Tinker in Istanbul, Soldier on in London and Spy in Budapest, say Thomas Cook

LONDON, September 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

The last minute holiday experts recommend holidays with a difference this winter

The eagerly anticipated adaption of John Le Carre's novel Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was released in cinemas on 16^th September, and is already getting Oscar buzz after its debut at the Venice film festival three weeks ago.

This tale of espionage during the Cold War takes place in some of Europe's most beautiful and historical cities, so why not try a city break or one of the last minute holidays from Thomas Cook for a different flavour this winter.

Budapest

When a Spy gets cold he goes undercover: visit Budapest in winter and expect chilly temperatures reaching as low as -16°c, so wrap up warm and enjoy one of Europe's most fascinating cities. Scenes from the film were filmed on location in the capital city, with famous sites such as the River Danube, The Royal Palace and Castle Hill, exploring by bike is one of the best options.

Cresta - 3 nights in Budapest from £303 per person

Staying at the 3 star Mercure Metropol in Budapest on bed and breakfast, flying with British Airways from London Heathrow -23rd October 2011  

+44(0)844 879 8014, http://www.crestaholidays.co.uk or visit your nearest Thomas Cook or Going Places 

Istanbul

Always in vogue, Istanbul fames Turkey holidays. The City that straddles two continents, a perfect blend of east and west, Istanbul is melting pot of architectural styles and iconic buildings like the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace.  Some of film's most exciting scenes were filmed in Istanbul, with the city playing a very important part in the overall story. While enjoying your Turkey holiday, make sure you visit the Hippodrome - one of the oldest sites in Istanbul.  

Cresta - 3 nights in Istanbul from £350 per person

Staying at the 3 star Martinenz Hotel in Istanbul on bed and breakfast, flying with Turkish Airlines from London Heathrow - 23rd October 2011  

+44(0)844 879 8014, http://www.crestaholidays.co.uk or visit your nearest Thomas Cook or Going Places 

London

The main star of the film is 1970's London: as well as all the usual sites, England's capital is been the setting for many famous spies, from James Bond to Johnny English.  Make sure to visit the real MI6 building in Vauxhall, home of 'The Circus' Britain's not so secret intelligence service.  

Hotels4u.com - 2 nights in London from £240 per couple

Staying at the 4 star Novotel London Waterloo Hotel in Waterloo on room only - 21st October 2011

About Thomas Cook UK & Ireland:

Thomas Cook UK & Ireland is the second largest leisure travel group in the UK with around 19,000 employees.  The company has a network of more than 800 high street stores (Thomas Cook and Going Places), leading websites (http://www.thomascook.com, http://www.directholidays.com  and http://www.airtours.uk), and some of the world's favourite travel brands.

These brands include Airtours, Club 18-30, Cresta, Cruise Thomas Cook, Direct Holidays, Elegant Resorts, Flexibletrips, flythomascook.com, Gold Medal, hotels4u, Manos, medhotels, Neilson, netflights, Panorama, Pure Luxury, Style Holidays, Sunset, Sunworld Holidays, Swiss Travel Service, Thomas Cook, Thomas Cook Signature and Thomas Cook Sport.  

Thomas Cook Airlines operates a fleet of 44 aircraft from 19 regional airports to destinations worldwide.  

Thomas Cook offers a range of financial services including foreign exchange, the Thomas Cook Credit Card, the Thomas Cook Cash Passport (the new generation of travellers' cheques), and a wide range of travel insurance policies.  It is FSA regulated for its travel insurance, which is underwritten by White Horse Insurance Ireland Ltd.

Thomas Cook also has a leading publishing division offering a comprehensive portfolio of over 300 independently authored travel guidebooks to more than 150 destinations across the world.  

Thomas Cook is an Official Supporter of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and the exclusive partner for UK short breaks and trips to the Games.  Thomas Cook's London 2012 packages will go on sale in 2011 and will include accommodation, transport and event tickets.   

Thomas Cook UK & Ireland is part of Thomas Cook Group plc (http://www.thomascookgroup.com)