Advice and Information for the World Traveller on Many Destinations

Archive for the ‘Travel Tips’ Category

Do you prefer booking your annual holiday months in advance, or do you leave it until the last minute – and arguably to the fates as well – each year?

Last minute cruises are ideal if you aren’t too worried about where you will be going.  Some people aren’t worried about going to a specific destination; instead it is the holiday itself they are most concerned about.  They want to make sure they have a good time and provided they can relax nothing much else matters.

Last minute cruises are readily available to many destinations and the best place to look for them is online.  You can sometimes get a better deal because the cruise company wants to fill up as many cabins as possible.  To do this the company will sell off any remaining cabins at a lower price if you are willing to book at the last minute.

And sometimes it really can be at the last minute too.  One recent online listing was for a 14 day cruise that was leaving in just two days time!  Obviously this may be too soon for some people, but if you are well organised and prepared to pack and head off at a moment’s notice, this could well suit you.

A lot will depend on how many other people might be travelling on the cruise with you.  If you have to arrange it for several people you may not have the time to make it work unless you have a couple of weeks notice.

You have the perfect holiday getaway in a popular tourist spot and would rather rent it out to make some money during peak season than use it yourself at this time. Renting your villa could very well be an ideal option for you. However, it is not necessarily an ‘easy’ way to make money. There are a number of things that you should consider, just in case something goes wrong.

First, you need to make sure that valuable items are not left in the villa during the time you want to rent it. Accidents happen and things get broken. If you really care about something put it away – don’t trust strangers to treat your valuables with respect.

Secondly, you are going to need to clear out your clothes, toiletries and other personal items. If this is just your holiday villa then chances are it will be much easier to clear these items out. However, if you live in this villa you will need to consider where all these items are going to be stored.

Additionally, you will need to make a list of all contents to ensure both you and your tenants are aware of all facilities and fixtures provided. This list is verified at the end of the tenant’s stay and any breakages or damaged items are compensated for accordingly.

In addition, you will have to make sure everything is in working order and that there are support staff available to solve any problems that may occur during your tenant’s stay.

There are quite a few things to consider before you decide to rent your villa.

One of the things that skiers and boarders want the most is guaranteed snow and whilst it is not possible to predict Mother Nature, some resorts can virtually guarantee that you will have snow when you hit the slopes. Les Deux Alpes is warm and lively, with low-rise buildings and lots of hotels providing the atmosphere often lacking in an apartment resort. The resort occupies a high, wide and sunny valley with excellent skiing on both sides.

Take a ski holiday in Les Deux Alpes and you’ll soon find that the runs you see from the resort are only half the picture! Invisible from the valley are miles of piste on the biggest skiable glacier in the Alps where skiing is possible 365 days a year. This enormous and high plateau is one of the best things about Les Deux Alpes ski holidays, offering crisp snow, bright sunshine and easy runs well above the tree line.

Skiing is great for all abilities, beginners, benefit from the gradual progression and wonderful conditions. Les Deux Alpes ski holidays offer intermediates endless cruising runs and some amazing powder on not-too-steep slopes at altitude. The runs back to resort are great to challenge the intermediate skiers and beginners can either take the long looping green or a gondola. Advanced skiers are not forgotten, some of the best black runs are situated immediately above the village, including the fearsome offsite run to La Grave.

A quick search of the internet can produce many good results when searching for ski deals. For those looking for skiing holidays, France is an ideal place to go. This is particularly true for those located in the UK or mainland Europe as it is centrally located, which makes it easily accessible.

Low cost budget airlines are now making air travel extremely affordable and making the skiing holidays – once just thought of for the elite – more appealing to people from all walks of life.

For both experts and those who have never skied before but who are interested in trying a ski holiday, France has everything you need — from low budget resorts suitable for families and friends looking for fun to high class, cosmopolitan resorts where people go more to be seen and less to ski.

It is even possible to hire all the equipment whilst there. This saves money on buying expensive equipment when you may find that skiing is not a favourite hobby.  Ski schools with fully trained instructors also help to make the holiday more enjoyable for those who have never done it before as a few lessons help build a little of the confidence needed to tackle the slopes alone.

Choosing the correct resort is imperative.  A beginner does not want to be in a resort full of black runs, and an expert skier does not want to be stuck with only beginner or intermediate runs. Many resorts offer a wide range of slopes, but a little research beforehand will go a long way in ensuring that your ski holiday is spent at a resort that is right for you.

It’s natural to want to find the best price for your upcoming cruise holiday.  That’s why so many people are looking on the internet for cruise deals that give them the best cruise at the lowest possible price.

The best place to look is on the internet because this will provide you with the most up to date information about the latest cruise deals.  Sometimes you can get last minute deals that offer superb value for money.  It pays to be more flexible when looking for last minute cruise deals because there may only be room left on a limited number of cruise ships.  The most popular ones tend to get booked up well in advance in many cases.

You should also have a firm idea of the kind of cruise you want.  This will cut down the amount of time you will spend searching for the best deals.  Alternatively you can be open to anything, and in fact this can be better because you can watch out for the best cruise deals from all providers and in all parts of the world.

Try looking for cruises run by different companies as well.  For example don’t just stick to P&O – look at cruise deals offered by Costa Cruises and Thomson Cruises as well.  This will provide the largest number of options and give you the best chance of getting a great price.

In short, if you want to enjoy a discount cruise holiday, make sure you check online first for the best possible prices.

When you think about cruise holidays you probably initially think of holidays that are intended for couples to enjoy, or perhaps even families.  Indeed there are many different types of cruises available that are designed to suit different people.

As such you can also book a cruise to go on by yourself.  You don’t have to be part of a couple to go on a cruise, and there are some cruise holidays that are especially designed for singles only.

This opens up the opportunity of cruising to other destinations to everyone.  The fact that everyone on board is single means you have a chance to make new friendships as you settle into life on board.

You can, of course, quite happily spend time exploring various ports you call into on your own as well.  But it is good to know that there are lots of other people on board who have also elected to have a break on their own.  Regardless of whether you are going to meet new people or just to get away from cruise holidays that are packed with families, you can have a great time.

Singles holidays like this also travel to various parts of the world.  No matter where you would like to travel to you can look forward to taking the exact cruise you have always wanted. Some people think being single precludes them from enjoying cruise holidays.  But as you can see nothing could be further from the truth.

Tignes and Val d’Isère share a huge area of slopes known as L’espace Killy. Locally, Tignes’ biggest asset is the Grande Motte – and the runs from, as well as on, the glacier. The underground funicular from Val Claret whizzes you up to over 3000m in seven minutes. Fast chairs and gondolas get you up the mountain from most parts of the ski resort. Recent investment has added more fast chairs higher up too, but a few key slow ones remain that could do with being upgraded.

The main lifts towards Val d’Isère are efficient: a high-capacity gondola from Le Lac to Tovière, and a fast chair with covers from Val Claret to Col de Fresse. You can head back to Tignes from either: the return from Tovière to Tignes-le-Lac is via a steep black run but there are easier blue runs to Val Claret.

There are some serious challenges for the expert skier, Tignes has converted six of its black runs into ‘naturides’, which means they are never groomed, but they are marked, patrolled and avalanche protected. The intermediate skier is well catered for and for keen intermediate piste-bashers the Espace Killy is one of the top three or four areas in the world. For the inexperienced skier there are suitable areas, but for a beginner you would be better off in the Val d’Isere resort.

Occasionally there are rumours in the travel industry of fantastic cruise deals, but online searches fail to reveal any details. 

Sometimes cruise lines have a number of cabins left unsold before a sailing, which will be sold at heavily discounted prices. However, they will not publicly advertise these deals. The only way to find them is to join the e-mail list of a travel agency specialising in cruises.

Look for agencies that are preferred sellers for particular cruise lines, and if you receive an e-mail about low rates, do respond. Sometimes this will simply be a gimmick, but at other times you may get a very good deal on a cruise.

These deals are for last-minute cruises and only available for a limited time, so you will need to book quickly and be able to make travel arrangements at short notice. Also, be prepared to accept that the cabin you get may be the one that other passengers have complained about.

Travel agencies buy group space on cruises well in advance of the cruise date. The travel agency often pay a deposit, and as they work hard to establish a good relationship with the cruise line. They are often given a lower price, typically 10 to 40 percent less than the standard price. These savings are passed on to their customers. These deals are available to those who can book early, preferably more than 90 days prior to sailing. To take advantage of these cruise deals, you need to know your travel agent, so they can tell you if it is a good price, or if the price is likely to go lower closer to sailing. However, you can cancel or change your booking at a later date without incurring high penalties.

Holiday travel to Syria requires a few more steps in obtaining proper visas and paperwork. If you have a flight to Damascus in your itinerary, here is what you need to know to have a safe and enjoyable trip.

Flights to Damascus land at the Damascus International Airport, which is located 35 km south east of the capital city. The airports are served by Syrian Arab Airlines, with British Airways and bmi being the two major airlines from European countries.

Citizens of Arab countries are not required to have visas; however, almost every other traveller must have an entry visa. The process of obtaining a visa can be expensive and time-consuming. The most efficient way is to visit the Syrian embassy in your home country. Some individuals may wait and hope that they can get a valid visa by travelling first to Turkey and applying for one there.

To enter Syria, you will need a letter from your consulate stating that your home country has no objection to your travel to Syria. This correspondence is referred to as a “letter of recommendation”. Your visa must have a signature and two stamps, or else it will be declared invalid and the traveller will not be allowed to disembark.  It must also be in its original blue arrival form.

There can be no evidence of travel to Israel, whether it is a passport stamp, packaging with Hebrew labelling, or if the flight to Damascus comes from any country bordering Israel. These travellers are denied entry into Syria.

When looking for ski holidays France is an ideal choice. It is located within easy reach of most European destinations which also makes it easy to access from worldwide. Chamonix ski resort is the largest and the oldest ski resort in the country. It is one of the most popular places for skiers to enjoy their ski holiday. France has many such resorts catering for this market.
Located in the Chamonix Valley, overlooked by the highest mountain in the Alps mountain range, Mont Blanc, Chamonix ski resort offers excellent ski conditions for all levels of experience from intermediate to off-piste. 

Skiing in France, especially in a resort such as Chamonix used to be regarded just for the elite, but with the introduction of low cost airlines, there are many bargain ski deals to be found, and a quick search of the internet brings so much choice there is bound to be something to suit everyone.

Although Chamonix has plenty of slopes for strong skiers and those that enjoy extreme sports such as snowboarding, there are also slopes for the beginners and families too. Chamonix is also an ideal place for groups of holiday makers, even if some of the party do not like to ski. The resort offers so many activities for the non skier that everyone will love their ski holiday; France has much to offer for all age groups.

Non skier activities include swimming and tennis, and for the more adventurous there is mountaineering, ice climbing and even dog sledding. Chamonix truly is the ideal ski holiday destination, and if looking for a ski holiday, France is a top choice.