Welcome to Blogger Week!
Whether you're looking for inspiration, tips, advice, or just a 10 minute break from the nine-to-five, travel blogs are a great way to get your daily wanderlust fix without leaving the house.
And here at Hotels4U, we love reading about what travellers are getting up to around the world.
So all this week on our blog, Twitter, Facebook and Google+, we'll be sharing some travel blogs that have caught our eye this year.
To kick things off, we tracked down nine bloggers and asked: What are your travel plans for 2012?
Here's what they had to say. Prepare to catch the travel bug...
First up, Laurence from Finding the Universe
"One of the cities in Europe that has always evaded me is Barcelona - and I'm determined not to let that happen now that Europe is my base again! I'm drawn by the incredible architecture, the culture, the climate and of course the food. I want to explore the markets, check out the Gothic cathedral and marvel at Gaudi's masterpieces. Barcelona has eluded me for too long, and 2012 is the year I'm going to change that!"
Follow Laurence on Twitter
Annette from Bucket List Journey
"This year's thrilling travel plans are starting with a quick trip to Seattle where catching a fish at Pike Place Market is high on the agenda. Next, it's off to Lake Tahoe in Nevada to learn how to snowboard and take a chilly dogsled ride, hopefully while holding some very warm hot chocolate. Then I will be heading to London for the iconic stroll down Abbey Road and to take the short ride through the chunnel. This railroad tunnel will land me in Paris just in time for a memorable dinner and the spectacular view from the Eiffel Tower. The final plan is to gain five pounds by eating my way through Barcelona, completely overloading on tapas."
Follow Annette's gastro-journey on Twitter
Jade and James from Our Oyster
"2012 is going to be epic for Jade and James! This travelling couple is planning to take Australia by storm! The Great Australian Overland Adventure intends to circumnavigate the entire country, as well as exploring through the outback as well.... that's about 36,000 kilometres! On top of that, they intend to visit as many Pacific Islands as possible. So far plans are in the works for Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa."
Follow Jade and James' Aussie adventure on Twitter
Julia Evans from Homeless and Confused
"My travel plans for 2012 are so up-in-the-air, which makes it even more exciting! I will be leaving England at the beginning of February, taking a short detour to the US to visit a couple of my favourite cities for a week and then on to Fiji where I will hopefully soak up some rays (and a few fruity cocktails) on some stunning sandy beaches. From there it is on to New Zealand where I will hopefully spend some time exploring the wonderful countryside and doing some volunteer work on organic farms and vineyards. After that....who knows? Watch this space!"
Follow Julia’s round the world trip on Twitter
"2012 travels is going to be a big ‘un for me, a profoundly deaf backpacker! Why? Because I’m going solo baby! Yes, I will be hightailing it this year to SE Asia taking in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore before WWOOFing it in Australia, taking the party bus in New Zealand and relaxing on the beautiful beaches of Fiji. Then hopefully going on a camping tour around the Western Seaboard of USA! Bet you’re jealous!"
Follow Rexyedventures on Twitter
Alexandra Baackes from Alex In Wanderland
“My home base for 2012 is Koh Tao, Thailand, so that puts me in a great position for travel! In February I’m planning a weekend jaunt for the Koh Phangan Film Festival. In March we’re taking an international trip, but the details aren’t yet hammered out. It’s either going to be Malaysia, Indonesia, or the Philippines. Nice choice to have to make! In April we will return to Thailand for Songkran Festival and exploring the North. May will see us entering Laos and making it over to Northern Vietnam. From there? The sky is the limit!”
Follow Alex's beach life on Twitter
Neil Barnes from Backpacks and Bunkbeds
"Well by the time you read this, I shall be on a plane to (hopefully) sunny Grenada with my girlfriend and few of her family. Her dad owns a farm over there and we're going to visit, and maybe do some island hoping too. In the spring the Mrs and I are looking at a little road trip around Ireland, starting in Belfast and ending in Limerick. We hope to cover most of the north and western coastline. The rest of the year is up for grabs. A mate's holiday to Portugal has been whispered about, and a lads week travelling across Germany also spoken of. I've even got an invite to Brussels from @25travels. All exciting stuff!"
Follow Neil's European travels on Twitter
Keith Kellett from Travel Rat's Travels
“In Australia, you don’t take a train if you want to get there quickly, or travel cheaply. It’s more in the nature of a coach tour, stopping at places of interest, but with much more room to move around. We’re planning a trip from Darwin to Alice Springs on the Ghan Railway, which allows a relaxed look at areas remote from the cities and beaches, without the hassles and hazards of driving. At Alice, we’ll tour Uluru and the Red Centre. At some times of the year, it’s possible to ride the train to Adelaide after the tour, but, when we’re going, there’s only one train per week. So, we’ll continue the journey by bus.”
Follow Keith's Ghan railway trip on Twitter
Tom Jacobs from JourneyTom
"I am so excited about my plans for 2012 as they are so different. So far I've already arranged trips to Thailand, Majorca, Dartmoor and Edinburgh. I will no doubt be in France at some point this year and also covering some of the Olympics in London. 2012 is going to be a huge year! My number one aim is to attend a Thai cooking school and learn to cook traditional Thai food. It's my favourite cuisine and I just can't recreate the flavours at home, so hopefully by the end of the year I can be an expert."
Follow Tom's travels on Twitter
Do you have a favourite travel blog, or have you got a blog we don't know about yet? Tell us about it in the comments below, or get in touch on our Facebook, Twitter or Google+ accounts.