Searching for chic places to stay in the UK and Ireland can be a serious headache. Yes, there are some okay guidebooks out there, but most waste valuable space hyping up cheap Motel 6-esque motels and overpriced impersonal palaces - neither of which cut the Dijon in this refined and sophisticated decade. Not that we've anything against affordable accommodation. It's just that when it comes to vacations, most of us require style, romance and individuality. Not swirly carpets, gum-chewing receptionists and having to share rooms with animals and insects.

Mr and Mrs Smith Collection: The Game Plan is chic planner is the ultimate guide to 2008's finest festivals, fêtes, parties and performances in the UK and Europe. We're talking events worth going to, not crummy dog shows down the park.

Packaged in luxe linen with embossed lettering, Smith 52 details events for every weekend of the year, from Bestival and Glyndebourne to the Tenerife Carnival and the Viking Fire Festival.


But this hip, full-colour tome is more than a mere diary of events as it's crammed with useful 'Smith-style' insider info, including how to get there, what to do if it rains and how to get VIP treatment. It even comes with an exclusive membership card that allows you to access upgrades, discounts and other life-enhancing extras from hotels in the Smith collection. You'll wonder how you ever managed without it. Something for the weekend? Absolutely!