Advantages: Usually friendly staff, well known products because of the number of Costa's around the country
Disadvantages: Overpriced, overcrowded, bland food, long queues

...a lot of people. On the other hand, I know a lot of people who do not like it at all, as it is quite a bitter coffee, with a very strong taste. So as advice, if you have never had Costa Coffee before, make sure you pick up some extra sugar before you drink! ;) Personally, I do not see the interest in Costa's Coffee... Since doing away with the smallest cup in most Costa stores around the country, the new smallest size cup ("normale") of regular black or white Americano coffee is now £1.50. Maybe its just me, and im uncultured, but I would rather spend the money on a jar of instant coffee and drink it at my leisure! Costa isn’t exactly renowned for decent food. It is mostly very over priced average standard food, but I do not think this is unusual for this type of Cafe... The sandwiches are £2.49 - £2.99 for a plain packed sandwich... Read review

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Advantages: Yummy muffins and cake
Disadvantages: None!

...delicious low fat Lemon and orange muffins, which are said to be around 328 calories per muffin on the website. I think they were one pound forty something but they were definitely worth the money! It had a gorgeous tasting icing, and inside there was a slightly liquidy centre. I get one every time I'm out in a city now. I also find that their hot chocolates are a lot tastier than Starbucks, and you can have it with cream, marshmallows and a little stick with chocolate on to dip into it (: I love the cups Costa coffee give you, their corrugated and don't feel like they're going to break and you're not going to spill anything as they come with a cover with a hole to drink out of. You usually get a little Costa paper bag that has strong handles if you buy food to take away as well, which is always useful. The smell of that cafe is gorgeous... Read review

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Advantages: Frescato and low-fat muffins
Disadvantages: Coffee doesn't always taste good

...My first encounter with Costa Coffee was the Portsmouth branch, upstairs in Ottakars (now Waterstones) bookshop. A cafe inside a bookshop seemed a great idea, especially as there were armchairs bordering the cafe area where you could sit and look at books while you enjoyed your drink. Needless to say, however, it was so popular that it was often impossible to find a table if you wanted one, especially around lunchtime. After moving to Havant a few years ago, I would quite often go shopping in Chichester and meet a friend for coffee at Costa. We would usually spend about an hour there, and I must say we were never made to feel that we should vacate our table before we were ready to. The problem, however, with the Chichester branch is that there is very little seating on the ground floor. You have to carry your tray up a narrow staircase... Read review

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Advantages: none
Disadvantages: bitter, ruins the taste of Coffee

...with white or brown sugar. Can someone please withdraw these from the supermarket shelves? NB. Tests were carried out with a hot large Costa Cafe Latte. Sweetners and sugar were stirred for at least 20 seconds to allow them to dissolve.... Read review

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Advantages: Cheap and cheerfull, with loadsa sunshine
Disadvantages: nothing springs to mind

...Well what can i say, its so good i'm already booked and waiting to go back again soon. I found the Costa Brava a very friendly and welcoming place to visit. I stayed at Calella, but along the coast line you will find, Tossa del mar,Llorett de mar,Malgrat de Mar,Santa Sussanah and Pineda, all these towns are within a few minutes train ride away, they are even linked by a small land train service, which only costs a couple of Euro's for the return tickets, this way also enables you to take an extensive tour of the towns and discover what each has on offer. There is an outside market every day in the towns, your Hotel etc will happily supply you with the information on which market, day and town.These markets are full of all the usual knock of versions of top named brand goods, for example Doulcie and Gabbana belts for 10 euro's, come... Read review

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Advantages: nice coffee, not too crowded, tasty sandwiches
Disadvantages: quite pricey, staff not always that good.

...and an eat in price. Quality: The coffee as mentioned earlier is delicious. Though to be honest I can’t really tell the difference between Starbucks and Prêt a Manger coffee. The sandwiches are always fresh and crisp. Bear in mind though that a Tesco’s ploughman’s sandwich is only 98p and there isn’t that much difference between them. In store: Walking through the door you are hit by the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Being the caffeine addict I am, I wait patiently in line for my fix. I most often go to the Cirencester Waterstones branch. There are so many tiny cafes in Cirencester so Costa’s always seems to be quite serene. There is a wooden floor and a wooden fence type thing (a very tiny fence) to separate it from the bookstore. The Cirencester branch is small; it has about 10 small wooden tables and a couple of sofa chairs by a table... Read review

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Advantages: The all-year-round good weather, the scenery and the people
Disadvantages: The fact that in 10 years time it will be far more developed than it is now.

...Nerja is on the south coast of Spain, the Costa del sol, about a 1 hour drive east of Malaga. It is a special place because it is unlike any other on the Costa del sol. Nerja has been voted the prettiest village on Costa del sol more than once. Nerja has a building restriction that means none of its buildings may be more than four stories high. This makes a huge difference as there are no large, tower-block hotels in sight. Nerja is truly multi-cultural because so many people retire out there (not just English; American, Norwegian, Dutch, French, Canadian etc). Nerja has a massive English community with its own newspaper, theatre group, shops and businesses. I know this might sound a bit colonial, but you would have to see it working to appreciate it. There is no industry in Nerja except tourism. The locals tend to want to keep... Read review

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Advantages: Lush jungle, beautfiul beaches & surf
Disadvantages: No nightlife...

...For me Costa Rica was the Nicoya Peninsula. After making the journey up from San Jose via bus & ferry then bus again arriving in Montezuma at sunset was a sight for sore eyes. Lush jungle lines the long sandy beach. The sea here is rough with a heavy, dumping shore break, so not great for swimming. The only swimming pool (in 1999) is found nestled at the end of the beach at El Sano Banano. The small village of Montezuma is picturesque & friendly with a scattering of restaurants, bars & shops. The cleanliness of this resort is thanks, largley in part, to the American contingent who have made this place their home & in doing so have helped locals conserve a beautiful corner of Costa Rica. Venture an hour or two up the coast (you can hitch a ride in a pick up from the main town) & will find yourself at Malpais. This place is an excellant... Read review

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Advantages: Sun Sand Sea and sangria what more can you want
Disadvantages: holiday is never long enough

...Hotel Costa Brava, Tossa De Mar, Situated in the Spanish/ Catalonia region on the Costa Brava The three star Costa Brava hotel in Tossa de Mar is situated approximately 200 metres from the beach and 150 metres from the resort centre. Barcelona is only 48 miles away and easily accessible from the nearby train service, which runs approx every 20 minutes. Tossa itself is full of many small shop, bars, café's and restaurants, there is also a land train service, which runs about every 20 minutes, for a couple of Euros' it will take you all around resort, or jump of at its many stops, there is a large weekly market, for all your bargains and holiday trinkets. A very nice beach is close to, clean, well looked after and plenty of facilities including water sports, and snack bars, all of which is across the main road, but accessible via... Read review

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Advantages: spectacular and exotic wildlife, relaxed atmosphere
Disadvantages: hot & humid, possibility of storms, difficult access

...Costa Rica is a country of spectacular natural beauty having an array of attractions including exotic beaches and coral, volcanoes, mountains, tropical rainforests, scarlet sunsets and a very diverse range of wildlife covering everything from the mighty jaguar to the elusive resplendent quetzal. There is an extensive system of national parks and wildlife refuges which has helped the country become a prime eco-tourism destination. It is also a stable and prosperous nation with a long democratic tradition. The country has had no national army since 1948 and the former president, Oscar Arias, is a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. On the eastern Caribbean coastline, Costa Rica's main attractions include the tropical wildlife paradise of Tortuguero which is also one of the most important nesting sites in the world for green sea turtles... Read review

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