Flights to Newcastle with Air France from ZAR 11,125*

There's never a dull moment in a Newcastle holiday thanks to the friendly locals, fun nightlife and fascinating history of this city.

The city of Newcastle upon Tyne or Newcastle, as it is usually called, can retrace its origins back to Roman Britain. Now the largest urban centre in the North-east of England, with 280,000 inhabitants, Newcastle has long been famous as a friendly city with a big personality.

Competitively-priced Air France flights from Johannesburg will enable you to journey to this old shipbuilding centre to see the radical changes to the city that have transformed its fortunes over recent years.

The local currency in Newcastle is the British Pound Sterling, and as the UK is not a member of the Schengen Area, special regulations regarding travel documentation are in place.

The local climate is mild, and relatively dry for a UK city.

As Newcastle has been continuously inhabited for well over a thousand years, there are architectural traces from many different periods of history, including Roman, medieval (the castle keep) and the impressive Neoclassical buildings of Grainger Town, such as Grey Street, which is said to be one of England's most beautiful streets.

However, it's the Tyne River itself and the Quayside district that are seen as being the heart of the city. The Tyne, High Level and Gateshead Millennium bridges all date from different periods, but all have become very familiar symbols of Newcastle. They span the Tyne Gorge, which separates Newcastle from neighbouring town Gateshead, home to the celebrated BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and the distinctive lines of the Norman Foster-designed Sage Gateshead music venue. The quays on both sides of the Tyne also play host to numerous restaurants, cafés and clubs.

Stay in Newcastle for world-class entertainment, whatever your passions!

Newcastle is widely regarded as a top UK travel destination for nightlife. As well as the wide range of pubs and clubs centred around the Bigg Market and the Quayside, Newcastle has a strong tradition of drama. The Theatre Royal dates from 1837 and is one of the three home theatres of the Royal Shakespeare Company. There are half a dozen other such venues in the city. And if you like football, then a stay in Newcastle may give you the opportunity to experience the atmosphere in the UK's fourth largest stadium, St James' Park. Other sporting activities that are popular in the city include basketball, rugby union and greyhound racing. Newcastle is also the starting point for the Great North Run, one of the world's biggest half-marathons.

If you're a foodie, Newcastle has a great selection of restaurants serving up British and international cuisine. There's even a large Chinatown, which boasts many good eating venues. Excellent shopping is to be had at the Central Arcade, a stunning Victorian shopping arcade, Grainger Market and Northumberland Street, one of the most expensive shopping streets in the UK outside of London.

Other attractions and events to look out for during your holiday include:

• Music festivals like Evolution
• The Christmas continental market
• Original art to buy at the Biscuit Factory
• The Seven Stories gallery, devoted entirely to Children's Books
• The Centre For Life interactive science centre

As you can see, Newcastle is very much an all-year round destination, so if you can afford to be flexible with your travelling dates, you should be able to get a great value airplane ticket through the Air France website's best offers section.

There are many sights outside the city that may be most easily visited by car. Chief amongst these is the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hadrian's Wall, which once marked the northernmost frontiers of the Roman Empire