Happy New Year Everyone!
The travel industry kicks off the New Year with some great offers for 2010. See the new Special Offers page on Your Travel Planner for more details.
Your Travel Planner looks forward to providing more travel news, reviews, experiences and tips in 2010.
Looking for ideas for what to do in London this Christmas has only one problem; there’s so much to choose from! Here are Your Travel Planner’s Top 3 Picks to help you plan a visit to London:
Seeing the Christmas tree and carol singing in Trafalgar Square is a favourite thing to do for many. Each year since 1947, a Christmas tree has been given to the people of London from the people of Norway in gratitude for Britain’s support for Norway during World War II. It’s lovely to be in Trafalgar Square to listen to and join in the programme of traditional carol singing.
This free event takes place in the evenings, generally from 5pm to 9pm, from Monday 7 to Tuesday 22 December 2009.
London really excels in adding to the already fantastic list of shows at Christmas time. A classic family favourite is is The Snowman at Holborn’s Peacock Theatre (to 10 Jan). Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake at Sadler’s Wells (10 Dec to 24 Jan) and Annie Get Your Gun at the Young Vic (to 9 Jan) have also been recommended by YTP friends.
The Southbank Centre regularly hosts free events, performances and exhibitions and this Christmas is no exception. Highlights from their free events programme include:
Have your own favourites? Add them by posting a comment for YTP readers to enjoy.
For more ideas, travel tips, reviews and personal travel recommendations, subscribe to our Email Club. Our email updates are short and quick to read. They won’t fill up your Inbox.
One of the travel industry’s largest exhibitions, World Travel Market, is taking place in London this week. But to find authentic holiday ideas, it was the Fringe RT Network event last night that was the place to be.
The work being done by this global community of grass roots, responsible tourism organisations and individuals is truly inspiring. Their offerings give the traveller or holidaymaker more choices when it comes to searching for authentic holiday ideas, ideas that have a positive impact on the community and environment.
Here are just some of the offerings highlighted by Your Travel Planner:
Based on the idea of ‘Your Friend at the Other End’, Tripbod is a global network of trusted local travel advisors and planners. They can help provide local insight and create personal and unique ideas for your trip before you go.
This site is a great way to search and make an online booking for destinations, accommodation, tours and activities from local providers and operators, mainly from the developing world.
A unique feature of the WHL network is that each destination booking site is owned and operated by locals. You deal directly with local people in the destination you are travelling to and they say that “unlike other global booking sites, the people you book with will be there when you get there.”
The Blue Yonder provides responsible travel experiences in India. It was originally set up to raise funds for the Nila Foundation, to revive and regenerate one of the longest and sadly neglected rivers in South India called Nila (Bharatapuzha).
socialtours is a specialist tour and trekking company based in Kathmandu, with a difference. Their tours are run with tourism for the future in mind, so that local communities benefit and risks of environmental damage and the erosion of culture are minimised.
If you would like help planning a more authentic holiday, please contact me at Go2 Holiday Research. As a member of the Fringe RT Network, I can help put you in contact with other members who provide responsible, sustainable or eco-friendly travel.
For a short break this Autumn, how about watching the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall?
During 2009 in Berlin, there’s a series of special events and exhibitions to celebrate this moment in history and the ‘peaceful revolution’ that lead to the reunification of Germany and a divided Berlin.
Exhibitions include an open-air exhibition on Alexanderplatz, telling the story of the Peaceful Revolution in 1989/90 leading to the wall’s eventual demise and the ‘Moments in Time’ exhibition, featuring films, photographs and recollections from private individuals and those involved in events.
November 9 will see the climax of the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Wall at the city’s world-famous landmark, the Brandenburg Gate. At the ‘Festival of Freedom’, some 1000 dominos measuring 2.5 metres in height will be used to create a ‘domino effect’ as a symbolic fall of the Wall.
For more information on what’s on, visit: http://www.visitberlin.de/ and http://www.mauerfall09.de/
Flights from the UK to Berlin are still reasonable eg. £118 return from London Gatwick with Easyjet and there’s a good selection of available hotels.
For more travel tips, sign up to the Your Travel Planner Email Club and keep up-to-date the latest news and travel offers.
As someone who helps people to research and plan their holidays, I use a variety of resources to keep up with what’s going on in travel. In the last 6 months, Twitter has become a main part of the mix.
The growth in the number of travel companies using Twitter has been rapid and a few months ago, I started sending a round up of the travel offers that appeared on Twitter to the YTP Email Club members.
What’s interesting is how both large and small companies alike are using this social networking and micro-blogging site to get their news out quickly. There’s everything from offers and late availability to latest news and announcements. Here’s a taste of the travel tweets this morning:
@British_Airways: For our team up with Qantas at the Ashes, we have 425 tickets at £215 inc taxes, LHR to SYD! Available to book from 10am UK time on 21 July!
@holidaypad: RT @Yurthotel: One yurt left for rest of July, offering 25% discount. Also some slots available in Aug http://www.yurthotel.com/ Andalucia, Spain
@thehideaway: Just had a cancellation 2 weeks in Apartment 1 at thehideaway from 23rd Aug 2009 so get in touch if you fancy a trip to LeMarche, Italy
@Smithhotels: Introducing our thrilling new blog feature: Hotel of the Week. This week, we’ve got a gorgeous farmhouse in Portugal: http://bit.ly/14OnXT
So if you’re planning a holiday, Twitter is definitely a resource worth considering.
Alternatively, sign up to the Your Travel Planner Email Club for regular round-ups of Twitter travel tweets. You can also follow me on Twitter here: @HolidayPlanner
Visiting London with your family this summer? Plan your visit and read Your Travel Planner’s guide to great family days out in London, Surrey and Hampshire this August:
July/August; Kids go free in July and August at the British Music Experience (BME) at the O2. Immerse yourself in this interactive museum dedicated to the history and influence of pop music. See David Bowie’s Ashes to Ashes clown suit, develop your skills on guitar, bass, drums and in the vocal booth and use your Smarticket to select favourite content and media recordings to keep.
July/August; Plenty of free events at the Southbank Centre this summer. Collaborate in a large-scale outdoor drawing with artist Sally Booth at different locations or play the Youth Music Box, an electrifying interactive musical experience where you create your own unique track and video, all in under ten minutes. Jeppe Hein’s interactive fountain returns as a refreshing addition to summer; walls of water rise and fall randomly to create a series of constantly changing ‘rooms’ (hint: take spare clothes!).
August, various dates; The Alice Holt Forest in Hampshire has lots of events for all ages during August, including Float your Boat!, Bat Watch and Bike Fun.
1-9 August; Bushcamps, storytelling and trails feature in the Wild Child Week at Claremont Landscape Garden (National Trust)
4,11,18,25 August; There’s summer holiday fun and activities to be had at Games in the Garden, every Tuesday at Clandon Park (National Trust).
6,13,20 August; Join the Warden at Polesden Lacey (National Trust) on Thursday evenings on a Bat Walk, searching out these wonderful creatures as they flit and flap across the night sky.
15-16 August; In Richmond, the riverside comes alive for another year. The On the Edge World Music Festival celebrates music drawn from countries and cultures all over the world, from 12pm - 8pm.
22-23 & 29-30 August; For motorsport enthusiasts, watch the European Grand Prix on a large screen at Mercedes-Benz World Presentations on the history and present day world of F1TM take place throughout the weekend.
If you’ve left it a bit late to book your summer holiday, you may start feeling very smug when you see some of the late holiday bargains that are currently on offer.
For a late getaway with family and or friends, how about a recently converted barn with six bedrooms, and six ensuite bath or shower-rooms (sleeps 12). Described as ‘very roomy and comfy’, with lovely views across miles of countryside, the barn has its own enclosed, lawned garden, a games/ laundry room and two ponds for a spot of fishing. Late availability: 25% reduction for the week of 21-28 August 2009. Was £2308, now £1731, from Helpful Holidays, ref. G40.
Holiday Villa in MenorcaSave over 40% with this newly built 3 bedroom villa (sleeps 6/8) with private heated pool terraces garden and BBQ, located near Cala Canutells. Late availability: £710 reduction for the week of 31 July -7 August 2009. Was £1700, now £990, from Owners Direct, ref. B3437.
Combine sea-kayaking around the Croatian islands, coastal walks, mountain biking with local food and wine, mid-day naps and snorkelling. Late availability: 20% discount for remaining rooms due to cancellations for 25 July - 1 August 2009 (double room available) and 1 - 8 August 2009 (double room available). Was £760, now £608 per person, excludes flights, from Responsible Travel, ref. Croatia holiday, activity week.
If you’d like to some help researching more late holiday bargains, please contact me at www.go2research.com/contact_Go2.php.
Someone asked me the other day whether Sweden was a good destination for a family holiday. The answer is a resounding ‘Yes’.
Sweden is a fantastic summer holiday destination, offering interesting cities combined with exceptional natural scenery. It’s very child-friendly, has an agreeable summer climate and is only 2 hours away by plane. A week in the city could be combined with a week exploring the nature and wildlife that Sweden has to offer.
Compared to southern Europe, Sweden is expensive, but there are ways you can reduce the hit on your pocket and with the Swedish Kroner around 12.9 SEK to the British Pound, it’s not as expensive as it was last year.
Both Sweden’s archipelagic capital, Stockholm, and its second city Gothenburg offer city sightseeing at a relaxed pace, with plenty to do with the children and great cultural sights to see for the adults.
Stockholm is a most beautiful capital city, built on 14 islands. The Old Town is particularly spectacular, and walking around the city’s waterways and parks is a lovely way to spend a week. It can also be a lively city, with its maritime bent and international flavour. Recommended things to do include:
Gothenburg is a cosmopolitan city with a small town charm. It’s a compact city to get around and has plenty to see and do. Recommended things to do include:
If you’d like to learn more about Sweden as a family holiday destination, please feel free to contact me at www.go2research.com/contact_Go2.php.
Are Low-Cost Flights really cheaper than Scheduled Flights? British Airways say ‘not always’.
British Airways are highlighting that no-frills can mean bigger bills, when all the added extras are taken into account.
This week, a ‘value calculator’ was launched on ba.com. It allows customers to check the true cost of Ryanair and EasyJet’s added charges versus the value of BA’s full service.
Richard Tams, head of UK & Ireland sales at British Airways, said: “With BA, the price you see is the price you pay. It’s been well documented that some of the no-frills carriers charge for a range of ‘extras’ that we consider to be part of our core service, from checking in a bag to food and drinks on board. We’re just making these transparent for customers.”
“On a round trip customers can be paying up to £375 on Ryanair and £79 on EasyJet for these ‘extras’ in addition to their fare. The no frills carriers claim they’re always cheaper. Our calculator shows they are not.”
The ‘value calculator’ enables customers to select how they’re choosing to travel eg. checking in at the airport or online, selecting a seat 24-hours before they fly, taking a bag, or opting for food and drink on board. It will then calculate what Ryanair, EasyJet and BA will charge in total for those options.
Want to compare for yourself? View the BA value calculator at http://www.ba.com/valuecalculator
Your Travel Planner says: Check out car hire excess insurance from standalone providers and save some money.
Comparing car hire quotes for your holiday isn’t always as straightforward as you may think.
In the UK and most other countries apart from the USA, car rental companies include Collision Damage Waiver, Theft and Third Party insurance cover in their rental price. However, amount of excess you’d have to pay if your hire car got damaged, can be surprisingly high.
For example, a quick check today shows the excess for a medium compact car in Italy this summer with Avis is 850 EUR for Vehicle Damage and 1000 EUR for Vehicle Theft.
Car rental companies always offer an opportunity to cover your excess when you pick up your car, but this can sometimes cost a hefty £9 per day, which is a huge proportion of the cost of the hire itself.
So here’s a travel tip from Your Travel Planner: look into getting this additional insurance from separate standalone providers and save some money.
You can get additional excess cover from as little as £1.90 per day (for Europe) from insurers such as insurance4carhire, Car Hire Excess and Worldwide Insure. Check out the terms and conditions to see which policy suits your requirements.
For longer trips or if you book car hire more than once in a year, annual policies are available from £39 per year for Europe. Again, check the terms and conditions for suitability, but the same insurers mentioned above also offer these annual policies.
These policies also cover you for damage to the vehicle’s windows, tyres, the under-carriage and the roof, which are often not covered by insurance bought through the car hire company.
