Lone rangers
A new guide to help lone parents and their children go on holiday has been published by the National Council for One Parent Families. Holiday 2000 lists groups that organise specialist holidays and gives ideas for affordable holidays, where to look and what to watch out for.

There are sections on insurance, taking the kids out of school and how to make a complaint if something goes wrong. House swaps, farm holidays and day trips are also covered. There is an index of organisations that can help.

The guide is free to lone parents who call 0800 0185026.

Easy riders
The Millennium Festival of Cycling, coordinated by the Cyclists' Touring Club, is running from June 17 -25. The festival includes a variety of cycle rides throughout the UK, including Bike to Work day, an MPs' bike ride and hundreds of local events. The week coincides with the opening of the first 5,000 miles of the National Cycle Network. Details on www.cyclingfestival.org.uk or 09068 995577 (premium rate).

Lure of the liner
Over 800,000 UK residents took a cruise last year, more than four times the number at the start of the 90s. The most popular destinations were the Mediterranean (279,000), the Caribbean (143,000), short cruises from Cyprus to Israel and Egypt (91,000) and the Atlantic Islands (67,000). Alaska drew 15,000.

A quarter of all cruise passengers were aged between 45 and 54, but it is the baby boomers generation that has shown the biggest increase in cruise holidays in the past five years. The average age of people taking cruises is now 54, down from 59 10 years ago.

Long-haul hike
Leisure travellers have benefited from the deregulation of the European airline industry, but long-haul business fares have continued to rise, according to a study carried out by American Express. Premium fares from Europe to North America have risen by more than 40%. Holiday fares have gone down by between 6% and 9% while business fares in Europe are up by an average 25%.

Ulster rising
For the first time, the annual number of British visitors to Northern Ireland has topped one million. This figure, for last year, is a 20% increase on the 1998 total, according to the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. The Republic of Ireland has also experienced growth, with 384,000 visitors recorded in 1999, an increase of 7% over 1998.