Author: Samantha

Out of season family holidays

Posted on by Samantha

If you are planning on going on holiday and have children you may be surprised actually how much more you have to pay to go in the school holidays. Prices can literally jump up to well over an additional £1000 for a family of four compared to prices in term time.

For this reason, many parents are choosing to risk being fined and taking their child out of school during term time to save money. Even if they do get fined often the fine is a lot less than the additional amount the holiday would be.

It is not ideal to take your children out of school for a holiday but if you feel that you want to you should check what is going on at school during that period that they may miss. If for example, they have exams or a school trip then you may decide to delay the trip until this has been done.

There are some beautiful countries that offer a fantastic family holiday all year round. If you are not too bothered about the weather then the world is your oyster. If you want to go somewhere that is hot during the UK winter months then you may need to opt for somewhere in the Caribbean.

Camping without the luxuries

Posted on by Samantha

When you hear the word camping, luxury is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. Camping is often about getting back to basics and spending time with loved ones without the interference of day to day life and modern technology. This being said more and more people are turning camping in to glamping by finding ways in which they can still watch their favour programs, dry and straighten their hair and heat the tent to a nice temperature.
If you really want to get back to how camping should e then you need to opt for a more basic sites that has only basic facilities and if you can manage, without electric hook up. Without electric you will need to plan a head a little more and think about what sort of meals you can cook on an open fire, BBQ or gas stove.
To stay warm you will need to take lots of layers of clothing and blankets and pack water bottle that can be filled up with hot water to add some heat through the night.
There are ways in which you can enjoy both glamping and basic camping, but with basic camping you may have to be prepared to change the way you would normally do things and enjoy the finer things in life.

Do you fancy a walking holiday?

Posted on by Samantha

Some people here the words walking and holidays and simply do not think the two go together but if you are a walking enthusiast or if you fancy trying something a bit different, then why not book a walking holiday. Walking holidays can be done all over the UK as well as abroad and offer a different experience to that of a usual sun, sea and sand holidays that you may be used to. 

For those that think a walking holiday is boring, you may be very far from the truth. Walking holidays can be enjoyed by people of all ages and interests and you can map in locations that you would like to stop off at and have something to eat or to view the sites. Walking holidays can also be great for couples who struggle to get to do activities together. There is no better way to get to know someone and spend quality time together than walking hand in hand through a picturesque area. You will often get to see a vast amount of wildlife and beautiful locations that previously you didn’t even know existed.  

Walking holidays are also often quite cheap and you can easily design your own or book to go on a pre-arranged one if you like the idea of meeting likeminded people.

Experiencing new cultures on holiday

Posted on by Samantha

It is easy to forget how big the world actually is and that we often only explore a tiny part of it. Many people like to go on holiday abroad not just for the sandy beaches and the hot sun, but also to find out more about the area, do some exploring and get to know the locals.

Within the world are numerous different cultures some of which are very different to our own. Trying new foods, living a different way of life for a few days or weeks and learning how other people live can make a holiday a life changing experience. If you have an interest in history you may choose to go to a place that is renowned for its historical places of interest, but while you are there do not forget to have a little look in to how people live in the modern day. You may be surprised to find that you actually enjoy learning all about their culture and understanding their views and beliefs.

A holiday can be an opportunity to experience and enjoy a number of different things, so why not do some planning and find out places you can visit to explore the culture of the people that live there.

Problems when you have to cancel your holiday

Posted on by Samantha

Cancelling a holiday is often not a nice thing to have to do. There are many reasons why people have to cancel their holidays and sadly it is often not for positive reasons. You would hope that if you do have to cancel your holiday that, as long as you have the right level of protection in place, it should be fairly straight forward and you should be able to get back most if not all of your money. ATOL offers protection to people booking a package holiday. If your flights or accommodation is cancelled by the company then you are entitled to a refund. If you have travel insurance and cancel your holiday sue to your circumstances then you will not be covered by ATOL but will be covered by your insurance. Depending on what level of cover you have and when you cancelled your holiday will vary the amount of money you get back.
Some holiday companies are making it harder for you to get back what you are owned and many holiday makers have reported having to go through a very lengthy process in order to get a refund of the money they are entitled too. It is vital that you read reviews on the travel agent and the insurance company you are thinking of using prior to doing so. This will allow you to see what issues other people have experienced and how likely they are to happen again.