Posts Tagged ‘Accommodation’

For peace of mind and financial protection on your holidays, many people look to bigger brand names, mistakenly thinking them to be better because of their brand alone. We examine travel protection from the main brands in greater depth.

Financial and Holiday Protection

”ATOL protected”. You hear it at the end of radio ads; you see it in the copy on flyers and in newspapers. It’s a brand name, and it could be argued that it is the best around because it has such successful and almost infectious marketing. However, there are other companies providing travel protection. We take a look at the various travel protection brands and to see which is the best for you…

What does ATOL and ABTA protected mean?

ATOL and ABTA (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing and the Association of British Travel Agents) are possibly the most well known names in financial travel protection. But what exactly does each offer?

ATOL is based upon a license granted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), an organisation founded by the government to regulate airlines and tour operators who sell package holidays which include a flight. You are NOT covered by ATOL if your airline fails and you had booked directly with the airline. Protection IS offered if you booked your flight through an agent or tour operator, but you are advised to confirm this at the time of booking. Furthermore if you booked a holiday through a tour operator that does not involve flights (e.g. you chose to travel by ferry, rail or coach etc…) this will NOT be protected by ATOL.

ABTA tour operators provide financial protection for the majority of situations. However they do not have to provide protection when only a single element is booked, e.g. ‘accommodation only’. In this case it is left at the individual operator’s discretion. Because of this, ABTA affiliation does not mean ‘complete protection’. ABTA travel agents offer financial protection against their own failure but do not guarantee protection against all the land arrangements that they sell.

What is AiTO travel protection?

The Association of Independent Tour Operators, or AiTO, is an organisation of specialist independent operators which also offer holiday protection. AiTO has its own financial protection scheme for travel customers, and ensures that any holiday booked through an AiTO tour operator is 100% protected.

AiTO travel protection ensures that should one of its tour operators go out of business for any reason at all, its customers are covered. One of two things will happen; depending on the dates involved, customers will either get a full refund, or they will still be able to go on their holiday.

Some holidays that are ABTA or ATOL protected can be on cheap flights and last minute deals. Is AiTO the same?

Many holidays booked online with no-frills airlines may not be ATOL or ABTA protected. As AiTO is made up of bonded tour operators, customers are covered as soon as they book with AiTO members. Many AiTO members can book no frills carriers meaning the flight is covered as well. In this situation customers won’t be stranded either at home or abroad if the airline goes under; as long as they have booked their holiday through an AiTO operator, they will be covered.

If youre planning a holiday to the UK, looking for hotels and accommodation in Britain, or simply after UK travel, attractions or events information, VisitBritain.com has everything you need to know.

Many types of catered holidays can help you enjoy your time off, be together with your family, and have a wonderful time. Catered skiing holidays can be great fun for you and your loved ones. However, when you are going on catered skiing holidays, there are several things that you must plan for ahead of time. These things include flights to get you to your destination, the accommodation that you choose to stay in when you are there, and transportation such as rail services and car hire services. All these things are important items to consider as you begin planning your skiing holidays.

Choosing A Destination

The first thing to remember when you are planning skiing holidays is the importance of the destination. There are many great ski slopes all over Europe, and lots of these places offer anywhere from a weekend to a week or more of skiing fun. Many resorts provide skiing holidays in mountain areas that are some of the most beautiful in the world. However, there are several questions that you need to ask before you choose the best place for your skiing holidays.

The first things you need to focus on while choosing skiing holidays are how long you are going to be there, the number of people who are going, and their ages. These are probably the most important factors in deciding where to take your skiing holidays. The length of your skiing holiday will have a lot to do with the destination that you choose. If you are only going for the weekend or a couple of days, you can find a remote and beautiful place to go to for your skiing holiday. If your trip is short, your focus will be on skiing, and it won’t matter if there are not very many amenities or family things to do. The other attractions that might be in the area won’t be as important as the family ski resort itself. You want to choose a ski resort that will allow you to do as much skiing as possible in the short time you have for your holiday.

If your skiing holiday is going to be longer than a few days, the location and amenities of the place that you choose for these skiing holidays are both very important. When you are going to take a ski holiday that lasts longer than just a few days, the other things that you can find to do become much more vital to you. For a long trip, you will need other things to do, no matter how much you love skiing. You will need to make sure that you choose skiing holidays at places that have restaurants, shopping districts, entertainment, and other activities. These will allow you to take a break from skiing, and make your skiing holidays more enjoyable overall.

The ages of the people going on your skiing holidays are also very important. If you are going on skiing holidays with your children, you need to choose places that have ski lessons for children, and fun activities for them as well. With your children along, you also want to research the safety of the ski resort even more thoroughly than you otherwise would. Remember again, that with children, you are going to want to pick your skiing holiday locations where there are lots of things for them to do besides skiing.

Getting There

Once you have chosen a place for your skiing holidays, you have to decide on the best way to get there. The travelling that is involved often costs more than the actual skiing. However, there are many deals on flights and packages to various destinations for skiing holidays, if you know where to look. If you can save money on airline flights, you will have more money to spend on your skiing holidays.

The accommodation that you choose is also an important part of planning family skiing holidays. Whether you stay on the actual site of the family resort, or somewhere near the slopes, you want to be able to get there easily each day to ski. Remember, if you are staying at the place where you are skiing, it might be more expensive. However, your ski slope fees will usually be included. If you find an accommodation that is much cheaper than the resort, but where skiing is nearby, you might find this to be less expensive, but you probably will have to pay for the ski slope fees.

There are other things to consider as you plan your skiing holidays. Things like rail services that can get you to your destination, and whether or not you want to do a car hire are all decisions that you have to make before you leave on your trip. You will find that if you take the time to plan your skiing holidays before you go, you will be able to relax and enjoy them much more.

We had only been back a few days from our trip to 8. Europe when Louise said she thought we might go to New Zealand next Christmas. It was then I knew the travel bug had bitten. All we needed was a golden egg-laying goose and we’d be right. Fortunately for us one came along and I know it’s like finding a needle in a haystack for people with disabilities to be tripping over such a windfall, however we were lucky. But enough of multiple metaphors; New Zealand was great! Before we went, we asked people who had been where we should go. Nearly all replied, “Everywhere’s good”. Not much help, we thought. Now we know they were right!

There are many reasons why an Australian disabled tourist should go to New Zealand. For a start, they speak English (well sort of. I had almost perfected my Kiwi accent, but the rest of the family forbade me ‘prectising’ in the car). This makes communication and understanding of our needs so much easier.
New Zealand is so close to Australia, only 3 hours on the plane, and so much cheaper than Europe. Even in their High Season car hire, accommodation and tourist attractions were much cheaper than Europe in the middle of Winter. Although food and petrol were dearer than Australia, they were still quite a bit cheaper than Europe too.

Like Tasmania here there’s lots to see and do in a small area. Unlike the rest of Australia, you don’t have to drive for hundreds of kilometers between big ‘tourist spots’ (in New Zealand everywhere’s a tourist spot!) And it really is true that most New Zealanders are tremendously friendly and helpful.

Things for me seemed a bit harder than Europe in some ways; but that was because with chronic progressive MS things get worse and it was a year later. Louise was right though; it’s a good idea to try these things while you still can.
Before You Go It’s important for anyone to get organized for a trip overseas, but when you’ve got a disability it’s essential!

Here’s some tips:

1. Make sure you take plenty of any medication you may need. Never try to buy it overseas. It will be enormously expensive, or may not be available. Get a covering letter from your doctor and make sure the airline is aware. Needles are OK in the hold, but if you need to take them as cabin luggage, you’ll need to make special arrangements.

2. If you suffer from incontinence, for men I’d strongly recommend wearing a leg bag as it takes away a lot of the pressure of trying to find a toilet in time.
3. You also need to choose a good airline and inform them of your special needs. We’ve tried some cut-price airlines and a few wobbly luggage hoists and tarmac steps later I can tell you it ain’t worth it! Contact the airline well ahead to arrange seating. We found the best place was up the very back, right near the toilets.

4. Almost all airlines will take your wheelchair for free (that includes electric ones). You’ll need to arrive at check-in a bit earlier to book it in and to get a wheelchair for use at the airport. Ask for a staff member to help you through to the plane. This has the added advantage of giving you quick checking through customs. You’ll be put in an “aisle chair”, which is a wheelchair narrow enough to get you down to your seat on the plane and you’ll get taken to your seat first.

Unfortunately this also means that you’ll be last to get off, but don’t worry; with the VIP service through customs you’ll be first at the luggage carousel! And ask for staff help all the way through as it will make things much easier and quicker.

5. When traveling if you are disabled, it’s very important to book ahead. Unfortunately your days of just dropping into a town and grabbing somewhere to stay on the spur of the moment are over. We started booking accommodation almost a year prior and the internet is a wonderful (and cheap) tool for this. Don’t rely on those ‘wheelchair friendly’ symbols because sometimes they’ve been put there for no apparent reason.

Contact the owners directly by e-mail and check on steps, space inside rooms, doorway width, safety rails, bathroom configuration and accessibility generally. (In fact, I could write a book on motel rooms-I have quite a list of practical suggestions for improving them for disabled travellers!) In general, I found it’s better to exaggerate rather than downplay your level of disability. That way you’re less likely to end up somewhere unsuitable.

6. You’ll want travel insurance; if only to cover any medical emergencies. We had to pay a little more to cover my “pre-existing condition”, but it wasn’t at all hard to get. Most insurance companies will be happy to cover for everything apart from your illness!

7. I bought a lightweight partially collapsible electric wheelchair especially for the trip. Luckily I bought it early enough ahead to iron out a few teething problems and to get used to using it (at the expense of our house, which has been gradually destroyed by my earlier miscalculations).

8. Louise began cursing the wheelchair early in our trip as its rather small battery began running out of charge and I had to keep finding power points and wait for a re-charge. In future we’ve decided to just take the manual wheelchair overseas. It’s a lot less bulky and if you’ve got someone to push, they’ll appreciate the exercise!

9. Don’t forget your disabled parking pass, if you’ve got one. We tried to organise an NZ pass before we left, through CCS, but it didn’t eventuate. So we just used our Australian sticker and had no problems at all. In fact in New Zealand you’re very unlikely to encounter parking problems even in the peak tourist season.

10. And don’t be afraid to say you could do with help. It’s taken me a while to work this out, but most places are set up to cater for disabled people and are only too happy to help if given notice. You might be pleasantly surprised and even find yourself at the front of the queue for once!

With the Christmas Break and New Year nearly upon us the busy holiday booking period of January and February for Easter and summer holiday breaks is just around the corner. When people start returning back to work after their time off and with the gloom of the January weather and dark mornings and nights and nothing to look forward to for months they start to look and book their family Easter and summer holidays as this gives families something to look forward too. This is the time to start looking for your holiday accommodation and booking earlier as it is surprising how quick places get booked up especially cottages and caravan parks in the UK’s national parks and seaside resorts.

By booking as early as possible you usually get a better deal when staying in the UK and you get a better choice to book from. The myth of booking at the last minute to get a late deal is in most cases wrong and more applies to travelling abroad.

We at www.ukholidayplaces.co.uk highly recommend hiring your cottage for the Easter break and summer holidays in the first couple of weeks in January as you will find most of the big letting agencies have special offers running and the majority of cottages for hire are still available, but this soon changes.

Last year the end of January and February were very busy for bookings and some of our customers were amazed by how many cottages had already been booked for Easter and all of the summer peak holiday weeks. This meant that the cottage that they really wanted to stay at was already gone and they had to find second/third best. Unlike hotels, B&B’s and caravans there really isn’t many cottages in the national parks and with everyone wanting to stay within the national park rather than the outskirts you have to get in quick.

As stated in the previous paragraph caravans aren’t booked up as quickly as cottages and there is more of them due to the size of some of the big holiday parks at the popular seaside resorts along Englands coastline but booking early usually means a saving and a lower initial deposit (sometimes as low as twenty five pounds) and longer periods between staged payments making it easier to pay for your holiday break.

Although the country is in hard times the amount of caravans and lodges booked last year was high as they offer families very cost effective holiday breaks as the once you have paid for the accommodation travel, entertainment and days out costs are low especially at the top holiday parks as they have excellent onsite facilities and entertainment that are usually included in the price but we do recommend checking what is included during the booking period.

The best time to travel is in the holidays, right? Not if you want to make big savings on your traveling costs it’s not. If you travel in off peak (or low season) periods, or even in the shoulder season, you’ll find traveling costs a lot less.

Where are you traveling? Do you know the peak travel times for this destination? Summer and spring, no matter where you are, are generally considered the peak seasons to travel, unless you are a winter sports enthusiast. In that case, ski resorts will be having their peak season in winter. And what hemisphere are you thinking of visiting? The seasons differ depending on whether you are north or south. For example, the North America summer months are June, July, August but in Australia the summer months are December, January and February. You will need to research your destination to find out the low season times to visit.

First of all, what type of savings can you expect to make if you travel in the off-peak season? 

1. Air fares are much cheaper. There are less people wanting to fly so air carriers drop their prices to attract customers. Take advantage of these great savings. If you are traveling in the high season, see if you can book a flight mid-week. These flights are generally cheaper too.

2. Accommodation is cheaper and more readily available. In high season it can be difficult to find a place to stay in popular tourist destinations and when you do find somewhere it can be up to twice as much as when traveling in the off peak.

3. Eating in restaurants can be cheaper too. Owners will be trying to attract patrons so see what sort of deals you can find when eating out.

There are some other positives to traveling in the off peak season, other than saving money. There are fewer tourists for one, so visiting any cultural sight will be much more enjoyable. You can get more of an idea of what a destination is really like without the thousands of extra people. Experiencing the true culture is a real bonus. Did you know that opera season is in full swing in Europe in winter? Or that winter in Australia is often the best time to visit places in the north when the humidity and heat are bearable. Or how about visiting the best holiday markets in Germany in December? Do some research to find out what your chosen destination can offer in off peak, ones that you won’t experience in high season travel times.

So what are the negatives of traveling in the off peak? Well there are a few, but if you plan well you can overcome most drawbacks. Off peak usually means traveling in colder weather and that also means less daylight hours. Pack wisely and remember to dress in layers for the cold weather. Some tourist places close earlier or do not open at all in the off peak, so check up before you go so you are not disappointed. You will also find that in some areas the public transport system does not run as often as in peak tourist season. Find out what options you have to get to places and don’t be caught out missing the last bus home in the middle of winter, in the middle of nowhere! Some hotels and museums close down for the winter to re-furbish and get ready for the next high season influx of tourists. You can gamble and bargain your way to a great accommodation deal once you get to your destination, but all your bartering skills will be of no use if the hotels are all closed. It’s best to check what’s open before you go.

If traveling in the off-peak doesn’t sound attractive to you, then you might like to try the shoulder season and still get some travel price reductions. The shoulder season is considered the period leading up to and away from the high season. Usually in this time you’ll get decent weather, less crowds and lower travel costs – not the great bargains you’ll get in off peak, but lower costs nonetheless.

This article is brought to you by: Stuart S. Travel – Your Online Travel Guru

www.stuartstravel.com

Kobus Tait from Forever Resorts speaks to AA travel Guides

The growth of skiing holidays has led to a rise in the number of holiday apartments that can be selected on the internet. There are some great holiday apartments in most of the ski resorts around the world.

Many families now stay in holiday apartments when going on skiing holidays. In the past accommodation was very expensive on skiing holidays and many people were not able to afford it. In recent years there has been a tremendous growth in the number of holiday apartments in skiing resorts. They have now opened up skiing holidays to a whole new market place that could not afford skiing before.

Staying in an apartment on a skiing holiday can be great fun. You can ski during the day and at night sample the local night life. The apartment can act as a base to explore the local area and you can choose to eat what you like when you like. Most ski resorts now open up during the summer months and the holiday apartments can make for a very cheap holiday. There is still plenty to do with stunning scenery, long mountain walks and breathtaking views.

By using the internet you are able to find some great holiday apartments around the world. It possible to find apartments with direct holiday bookings. By selecting your holiday apartment on line, you are able to compare it with the other holiday apartments available to stay in. This will enable you to get the best possible value holiday apartment to stay in during your holidays.

By looking for a holiday apartment on line will also allow you to see exactly what you are going to be staying in. You will be able to view pictures of your holiday apartment and also see what facilities you will be provided with during your stay in the apartment during your holiday. It is also a convenient way of checking out the area that you will be staying in and you will have some idea about what shops and restaurants are near to your holiday apartment.

Holiday apartments are a great form of accommodation during your vacations. There is a tremendous choice of apartments to choose from to stay in during your holidays. It does not matter if you want a cheap holiday or are prepared to stretch your budget as there are holiday apartments to suite all needs and price ranges.

When staying in a holiday apartment on a skiing holiday you can choose to eat out at the local restaurants or cook back in your holiday apartment. The good thing about a holiday apartment is that it gives you the freedom to do what you want, when you want on a holiday.

Staying in a holiday apartment is a great way to spend your vacations. There are holiday apartments by the sea, in the city centres and even by the ski slopes. There are one bedroom holiday apartments with sofa beds all the way through to large luxurious penthouse holiday apartments. People of all ages with different needs and requirements now stay in holiday apartments all over the world. It is no wonder that staying in a holiday apartment is now such a popular kind of holiday.

Hotels in Canada provide everything that is required by travelers to feel at ease. Moreover, all the requirements which a traveler can expect during his travel to the country can be expected from various luxury hotels in Canada which are known for offering fantastic range of luxury accommodation facilities. Canada hotels are meant for all class of travelers and offer accommodation facilities according to the ability of traveler and his pocket.

Tourist Attractions in Canada

Travel attractions in Canada which are not only astoundingly beautiful but mesmerizing also include Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ottawa, Regina, St John’s, Tofino, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, Winnipeg, Yoho National Park, etc. Additionally, some other tourist attractions in Canada such as Cape Breton Island, Charlottetown, Churchill, Gros Morne National Park, Halifax, Jasper National Park, Kelowna, Kootenay National Park, Moncton, Mont Tremblant Provincial Park and many others are renowned around the world.

Canada Hotels

Whereas hotels in Canada offer wonderful accommodation services to travelers, these hotels also meet the specific requirements of travelers. All travelers may not be in luxury class and not necessarily can stay in luxury hotels in Canada, therefore, understanding the fact, hotels in Canada offer budget accommodation to travelers. All major cities and travel destinations in Canada have a selection of hotels ranging from three-star budget establishments, to more upscale, luxury hotels in Canada.

How to get a hotel in Canada

Canada hotels are in hi-tech league and have ultra-modern facilities in terms of booking a room. All major hotels in Canada offer online hotels booking and travelers can book a room depending upon the itinerary. Several luxury hotels in Canada including of landmark Fairmont Royal York hotel, the Four Seasons Toronto and the Park Hyatt Toronto hotel are quite popular in the city of Toronto which is one of the most exciting place on the earth.

Vancouver in Canada is a city which is known for vacation holidays. Located amidst lush and green meadows, Vancouver has moderate winters and travelers enjoy it most in the city. It is a perfect holiday place for the reason that there are abundance of recreational and outdoor parks and a plethora of tourist attractions in the city. Some popular luxury hotels in Canada and in the city of Vancouver include the Loden Vancouver Hotel and the Hyatt Regency, etc.

Hotels in Canada in Ottawa

The capital city of Canada, Ottawa has numerous hotels which accommodate travelers from around the world. Some two star hotels in Canada at Ottawa including of Travelodge Ottawa East, Days Inn – Ottawa Airport, Cartier Place Suite Hotel, Ottawa, Travelodge Ottawa Downtown, Extended Stay Deluxe Ottawa – Downtown and Comfort Inn Downtown, etc. are quite popular among travelers who have a shoe string budget and have less to spend on accommodation.

Moreover, some luxury hotels in Canada at Ottawa such as Embassy Hotel and Suites, Welcominns Hotel Ottawa, Lord Elgin, Crowne Plaza Hotel Ottawa, Hampton Inn Ottawa, Ontario, Southway Inn Of Ottawa, Brookstreet, Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Ottawa-downtown, Les Suites Hotel Ottawa, etc. provide big rooms and additional facilities to travelers. Though, luxury hotels in Canada at Ottawa are expensive, the money spent is justified by the facilities offered by the hotels in Canada.

Ever wondered what would happen if you were unable to go to a vacation that you had already booked for? This is why you need travel insurance to avoid the inconvenience of not having to go for your planed trip. A lot of stuffs can make you miss your trip like you can get sick.

It’s never a good idea to buy cheap travel insurance when you get to the airport on your way to your travel destination. You may end up finding yourself in a foreign hospital with no medical travel insurance. Getting this insurance early has its many advantages.

When for instance you go to the airport and then your flight gets delayed for sometimes or canceled the insurance will provide for your accommodation. If you do not have any insurance then this can mean problems to you.

If you end up losing your luggage when traveling and you have this insurance then you will not have to worry. You will get compensated for any loss but if you don’t have any insurance then you are on your on.

Incase of any car accident this insurance will help you settle all the payments that arises. This will include doing repairs to the car you use. And if you are in a foreign country and you end up losing your money this insurance will take care of all your financial needs. It will also cover you for any medical bills for example if you fall sick or suffer an accident.

www.directholidaybookings.co.uk is the ideal way to select self catering rental holiday accommodation online. There are thousands of holiday villas to rent as holiday accommodation from Direct Holiday Bookings.

One of the most essential things about touring is that one must have an information about the highlights of the place one wants to visit. It is essential, for in the absense of such knowledge there is every possibility that one might miss out on some of the most happening spots of a particular place. It is for this very purpose that it is advised that people who go on voyage to different countries go armed with travel guides so that they have information about everything of the place they have gone to.

This not only includes information about the highlights of the place but travel guides also about the availability of transport to ferry people there. It also gives information about some exclusive things that are found there. Things like sweets, fruits, cloths or cuisine. If a place is famous for all these or anyone and one go and don’t enjoy all or either of these, then one can be rest assured that the pains that one took to go there will go waste.

It is, therefore, in the best interest of people that they plan their outing after carefully going through the travel guides. These guides also guide people about the time which is most favourable to visit which place. It also guides one about the accommodation facility available there and the rates at which they can be availed. In nutshell, it must be understood that travel guides are something absolutely essential for people who plan to visit any place.

People must take precautions while purchasing travel guide. First of all it is absolutely essential that people buy the latest published guides as the older version might have become obsolete. Then one should also know that one does not compromise on the price while purchasing travel guides. Remember it is on these guides that hinges the success of your tour. It is essential, therefore, that they are not given a cold shoulder.

www.directholidaybookings.co.uk offers great advice on renting holiday accommodation around the world. Direct Holiday Bookings have thousands of rental homes to rent as holiday accommodation.

www.directholidaybookings.co.uk is a great way to see wildlife when staying in holiday accommodation. Direct Holiday Bookings has a massive range of holiday accommodation to rent as rental holiday homes.

www.directholidaybookings.co.uk is a good way to select holiday accommodation. For people going on holiday and wanting to book holiday accommodation Direct Holiday Bookings is the place to look.

With the summer 2007 now firmly behind us, the time is near when vacationers throughout the world will start to look forward to their next vacation. For the lucky ones, Christmas will be an opportunity to travel to holiday destination and whilst hotels may usually be the first option in people’s mind when thinking about a place to live when traveling, wise travelers have known about holiday apartments for a while now. This is particularly true if you are vacationing with your family and looking to get the best holiday deals.

Holiday apartments offer an ideal alternative to hotel accommodation on a whole range of different levels, be it size, price and other considerations. And whilst hotels usually boast room and other personalized services to their customers, vacation suites and apartments are now competing with that as well.

Private owners often use the holiday rental market to monetize a second or third home, and have traditionally used the services of a letting agency to find customers, take payment and sometimes even take over full management of the said properties.

In the past 15 years, large houses in European cities such London have been converted into apartments (flats) for the purpose of being rented to tourists and travelers on short term basis. These types of properties directly compete with hotels in that they provide a reception for check-ins and check-outs and varying degrees of concierge services.

Hotels, having realized the potential loss of revenue generated by the rental of holiday apartments have now begun to offer furnished hotel suites, which combine the amenities of a home with the services of a hotel. This option is perhaps the most costly of all three types of vacation apartment’s rentals.

If you are looking for more space in which to stretch your tired legs after a day’s walking through the streets of London or other cities throughout the world, apartments are an ideal alternative to hotels.

In addition to space, though, the savings are what make holiday apartments so worthy of your consideration for your next travel or vacation trip.