Trip Ideas at the MATKA Nordic Travel Fair

The beginning of the year is the time to start planning your vacations and trips the coming year. Where would you like to go this year? Where should you go for new, fresh trip ideas?

Should it be sun and beach this year, or should it be nature travel and hiking? Or a short city break including city life, art and culture?

Trip ideas: Miami Beach, Florida, US

Probably all of them and something more if you listen to the polls travel companies make when preparing for the biggest happening of the travel year in Scandinavia, the MATKA Nordic Travel Fair held in Helsinki each January.

MATKA Nordic Travel Fair

For people living in Finland the MATKA Nordic Travel Fair is the place to start planning the coming travel season.

Travelers looking for information at the MATKA Nordic Travel Fair

Crowds of people visit the leading travel exhibition in Northern Europe. Every year a thousand exhibitors from all over the world are participating in this annual travel show, representing a hundred different nations.

Each year the MATKA Fair is a good place to get inspired on travel, and you probably will find out at the fair what your dream destination could be.

More information in English on the MATKA Fair >>
MATKA Fair in Finnish >>

And now the my ideas:

Trip Ideas from the MATKA Travel Fair

I was looking at the destinations of MATKA Nordic Travel Fair and picked up some of my favorite places to go, both close and far.

City Trip Ideas: Krakow

City trip ideas: Krakow Old Town

The historic Polish town of Krakow is close to Finland and only needs two hour’s flight time from Helsinki.

We spent a Krakow weekend break and were surprised how fine buildings and great history this more than thousand years old city has. You have to see the historic Old Town, the university that’s one of the oldest in Europe and Wawel castle on the hill.

So there are many great things to see in Krakow, Poland. Read more about Krakow and other parts of the countryhere:

Beach Holiday Idea: Miami

Beach vacation idea: Miami Beach

Florida has 1600 km (1000 miles) of sandy beaches, Miami Beach being Florida’s most famous stretch of white, clean sand. Yet Miami Beach is much more than a beach, it’s a living city with its own, special South Beach feeling.

Miami Beach is on a sandbar connected with bridges to the mainland of Florida. Miami’s South Beach area started to develop when the first bridge was opened in the 1920’s.

You can read more about Miami Beach here:

City and Beach: Dubai

City trip ideas: Dubai

Dubai with its hot and dry climate is a perfect beach destination. It offers luxury hotels and warm, clear waters all year round. In addition Dubai offers a lot of fascinating things you can do, both in the its historic old town and modern new-built areas. And when in Dubai, don’t forget to visit the huge shopping malls, they are some of the world’s largest.

Dubai has good public transport to most areas you might want to visit, so you can easily make your sightseeing tour using the modern metro system and only taking a taxi where the trains don’t go. Read more about Dubai here:

Road Trip Idea: Ireland

The Cliffs of Moher, one of the highlights of Ireland

Ireland is a country that is known for both its beautiful green landscape and its unique culture. Routes and Trips guest blogger Emma writes:

Many of our expectations about Ireland and its people were met. The landscapes really are that green in Ireland, and the cliffs really are that steep. The pubs really do have troubadours that play Irish music and the Irish people really do have an unique dialect.

Read about Emma’s experiences on her driving tour around Ireland:

Road Trip in Ireland: Dublin to Galway, Moher and Cork

Road Trip Idea: Gran Canaria

Santa Bridiga, a day trip idea on Gran Canaria

Gran Canaria, the biggest of the Canary Islands, is best known as a beach destination. Why not spend a driving vacation next time you go there? Rent a car and tour the mountains. Visit all those pretty inland villages with gingerbread houses. You will find another world and I’m sure you will enjoy your driving trip.

: Grilled vegetables with seafood by the sea

To prepare your trip read my blog posts about our driving in Gran Canaria:

Then, one more trip idea. Travel to Ausralia or New Zealand and tour the country in a campervan.

Campervan Holiday in Australia or New Zealand

A trip idea for you: campervan travel in Australia

This is the best way to see the countries and we have done it many times. Recommend!

We were going from Melbourne to Sydney, and instead of taking an one hour flight we rented a campervan and followed the Pacific coast to Sydney. This is how it started and we have liked it so much.

The distance from Melbourne to Sydney along the coast makes 1400 kilometres or even more, depending on how many side trips you make. You can read more about traveling Australia in a campervan:

Or what about a campervan trip through New Zealand? You will love it!