You don’t get much more British than the Royal Family and in honour of the Queen celebrating 60 years at the helm, there are plenty of Diamond Jubilee celebrations planned in 2012. To mark this momentous occasion, Queen Liz and Prince Philip are currently on an epic tour of the UK.

Clearly, Her Majesty likes to get out and about, as by the end of the year she’ll have covered almost every corner of the country from Glanusk Park and Glasgow to Sunderland and Salisbury. Travelling by car, aircraft, the Royal Train and the ship Leander, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s tour is currently attracting huge crowds wherever they go.

Manchester and Salford - 23th March

After beginning her tour in Leicester, the Queen (looking pretty in pink) travelled to Manchester on the royal train to be greeted by hundreds of flag-waving fans. After leaving Victoria Station, the Queen and Prince Philip delighted staff and students as they visited the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. The BBC Media Centre in Salford was next on Her Majesty’s itinerary before dining at the Manchester Town Hall for a tasty jubilee lunch feast.

The Queen at the Media City, by the University of Salford

North London - 29th March

After the excitement of Manchester, the royal party headed a bit closer to home with a trip to North London. After the obligatory smiling and waving at Valentine’s Park in Redbridge, the Queen made her way to a town hall and school in Harrow to continue the celebrations before heading back home in time for Coronation Street. Why not follow in royal footsteps and book one of the many London hotels in the area to spend a day admiring the beautiful mansion and gardens in Valentine’s Park?

Buckingham Palace, by flickr user Bex Walton

Wales - 26th-27th April

At the end of April, Wales is set to roll out the red carpet as the Queen is planning on spending a couple of days in the “land of song”. From visiting Cyfarthfa Castle Museum in Merthyr Tydfil to meeting members of the Welsh rugby team in Port Talbot, Her Majesty is in for an action-packed jaunt in Wales. Well-wishers and Royalty-buffs are sure to be booking into the various hotels in Cardiff to try and get a glimpse of the royal party, so why don’t you? Click here for some of the best deals.

Welsh Rugby team, by flickr user TruPlaces

Scotland - 2nd-6th July

The beginning of July sees the Queen and the Duke travelling back up north to spend a week in Scotland where they will discover the best of what Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth have to offer. Staying at the Palace of Holyrood House (the Queen’s official Scottish residence), the royal couple are sure to be kept busy during their trip here. With Edinburgh hotels to suit every budget, fans of the Royal Family will be able to stay close to all the regal action or alternatively visit some of the other landmarks in the Scottish capital such as Edinburgh Castle or the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, by flickr user Nigel Swales

Do let us know if you’ve been to see the Queen already on her Jubilee tour or if you’re planning on rubbing shoulders with royalty in the next couple of months. Leave us a comment below…

However you feel about the modern day monarchy, there's no denying that it's an important aspect of Britain's historic roots.

So, to celebrate the Queen's upcoming Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic games this summer, we've rounded up some of our favourite regal heritage sites throughout the UK where you can walk the red carpet, without royally dipping into your bank account.

Windsor Castle by mharrsch via Flickr

Me in Benidorm :) 

What are Harry’s recommendations for holidays in 2012?

There are so many great trips to go on this year I don’t know where to start! Of course, it’s worth planning a visit to London this summer if you haven’t already, so that you can join in the festival atmosphere that will accompany the Olympics! Our capital city is set to become the focal point of the world for a couple of months this year, so you’d be silly to miss out. Plan a week away and really see the city through the eyes of a tourist – you’ll be amazed at what London can offer when you treat it like a holiday destination!

Five Things You Didn't Know About Malta

All this week, we’re delving under the skin of Malta and discovering why it makes such a good holiday destination. Aside from the sunny weather, historical sites and wealth of culture on offer – not to mention the sandy beaches – there’s lots more to this Mediterranean hub than you might realise. So before you book one of our Malta hotels and discover the country for yourself, here are five things you might not know about our destination of the week:

St Pauls Anglican Cathedral by Glen Bowman

There's no holiday spot quite like Malta - it's a little bit European, a little bit African, and a whole lot of lovely. Here at Hotels4U HQ, we've been talking a lot about our upcoming summer holidays, and where all of our dream destinations would be; and it's no surprise to hear that Malta was a popular choice.

We decided to dig deeper and work out what exactly it is about this lovely island that makes it such a unique and popular travel destination.

A view of Valletta Harbour, Malta by Glen Bowman via Flickr

As the countdown to the Easter break begins, here at the Hotels4U office we've been gearing up for the upcoming Bank Holiday weekend. This has mostly involved thinking about who we're going to be giving chocolate bunnies to as part of our Easter Trivia Giveaway, and how we'll be spending the time. Here are some suggestions of what we, and other countries around the world, will be doing this Easter...

Ukranian Easter eggs by Molly Stevens via Flickr

Over Easter, about 80 million chocolate bunnies and eggs will be sold across the world. The tradition of giving eggs has been going for centuries, but they haven't always been made of chocolate. Eggs were originally painted and decorated in bright colours to represent the new spring season, and the earliest chocolate versions came about in the 19th Century in Germany and France.

2. Booking Summer holidays

With the family already gathered around the table for a nice roast dinner, there's no better time to decide on a destination for this year's summer holiday. To help you plan your next break, Hotels4U is offering £25 off if your hotel booking total is over £450 for bookings made over the Easter Bank holiday weekend (that's Friday 6th - Monday 9th, as if you needed reminding!). So check the website for terms and conditions, then click here to activate the discount and make a booking.

Easter egg roll by 2202 via Creative Commons

3. Participating in tradition

For the 134th year running, the lawn of the White House in Washington will again be the location of the annual Easter Egg Roll, hosted by the president of the United States. The tradition of egg rolling usually takes place on Easter Monday, and involves rolling decorated hard boiled eggs down a hill to see which can go the furthest without breaking, or being pushed along with a spoon. You don't have to go all the way to America to take part though, as there are plenty of egg rolls and hunts happening all around the UK this weekend.

Semana Santa procession by Iglesia en Valladolid via Flickr

4. Celebrating

Spain is currently in the middle of one of its biggest annual celebrations, Semana Santa - or "Holy Week". Depending on the area, you'll find anything from lively processions of floats to solemn parades and ancient rituals taking place all over the country, but the celebrations are particularly diverse across the Andalucía region. For more information, the Spain Scoop has a great blog post on one city's take on the festival. If you fancy visiting yourself, then check out our Spain hotels.

Colomba Pasquale by NicolaSince1972 via Flickr

5. Eating Easter Treats

While we tuck into hot cross buns in the UK, over in Italy the bread of choice is "Colomba Pasquale" or Easter Dove. This sweetbread loosely shaped as a dove, topped with almonds and sugar and eaten for dessert. And of course, who can forget those chocolate Easter bunnies.

For a chance to win a chocolate Easter bunny from Hotels4U, head over to our Facebook page and take part in our Easter Trivia Giveaway.

Hurrah - at long last, the Easter bank holiday is on its way. And with four days to fill, you'll no doubt be looking for activities to keep the kids occupied over the weekend.

There's a huge selection of Easter egg hunts and activities happening all around the country, and we're on hand with a selection of places where you can spend the day scampering around in search of Easter goodies and - of course - some cheap hotels you can stay in while you do it.

What could be better?

Image by danceswithlight via Flickr