Pack clever and you can have enough space for all their favourite toys.
When you are packing for a holiday one thing that is always an issue is space.
You might think packing for children is easier simply because their clothes are smaller, however there are plenty of other things that you may want (or need to) cram in their smaller sized suitcases. Continue reading
A few years ago, I was watching The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian for some bizarre reason and fell in love with the scenery. Immediately my partner sprinted to our office and started Googling film locations and it turned out that the battle scenes were filmed in Bovec, Slovenia. Ever since then, I’ve been fascinated with the countries that make up the former Yugoslavia and have visited many times, but it was only last year that we first went to Croatia. Continue reading
I have written at some length about airline luggage allowances before but it would appear that the situation is becoming ever more complex. As if paying extra for checking luggage wasn’t already a big enough pain, now airlines are inventing more and more ways to charge for the things that you take on to the aircraft. Not only does this mean that flying is getting more costly, it also makes price comparison a lengthy and arduous process. The price of a ticket is supposed to be transparent but frankly it is now as clear as mud. Continue reading
Living in the UK you get rather used to the fact that every possible commercial opportunity is seized upon and this situation can sometimes leave you feeling exploited and rather tired of being advertised to! Any café or restaurant in or near a tourist attraction charges crazy prices and everything that could vaguely be described as an attraction warrants an entrance fee. Parking charges can be ridiculous and you can’t go to the supermarket without being asked if you want your car washed, a crack in your windscreen fixed or if you could make a donation to a food bank. Leaving the house to go anywhere involves resisting a hundred ways to spend your money on things you didn’t know you wanted. Thankfully life isn’t like this everywhere – yet! Continue reading
Much of Europe is now emerging from recession which is good news for retailers but there is still a rocky road ahead. Life for retailers changed forever with the arrival of ecommerce. Online sales continue to grow and so it is only retailers who embrace this new world who will survive. Big questions are being asked about the future of retail and many of these surround the nature of our city centres and high streets. Continue reading
If you love the great outdoors then there is no better place to spend your time than the mountains. Hiking in the mountains gives you such a sense of freedom and joy that it is little wonder that so many people book lakes and mountains holidays every year. The mountains are not without their dangers however, as even the summer months can feature extreme weather conditions that can really leave you in trouble. Continue reading
Whilst many people deem caravans to be uncool, motorhomes seem to pass muster on the street cred front. Nonetheless motorhome ownership in the UK is still relatively limited probably because few people have sufficient space at their homes to keep such a vehicle and because fuel costs have been high in recent years. They aren’t cheap either! If you can’t afford your own motorhome then you can always rent one and I would thoroughly recommend that you do because travelling with your holiday home behind you is an absolute joy! Continue reading
Being an island is crucial to our national identity in Britain. The geography of our country has played a huge rule in defining the way we think today. To at least some extent our island status is surely responsible for the fact that most of us fall short of feeling European. We do not have the same mind set as the rest of the continent that we are supposed to be a part of. However, Britain wasn’t always an island. Continue reading
I expected places like Venice and Rome to impress me and being blown away by Yosemite National Park was hardly a surprise but I didn’t anticipate an almost life changing event when I visited a small ranch somewhere up a country lane in Northern Croatia. Life is full of surprises and I certainly got a big one when I arrived at Jelov Klanac.
I am not usually a great fan of staying hotels, preferring instead the freedom and space afforded by self-catering accommodation. However, for short breaks a hotel is often the only option. If I do have to stay in a hotel I usually defer to a cheap one as I have so often found that the additional expense of a luxury hotel has not been justified by my experience of staying at the establishment concerned. A few years ago I found myself having to choose a hotel for a stay in New York but on that occasion I was very much determined to go the luxury route. Continue reading