January
Ski in Eastern Europe
European ski resorts are seeing some fantastic powder, but those on a tight budget should consider heading east, taking advantage of new flights from Danube Wings launched last month. They link Luton, Manchester and Dublin to Poprad-Tatry in Slovakia, which is less than an hour's drive from Jasna, the country's largest resort and with a growing off-piste reputation.
• Flights to Poprad-Tatry with Danube Wings (danubewings.com) cost from £150. For accommodation information see jasna.sk
Get Spiritual in India
Kumbh Mela is the biggest religious gathering on the planet, held four times every 12 years in places of spiritual significance. In 2010 it is at Haridwar, at the foot of the Himalayas in the state of Uttarakhand, beginning on Thursday and running until 28 April. Millions will come to bathe in the Ganges, float lamps in the river and take part in celebrations. It will be an incredible spectacle, but can be chaotic, so it's best to join an organised tour.
• For more information see kumbh2010haridwar.gov.in. For package trips including the Mela book through Transindus (020 8566 3739; transindus.co.uk)
February
Take the family to the Seychelles
The Seychelles have a (fairly accurate) reputation for high-end glamour – and prices. But the Ephelia Resort (epheliaresort.com), which opens this month, aims to change all that: the four-star resort is ideal for families, with four swimming pools, two stunning beaches and a daily children's club. The hotel also has its own Padi dive centre and is on Mahe island, so no onward internal flights are needed. Best of all are the spectacular opening offers: a week half-board costs £1,249 with flights.
• Book through Audley Travel on 01993 838 500; audleytravel.com
Check into a snow hole
Ice hotels are so last decade; this year the winter accommodation of choice is the snow hole, thanks to a new trip offered by the Torridon Hotel in the Scottish Highlands. The downside is that you have to dig it yourself before spending the night there. Heading out from the hotel in the company of mountain guide Chris Wilson, you will be shown how to tunnel into a slope, digging out a corridor and a room with sleeping platforms. The experience costs £325 half-board, including a night either side at the hotel, available on 5-7 February or 5-7 March.
• Book on 0800 089 3929; prideofbritainhotels.com
See the Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympics kick off on 13 February, but with accommodation in Whistler, Canada (where the downhill skiing events take place) either already booked or going for stratospherically high prices, the best plan is to base yourself in Vancouver. The resort of Cypress Mountain (cypressmountain.com) is just half an hour away from the city, so is perfect for day trips, and the freestyle skiing and snowboard half-pipe events are taking place there, so there will be plenty of atmosphere and Olympic buzz to enjoy.
• For packages try Inghams (020 8780 4433; inghams.co.uk) and see vancouver2010.com for details of the Games
March
Go out on the toonn
Spring is ideal time for a city break, and Newcastle offers an unbeatable mix of festivals and attractions in March. If it's a family weekend, older kids will love the ScienceFest (12-21 March; newcastlesciencefest.co.uk), with exhibitions at museums throughout the city, and the AV Festival (5-14 March; avfest.co.uk) of electronic arts. One of the biggest events will be the illumination of Hadrian's Wall on 13 March (hadrians-wall.org), when 500 gas-fired braziers will light the wall from end to end.
• Book a hotel at visitnewcastlegateshead.com
Party in the snow
Forget summer festivals, these days it's all about partying in the snow. This year sees the brand new Big Snow Festival in Arinsal, Andorra, from 14-21 March, with headliners including DJs Calvin Harris and Eddie Halliwell, and sets from Judge Jules and Micky Finn. Snowbombing, the original and biggest ski and music festival, runs from 5-10 April in Mayrhofen, Austria, and this year will be headlined by Fatboy Slim, who pulled out last year after checking into rehab.
• A week at Big Snow (0844 879 8119; thebigsnowfestival.com) costs from £459 including flights and B&B accommodation. Snowbombing (snowbombing.com) costs from £279 with self-catering accommodation and festival wristband
April
Learn Dualie surfing
For many, April is the start of the surfing season, but if you're unsure of your board technique, consider hiring a "Dualie" board. The latest trend in surfing, Dualies are bodyboards for two, so you can take to the water with a partner or friend, and younger kids can surf safely with Mum or Dad. Extreme Academy in Watergate Bay hires out Dualie boards; the Watergate Bay Hotel has a family room (sleeping five) from £245, with dinner and breakfast.
• 01637 860543; watergatebay.co.uk/extremeacademy.htm
Go nuts for cocoa
Hotel Chocolat is a high-street chain of chocolate shops, but this year it is making good its name and opening a real hotel. The six room Real Hotel Chocolat is on the Caribbean island of St Lucia, on the 140-acre Rabot Estate, a working cocoa plantation from which the shop sources its supplies. Guests can learn how cocoa is processed and, of course, have a tasting (or two) of the chocolate produced. Room rates are still being finalised.
• British Airways (ba.com) flies from Gatwick to St Lucia from £510. There's no website yet; email thehotel@hotelchocolat.co.uk for details
Go floral in Ghent
Every five years the picturesque medieval town of Ghent literally comes into bloom, with the Floralies, a 10-day celebration of flowers, with displays, exhibitions, talks and contemporary floral art around the city. The Floralies has been held for more than 200 years, and in 2010 over 300 florists, designers and landscape gardeners will contribute to the festival.
• Eurostar (eurostar.com) returns to Ghent from London St Pancras cost from £69. Buy festival tickets (€20) through floralien.be. For accommodation, see visitgent.be
May
Hunt for vampires
Vampire fans and addicts of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga can discover the real backdrops to the books and film on a new tour from Trek America which has its first departure this month (27 May). Each trip coincides with the full moon and the itinerary combines walking through the vast landscapes of Oregon and Washington states with nocturnal activities including a night kayak tour of Scappoose Bay. The 11-night camping trip also includes a guided tour of Forks, the town that is central to the books, and a visit to Mount St Helens.
• The trip costs £699, including transfers, the services of a tour leader and all activities, but not flights. Contact: 0845 313 2614; trekamerica.co.uk. Delta Airlines (delta.com) flies from Heathrow to Portland, Oregon, from £323
Do Istanbul in style
If you're thinking of heading to Istanbul for the Capital of Culture celebrations, there is a new way to reach Turkey – in serious style. The Danube Express luxury train is launching a new eight-day London-Istanbul itinerary, setting off from St Pancras and taking in Budapest, Prague, Transylvania and rural Bulgaria before reaching Istanbul on day six. You have two days to explore the city before flying home.
• The steep £5,290 price tag does include the flight back to Britain and all accommodation, with dinner and breakfast (01462 441400; danube-express.com)
See Shanghai on show
One of the glitziest cities on the planet, Shanghai ups the ante in May when it launches the Shanghai World Expo, running from 1 May-31 October. The theme is Better City Better Life, and there will be 12 pavilions spread over a five square kilometre site, with dozens of countries exhibiting and taking part. It is expected to attract more visitors than any previous expo.
• For packages including Expo tickets, see Wendy Wu Tours (0844 875 2433; wendywutours.co.uk)
June
Live the longest day
Make the most of the longest day of the year (21 June) with a trip to Gothenburg in Sweden, where at this time of year the sun never really quite sets and a three-day break can feel like a week. An added bonus is that a recently discovered painting by Leonardo da Vinci, La Bella Principessa, will be on display for the first time as part of the city's "And There Was Light" exhibition (and-there-was-light.com), which brings together works by Michelangelo, Raphael and da Vinci.
• Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from Stansted to Gothenburg's Save airport (14 miles from the city) from £20. For accommodation see visitsweden.com
See the World Cup live
In June, all eyes (well almost all) will be on South Africa as it hosts the football World Cup. Games will be played in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, with the final taking place on 11 July in Johannesburg. Some operators still have packages available, with tickets: Emirates Tours has a six-night trip to Pretoria, including tickets to England's first game, in Rustenburg on 12 June, from £2,319 including flights; Thomas Cook has a variety of packages, including tickets to all three of England's first-round games.
• Contact 0844 800 1400; emiratestours.co.uk/fifa and 020 8739 2360; thomascooksport.com
July
A rare Spanish fiesta
The Spanish love their festivals, and one that only happens every few years is inevitably going to be a pretty big deal. "Xacobeo" is a holy year that happens every time the feast of Saint James – 25 July – falls on a Sunday. The next, after this summer, will be 2021. The northern cities will be filled with pilgrims on the route to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, because in a holy year can they pass through the Puerto del Perdon – a door into the cathedral at Santiago which is bricked up at other times; all who pass through the door have their sins pardoned.
• For accommodation and more information see turgalicia.es. Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from Stansted to Santiago de Compostela from £40
The 41st Passion Play
It only happens once a decade and you won't recognise the names of any of the actors, but the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Bavaria, is one of the biggest theatrical events in the world. The production runs from 15 May until 3 October, but the long July evenings are the perfect time to see it: the play begins at 2.30pm and doesn't finish until 10.30pm (there is a three-hour interval). All the participants – up to 900 in the crowd scenes – must have lived in the village for at least 20 years.
• German specialist DER Tours still has tickets and packages available: book on 020 7290 1111; dertour.co.uk
Centenary train ride
Soaring to more than 2,100m, the Bernina Pass in Switzerland is one of the world's most spectacular stretches of railway, and this year celebrates its 100th anniversary. The lush pastures of the Swiss mountains under clear July skies are best seen through picture windows on a leisurely train journey.
• Great Rail Journeys' (01904 521936; greatrail.com) anniversary itinerary includes crossing the Bernina Pass in a 1930s Pullman carriage. The 10-day trip costs from £1,798, with half-board accommodation, excursions and all rail travel. More information from mybernina.ch
August
Outback cattle drive
Cattle drives across the vast landscapes of southern Australia are no small undertaking, but the Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive, from 30 July-20 August is set to be really special. The event is a recreation of old-style drives, and involves a 320-mile journey along the Oodnadatta Track with around 500 cattle and 120 horses.
• Bales (0845 057 1819; balesworldwide.com) has a 10-day holiday with four nights on the cattle drive from £3,625, including flights, accommodation in Adelaide and Sydney, equipment and most meals
Tall ships race
Hartlepool is set to host its biggest ever party when up to 100 tall ships sail into its harbour on 7 August to bring to a close the second and final Tall Ships race for 2010. The ships will have set off from the Norwegian port of Kristiansand on 1 August and will remain docked in Hartlepool for three nights. There will be street parties, live music and celebrations throughout the town before a spectacular Parade of Sail on 10 August sees the ships head back out to sea.
• For information and accommodation options see hartlepooltallships2010.com
Get to know Zimbabwe
The new decade may, one hopes, mean a fresh start for Zimbabwe. The country is cautiously opening up to tourism again, and South African tour company Wilderness Safaris is offering tours that start and end in Zambia, but dip into Zimbabwe's fabulous wildlife parks – such as Mana Pools – which see virtually no visitors. The Foreign Office does not currently advise against travelling to Zimbabwe, and going with an experienced guide is the safest way.
• The trip costs from £2,173, including flights, transfers and accommodation, booked through Expert Africa (020 8232 9777; expertafrica.com)
September
Rhodes in style
The schools are back, the Mediterranean is less manic and it's a great time to visit the newly glamorous Greek island of Rhodes, which has a raft of glitzy new five-star hotels. Three big openings this year are the Kresten Royal Villas (thekrestenroyal.gr), the eco-friendly Marquise (lamarquise.gr) both near Rhodes Town, and Aquagrand in Lindos (aquagrand.gr).
• Easyjet (easyjet.com) flies from Gatwick and Liverpool to Rhodes from £110. More information on the island from rodosisland.gr
New England by bike
Cycling holidays boomed in the noughties, and the trend is expanding beyond Europe. US specialist Bon Voyage has introduced cycling tours of New England for 2010, taking in Vermont and New Hampshire and staying in small historical inns. Book for September and the daily cycle ride (about 25 miles) will take you past some of the most spectacular autumn colours on the planet.
• The eight-night trip costs from £1,395 including flights, accommodation, car and bike hire through Bon Voyage (0800 316 0194; bon-voyage.co.uk)
October
Untrodden India
The state of Gujarat in north-western India is something of a revelation even to those who think they know India well. It's scattered with pristine marble temples, rural villages and 1,600km of coastline. Wild Frontiers is introducing Gujarat for the first time in 2010, with a tour including the state capital, Ahmedabad, and the historic towns of Poshina and Bhuj.
• Book on 020 7736 3968; wildfrontiers.co.uk. The 15-day trip costs £1,945. Air India (airindia.com) flights from Heathrow to Ahmedabad cost about £450
Watch the Ryder Cup
The eyes of the world (well, the golfing world) will be on Wales from 1-3 October, when the Ryder Cup takes place at the Celtic Manor Resort near Newport. There is no substitute for being there, but you have to be lucky: tickets are distributed through a ballot process (rydercupwales2010.com). Applications are accepted until 30 April, with the draw taking place in May.
• For more information and details of nearby hotels see rcts.co.uk
Montenegro on foot
Tiny Montenegro is slowly coming out from beneath Croatia's shadow, and its towering mountains and unspoilt beaches make it a great place for a walking holiday. HF Holidays includes Montenegro in its programme for the first time this year, and October is an ideal month for enjoying the Lovcen National Park, breathtaking Kotor Bay and ancient trails around Lake Skadar.
• A week costs from £659 including flights, transfers, half-board accommodation and a full programme of walks (0845 470 7558; hfholidays.co.uk)
November
Eat Heston's cooking
Tired of trying (and failing) to get a reservation at the Fat Duck? The good news is that in November Heston Blumenthal opens his first restaurant in London, at the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge. Even better, the restaurant seats 140, so the chances of sampling Blumenthal's legendarily eccentric take on classic British dishes should be relatively high.
• 020 7235 2000; mandarinoriental.com
Viva Zapata
The 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution falls on 20 November, when Pancho Villa and other insurgents led the country to freedom, and Mexico is planning to celebrate the centenary in typically vivacious style. The tourist office has worked out a number of suggested itineraries following in the footsteps of key movers and shakers in the Revolution (one such is the Zapatista Route, tracing the operations of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation through the states of Morelos, Puebla and Mexico State), and on 20 November there is a parade at the central square in Mexico City. For more details see bicentenario.gob.mx/english.
• Tailormade Explore (0844 875 1890; tailormadeexplore.co.uk) can arrange Revolution-themed itineraries, which can be combined with a ride on the scenic Copper Canyon railway, trips to Tequila Valley and Chihuahua country, and beachcombing in Baja California. Prices start from £3,275, including flights from London
December
Catch the Aurora
Next winter is set to be one of the best times to catch the elusive Northern Lights, as solar activity is on the increase after hitting a minimum in 2008. (The more solar activity, the more the aurora may be visible.) Head to Tromso in northern Norway and you'll miss the New Year crowds and can join in with the pre-Christmas partying – and with nights that last pretty much all day, they do love a party.
• A three-night trip with Scantours (020 7554 3530; scantours.co.uk) costs from £660, including flights and half-board accommodation
Antarctic summer
Hailed as "one of the most exciting new expedition vessels to hit the water", Le Boreal will set off on its maiden voyage to Antarctica on 6 December. It has 104 en-suite cabins, Wi-Fi and a spa, but it is also the most environment-friendly ship to sail in Antarctica. Features include a waste management system (no waste will be discharged at sea), recycling facilities and a positioning system that ensures it does not drop anchor in a fragile marine reserve.
• This doesn't come cheap: a 15-day trip with Abercrombie and Kent (0845 618 2200; abercrombiekent.co.uk) starts at £6,795, including flights, accommodation, transfers, shore excursions and all meals and drinks