Travel Articles

It seems British revelers are increasingly inclined to take their stag and hen do's further and further a field. The trend of the moment appears to be Eastern Europe where cheap flights and booze are making cities like Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius, not too long ago obscured behind the iron curtain, the party capitals of Europe for Brits after a hedonistic pre-marriage knees up.

Indeed, it's estimated that as many as 2.25 million Brits take their stag and hen celebrations abroad which, according to research by Go Travel Insurance, means that over a million of them aren't taking out the correct travel insurance.

Go Travel Insurance chief executive Christian Young commented: "Groups of friends going away together to celebrate a friend getting married are more likely to take more time deciding which bars and restaurants to hit than whether they have travel insurance.

"But the truth of it is if they go uninsured and something goes wrong, there's a chance they'll wreck the trip for everyone, not just themselves."

Not to suggest for a moment that stag or hen party related hi-jinks is in any way likely to end in disaster but if an uninsured member of such a party were to get injured, for example, treatment costs would more than likely be pretty steep.

Given that recent reports reveal that the Czech Republic, the capital of which, Prague just happens to be our number one stag and hen do destination, tops the list of places where Brits are disproportionately likely to need consular assistance for problems like lost passports and hospitalization, travel insurance is probably not something you want to forget.

Go Travel Insurance offers groups of five people or more traveling together a 5% discount and ten people or more a 10% discount. Go Travel Insurance's policies start from £3.95 for single trip and £31.95 for annual cover.

For further reference for booking a stag or hen do in Europe, we recommend UK Travel Zoo for bargain holidays. This website pools many of the best bargains on the internet all in one place, making it an easy place to find a great deal. It can also offer cheap flights to a number of Eastern European destinations, including Tallinn, Vilnius and Riga.

Redseven offer stag and hen party packages to destinations across Europe including Prague.

Following up reports that the number of claims for lost and delayed luggage has leapt this year, Go Travel Insurance have recently revealed that as many as 40% of their claims between June 2006 and June 2007 were for lost luggage and InsureandGo has said it received 2,094 claims for lost baggage between January and June.

Further evidence of this unprecedented rise was supplied by the Association of European Airlines (AEA) which reported a 22% increase in lost baggage over the same 6 month period relative to a 1.4% rise in passenger numbers.

Managing director of InsureandGo, Perry Wilson has said "This is clearly a major problem for our customers and we urge the airline and airports industry to improve its performance in this area.

"With the summer holiday season now in full swing, we can unfortunately expect more families' holidays to be ruined by lost baggage."
It's thought that a key factor in the increase is simply that more people are traveling, putting more strain on airports and leading to an increased risk of luggage going missing.

Christian Young of Go Travel Insurance gave travellers advice on how to minimize the chance of losing their luggage: "If travelling with your family it is always advisable to split essential travel items into other suitcases so if one bag goes missing you still have some essential items in another bag, travellers should also avoid taking expensive clothing and jewellery on holiday but if unavoidable carry expensive items with you rather than checking it in.

"Taking out a comprehensive travel insurance policy will cover you for most eventualities if your cases do go missing, offering peace of mind that you will be able to sort the situation out."

Go Travel Insurance policies start from £3.95 for single trip and £31.95 for annual cover and provides £10 million in medical cover.

As the summer comes to a close and thoughts of sun, sea and sand recede it might be time for the skiers amongst us to start considering where the best ski destination for the winter season is. We've compiled the following list of this years hot ski resorts:

Whistler, Canada

Canada's most famous ski resort Whistler is likely to be buzzing in anticipation of hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics and is considered by many to be amongst the finest ski arenas in the world. Whistler, two hours north of Vancouver, offers a complete package with great skiing for all abilities, good facilities and lively apres-ski.

Termas de Chillan, Chile

The Andes may not be a particularly well established destination for European skiers, it's certainly a bit off the beaten path, but if you're after a change of scene Termas de Chillan is well worth investigating. Located on the slopes of a volcano, it's the biggest ski resort in South America and has a lot to offer - 29 runs stretching across 20 miles of quality pistes, South Americas longest run, a comprehensive choice of accommodation from 5-star luxury to more affordable options and world famous hot springs.

Aspen, Colorado

One of the best known ski resorts in the world and with good reason; Aspen has it all - 4,500 acres of slopes across 4 mountains with great skiing for all levels, the famous Snowmass which boasts the longest lift -served vertical rise in the US and a legendary apres ski scene. If you fancy a bit of Hollywood-style glitz with your skiing and aren't put off by prices to match then there really is no other choice.

Kranjska Gora, Slovenia

Situated in Slovenia's Zgornjesavska Valley a few miles from the Austrian and Italian borders, Kranjska Gora boasts breathtaking Alpine scenery and world-class skiing - as its hosting of last years skiing world cup testifies. The resort has everything you could want in terms of amenities and skiing opportunities for all skill levels and makes a particularly good choice for family holidays.

The most convenient airport for Kranjska Gora is Ljubljana. We found a good range of flights from as little as £92 from Gatwick.

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy

This picturesque resort in the Dolomites offers a unique combination of dramatic mountain scenery, chic Italian sophistication and plenty of varied skiing. Cortina is undoubtedly amongst Europe's classiest ski destinations and whilst the pistes (145km of ski runs) are great this is a resort as much about apres ski with plenty of opportunity to mix with the beautiful people in 20 bars, 5 nightclubs and 40 restaurants.

Flights to Venice, the most convenient airport for Cortina can currently be found on Cheap Flights for as little as £75.
If you're heading off for the pistes don't forget insurance! Your best bet is to find a specialized winter sports policy (AA Travel Insurance or Ski-insurance.co.uk offer good deals) that ensures you're covered for any Skiing related injuries.

Approximately 1.4 million British holidaymakers are still counting the cost of the two-week break they took last year according to research conducted by Moneynet. This is due to the rising interest on the debts incurred in financing that break. A further 926,000, who used loans or credit cards to finance their trip have taken a full year to clear their debts - only to begin the process all over again with the next holiday season.

With debt-related figures on the increase, many lenders are reflecting the trend by charging higher interest rates and offering smaller loans, with regard to financing holidays.

However, research suggests that 10% of holidaying Britons are likely to embark on their next holiday before having cleared any outstanding debts incurred by the previous one. Of those interviewed, 44% revealed that they had not fully saved up for their next holiday, seeing it as something to worry about at a later date.

But there is a growing fear that this is indicative of an increasing debt-culture that seems to be thriving and increasing in the UK.

Overspending abroad is also a major contributing factor to these figures. 27% of those surveyed stated that they spent more than they had budgeted for whilst on their last holiday. Of that 27%, a further 9% admitted that they had overspent by between £500 and £1000.

21% revealed that they supported extra costs by charging them to their credit cards, whilst knowing that they potentially had no way of meeting the imminent repayments. This resulted in 20% of that figure saying that they had to drastically alter their spending habits when they returned from holidaying. There is also an ever growing trend to switch to the best current balance tranfer offer; at the time of writing - 0% on balance transfers for 13 months offered by Natwest Credit Cards and RBS Credit Cards, in order to extend the life of the debt as an alternative to paying it off.

The average family takes two holidays a year, increasing the financial strain on their resources, while it seems that those in the 55 and over age bracket will take breaks abroad up to five times, annually.

This summer, more and more people will be ditching the increasingly unpredictable medium of air travel, and plumping for that more familiar family institution: the car.

However, it seems that most people are far less conscientious when driving abroad than they would be at home. ASDA Car Insurance for example point out that you need to specify that you will be driving overseas to ensure that you are covered by their car insurance when driving overseas. A recent survey suggested that a large majority of drivers had absolutely no idea what their insurer covered them for when they drove abroad, and another alarmingly high percentage mistakenly believed that their AA travel insurance extended to cover car insurance too. Even more alarmingly, this same belief was mirrored buy holders of Go Travel Insurance and other policies with no conceptual association to 'cars' at all.

Check with your insurer as to whether your policy extends overseas. Even those with comprehensive cover in the UK may need to upgrade - under EU law an insurer is only required to provide something called 'Road Traffic Act', which is even less than third-party insurance and will not cover you against theft, accidental damage or injury.

Another point to investigate is for how long your policy will remain 'upgraded' for overseas use. Most insurers will offer a 'free period' for your policy abroad, but this can vary wildly from 3 days (Directline, Esure and Halifax, for example) to 365 (Saga and Ecar)!

Although not a legal requirement, breakdown cover is also advisable for the diligent traveller. Again, check with your provider in the UK. It may prove simpler and cheaper to take out a separate policy for use abroad.

Essentially, rigour pays off. Just remember to pester your insurer for all the answers regarding your policy; and let them know at least two weeks before you are intending to go on holiday: it's usually a requirement written into your policy. Without their blessing, you might just find your family holiday costs a lot more than you expected.

Most of us spend enough of our hard won money on holidays already, which makes it all the more important that once we're there we don't end up blowing even more on unnecessary card and currency costs. Annually these fees end up costing Brits £726 million, that's an awful lot when one considers the fact that in most cases these extra costs are perfectly avoidable with a little planning and research.

The key to avoid paying more than you need to be is simply to make sure that your planned methods of payment don't involve extortionate extra charges. For instance if you're exchanging currency it makes sense to shop around for a decent deal, there are plenty commission-free currency deals out there but it's also worth checking out the exchange rates - in some cases you may end up getting a better deal paying flat-rate commission at a bank to take advantage of a better rate. Another thing to look out for is getting charged a cash-advance fee when changing currency using a debit card; you can easily avoid this by withdrawing your money from a cash point before hand.

The most significant losses are most likely to be accumulated when you make purchases on plastic whilst abroad. There are a number of extra charges associated with using cards that could easily accumulate, so before you start flashing the plastic it's worth checking if the debit card for your current account will incur any extra charges on foreign purchases. An 'exchange rate loading fee' for instance is quite common and typically means a 2.75% rising to 3% levy on every purchase. If you travel a lot it may be worth switching to an account such as Alliance and Leicester's award winning Premier Direct Current Accounts.

There are a number of credit cards out there however that don't charge you - the Nationwide BS is a particularly good option, it not only features no charge whatsoever on loading fees but also has a very competitive 1.5% cash withdrawal fee. Given that this fee is often more like 2% on top of any loading fee (meaning in your average foreign cash withdrawal you'll be charged a not inconsiderable 4.75%) this represents a very good deal.

The notion of the great American road trip is etched into popular mythology. It conjures romantic thoughts of open roads stretching into epic landscapes, Route 66, Kerouac, vast expanses of cactus-studded desert, Easy Rider... I won't go on - you've seen enough movies and read enough books. It will always be the case that the best way to see America, the only truly fitting way to see America is on the road.

The only problem for those embarking on such a journey is where to go - there are so many intriguing routes through such a diverse landscape that, in truth, you'll always end up wondering whether you've missed some amazing sight or experience. The best or at least most exiting policy might simply be not to plan - embrace the spirit of the open road and see where it takes you. What follows then, although of course it barely scratches the surface, is a rough guide to a few routes that we think deserve consideration for any American road trip itinerary.

The Appalachian Trail

Stretching from the rugged, mountainous landscapes of New Hampshire, skirting past the fringes of urban New York and Washington, through the spectacular, historically rich Shenandoah National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway right down into Georgia and the heart of the South, The Appalachian trail is an unbeatably varied, often breathtaking tour through the heart of Eastern America.

Route 66

The quintessential American road trip, taking Route 66 genuinely represents a journey through American history. Of course, there is a degree to which the modern Route 66 experience has become as much a construct of hype and commercially motivated mythologizing, but hey, what could be more American than that! '
Famously dubbed "The mother road" by John Steinbeck, the legendary route cuts a diagonal swathe through 2000 miles of America from Chicago to LA taking in plenty of iconic scenery along the way. Vintage motels, diners, and gas stations all correspond to a romanticized vision of America that has become familiar to everyone.

The original Route 66 was actually decommissioned in 1985, to be replaced by high-speed Interstate highways; the old road has since been rechristened "Historic Route 66". Despite the fact that it's no longer possible to drive the complete original route much of it survives and is actually quite well-preserved in places. There are still few better ways to connect with an almost mythical sense of American national identity than by taking in a stretch of 'The Main Street of America'.

The Pacific Coast Highway

There's no better way to experience the diverse beauty of the Pacific coast than by driving along the coastal route Highway 1. Start off in the archetypal Southern California of pristine sandy beaches in Santa Barbara and wind your way up to the rugged, bracing coastline of the Pacific Northwest. This is the sort of coastal drive that seems familiar from countless car adverts - precarious, winding roads carved into Cliff sides that overlook the vast Pacific Ocean.


If you're planning on embarking on your own version of the great American road trip it really makes sense to start off on the East Coast, given that everyone will want to incorporate the Big Apple. Cheap flights to New York from bargain travel sites like Travelzoo, for example, would be a great place to start. It's worth taking a look at Dialaflight's flights to USA page for other less common destinations like Memphis or Detroit.


If Dialaflight doesn't have what you're after then it's worth using one of the major flight aggregators, such as SkyScanner or Cheap Flights. For car hire, the Holiday Autos website from last minute.com is well worth checking out.

Finally, a useful website to look at for tips and advice if you're planning a road trip in the US is Road Trip America.