More people than ever are now shunning travel agents and tour operators and are organising and booking their own holidays. Those who arrange their own trips save money and do not have to make compromises on when they fly and which property they stay in. Everything can be sourced and booked online but when it comes to self-catering accommodation it can be hard to sort the wheat from the chaff. Continue reading
Category Archives: Advice
Renting Extras with RV’s
If you haven’t tried a motorhome holiday then you really should. There is something unique and liberating about touring this way. It is possible to visit numerous destinations without the need to pack and unpack and lodging in a campsite puts you in the heart of the great outdoors. Driving the vehicles is surprisingly easy and you soon get used to hooking up your utilities but I do have one cautionary note. When you rent your vehicle you will be offered a variety of extras which may look appealing but which you will often find are not available when you arrive. Continue reading
The Pension Dilemma
Every so often the issue of pensions raises its head above the parapet only to drop off the news map again for a few months. Pensions are the ultimate political hot potato. They are a huge problem but doing anything to tackle the situation is going to alienate voters at an unprecedented rate. Why? Because solving the pension nightmare is going to involve relieving people of more of their income and that might well be political suicide. Unfortunately ignoring the problem is storing up a major disaster for the future so who is going to be brave enough to make changes in time? Continue reading
Pitfalls with Travel Insurance
We all know that we should invest in travel insurance and most of us are sensible enough to buy it but how many of us take the time to read the small print on our policies? With enormous tomes that would rival War and Peace the prospect of wading through every clause is not an appealing one but doing so could save us from big trouble later on. Given the amount of publicity that insurance has garnered most travellers will be aware of issues with pre-existing health conditions and cover for the elderly but there are all sorts of less obvious pitfalls lurking in that small print. Continue reading
Watch What You Put in Your Hand Luggage at Christmas
With the festive season approaching airports and airlines are issuing warnings reminding passengers to think carefully about what they pack, especially in their hand luggage. Christmas journeys see travellers packing all sorts of things which they would not normally consider taking on holiday and inevitably some passengers fall foul of security regulations, often with what appear to be innocent items. Continue reading
Useful Accessories for Fun In The Sun
Whatever kind of holiday you enjoy you will probably be travelling with a few gadgets and valuables. Nobody goes anywhere these days without their mobile phone and many will have e-readers, tablets and cameras too. You will always have keys of some description with you and then there is your wallet. It is all too easy to find yourself in a situation when you don’t know what to do with your possessions or find that they could get damaged but there are some nifty accessories which can really help and which won’t take up too much valuable room in your luggage. Continue reading
Is Britain Best?
I noted with interest that the One Show on the BBC has been broadcasting from Weston Super Mare this week. I am sure this is an attempt to highlight the benefits of a holiday in the UK but I am not buying it. Of all the places that I regularly consider spending my precious holiday time each year, the UK would be bottom of my list and there are plenty of good reasons why. Continue reading
How Not To Pack For a Skiing Trip
It is sometimes hard enough to cram everything you need into your luggage for a summer holiday but skiing trips can be an absolute nightmare! The flimsy allowances offered by many airlines combined with the amount of equipment you need to take can present some real challenges and if you are not careful you will find yourself setting off without any clothes or minus some of the little luxuries that could add enjoyment to your trip. Continue reading
Holiday Reading
I love reading but rarely have the time to snatch more than a few minutes with my treasured books unless I am on holiday. Holidays present all sorts of opportunities to spend quality time relaxing with a book but also throw up other issues not the least of which has always been how to cram enough reading matter into my luggage! Continue reading
Travelling At Christmas
Every year I dream about how nice it would be to go away for Christmas and every year I don’t do it! The thought of putting my feet up over the festive period and enjoying proceedings whilst someone else does all the work is an appealing one. There is also the fact that my brain is hard wired not to feel Christmassy unless there is snow on the ground and that just never seems to happen where I live. I would love to spend Christmas by an open fire with the snow falling outside so why do I never do it? Continue reading