Really Traveling

RyanAir £5 flights

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Wed, 26 May 2010 10:40:00 +0000

Bringing you the latest from MoneySavingExpert...
Once again, a short-term offer for cheap flights booked before midnight tomorrow (27th May), as ever, be aware that extras charged for baggage etc. may ramp up the price...
Flights must be booked at least 14 days in advance, and travel is any day in June 2010 - limited airports within Europe...
Click the MoneySavingExpert link above to be taken direct to their 'cheap flights' article - full guide to how to make the most of this deal can be found there...

Read the full Ryanair cheap flights promotion details

Air Travel is suffering

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Fri, 21 May 2010 12:54:00 +0000

Not only will we have more British Airways strikes to look forward to after yesterday's court ruling, but disruptions are still being caused by volcanic ash at some UK airports - currently limited to Scottish airports. Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has stated that his airline will not consider abiding by EU rules on compensation and has stated that only the cost of the ticket will be refunded even where travelers have been forced to rent additional accommodation abroad.
Two out of the three high court judges yesterday voted to overturn the injunction imposed on the proposed 'Unite' strike planned to disrupt in particular World Cup travelers in a few weeks time. The injunction was imposed on Monday when BA argued that ballot results had not been adequately communicated to union members. BA intend to introduce contingency plans designed to circumvent union action.

Things to do in DC

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Thu, 20 May 2010 22:42:00 +0000

Spring is nearing an end, but tourism in Washington, D.C. isn't slowing. With the passing of great events like the National Cherry Blossom Festival, DC Tours and attractions continues to thrive. By visiting some of Washington's top attraction sites, you can find spectacular package rates on various accommodations. The US capital is one of the most spectacular places to visit because of the enveloping aurora around its monuments and landmarks. There's a substantial amount of history and knowledge to be uncovered by visiting Washington and viewing some of their greatest DC Attractions. As Memorial Day approaches, parks are blistering with festivities and exhibitions. Some of the greatest events occurring on or around Memorial Day are as follows:

National Memorial Day Concert, opening at 5 p.m. on the West Lawn(Sunday, May 30^th)
National Memorial Day Parade, beginning at 2 p.m. and proceeding from Constitution Avenue and ending at The Whitehouse (Monday, May 31, 2010)
Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally, departing from the Pentagon at 12 p.m. (Sunday, May 30^th)
GI Film Festival (May 12-16^th)Arlington National Cemetery Tour, beginning at 11 a.m. (Monday, May 31^st)
Navy Memorial, beginning at 11 a.m. (Saturday May 29^th)
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, beginning at 1 p.m. (Monday, May 31^st)
WWII Memorial, beginning at 9am (Monday, May 31^st)Air Force Memorial, beginning at 9 a.m. (Monday, May 31^st)

Although, The Memorial Day festivities are a sliver of what you can find in D.C. other than simply visiting let's say, The Washington Monument, or Lincoln Memorial, there's a large amount of actual activities and/or tours to engage in. This includes Ford's Theatre Tour, Ghost Tours, Lincoln Assassination Tour, and Old Town Alexandria Tour; all of which are walking tours. Before, during or after, you may also want to check out places like The Capital Visitor Center, Whitehouse Visitor Center, or The U.S. Capital Building; all of which are highly popular amongst tourists.

Washington also has a plethora (over 150) of museums. Some of their most popular include The Smithsonian National Museum(s), The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, The Newseum, Mount Vernon estate and Gardens Museum, and lastly The National Museum of Crime and Punishment, which exhibits excellent depictions of historically famous crime scenes. In addition, there's a multitude of sightseeing, There are also some newer establishments/museums that may be of interest including:

The German-American Heritage Museum
Ford's Theatre
The Capital Visitor Center
The National Museum of American History (renovations)
Lincoln's Cottage

For a thorough list of things to do in DC, feel free to check out http://dc.about.com/od/touristattractions/Attractions_Things_to_Do.htm, where they list everything from government buildings to parks and recreation! Also, be sure to check out some rates on accommodations and travel at http://www.wdcahotels.com/. A trip to Washington, D.C. may not be the most lavish of all your vacation expenditures, but it's certainly one that you will not forget.

BA strike

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:29:00 +0000

The economic climate was always going to have an effect on the travel business and the current dispute between UNITE and BA seems to be an outworking of the recession. BA are (arguably) forced to make cuts - this will impact on air-crew at some point, but the air-crew are digging their heels in. In an effort to give a fair view, nobody likes their contract to be changed significantly, but on the other hand, management is tasked with finding a way to make some real savings in order to sustain a profitable company for the future.
Strikes are due to continue at the week-end, hopefully a timely and mutually beneficial compromise can be reached.

Combining travel and surgery

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:12:00 +0000

Traveling abroad to have cosmetic surgery is not a new idea, but generally this has been understood to mean having procedures carries out in sometimes less-than hygienic conditions in Eastern European countries.
Imagine then, if you will, a very different idea: visiting your dentist in Cancun! Cancun Cosmetic Dentistry has opened a practice with the highest clinical standards in the world famous Mexican resort of Cancun with the sole intention of treating clients from the UK, USA and Canada. The aim is to be able to combine the holiday of a lifetime with the idea of taking advantage of high quality cosmetic dentistry at a fraction of the normal costs.
The owner is Dr. German Arzate who promises to be able to give you a completely new smile in just a week. During that week, you will be in the most beautiful surroundings available anywhere, and be able to lounge on the beaches, go diving or visit some unique Mexican archaeological attractions. You will also be in a clinical environment that is completely geared towards English-speaking patients - imagine bringing the perfect smile home as a permanent reminder of your holiday...

New Technology

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:23:00 +0000

New technology is moving us away from traditional High Street shops and large retailers for goods which are becoming obsolete whilst they sit on the stock-room. Any product that has an element of computer memory like RAM, hard-drives and flash drives becomes out-dated within months.
There is no technology that moves quicker than PC/Phone and media devices, and the demand for iphone accessories and add-ons increasingly finds satisfaction via internet retailers in preference to the high street. Whether you are looking for an iphone case or an iphone dock, you will find a far larger range of choices available on the world wide web, than you will on the shelves of your local electronics retailer.

In the past people may have been wary about this new way of buying, but year on year it is proving more and more popular. The prices are keen and in most cases the service is excellent, yet there are some precautions we should take to ensure that our chosen trader is legitimate.

You should always look for contact details such as an address or telephone number, check out the contact details to make sure that they are correct.
Check to see if there is a VAT number and company registration.
Look for a trading history and check out any testimonials that might be posted on the site.
Be cautious of any offers that are ridiculously cheap unless there is a legitimate reason for the price reduction.

Over recent years, I have built up a select group of websites that I routinely check for bargains exclusively in the area of 'boys toys', computer storage and components.

Rail Fares set to rise

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:15:00 +0000

Southeastern train company customers will be charged extra to use the new 'Javelin' service. The Javelin is a new highspeed (140mph) train from Hitachi which is planned to run between London St Pancras and Ebbsfleet International, with a few services extending to Ashford International, Ramsgate via Canterbury West or Dover. From 13 December 2009 Southeastern plan to operate a regular high-speed domestic service into and out of London St Pancras. The services are marketed as Southeastern Highspeed and the trains will be named after British personalities associated with speed.

The second price rise will come in January and will be across the board under the regulated fares formula (allowing prices to rise a set amount above RPI), despite assurances by Government that rail prices would fall in 2010. Some existing services may also be cut to help fund the new investment.

Drink your way to Calais

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:34:00 +0000

P&O are currently offering a great day-trip offer if you are planning to stock your cellar with French wines, which includes a case of Californian wine into the bargain.

Thanks to the MoneySavingExpert for bringing this one to our attention...

For £24, you get a return Dover-Calais ticket for a car and up to 9 people (worth c.£35), and a free case of Ernest & Julio Gallo Winemaker's Seal Red or White wine (worth £25). The wine is redeemable on the outward leg of your journey only; you'll get a voucher for it along with your tickets.

Valid for travel between now and 1st December 2009 (though excludes travel on 23, 24, 31 October and 1 November), and can be booked until 12 Nov. To get the deal, go to P&O UK's website and enter 'freewineDT' in the box when booking to qualify.

This is an online offer only....and if you enjoy your wine and are looking to do a quick booze cruise before Christmas, this is a no-brainer...

What to do in London?

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:55:00 +0000

It's exciting to travel to a new City whether it be a day trip within your own country or a long overseas trip, but when you get, there you may well realise that you don't know the best places for a quick bite, or where to get the best entertainment, a quiet pint or a gourmet meal.

That's when a site like Qype comes in - an extensive insight into night-life, restaurants and watering holes with reviews completed by ordinary folk like you or me.
The information on their database is not limited to night-life, you can search for a hairdresser, travel information, libraries or any number of services that you might require when staying away from home.

By default, the site shows information for London in general, but simply by clicking on the link to 'change', you can select any UK city or even a specific area of London. Ideal if you are searching for restaurants london by name or by district. Qype extends globally, and you can select from a list of countries and then select an area within that country. In fact, you can use Qype to gather information about your home town too - I checked out information about local parks and leisure centres, and was surprised to find not only a full list of amenities, but personal reviews written for every search result that came up - even reviews of local parks...

Whatever you are looking for, Qype is essentially a directory, but importantly a directory with a difference. The Qype directory not only gives you bare essential information such as address and essential contact information – it gives you an independent review from the viewpoint of an ordinary customer or facility-user. Next time you are stuck for a venue, or a shop or just need to do a search for pubs london why not try Qype, not only will you find something in your chosen locality, you will learn something about it too.

Losing business at Heathrow

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:17:00 +0000

Industry experts are claiming that Britain is losing out to the tune of £1bn annually because of the lack of a third runway at Heathrow. Travellers even from the UK are using European airports as a hub for long-haul flights that could potentially fly from Heathrow if the long-awaited third runway was in place and working to increase capacity.
On the other side of the argument there are environmental factors to be overcome, and the fact that the world market for flights is in decline and the proliferation of cheap flights indicates that the development could become a white elephant if the sales of flights and travel in general does not pick up.
Charles De Gaulle, Frankfurt and Schipol have all experienced a growth in business compared to a more or less static turnover at Heathrow for the last 5 years. The threat however is not solely from European airports as growth at Middle-Eastern airports has been astronomic. Dohar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports have seen rises approaching more than 100% in the last 5 years.

Swansea - The Mumbles

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:33:00 +0000

I am fortunate to live only about 40 miles from Swansea, and although there are beaches nearer to us, The Mumbles holds a special attraction - hence we took a day-trip there last Sunday as the weather was very pleasant.
It is such a popular spot, that if you leave it late in the day, it is always tricky to get through the traffic and find a parking spot - Once there however, there are plenty of things to do. The Swansea coastline is very extensive leaving plenty of room for sun-worshippers, sand-castle builders, paddlers and swimmers. When you have
become drenched enough with either sun or sea, there are all the usual sea-side attractions such as small parks, shops and crazy golf, yet the Mumbles is surprisingly un-tacky and remains a relatively tasteful haven for locals and visitors alike.
After a pleasant hour exploring rock-pools and a walk along the promenade, the highlight of the afternoon was Fish and chips from 'Yallops' an idyllic sea-side meal in an idyllic setting. I don't think this will be our last visit to Mumbles, but next time, I would like to be there a little earlier and beat the traffic. There has been such a lot of development in Swansea Bay, but correspondingly little done to ease the flow of traffic at peak times.

Cheap stop-overs in the UK

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:50:00 +0000

I usually use somewhere like Travelodge or Premier Inn for my work and leisure stop-overs within the UK, but lately I have been sticking exclusively to Travelodge because they have such good deals when you book up front.
Check out their saver deals for their £12, £19 and £29 special offers - there are even deals for EUR12 in Ireland and Spain included.
This is not by any means a sponsored post, I am genuinely a customer of Travelodge (stayed there twice in August, both times were a special offer) and am committed to writing about good deals that I find...
Normally when booking, you are not required to pay until you arrive or leave, and cancellation is available until 4pm on the day - under the terms of the special offer, you pay when you book AND bookings are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Peaceful Norfolk Broads

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:03:00 +0000

Having just returned from a few peaceful days on the Norfolk Broads, we are refreshed and ready to apply noses to various grindstones. The Norfolk Broads (Beccles in this case) remains both genteel and entertaining with plenty to see and do.This region of the East of England presents countryside, water and wildlife in a way that no other British region does - this is the Everglades of the UK, with little chance of losing a limb to an alligator. In all seriousness though, for those with a penchant for boating, accidents do happen on the Broads so safety should be paramount.
When you tire of the wildfowl, there is always the option of the North Sea coast and various attractions such as the Africa Alive wildlife park, Sandringham Gardens in fact a plethera of venues to suit all sorts of tastes.
There are plenty of camp sites and B&B's for those who don't want to live on the water, but hiring a boat is the finest way to see the Broads in all their glory.

Holiday footwear from Dansko shoes

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:07:00 +0000

Don't get caught out when vacation time comes around and you haven't got any suitable footwear... as the boy scouts always say: 'Be Prepared'. I am one of those who like to be ready for every eventuality, but the latter-day restrictions on flight luggage mean that having multi-purpose footwear is a must.

Casual quality is the order of the day; something that you can wear all day and that would not look out of place in a fancy restaurant is the ideal footwear for packing in your suitcase. My personal recommendations (and I used to sell shoes years ago) would be something from Rockport, Ecco or Dansko Shoes for holiday wear and for the ladies who still want a bit of glamor, check out Beautifeel Shoes for comfort that does not compromise on style.

Admittedly the task of finding dual-purpose footwear is considerably easier for men, as the constraints of fashion have little effect on the basic form of men's footwear. For holidaying women however, there may need to be some compromise of high-glamor in favor of something a little more practical unless your holiday will only take you to the chicest boutique hotels, fine dining venues and night-life of somewhere like glamorous Monte Carlo or sophisticated London.

Cheap RyanAir flights

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:40:00 +0000

Once again, there is a short-time offer on flights as indicated on the MoneySavingExpert website. The deadline for taking advantage of this offer is midnight 30th July 2009, so you will have to move fast...
As ever these flights may well be subject to surcharges for paying by credit card, extra luggage and anything else you could be stung for... but they are what they are - if you are prepared for the 'downside' there is a massive 'upside'...
In short:
From?: 15 UK Airports.
To: 75 European destinations (e.g. Bologna, Rimini, Toulon).
Book By: Midnight Thurs 30 July.
Dates: September & October.
Cost: £1 all-in except baggage & booking fee.
Find them quick: FlightChecker (via Money Saving Expert)

Swine Flu border restrictions

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:13:00 +0000

The UK Travel Industry is becoming concerned about travellers being subject to 'vetting' from foreign officials and has asked the World Health authority to intervene. The UK is being seen worldwide as a high-risk Swine-Flu region and UK travellers are being screened and questioned (and in some cases unnecessarily detained). Not only that, but foreign travellers are being dissuaded from travelling to the UK. ABTA is making it clear that the World Health Authority are stating that 'vetting' travellers serves no purpose in the prevention of spreading Swine Flu.
The most sensitive area seems to be China, and many travellers are being put off from travelling in case they find themselves detained in quarantine.
It is hoped that people will not travel if they are obviously suffering from Swine Flu - apart from that, it is believed that treatment rather than prevention of the infection from spreading is the preferred approach.

Standing Room Only

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:31:00 +0000

In an attempt to keep RyanAir in the headlines, RyanAir boss Michael O'Leary has announced that his airline are considering removing seats to offer cheap or even free standing room tickets on some flights. They have reportedly asked Boeing about the logistics of providing 'vertical seating' in their ne fleet of aircraft.
Apparently the small privately-owned Chinese airline 'Spring' have already started the ball rolling by working out they could pack an extra 40 or 50% extra passengers into planes with standing room. Having only 13 planes, Spring have been looking at ways to carry more passengers with their existing fleet.
Airbus have apparently been talking to airlines about offering this option, but obviously there will be some stringent safety guidelines to be met.

£5 flights...

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:59:00 +0000

It is my duty to bring news of cheap flights and here is the latest offering:
For Journeys between 17th July and 29 March must book by midnight tonight! (2nd July) - note that dates of all school breaks and major sporting events are excluded - destinations include:

Aarhus - Belfast (City) - Berlin - Billun - Bournemouth - Bremen - Brussels (Charleroi) - Budapest T1 - Cork - Derry - Dublin - Dusseldorf (Weeze) - Edinburgh - Eindhoven - Frankfurt-Hahn - Glasgow (Prestwick) - Haugesund - Inverness - Karlsruhe-Baden - Kerry - Knock - Limoges - Marseille (MP2) - Milan (Bergamo) - Montpellier - Oslo (Torp) - Paris-Beauvais - Perpignan - Prague - Shannon - Stansted - Trieste - Toulon-Hyeres.

Thanks once again to the MoneySavingExpert for the heads-up
Visit the RyanAir site for the full details...

Massive discounts possible...

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:57:00 +0000

Travel firms may be forced to heavily discount their late bookings to clear 'stock' that has not been sold. Despite the downsizing of the available stock in an effort to avoid massive discounts, the travelling public have not been dipping into their savings to purchase holidays it seems.
With just a month to go before the schools break up, some retailers are reporting just 65% take up whereas 80% is the norm at this point. Many holiday makers are booking just three weeks in advance for 'late' deals whereas eight weeks has been the average in the past. There is anticipation that a price discounting war will ensue fairly shortly as retailers attempt to get rid of unsold stock ahead of their competitors.
Even if you have already decided not to take a holiday this Summer, you may be tempted back into the market, at least that is what the retailers are hoping for..

Running away to get married

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:56:00 +0000

For generations English folk have been running away to Scotland to get wed, mainly because of the relaxed Scottish marriage laws, but since rules about where couples can get married were relaxed there are some wedding venues in scotland more attractive even than Gretna Green where you can enjoy your big day.
There still remains a degree of romance in having your wedding in scotland and it is certainly a beautiful place to have a honeymoon away from the crowds of shoppers and sunseekers. Romantic and remote images are conjured up by images of the Highlands of Scotland, it's wind-swept shores and craggy purple-heathered scenery.
Hoscote House is the most complete wedding venue I have seen, with it's wild scenery, imposing house and fine estate. It can also serve as a self-catering accommodation for up to 33 people, so your wedding party can take all week if you want. Nowadays Scotland is not just a place for English runaways to get married without their parents permission, folk from all over the world are travelling to Scotland to get married in the most romatic of settings.

Selfish Rail Strikers

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:00:00 +0000

London Underground Rail Strikers attempted to make a point by calling a strike on a day when thousands of football fans would have been trying to make their way to Wembley to see England play Andorra in a World Cup qualifying match on Wednesday.
Despite talk about playing the game behind closed doors, the game went ahead as normal and 58,000 fans made it to Wembley. England players and manager Fabio Capello paid tribute to the fans who made the extra effort to cheer their team on to victory as England score six goals without reply.
Members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) returned to work at 7pm Thursday, and a fresh round of talks is expected in bid to avert further action. That will be little consolation to those who failed to make the game and one can't help feeling disppointed for any youngsters who may have missed out on their first trip to Wembley.

Off to Sunny Spain

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:17:00 +0000

Planning for Summer Holidays is upon us and as a holiday destination, Spain is still bound to be one of the most popular places visited by UK holidaymakers. Having been top of the favourite destination lists for decades, Spain still has plenty to offer in it's various resorts and Islands. A package holiday in a Hotel remains the most popular way to visit, but there is an up and coming holiday rental market for Villas in Spain offering a viable alternative to those who prefer a little more privacy.
A Spanish drive holiday will open up some of the wonders of Spain mostly left unexplored by generations of UK tourists. Most visitors would opt to hire a car for this type of Holiday, yet it would be entirely feasible to travel through France and bring your own car to Spain over a few days or even catch a car ferry to Bilbao.
Whether you opt for traditional resorts such as Costa del Sol or Rent a holiday villa in Tenerife, or The Canaries, Majorca, Costa del Almeria... Spain is geared up for your holiday needs, guaranteed sunshine and fabulous food come as standard. If you venture outside your complex, with a little Tourist information you can also find culture and fabulous scenery to match the beautiful beaches that Spain is famous for.

Home exchange remains popular

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:10:00 +0000

In these troubled financial times, home exchange schemes remain a popular choice amongst holiday makers looking for a way to get a great holiday for a bargain. This type of holiday would not suit everyone, but if your home is in a good location and in a good state of repair, then signing up with a home exchange scheme could be very beneficial.
'Invented City' home exchange scheme is one such service provider who have just announced that they have 1000 homes in the UK waiting to exchange with other home-owners, and over 2000 homes worldwide in places as diverse as Italy, Netherlands, Spain and USA amongst others. Currently 'Invented City' are offering a two year membership for the cost of one.
Home exchanges offer many advantages over conventional holidays, such as the fact that you will usually be staying in a community rather than in holiday accommodation. Of course the other side of the deal is that you have to open your home to 'strangers', but they are hardly going to trash your house if you are staying in theirs...

Monarch employees could walk out

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Sun, 24 May 2009 07:52:00 +0000

A ballot has been set for July for Monarch employees to decide whether to strike, a strike that could have a serious impact on British holiday makers and an already tightly squeezed holiday industry..
Monarch employees are happy to defer a payrise until next year, but are asking for a lump sum payment, cabin crew are also looking for an extra allowance in line with pilots. Unions say that the requests are reasonable and take into account the difficult time that the travel industry is facing in the current economic climate.
Thousands of UK holiday-makers could be left stranded at airports across the country, including Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Luton and Dublin if the 600 staff vote for industrial action.
Monarch maintain that currently, the company cannot possibly consider extra outlay on employees, but talks continue to attempt to avert what could prove to be a crippling strike taking place. Management state: "Monarch senior management continues to work with the cabin crew trade union to resolve this matter as quickly as possible in the interests of its customers and all other employees."

Let's get the tent out...

noreply@blogger.com (LiVEWYRE) — Sat, 23 May 2009 09:13:00 +0000

At this time of year our thoughts turn to the great outdoors as the weather starts to look like camping is more of a realistic option and less of a pursuit for madmen...
Now it is a well established fact in my mind that US clothing manufacturers make some of the best outdoor gear available, and have made several purchases from US manufacturers in the past. One of the elite outdoor clothing sites I have come across is the 'LA Police Gear' site which has every possible item you could need along with quite a lot that you wouldn't.. for instance, you probably shouldn't be considering the Blackhawk Holsters if you are a UK citizen as taking a hand-gun on a camping trip would be considered a little extreme in Britain.. However, this accentuates the fact that LA Police Gear is a serious site with some serious bits of kit on offer, prices are keen are there are always some great bargains to be had.