Budget Travel Archives - Page 5 of 9

March 6, 2015 by Jeremy

Opting for a tailor-made holiday

Have you ever gotten back from a holiday feeling more exhausted than recharged? If so, it’s likely that the way your flights, hotels and/or activities were planned sabotaged the main aim of your time off. By opting for a tailor-made holiday, you can take the elements of your last trip that robbed you of the relaxation that you were supposed to enjoy, and plan them out so that your next one will be the rejuvenating experience that it should always be.

A holiday built around your interests

Have you ever went sightseeing to museums or other points of interest because you felt like you would be letting other people down by missing them? There’s no worse way to burn up your precious holiday time then by spending it by living out somebody else’s high-minded vision of what a travel experience should be like.

In order to build a journey that will appeal to you, a professional travel agent can come up with a customized itinerary that will avoid all of the sights that will bore you to death, while including all of the attractions that will have you engaged and excited from start to finish like the best excursions in Grand Cayman.

Hotels that meet your expectations

Whether you view a hotel as an integral cornerstone of one’s travel experience, or merely as a place to lay your head at night in between adventures during the day, a travel agent can select accommodation options that will meet your needs.

Want to make sure that your hotel has a hot tub waiting to assuage your aching body after a day of intense activity? They can track one down. Do you consider a hotel as a secondary part of your travels, but still wish to avoid a place that has uncomfortable mattresses or unpleasant surprises lurking within? They will do the in-depth research to ensure that your basic pad is clean and comfortable.

Staying for a month? Only have time for a weekend getaway?

Most pre-planned itineraries are built around the standard one to two week holidays that most people these days feel fortunate to be still receiving. However, you might have structured your life in such a way where you can get away for a whole month … or you might be so unbelievably busy that you can only escape for a weekend under the Caribbean sun.

In these instances, your travel agent can keep things simple and limited to the absolute essentials for the time-starved among us, or they can space out activities and include things like multi-day diving expeditions for those that have a wealth of holiday time.

September 19, 2014 by Jeremy

Three Ways to Protect Your Home While You’re away Travelling

Many people are taking it upon themselves to leave the UK in search of an adventure. Whether you’re going it alone or you’re going as a group, getting to explore different parts of the world as well as encountering the different people and cultures, it is increasingly becoming a standard part of being an adult here in the UK.

So, if you’re thinking about going travelling, what do you need to plan? Well, naturally there’s where you’re going to go and who with, but there’s also the important matter of taking care of your home back in the UK too. While you’re away, you’ll be leaving it prone to burglars and vandals, so click here to find out how to protect your home while you’re away travelling.

1 – Have a Friend Come over Once a Week, or Let It out

The first thing you need to do is ensure that – for at least some of the time – your property is occupied. Most thieves go on scouting missions to locate the houses they want to steal from, so if they go past yours and see that it’s occupied, they’re less likely to choose your house to steal from.

There are really two options here, you can either simply arrange to have a friend or family member visit your home once a week, or alternatively, you could let/sublet your property out. This is a bonus as it means that you’d have steady money coming in while you’re away.

2 – Insure Your Home Against Theft

Secondly, you should definitely make sure that your house is insured for the period while you’re away. Of course this is a purely precautionary measure, and you hopefully will never have to make a claim. However, there might come a time where making a claim is essential, and if you don’t have insurance you’re going to wish you would have talked to a company like UKInsuranceNet.

3 – Set up Smart Surveillance

Finally, you should invest in some surveillance to monitor your home. If you’re taking a smart phone or tablet with you on your travels, you could get your security camera to hook up remotely to your smart device, allowing you to keep a look out on your home from wherever you are in the world. If you’re not planning on taking a smart device with you, your surveillance will allow you to more easily back up an insurance claim, should you need to make one.

So there you have it: three of the easiest ways to protect your home if you’re going away travelling.

September 16, 2014 by Jeremy

Helpful Advice about Choosing the Right Holiday for You

Choosing the right holiday takes time, so make sure you pick the one you want!

Your holiday is time for you to free yourself from the shackles of the working world and experience something wonderful, creating memories that stay with you for a lifetime.

To ensure that you have the holiday that you deserve though, there are several aspects you need to consider when choosing the right holiday that cover the practicalities and put in place contingency plans for any potential problems:

What kind of Holiday?

First and foremost you need to decide what kind of holiday you are after. This can be broken down into different sections you can cherry-pick from to design the trip you want:

– Relaxation
– Pool and Beach
– Adventure and activity
– Pampering
– Romantic
– Touristic and sightseeing
– Parties and Clubbing

It is important you sort this first so you don’t end up disappointed when you arrive at your destination and find it is not what you expected.

The Needs of Others

Next, you need to consult the people you are going with, be it friends or family. Make the decision a democracy and ensure everybody is on board with the kind of holiday you are planning on taking.

Thorough Research

The internet is a wonderful resource for finding out the honest truth about your preferred destination; scour the online forums and travel blogs for information about:

– The best accommodation and the amenities it will offer.
– The surrounding area and what trips/activities can be organised.
– Where there is to eat for the best value and most enjoyment.
– Any local secrets or areas of interest that might not be as well-known.

At this point, it’s worth planning out an itinerary for your travels; try to book at least one activity or thing to do in each day you are there. Treat these as back-up plans and only pencil them in, so to speak, as you may find something else to do or find your preferences change when you arrive. Either way, with this method you are covered with an abundance of things to do, so you don’t end up feeling bored.

Cost, Expenses and Booking

What you need to do now is weigh-up the costs of your preferred holiday; there are websites like www.letsgo2.com that provide helpful easy-to-use menus that accommodate your preferences and let you compare the overall cost. Again, your research and planning will pay off here as you can shop around to find the best deal possible.

Further to this, as a back-up ensure you have enough travel money to avoid any worst-case scenarios like theft, and when you are completely satisfied all there is left to do is book and enjoy.

April 8, 2014 by Jeremy

Top Tourist Attractions In Slovenia

The tourist attractions in Slovenia reflect the uniqueness of this nation in Eastern Europe. Slovenia has some things in common with Luxembourg. Like the latter, Slovenia shares borders with different civilizations in Europe.

Luxembourg has three various neighbors, while Slovenia has four. To the north lies the Teutonic nation of Austria. South of the country is the Slavic country Croatia. Eastward is Hungary, home to the ancient Eurasian steppe nomads. Lastly beyond the western border lies Italy, the country of the famous Romans.

In a certain way, Slovenia is fortunate to have these four cultures become an influential part of its civilization. Needless to say, it is not surprising to find this country to be a bit multi-ethnic.

1. Piran Seaport

Piran is an old seaport located at coastal cape along the Adriatic Sea. An interesting aspect about this harbor town is that the architecture of the buildings is predominantly medieval Venetian. It shows how strong the Italian influence is in this part of the country. People, both native and foreign, visit this place for their excellent seafood. Going for a swim at the beach is also a viable idea, especially with the kind of atmosphere akin to Mediterranean coast of Venice.

2. Postojna Cave

The Postojna Cave is one of the top tourist attractions in Slovenia for eco tourist with a keen fascination for geology and biology. This cave covers a regulated distance of 5 kilometers accessible view electric train trolley. At one end of the stalactite and stalagmite tunnel is the sight of a unique human fish species better known in the scientific community as proteus anguinus.

3. Sunny Alps

The Sunny Alps is one of the most exciting places in Slovenia to have a vacation. This venue is part of the Julian Alps and is famous for its resorts and vacation farms. It is in this place where one can find the 85-hectare vast Triglav National Park, one of the biggest parks in Europe. People can enjoy a wide array of water outdoor activities such as rafting, kayaking and hydro speed cruise along the lakes Bohinj and Bohinjka Bistrica.

4. Kranjska Gora

The Kranjska Gora is another part of the Julian Alps that is famous among eco tourists. However, unlike Sunny Alps, the fun activities in Kranjska Gora are defined by pushing the envelope of the human body’s normal capacity. The available outdoor recreations include horsemanship, paragliding, mountaineering and other winter sports. But people with a more relaxed and pacified sense of amusement can go for fishing instead.

5. Ljubljana

Ljubljana is the capital city one of the top tourist attractions in Slovenia for those tourists looking for the best that civilization has to offer. Travelers with academic fascination will certainly dig the National Museum and the City Museum. Patrons of the arts and architecture can also visit the magnificent two towers of Ljubljana Cathedral as well as the Modern Art Gallery. All of Ljubljana contains five millennia’s worth of national history.

March 23, 2014 by Jeremy

Save money when booking a flight

The introduction of low cost airlines has opened up the possibility of international travel on a scale that would have seemed unimaginable before. You just have to type in ‘cheap flights’ and you will find dozens of low-cost airlines such as Flybe offering flights to hundreds of destinations around Europe.

However what can sometimes seem like a bargain is not always as good a deal as it first appears. There are often hidden charges, fare finders and booking fees to consider – all of which can result in a more substantial ticket price.

It is therefore essential to exercise caution and carry out proper research to make sure you really are getting a good deal. Here are a few things to consider when booking a flight.

Plan your route

You need to have a good idea which airlines fly to and from which airports. Never before has travellers had such a big choice of flights and airlines; whilst this is obviously good for consumers it can also cause some confusion. There are a number of impartial websites that can help you with this. Once you have this information you can check the relevant airlines website for the best offers.

The next thing to consider is when to book your flight, there is no exact science here although with budget airlines the cheapest flights usually come up first. With charter airlines you can sometimes get last minute deals.

It is also a good idea to sign up for a news letter with some of the airlines in question. For example Flybe will keep you up to date with special offers via email, meaning you will see immediately if there are any special offers available.

Compare prices

It’s always advisable to check the price comparison websites before booking. These sites don’t actually sell you the flights but provide the link to the airline where you can make a booking.

It is also worth noting that while these sites are useful they are not guaranteed to find the best deal available. Most of them do not quote fares from every airline so it important to do some extra research.

Tailor the flight to suit you

It’s important to be mindful of hidden charges, taxes, extra baggage and other costs can bump up your fee substantially. A lot of these prices are factored in automatically, but if they are for services you don’t need, you can untick the option to save money.