The Oyster smart card has massively improved London’s “tube” system.

An Oyster card lets you make use of the majority of the London transport system (even though some places choose to stay outside the scheme).

It provides a big discount on standard fares and also helps save you time in queueing to buy tickets.

The system automatically saves you money as it works out the cheapest fare at the end of the day (based on the journeys taken).

If you travel more than you expected to initially, it only charges you the lowest fare instead of pricey singles and returns.

So does this scheme have any pitfalls?

It can feel a bit daunting initially as you must purchase an Oyster card. This will cost a small deposit, which you ought to quickly recoup in the money you save.

You also need to “touch the card in and out” for all legs of your journey. But you’ll pick this up fast if you mimic the scores of London commuters you’ll see every weekday.

So unless your trip to London is a mere day-trip, you’re advised to get yourself an Oyster. Based on current information, Oyster cards don’t expire, which allows you to re-use them on future London trips.

If you do not expect to come back to London in the near future, you can usually get your deposit back (but please verify this with London Underground before you purchase).

There is a “Visitor Oyster” card which you can buy from some outlets but it’s not 100% clear at the moment what its benefits are to tourists.

If you really don’t want an Oyster card, you should at least make sure that you buy the cheapest London travelcard for unlimited access to the tube and buses for the entire day. But you may need to wait until after 9.30am on weekdays to access the cheapest fares.

You might also purchase a weekly travelcard for a larger discount if you’re in London for longer, but this does involve providing a photograph.

Remember: Oyster cards and travelcards can be used on both the tube and bus system, though not at all national rail stations. Do check before you travel.

For further info about the Oyster and public transport system in London it is useful to visit the official Transport for London website.

Finally, please make sure you wait until after 9.30am on weekdays to avoid London’s extremely high peak-time prices.

The writer shares expert advice on the best of London and real-time London hotel tips on Twitter.

There are loads of websites online which can tell you what they consider to be the top ten holiday destinations. However, with these sites it is usually ones that they are trying to get you to arrange your next holiday to. But when it comes to really discover where the top ten holiday destinations are in any given year the best place to start your search is using the World Tourism Organisation website.

Each year they release information regarding which countries had the most visitors in a year compared to others. Also they provide information which clearly shows those countries which have seen a marked increase in the number of visitors from abroad visiting them. They also help to break down this list into the various continents showing which countries within Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas were the most popular.

A favourite holiday destination in Europe is Italy, closely followed by France, Spain, UK and Germany. 18% of all holidaymakers choose Europe because of its history and culture. The weather is even good in some places!

Some other destinations that are very popular with travellers are South Africa, Tunisia and Morocco – Travelling outside of Europe normally guarantees hot weather which is always great when holidaying.

Asia is starting to become very popular with travellers – places like China, Japan and Thailand are highly visited. One reason for this growth is down to the Olympics and Para Olympics taking place in China. Japan and Thailand are hugely popular due to their totally unique way of living.

Along with searching the World Tourism Organisation website for what holiday destinations are the most popular, take a look at other websites such as the Independent Tour Operators. They offer a list of the top ten destinations for 2008 and their list seems to be dominated by Western European countries currently. So what are proving to the most popular ten holiday destinations in 2008 according to Independent Tour Operators?

Tresco in the Isles of Scilly has started to see a growth in visitors due to their new builds in holiday homes.

Naples, Italy ” There is not only many of the historic landmarks of the city which have recently been restored for you to spend time viewing, but it has some really wonderful shops and restaurants. Plus you are within easy reach of such attractions as Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius and the Amalfi Coast.

France is becoming very popular due to the fact of how easy it is to get to. Since the Eurostar launched millions of travellers make a quick getaway to France within hours.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia ” This is a truly magnificent place where at the moment being able to visit the World Heritage Site here is currently free. Although one can explore the upper levels of the temples, there are certain areas which have now been restricted and visitors are no longer able to gain access to.

Western Iceland is a great place to visit if you are interested in relaxing and taking time out, this part of Iceland is very secluded, so being bothered will not happen.

Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico is a lovely place to visit. Mexico has always been a popular destination because of its culture. The food has a very Spanish and French influence.

Cook Islands, South Pacific ” This is the perfect location if you are looking for some winter sun. Currently this place seems to be proving popular with holiday makers from the UK as the pound is very strong against the New Zealand dollar.

Monte Carlo is a fantastic place to be, the sun shines and the people are nice. The one thing about Monte Carlo is that it is very expensive so plenty of money is needed. One great time to go is when the Grand Prix is on.

Zambia is a great place to visit is you like safari, you will see all kinds of animals. Zambia is a cheap holiday destination and accommodation is fun if you stay in a tribal home hut.

Togo and Benin, West Africa ” If you are looking for somewhere which offers a completely different kind of view of Africa then these are two destinations worth considering. Plus currently the number of visitors making this one of the top ten holiday destinations is currently not that many so it still remains pretty much like it has for many centuries before.

If you are looking for holiday homes look no further than the classifieds site Adflyer. Adflyer have 1000s of holiday homes for sale.