget airline has announced its plans to replace its current free-for-all boarding policy by introducing allocated seating from November.

easyJet has finally bowed to consumer pressure and, after a trial run earlier this year, has confirmed that allocated seating will give its passengers a better boarding experience.

The initial roll-out will take place at Gatwick – easyJet’s largest base – as part of a three-phase launch.

Exposed Ryanair drops its ski fares after false claims

Ryanair has dropped the price of selected ski flights after an investigation by TravelMole exposed its fares as being higher than the likes of easyJet and other low-cost competitors.

The TravelMole probe suggested that the airline had falsely claimed that its ski flights were the cheapest of all the budget airlines despite being more costly.

London 2012 ends on a high as Team GB pound the streets in victory parade

The Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012 have finally drawn to a close after a grand finale which culminated in a victory parade in which thousands of well-wishers turned out to line the streets of London and wave the British flag to support the Team GB athletes.

UK cruise market becomes second largest in the world

More and more British travellers are choosing to cruise, according to official figures which show that last year’s UK cruise market was the second largest in the world – runner up only to North America.

Recent research highlights that nearly two million more people took a cruise last year than in 2010 – representing a 10 per cent increase in the global market.

Body found on British Airways flight from Cape Town

An investigation has been launched after the body of a stowaway was found in the landing gear bay of a British Airways flight after touching down at Heathrow.

The post Top travel news stories of the week appeared first on MyTravelMoney.co.uk.

In no particular order, here are our top 10 from the Twittersphere this week:

1) @karenbryan
Karen is editor of  Europe A La Carte, featuring reviews and tips on what to do in Europe. We love her honest and up-front approach to travel.

2) @MalloryOnTravel
Iain Mallory’s travel tweets are so awesome that you can’t help keep re-tweeting. This traveller, adventurer and photographer is well worth a follow.

3) @travelrants
Darren Cronian, editor of  Travel Rants is a bit of a maverick – blogging about issues consumers have with travel in a way that’s totally unique. His rants have earned him nearly 20,000 followers.

4) @destinationeu
Andrea is an Australian expat living in Paris and blogging about all the best bits of the City of Lights. We love her fresh, new take on the French capital – especially when her posts combines travel with food.

5) @Johnny Jet
Ah, we love Johnny Jet. Host of the Travel Channel’s Hotspots 2012, he visits more than 20 countries a year and is a first rate money saving travel expert.

6) @frugaltraveler
The Frugal Traveler has a huge following on Twitter – more than 250,000, in fact – and with good reason. The New York Times writer travels the globe in search of high style on a low budget. Don’t we just envy his job?!

7) @BAIRDSTRAVEL
Follow tour guide and blogger Dougie Baird, who’s from Glasgow and runs his own travel business, Westend Walks, as he travels the world.

8)  @wildjunket
Co-founder of Wild Junket Magazine, Nellie Huang is a travel writer, blogger and self-confessed adventure seeker.

9) @adventurouskate
Boston girl Kate McCulley gets the thumbs up from us for her solo female travel blog as she makes her way, unconventionally, around the world.

10) @travelsavvymom
Jamie Pearson is a California-based travelista and domestic goddess who experiences and blogs about the funny side of family travel. She’s definitely one of our favourites.

If you’re a keen travel blogger and would like to feature on our site, send us a link to your blog and we’ll do our best to include you next time. Or, if you have a favourite blog and would like to recommend one, get in touch!

In the meantime, happy travels – and happy blogging!

The post Top 10 Travel Bloggers You Should Know About appeared first on MyTravelMoney.co.uk.