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Summer has arrived!

I'm not talking literally of course — just figuratively — and wearing my travel agent hat! Easter has always traditionally represented the start of the summer season as this is when tour operator summer charter programmes begin and winter charter series end. It is also then an appropriate time to remind people of the kinds of things that they need to think of/prepare for, before setting out on their overseas travels. What follows is a

What’s the difference between a published and a consolidated fare?

Consumers mistakenly assume that the Internet is the sole repository of  all things cheap! This myth continues to perpetuate itself partly because travel agents have never been particularly good about telling their own story and letting people know the alternative sources that they (the agents) have access to. A perfect example of this is consolidator fares. Many of the air fares that are displayed in the booking engines of countless travel web sites throughout the world generally fall into

Fancy travelling business class?

Travelling business class is one of those experiences that most of us rarely get to enjoy — unless of course you're a corporate hotshot or you're loaded. You'll be delighted therefore to note that SAS airlines are currently running with a promotion that is offering roundtrip business class fares to various points in Scandinavia for as little as €296, including taxes. Travel must be undertaken between April 26th and September 2nd of this year. Like

Comparing like with like!

One of the most common mistakes that we often find people making when planning their overseas trips is the tendency to compare the cost of one itinerary against that of another without factoring in all the other components that ultimately add to the overall cost of such travel plans. In other words, people have a tendency to just compare the 'packaged' price of competing holiday offers instead of looking at everything 'in the round'. Cruising would be

40 is a nice round number

Everyone has heard of the 80:20 rule but have you heard about the 40:20 one ?  OK, I'm teasing a bit but I just thought that it would be a nice way to introduce a bit of good news for all you 'Mickey Mouse' fans out there! Disneyland Paris is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2012 and as part of those celebrations (which, incidentally, are going to last for about 12 months) they are offering

Move out of your comfort zone

The world is a big place. We know that we're stating the obvious here but it's worth mentioning if only because we find that most people tend to return to the same places year after year. Nothing wrong with that at all, particularly if those places are ticking all the boxes in terms of cost, convenience, friendliness, value for money, accessibility etc. It's a shame though that more people don't push the proverbial boat out

You never need travel insurance — until you need travel insurance!

It could happen to you! A mishap that is. You could fall and hurt yourself. You could drop your camera and break it. You could be robbed. You might even have to cancel your holiday due to some unforeseen development. It's for reasons such as these that people really need to protect themselves against by taking out travel insurance. Surprisingly though, a lot of travellers nowadays still travel abroad without any insurance cover whatsoever and that really

Value for money is more important than getting the cheapest deal.

Now that we are all economically challenged, there is an understandable tendency to look out for the cheapest deals or packages in order to make our scarce euros go further but this is a mistake. Looking out for value-for-money deals is much more important in terms of getting more 'bang for your buck' and one of the consistently best sources of value-for-money deals is in cruising. Don't be put off by outmoded perceptions that cruising

Avoid making the classic mistakes!

Here's a simple rule of thumb that you should always bear in mind when planning your next trip abroad. If you're planning to travel using a scheduled airline (even low cost ones such as Ryanair, Easyjet etc.), always book your flights as far in advance of your date of departure as possible as the prices increases the nearer you get to your travel date. The reverse is true when it comes to charter services. The

Istanbul — Here I come!

I'm off to Istanbul tomorrow. Never been. Previously known as Constantinople and Bysantium, Istanbul has got to represent one of the greatest concentrations of antiquities and past civilizations in the whole world. I'm only staying for three days and am there for business so it won't all be sightseeing but I'll try and pack in as much as I can and keep you informed. I can't say that I know a whole lot about Turkish

Cruise Bargains

Cruising represents some of the best — if not the best — value for money around and it is doubly good at the moment, following the recent tragedy that befell the Costa Concordia. Cruise bookings, not unexpectedly,  took a dip right across the board with all the major cruise lines suffering a considerable reduction in sales during the traditional peak booking season. Consequently, you can expect some great offers form many of them. Straight out of the

Hanmer Springs

My second last night in New Zealand and I’m spending it in the small town (most towns on the south island are small towns) of Hanmer Springs famous for — yes, you’ve guessed it — its hot springs. As coincidence (or bad luck) would have it, my back finally gave out on me yesterday. It’s been at me for a few days now and I’ve suffered from it for almost thirty years. No doubt due

The art of getting a quote that is both competitive in price and relevant to your needs starts with gathering all the right information about what you want to do (or think you want to do!).

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