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UK hotel prices, not long ago the highest in Europe, fell by 13% in 2009 – or, after exchange rate calculations, as much as 32% in real terms for US vacationers.

Those were the findings of the annual Hotel Price Index compiled by online hotel booking company Hotels.com. The survey, based on real prices paid by vacationers rather than advertised hotel rates, concluded that UK hotels now rank 13th in the price league of European nations. Vacationers spent £91 per week less for a UK vacation in 2009 (about $142.50 then) than they did in 2008.

The price drop varied widely from city to city in the UK with the biggest drop being recorded in Southampton (30% – cruise vacationers take note) and a rise of 14% in Oxford. The price of rooms in London fell by 7%, but in real terms, US travelers paid, on average, 18% less for a room in the capital.

Countrywide, according to the survey, US vacationers spent 21% less for a hotel room in 2009 compared to 2008. For US tourists, Edinburgh was down by 25% and Birmingham by 29%. The biggest drop was Liverpool, home of the Beatles, where the cost of a room fell a whopping 32% for US visitors.

The signs are good for the UK remaining good value for both US, European and UK vacationers through 2010. So, if you thought visiting the UK was an expensive option, it might just be time to take another look.

• Compare prices of UK hotel rooms now

• Find a cheap, last minute UK Easter break

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UK is a Hot Deal as Hotel Prices Fall to Six Year Low originally appeared on About.com United Kingdom Travel on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 11:15:25.

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It’s just been confirmed that Sir Paul McCartney will close the Isle of Wight Festival (in Newport, Isle of Wight) on Sunday, June 13 this year. Added to a lineup that includes Jay-Z and The Strokes, this could be one of the hottest festival tickets of the summer.

Or as blogger Francis Whittaker put it on Virtual Festivals, “The best selling musician on the planet, the biggest rapper in the world and the most important indie band of the last decade walk into a bar… tonight in Newport it’s open mic night.”

This will be Macca’s first show on the Isle of Wight and he said he was “looking forward to a rollicking night of rock and roll.”

Festival promoter John Giddings said, “Forty years after Jimi Hendrix performed ‘Hey Joe’ at Seaclose Park we’ve finally gotten to ‘Hey Jude’. I can’t wait!”

By the way, if the reference in the headline above passed you by, Ryde is a town and a train station on the Isle of Wight. In the blogsphere, many fans believe that John Lennon first wrote, “She’s got a ticket to Ryde.”

Read more about the Isle of Wight Festival

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He’s Got a Ticket to Ryde – Macca To Headline Isle of Wight Fest originally appeared on About.com United Kingdom Travel on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 08:12:52.

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A growing number of Western tourists are traveling to West Africa to experience the rituals of daily life in the Dogon cliffside villages.

With few tourists, the dead of winter is the time to visit Tuscany, when the landscape is bright green, locals fill the cafes, and the cuisine is at its best.

If disaster strikes when you are traveling, preparation before departure could be what keeps you safe and gets you home, experts say.

According to Hotelchatter.com, The Trump Chicago will have skyboxes for guests who wish to watch the Chicago River turn green, one of the more awesome St. Patty’s Day traditions. For $45, you can have a traditional Irish breakfast, and for $55, a lunch spread. Prepare to see lots of green, as well as the word TRUMP stamped on everything you come across. [Hotelchatter]

The Department of Transportation slapped US Airways with a $40,000 civil penalty Monday for violating price advertising rules.