Holiday Destinations, News and Information

My friend has just come back from a 10 day holiday in Greece and is feeling the holiday blues. Why do we get this? I know that coming home from a luxury holiday is bound to make you feel a little bit depressed, but shouldn’t we feel refreshed and re-juvinated? I was discussing this matter with a friend of mine in the office and she agreed with me, that although coming into the office can put you on a downer, you should be on a high after your amazing holiday abroad.

Do you ever get the holiday blues when you return from a holiday? If so, how do you go about getting rid of them?

It seems that more and more Britons are taking educational trips abroad rather than opting for the sun lounger. It seems that trips that teach you new skills and educate you are the latest trend, with more and more people learning how to cook, dance or even take up a new sport.

Rather then a holiday just being a fortnight of sun, sea and sangria, Britons are looking to engage their minds and not just their bodies.

Research has showed that a whopping 7.1 million of us have taken up a new sport whilst on holiday and 4.6 million have learnt a new language.

I think lying on a sun lounger is definitely what I like from a holiday, but, each to their own I guess!

I am currently sat in the office, facing my friend who has just got back from a trip to Turkey, and my god am I jealous. She has come back the most gorgeous golden brown colour and looks completely refreshed, it’s so not fair! I have finally booked off my two weeks for next year and i’m in the process of deciding where it is I want to go. Although I have my heart set on white sands and dazzling sunshine, trying to scrape together the money to pay for it is proving quite difficult.

I always seem to forget that with a luxury holiday comes a hefty price tag and for some people, even getting together the deposit can be hard. I suppose my shopping trips will have to go on hold for a while!

My advice is to book your holiday early. Although you can get some great last minute deals, it normally means you will have to pay the total amount upfront. If you book it in advance then your deposit cost will be small and you can then decide to pay it off monthly or in one lump sum.

The holiday I want for next year only has a £75 deposit per person, just the amount I like, means I can go shopping too!

Ever been on holiday and found that everything that could possibly go wrong, goes wrong? You end up at the airport with no passport or eventually get on holiday and found you have forgotten to bring all the money you changed a week before!! Ahhhhhhhh!!

You may find that your holiday doesn’t go quite as planned and it’s not even your fault! Maybe the hotel has double booked or the airline hasn’t given you the extra leg room you paid for. If this does happen, remember you have rights. Here are some tips for if disasters do happen..

• Before you even set off, you may realise that you have taken out the most expensive insurance by mistake. If this does happen, you can, by law, cancel. You will have 14 days to do this and all should go smoothly if you haven’t already travelled or made a claim.
• One of the worst things to happen on your holiday is the plane being delayed. If your flight has been delayed that much that you have missed check in for your hotel, or that it no longer serves it’s purpose, you can claim a refund.
• If you get to your hotel and you are not entirely satisfied, make sure that you report this to your rep. Your rep should be able to sort something out for you, be it a change of room or possibly even a different hotel entirely.

Hopefully your holiday will run smoothly but if it doesn’t, keep these useful tips in mind.

Imagine getting your money back from your holiday provider if you don’t get any sun on your holiday break? Well, a company in France has decided to do just this!

If you can prove that you got rain for at least 4 days of your holiday then you will be given a ’significant refund’. This is  a pretty good insurance policy for those who are looking to get away from the hideous weather here in the UK.

The company using this scheme is Aon, a French insurance company. This scheme has boosted the sale of holidays abroad and if it works, agents in the UK and other countries will no doubt take it on too.

A spokesman from the Tourist Office in Nice has said:

‘If a destination is offering itself as a place for a sunshine break, then there is probably no reason why someone should not pay up if it rains every day. The policy sounds like an excellent idea.’

Do you think the money back scheme is a good idea?

Many peoples holidays are now over before they have actually even started. This is because of the outbreak of Swine Flu. Some travellers are deciding to stay at home, with others actually being turned away at the airport because they show signs of the H1N1 virus.

Some airlines, including Virgin and British Airways are turning passengers away if they show any sign at all of the flu symptoms and they have been told return once well with a ‘fit to fly’ certificate.

P&O cruises are even getting staff to assess passengers before they board and are getting them to complete medical questionnaires to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Many passengers at airports are now wearing masks in the fear they could catch the virus and are taking all precautions necessary.

Make sure that you take paracetamol and drink plenty of fluids. Try and stay away from crowded areas and if you know anyone that has caught the virus, stay well clear!!

Hopefully, this outbreak has not affected your dream holiday and you will be able to jet off into the sun as planned.

If you have been affected, let me know!

The recent economic struggles have seen many holiday goers opting for package holidays rather than booking their flight separate from their hotel. This is partly down to the fact that a number of these package holidays are ATOL protected.

The Air Travel Organisers Licence is a scheme that has been put in place to protect travellers who have purchased package holidays and flights. The aim of the scheme is to provide travellers with a refund if they are affected by something that can cause the airline to be unable to provide travel. Flights can also be arranged for those travellers who are abroad at the time of the event.

At a time when companies are facing massive financial problems, it is important to make sure that if a company does fold, you will be able to get your money refunded. Although you are not always 100% safe with a tour operator as the recent collapse of XL shows, it is far safer.

If you do decide to put together your own holiday just be careful, try using a credit card if you are spending over £100, this way the card issuer becomes as reliable as you for the failure of the company you are meant to be paying.

Before I go away on holiday, I religiously check the holiday review sites which tell you the truth about your hotel! When people book a holiday they normally go off the picture in the brochure. Do not be fooled by this, the photo could have been taken when the hotel first opened and may have even been edited.

Sites like Trip Advisor and Holidays Uncovered are great for finding out what your holiday is really going to be like. They give people the chance to post their own photos of the resort and also to write comments and vote for how nice they thought it was. An honest review from members of the public, much better than just the good points that the holiday companies use to sell you the holiday!!!

Here are some sites that are worth a look before you go away:

• Holiday Watchdog
• Holiday-Truth
• Real Holiday Reports

Have you ever used review sites? You may have even posted some comments, advising people not to visit the resort or to tell them that the hotel really is as luxurious as it says? Let me know!

If you are lucky enough to be jetting off into the sun, then here are a few useful hints and tips on how to stay safe, keep well and keep your belongings secure!

• However tempting it is to fall asleep on your sun lounger after numerous cocktails the night before, don’t!! Not only will you get sunburn but your belongings will be free for anyone to pinch.
• Make sure that you re-apply sun cream after you have been in the water. No sun cream is 100% waterproof!  you could try putting on t-shirt, this could work as a temporary sun block.
• The main cause of heat rash is the build up of sun cream which blocks the pores. To avoid this, if there is a shower on the beach, try and have a quick wash to get rid of the old sun cream you applied earlier.
• Even if the tap water is safe to drink in the country you are visiting, try and buy bottled water. It could save you a gippy tummy in the long run!
• Before you go away, make a note of your passport number and take a copy of your insurance documents. Make sure that you keep the documents with you but separated from the originals. In the awful case that your documents go missing you will have back up.

The next few months are peak time for family’s to pack up and jet off into the sun for that well deserved holiday. The kids are off school and parents are frantically trying to sort out the last minute travel insurance, stuffing far too many outfits into their suitcases and investigating which sun lotion will protect their little mites the best.

Before booking a holiday, you have to chose your destination. Some people enjoy sightseeing, whilst other people are more bothered about what beaches and nightclubs are available. Personally, i like to go where the weather is guaranteed to be hot. My last holiday was to Egypt so was exactly what i was looking for.

Below are  some holiday hot spot destinations for those of you who are looking to fly for no more than 5 hours:

Croatia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Canary Islands.

If you are looking for a destination which is further away and where the weather is going to be scorching, then one of the following places could be for you:

Egypt, India, Thailand, Florida, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Maldives, Cuba.

Wherever you chose to go this year, make sure that you check out the deals that are available. If you look around before booking the first offer you see, you may find something cheaper!

If you are going on holiday, let me know which destination you chose.