Greece has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently. In this guest post, EFL teacher and travel blogger Rebecca Hall reveals how this beautiful country is still full of life.

“Pame!” I look up from my chocolate croissant and fresh orange, eaten on the balcony of my bedroom, to try and locate the source of the call.

“Pame” means ‘come’ in Greek.  It must be a shepherd as the early morning stillness is interrupted by the jangling of goats’ bells obeying their master’s instructions.  I can hear, but not see them on the hill opposite – it’s too densely covered in pine trees.

Ithaca, from Athens, is an 8 hour journey by bus and ferry via Kefalonia.  Both are incredibly green.  I was debating whether to bother with this Ionian island or go to an island nearer my adopted hometown of Athens: Poros, Aegina or Agastri.  Yet I wanted to be inspired to write, and if Lord Byron could be inspired to wax lyrically by Ithaca and her beauty, why not me? (more…)

Zoë Dawes – aka The Quirky Traveller – is a travel writer.  She was recently voted Britain’s Best Travel Blogger and her website www.thequirkytraveller.com was voted in the Top 10 Inspiring Travel Websites 2010. We asked Zoë to give us a few ideas for brilliant places to visit. We never guessed that it would be good old Blighty that would take the top spot. But there it is. And Zoë really does know what she’s talking about.

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Multiple Sclerosis (MS) affects each of its 85,000 UK patients differently. Some experience chronic symptoms. Others less so. But it remains a serious, life-changing disease. The result is that travellers who have the condition can sometimes have difficulties getting travel cover for the price they had hoped. We offer a fairer deal.

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Where were you this time last year?

Not in the air, presumably. Last April, the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud paralysed air travel, leaving many thousands of travellers across Europe and beyond stranded. The unprecedented nature of the event, together with the widespread chaos it wrought, meant that many travellers were eager to seek compensation but were unsure of how to get it, where to get it and what their travel insurance policy entitled them to.

That led to disputes.

Now, it’s important that we get one thing clear right away. Many travel insurers have settled disputes with their customers by offering good will payments. Others simply accepted straight away that their customers were entitled to compensation. (Like us. We offered no quibble payouts to our affected customers twelve months ago.) Yet one year on, even though it has long since vanished from the skies, the ash cloud continues to disrupt some travellers who have locked horns with their insurers over compensation.

A recent ruling from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), however, could help to bring those disputes to an end. And it’s good news for travellers.

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Portugal. It’s a beautiful country, famed for its easy-going lifestyle, great beaches and even better weather. But it won’t have escaped your attention that Portugal’s economy is in big trouble.

The European Union are negotiating the terms of a rescue package after receiving a formal request from Portugal for aid last Thursday (7^th April). They follow in the footsteps of Ireland and Greece, who were both given emergency financial assistance at the end of 2010. But how will Portugal’s economic difficulties affect Brits travelling to the country?

Well, it might be good news if you’re after a bargain break.

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The north coast by train.

For many travellers, the key to a good trip is to really get immersed in the local culture. When it comes to the north of Spain, one of the best ways to do that is to travel the coast along the FEVE, the narrow-gauge railway system that connects the towns and cities of what is unquestionably one of Europe’s most beautiful coastlines. It’s a backpacker’s delight. But you don’t have to miss out on the luxuries if you don’t want to. This May will see the launch of a new season of services aboard El Transcantábrico, one of the world’s most luxurious trains.

So, are you ready for the trip of a lifetime?

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Airlines are bracing themselves for disruption after news that Spanish Airport Authority, Aena, are planning a series of summer strikes. Aena are state-owned and control many of Spain’s key airports.

Union syndicates have confirmed that Aena are planning to strike on a number of dates between April and August (see below for full details). Airport staff are taking the action in protest against government plans to sell off parts of the company.

But what does it mean for your travel insurance?

Well, it depends on when you took out your policy. News of the strikes was announced in the Spanish press on Tuesday night (8^th March). More importantly, the UK media has been aware of the news since 8.40am yesterday morning (9^th March). Any travellers whose policy was purchased after 8.40am on 9^th March will not be covered for the strikes on the dates shown above. But those who purchased their policies before this time will be covered as per the policy wording under the sections for Travel Delay/Abandonment and Missed Departure.

Also, remember that if you do get caught up in the strikes it is the legal obligation of your airline to offer alternative flights as well as compensation for additional accommodation and sundries. Therefore, these elements will not be covered under your policy.

If you’re worried about the industrial action in Spain, keep an eye on our blog. We’ll bring you the latest news as it develops. And if you have any questions, call our support team on 0845 90 80 161.

Strike dates:

April:
20^th, 21^st, 24^th, 25^th and 30^th

May:
2^nd, 14^th, 15^th, 19^th and 20^th

June:
13^th, 23^rd and 30^th

July:
1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 15^th and 31^st

August:
1^st, 15^th and 31^st

And where to find the perfect insurance policy for holidaying at home.

Fine dining, golden-sanded beaches, picture-postcard coastal scenery, pastoral countryside, world-famous cities and a vast choice of accommodation; there’s one place that has it all. And it’s right on your doorstep.

Yes, more and more of us are deciding to take our holidays at home in good ol’ Blighty. With purse-strings being tightened at every turn and the cost of foreign holidays continuing to spiral, people are waking up to the fact that giving up on foreign travels doesn’t have to mean going without your annual getaway. For many the UK will do just fine, thanks very much.

There’s no need to buy travel insurance either, right? Well, kind of. But consider what might happen if you had to cancel a booking at your dream cottage in the Cotswolds at the last minute. You could be left substantially out of pocket. Fortunately there’s a policy that’s absolutely perfect for UK holidays.

And you can find out more below.

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Yesterday, 4^th January 2011, VAT went up from 17.5% to 20%. It means that everything, from petrol to pyjamas, will become just that little bit more expensive. The same goes for Insurance Premium Tax, in case you hadn’t heard. Like VAT it has gone up from 17.5% to 20% for holiday and travel insurance premiums, which will be a blow to people hoping for a little low cost sunshine or snow this spring.

But not for World First Travel Insurance customers. World First have announced that they are waiving the increase and passing the savings back to you until the end of January. So that means you’ll get the same great value cover at last year’s prices but without having to compromise your trip away by travelling with inadequte or no travel insurance cover.

 Of course if you’ve yet to plan your trip away you can still benefit by taking the opportunity to buy cheap annual travel insurance that will cover you fro the next 12 months. If you take more than one trip abroad this year it could end up saving you a small fortune. And let’s not forget about the savings you could make if you suffer from a medical condition and require medical travel insurance. World First cover thousands of conditions and offer screening online for people up to the age of 100.

 So why wait? Beat the Taxman with World First.

Ten things to help you avoid accidents and prevent injuries on your skiing holiday.

If you are planning a skiing getaway this year, the last thing you want to happen is to come back hobbling or with a wrist in plaster, especially if you forgot to book your travel insurance. Attending the fracture clinic or speding time in hospital is no way to finish a holiday. So whilst it’s no fun to think about and plan for the worst, you could do a lot worse than following our guide to the top ten things to remember on your skiing holiday.

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