Smart Traveller

If you’re a fan of F1, you may be considering travelling to see some of the races in the 2010 season.  Smart Traveller is going to be featuring a series of posts taking a look at the destinations hosting the races in the 2010 Formula 1  World Championship Race Calendar.

The schedule for the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship is:

• Bahrain Grand Prix (12 - 14 March 2010)
• Australian Grand Prix (26 - 28 March 2010)
• Malaysian Grand Prix (2 - 4 April 2010)
• Chinese Grand Prix (16 - 18 April 2010)
• Spanish Grand Prix (7 - 9 May 2010)
• Monaco Grand Prix (13 - 16 May 2010)
• Turkish Grand Prix (28 - 30 May 2010)
• Canadian Grand Prix (11 - 13 June 2010)
• Grand Prix of Europe (25 - 27 June 2010)
• British Grand Prix (9 - 11 July 2010)
• German Grand Prix (23 - 25 July 2010)
• Hungarian Grand Prix (30 July - 1 August 2010)
• Belgian Grand Prix (27 - 29 August 2010)
• Italian Grand Prix (10 - 12 September 2010)
• Singapore Grand Prix (24 - 26 September 2010)
• Japanese Grand Prix (8 - 10 October 2010)
• Korean Grand Prix (22 - 24 October 2010)
• Brazilian Grand Prix (5 - 7 November 2010)
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (12 - 14 November 2010).

In the next post in this series, we’ll be taking a look at Bahrain, the venue for the first Grand Prix of the 2010 season.

Nice,  in the South of France,  is a popular tourist resort because of its beaches, seaside promenade, shops, restaurants, bars and museums. However, if you hire a car during your stay, you’ll also be able to visit nearby towns and attractions.

Here are three ideas for day trips that you can take as part of a Nice car hire holiday:

1. Cannes - Most famous for its annual film festival, which is held in May, Cannes is a glamourous coastal resort and it can be expensive to stay here. However, if you use Nice as a base and drive to Cannes for the day in your rental car, you can explore the town without breaking the bank. Stroll through the narrow streets of the Old Town, gaze at the luxury yachts in the marina and window-shop in the designer boutiques in La Croisette. It will take you about 40 minutes to drive to Cannes in your Nice hire car.

2. Grasse - France’s perfume capital, Grasse, is under an hour’s drive from Nice, so it’s a perfect place to visit as part of a hire car holiday. Take a break from your rental car and explore the town by taking a walking tour, before heading to Fragonard’s Historic Factory, where you can learn about how perfume is made and explore the Museum of Perfumes.

3. Monte Carlo - Situated in the independent state of Monaco, which borders France, Monte Carlo is known for its wealth and as the venue for the annual Monaco F1 Grand Prix. It will only take you about half an hour to drive to Monte Carlo in your Nice hire car. Take a stroll through the picturesque Old Town district of Monaco-Ville, take a tour of the Prince’s Palace (Palais Princier), visit the Exotic Garden (Jardin Exotique) and explore the Oceanic Museum and Aquarium. If you’re feeling wealthy, you can gamble with the rich and famous at the Casino de Monte Carlo or go shopping in Monte Carlo’s designer clothing stores.

Haiti is appealing for international aid, following Tuesday’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake which has devestated the tiny Caribbean nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince.  Tens of thousands of people are believed to have been killed in the earthquake, and there is concern that the death toll could rise to more than 100,000.

The epicentre of the Haiti earthquake was only about 10 miles from Port-au-Prince and many of the city’s buildings have been either destroyed or seriously damaged, including the Presidential Palace, the headquarters of the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti, the National Cathedral, and the Hotel Montana. Survivors are in desperate need of food and water, and emergency aid workers are beginning to arrive in the country.

Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, although it is on the same island, Hispaniola, as the Dominican Republic, which is an extremely popular tourist destination. Haiti is also only 750 miles away from Florida. The country lies on the Enriquillo Plantain Garden Fault Line.

Oxfam is one of many international charities working within Haiti. You can donate money to Oxfam’s Haiti earthquake fund via the charity’s website.