The 10 best and 10 worst Eurovision Song Contest entries to start the soundtrack to your summer holidays

Bonnie Tyler is representing the UK in Eurovision this year. S. Kuelcue / Shutterstock.com

The UK's Bonnie Tyler. Photo: S. Kuelcue / Shutterstock.com

Bizarre costumes, off key performances and political battles fought on a stage by musical misfits and occasionally, underrated talents, it’s easy to see why Eurovision has become the worldwide phenomenon it is, despite the geographical constraints carried out by its name.

As fans around the world eagerly await the final showdown of the 58th Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo tomorrow night, with the UK being represented by Bonnie Tyler, let’s recap on the best and worst moments of the last decade, from the plainly awful, to the surprisingly good.

Read on to see YouTube videos of al the best and worst entries…

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Costa confusion – which is the perfect Spanish coast for you?

The resort of Tossa de Mar on the Costa Brava with its dramatic clifftop castle

The dramatic clifftop castle at Tossa de Mar on the Costa Brava

You may have heard of the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca and Costa Brava, but where exactly are they, which resorts and towns are on which coastline (costa) and what about the less famous ones?  

Our travel experts find a lot of customers don’t know which is which or where they are, so here’s our guide to coping with confusion on Spain’s coast, and a few sights that may be closer to your resort than you realise.

Read on for a useful map showing where each of the costas are located, along with information on Britain’s seven favourite Spanish coastlines.

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Superb early and late summer deals along Spain’s spectacular coastline

A view of the bay on which Benidorm sits

The long sandy beach of Benidorm on the Costa Blanca

Mainland Spain, our Destination of the Month for May, frequently tops the list of favourite holiday destinations for Brits and for good reason – guaranteed sunshine, beautiful sandy beaches, reasonable prices and short flight times make this a reliable summer holiday bet.

During July and August, not only is it often unbearably hot in some destinations, but prices shoot up because of school holidays, so we’ve trawled the Directline Holidays website for the best deals currently on offer before and after the school rush.

From now until the end of June and throughout September the weather is usually hot and sunny and you can get much better value holidays.

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See the stars on a Cote d’Azur holiday during the Cannes Film Festival and Monaco GP

Eva Longoria Parker at the premiere of "Robin Hood" the opening film at the 63rd Festival de Cannes. May 12, 2010 Cannes, France Picture: Paul Smith

Eva Longoria at Cannes in 2010. Picture: Paul Smith

There’s a good chance you’d find yourself brushing shoulders with film and sports stars at any time of year on France’s glittering south coast, but there’s a particularly high concentration of celebrities during the biggest last weekend of May, when the world’s most famous film festival coincides with the most glamorous date in the Formula One calendar.

You can still get a package deal if you are quick, or enjoy a week-long holiday in the summer to do more star-spotting in one of the Med’s most sought-after destinations.

The 66th Cannes Film Festival launches today, with a screening of the new big screen version of The Great Gatsby, this time starring Leonardo Dicaprio.

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Travel inspiration from The Great Gatsby and other classic movies

Hempstead House, one of the Sands Point mansions said to have inspired Fitzgerald, held a Great Gats screening gala last week

Hempstead House, which held a Great Gatsbygala

The latest adaptation of  F Scott Fitzgerald’s great society novel, The Great Gatsby, is due to hit UK cinema screens on Thursday, and the film is due to open the Cannes Film Festival tomorrow. Julie Newman rounds up some other great movies that have made her want to visit the locations seen on the silver screen.

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Move over Moulin Rouge as the Benidorm Palace puts on the most sensational show on Spain’s Costas

Dancers at the Benidorm Palace on the Costa Blanca

Dancers at the Benidorm Palace on the Costa Blanca

Forget about Benidorm, the TV series – there’s world-class entertainment to be had in the Costa Blanca’s most famous town that makes this much-maligned coastal resort of high-rise hotels and apartment blocks well worth a visit. Derek Workman reveals all…

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See the sights in the Costa Brava during the Spanish Grand Prix

Cars racing the Spanish Grand Prix at Catalunya circuit, 2012

The Spanish Grand Prix at the Catalunya circuit in 2012

The Formula One World Championship is hotting up this year, with plenty of controversy already.

The next leg of the competition is to be held on the Costa Brava, with the Catalunya track situated north of the Catalonian capital of Barcelona.

Here we reveal the best sights to see and places to visit when combining the high-octane thrill of the Grand Prix with a break to sunny Spain.

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How to hire a car overseas

Follow our guide and you could have a happy car hire experience

Follow our guide to having a happy car hire experience

Booking a beach holiday is all very well, but it’s a shame not to see the sights while you are away for at least some of the time. The best way to have the freedom to make the most of your holiday is to have your own set of wheels, but it can be daunting hiring a car in the UK, let alone a foreign country.

Next week we’ll begin a series of articles with itineraries for seeing the sights by car for  72 hours of your holiday in popular tourist destinations.

For now, here’s our guide to the ins and outs of renting a vehicle for a couple of days or your full holiday, from excess waivers to petrol penalties, so you can avoid the pitfalls and have a hassle-free drive.

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Denia, Javea and Calpe – the Costa Blanca triangle, Spain

The coastal town of Denia on the Costa Blanca, with Montgo mountain rising up behind it

The town of Denia, with Montgo mountain rising up behind it

In our second article celebrating the Spanish Costas, our Destination of the Month for May, Derek Workman reveals the many sights and things to do within reach of the resorts of Denia, Javea and Calpe on the ‘White Coast’, north of Benidorm and Alicante.

Snuggling at the foot of the Montgó, the name given to both the mountain and the national park, Denia is the northernmost of the Costa Blanca Triangle, which, along with Javea and Calpe, are some of the most popular resorts on the White Coast.

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International Donkey Week – sanctuaries and interesting donkey facts from around Europe

International Donkey Week starts today

International Donkey Week starts today

To celebrate International Donkey Week, which starts today, Julie Newman takes a fond look back at the tradition of donkeys on the beach in her home town in Blackpool and looks further afield to European holiday destinations where you can visit sanctuaries or have a donkey-riding experience where welfare comes first.

From the Bible to A Midsummer Night’s Dream and now Shrek, donkeys have played significant roles in literature and films, but they have been prevalent in Europe through the ages.  Here we take a look  at places around Europe where donkeys are synonymous with particular resorts or an activity in the area.

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Categorised: Destinations
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