Bus company Arriva values its regular customers and rewards them by offering bus passes called Arriva Saver Tickets, which work out cheaper than standard fares for people who travel regularly. You can buy them online and have them delivered by post or by instant message to your mobile; you can buy them from your local PayPoint, Payzone or epay shop, or you can register for their m-ticket service and buy your bus passes on your mobile even if you’re not online.  Of course, you can also buy them on the bus from the bus driver.

Now there’s an even more advantageous way to travel, though, since the introduction of a partnership between Arriva and My Ice, a customer reward programme that specialises in offering rewards to customers who choose to use sustainable, eco-friendly products and services – like Arriva bus services.

My Ice points are awarded whenever a customer chooses to use one of the partners of Ice for their products and services, and those points add up to enable customers to get money off (or pay in full for) other goods and services from companies partnered with Ice. It’s a way of encouraging and rewarding people for making responsible choices when selecting goods and services. It’s free to join and the points soon add up, with each Ice point being worth 1p but being awarded generously on different products and services.

With Arriva, points are awarded when you buy your bus pass (or ticket) and you can use those points to get money off your next ticket or bus pass or to get money off with any of Ice’s other partners. You can choose to save your points and spend them when you have enough for a real treat, or top up their value with cash if you want to spend them right away.  There’s no minimum number of points you need before you can start spending them. Check out www.myice.com to register for the loyalty scheme, start collecting points by buying your Arriva bus pass online through the Ice site – you’ll be rewarded with 3 Ice points for every £2.00 you spend through Arriva.

For many people, holidays and short breaks are the last thing they want to sacrifice in times of austerity.  They might have to shop in cheaper supermarkets, or buy fewer new clothes, perhaps even go down to having just one car for the family, but most people hang on to their precious time away and save hard to make sure they can still have a proper break.

Even so, people are considering cheaper alternatives to the traditional fortnight abroad, all-inclusive hotel package holidays.  If you are considering your alternatives at the moment, then take some time to think about the cheapest way to travel.  You won’t have to think for very long before you realise that with the ever-increasing cost of petrol and car insurance, and the ever-increasing taxes placed on air travel, that travelling by car and plane might not be affordable any more.  That leaves you with: walking (obviously rather limiting in terms of how far you can travel), the train and bus.

Trains and buses are both excellent forms of transport, being easier on the environment than most of the other options.  Trains are a little limited, though, in terms of where they can take you, whereas buses tend to have more stops and access more areas.  Buying a bus pass will save you money if you are a regular traveller, so check out Stagecoach’s website for full details on how to get the best value for your money.

If you choose Stagecoach buses, there is an amazingly cheap option: the Megabus.  You’ve probably seen their distinctive blue and yellow buses travelling up and down the motorways and their familiar large-print offers advertising almost unbelievable prices for their intercity travel (Leeds to London for £1.00 plus 50p booking fee???).  Although it might seem too good to be true, it really is true.

Megabus.com is an intercity coach operator that is based here in the UK and in the USA.  Launched in 2003 it has already transported millions of people safely and cheaply to their destinations.  It operates in around fifty cities in the UK

Bus travel is cheap, safe, and environmentally sound (check out Stagecoach’s Carbon Trust Standard Award for details).  And even better, Stagecoach has teamed up with Ice, a customer reward programme designed to encourage and thank people for choosing environmentally-friendly travel options and other goods and services.  Visit www.myice.com for details on how to sign up (it’s free, you earn points per pound spent with their partners, and you can use those points to pay for goods and services with any of their partners – no catch!)

This year, fall for a half-term weekend break, take a few extra days to enjoy it together if you decide to indulge in a romantic break – maybe leave the children with grandma!

Everyone knows that the most romantic city in the world is Paris, and it’s an exceptionally easy destination to reach.  Perhaps the most comfortable way to travel to the city, with minimal changes, is on the Eurostar.  What’s even better is that it’s carbon neutral, so you don’t have to feel guilty that your getaway is damaging the environment – unlike short journeys by plane.

The journey from London to Paris takes only around two-and-a-quarter hours, and even if you factor in the time it will take for you to travel to London from wherever you are in the country, it doesn’t take long and the journey won’t eat into your precious holiday time.  Taking the train Paris can be romantic in itself, especially if you treat yourselves to Standard Premier Class (formerly known as first class)!

There are some good deals to be had around Valentine’s Day as Eurostar seeks to encourage people to travel by train to Paris (or on to Brussels).  There are some attractive combination deals, too, with discounted rail plus hotel packages on offer.

When you arrive, make the most of the beautiful city by visiting its famous attractions – the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, and stroll along the Seine before enjoying a romantic meal in an authentic French restaurant.  Enjoy a night or two in any of the city’s stylish and comfortable hotels and enjoy a warm croissant and fresh coffee in a café for breakfast.

And if all that wasn’t enough, if you join My Ice you can earn reward points – for free – by travelling with Eurostar.

Valentine’s Day, celebrated on 14th February, is believed to have stemmed from a Roman named St Valentine who was martyred on that date in 269AD and left a card for the jailer’s daughter signed ‘From Your Valentine…’  St Valentine eventually became the patron saint of lovers and it is following his lead that romantic messages are exchanged on 14th February each year.

Many people celebrate Valentine’s Day in that way – swapping cards, normally signed ‘From Your Valentine’ to add an air of mystique, and others give their loved ones chocolates and flowers.  A lucky few get taken away for a romantic break!

If you don’t want the stress or expense of travelling abroad for a short break, why not look closer to home?  There are many fantastic short breaks here in the UK.  You could take the car, but with the ever-increasing cost of petrol – and perhaps a desire to spend the journey gazing into the eyes of your loved one rather than at the road – you may decide to do what so many people are choosing to do these days and take a Stagecoach bus to one of several destinations in the UK  that are simply great for romantic getaways.

Stagecoach buses run all over the country, from the South West of England up to the North of Scotland and most places in between.

If you’re thinking of heading up to Scotland this Valentine’s Day, you’ll be following in the footsteps of several celebrities who have chosen to tie the knot up there, so beautiful and picturesque is the scenery… an ideal destination if you’re thinking of popping the big question this Valentine’s Day.

Or head up to the North East, which has a surprising number of beautiful areas to explore, like Bamburgh beach (ideal for romantic walks with gorgeous views of Holy Island or Budle Bay), or Embleton Bay.

Further south, in Yorkshire, there are also plenty of romantic places for a Valentine’s break – some beautiful harbours in the East Riding, castles and abbeys to explore in the North, West and South Ridings.

Wales is an easy place to picture as an ideal destination for a romantic break – all those hills, valleys, beaches and coastal walks.  Utterly charming towns and villages, castles and coves.  The same applies to the South West coast, with plenty of beautiful harbours, coastal paths, wide sandy beaches and mountainous paths to trek along, followed by a cosy night in together.

Wherever you decide to visit for Valentine’s Day and the surrounding days, take the Stagecoach bus – and even better, you can earn My Ice points that can lead to some fantastic savings – visit www.myice.com for details.  It’s free to join, all you have to do is book with their selected partners (like Stagecoach) to earn points that can be used as payment for other services.