July 4th 2011

Busy day today? Too stretched to catch up on the best in travel news and writing? Manic Monday making it impossible to manage those blog feeds? Don’t panic. The World First Weekly Wander is our very own weekly breakdown of the best travel based web content. It’s compiled by our very own Tristan Rothwell ( @WFTristan for all you tweeters). So sit back and let him do all the work.

Hello!

I love a list (what man doesn’t?) so this week I’ve compiled my own hit parade of the best online lists. And to top it off I’ve added (last but not least, of course) an amazing video from Worldhum.

But first. On to our list.  

Our first is from @NomadicNeill and it’s all about living an authentic life. I really enjoyed reading this one. There are some great principles to live by here.

Next we pay a visit to Aaron Bradford AKA @Happytimeblog who tells us how to make backpacking harder than it really needs to be. I am sure we have all made at least one of the mistakes listed here (I know I have).

So you love to travel but need to make a bit of dosh along the way? Our friends at The Gay Traveller Blog (who we follow on Twitter) may have the answer with their post 3 ways to make a living while travelling

Ok. So now you have made a bit of money – thanks to the above post – we want to help you keep it!  Let @vagabondish show you how not to get scammed when on your travels

And carrying on with the staying safe theme, let’s have a look at @rtwdave and his article, 5 safety tips for taking taxis in Latin America

On a serious note, staying safe includes taking out travel insurance. Of course we’re biased but we really do offer some of the best deals around for travellers! In fact, if you’re looking for a bargain, click here and you’ll get a discount on your next World First travel insurance policy!

Right then, back to the lists. Moscow is on my bucket list and has been for a long time (ever since my school trip there was cancelled in 1982). So reading the @GapYearEscape list of the top 5 places to Visit in Moscow has made me even more determined to get there.

Let’s travel a bit closer to home now. Thanks to @travelingsavage for the great article on 9 ways to fill your days in Moray Speyside. I like the sound of sampling drams at the Whiskey Shop!

Let’s stay a while in the UK and explore five of the best markets in Manchester thanks to @blightytraveler. Makes you want to go doesn’t it?

Lastly, it’s off to find out where a couple of world travellers with a busy schedule are going to be next week. William and Kate are off to California! Let’s hope they have their travel insurance sorted.  @lonelyplanet has a list of places the royal couple should visit while they are there. One simply must.

Well I promised you a video to round off this week’s “world First Weekly Wander” and this one Blew me away I found it thanks to Worldhum you can find them on Twitter Here

Splitscreen: A Love Story from JW Griffiths on Vimeo.

Have you got a blog you want to shout about? How about one that you think Tristan should mention in the Weekly Wander? Let us know! Tweet Tristan on @WFTristan and we’ll do our best to include it.

Related posts:

1. World First Weekly Wander: 20th June 2011
2. World First Weekly Wander: 27th June 2011
3. What’s new in the travel blogosphere? Find out with the World First Weekly Wander.

The World First Weekly Wander | World First Travel Insurance Blog

Diving for novices and people with medical conditions

Taking off for a winter sun holiday? No doubt you’ll want to make the most of every opportunity that comes along. And what is a beach holiday without getting in the water? Exactly. If you’re the type of person who can’t lie on a sun bed all day then scuba diving must be the ultimate sea going thrill. It’s not something you’d ever consider in the UK ( for obvious reasons) but on a winter sun holiday, when the air temperature is 28 degrees and the sea temperature is 20 degrees or more, who could resist?

Of course diving can be dangerous so there are going to be a few hoops to jump through before you can swim with the fishes. Firstly – and most important – is your travel insurance. Will yours cover you for diving? Some policies will have exclusions, others will limit the depths to which you can go and some will specify that you always dive with a reputable operator (and why wouldn’t you?). World First Travel Insurance policies will cover you for diving up to 30 metres, providing you dive with an approved and qualified operator.

Diving with medical conditions

If you intend to dive you’ll be required to fill in a form whenever you dive with a PADI Certified Dive Centre. This is a declaration of your health and your physical condition. If you have a medical condition you’ll need to get this signed by a Doctor to say you are ‘fit to dive’ before you can get anywhere near the water. You may be able to do this at the resort where you are staying but of course you’ll pay – about Euros 35 in the Canary Islands for example – so you’ll save a few quid by popping along to your GP for a letter that says you are ‘fit to dive’ before you go. Alternatively you can download the PADI fit to dive declaration here to see what levels of health they will expect.

Getting a taste of the sea

Dive centres are really keen to get people in the water so there will more than likely be a bunch of options to get you started. Taster sessions or beginner’s programmes will usually take a few hours and will involve a little classroom work, some shallow water training and then a dive to about 10 metres. If you are unsure about whether or not you’ll like scuba diving or just want to try it, this is the way to do it.

Getting qualified

However, if you want to dive straight in you can do a PADI Open Water Scuba Diver Course. This course takes longer (four or five days) and involves more theory and four or five dives to about 18 metres as well as shallow water training. Once you are qualified, your PADI certificate will allow you to dive anywhere in the world. It’s a great way to spend your holiday, especially if you aren’t the sun bed type. And you get a certificate at the end of it! From here you can then go on to do all sorts of further qualifications including Dive Master, Underwater photography and Night Diving.

Checking the small print before you go

As said before, it’s vital to check that your travel insurance will cover you for scuba diving and what depth you will be able to dive to. A World First travel insurance single or annual multi trip policy will automatically cover you for diving up to 30 meters if you are qualified. So don’t forget to check before you go. Otherwise you’ll find yourself with more time on the sun bed than you might have bargained for.

Related posts:

1. Taking off for winter sun and surf?
2. Now that it’s safe to go back in the water…
3. Foreign Office issues insurance warning over shark attacks in Egypt

Taking the plunge on your winter holiday | World First Travel Insurance Blog

Surfing abroad? Choose your airline carefully

The autumn is a great time for surfers, especially those who love to travel. With powerful swells hitting beaches all over the globe and the weather back home turning cooler, there’s every reason to book a flight and head off in search of the endless summer.

Getting there, of course, is half the fun. Travelling light – especially if you’re going to be trekking to far flung beaches – is key. Getting good travel insurance that will cover you for all events is also pretty vital. If you intend to make a few forays it may be much more cost effective to take out an annual policy. World First can even offer travel insurance specially for surfing holidays. Well worth considering!

Of course, another thing you won’t be able to do without is your surfboard. Unfortunately, packing it up and booking it onto a flight isn’t as easy as you’d think. A few years ago British Airways banned surfboards (as well as lots of other sports equipment such as windsurfers, canoes and kite boards) from all their flights. After lots of protests from surfers around the globe they gave in and lifted the ban – to a point.

British Airways will now carry surfboards on their flights as long as they are under 6’ 3” long. If you include a board bag to protect your precious stick that means you’ll be looking at a board of about 6’ long to take with you. In reality it’s a little short for most surfers, especially those who are looking for big waves to ride.

But of course, British Airways aren’t the only airline to make it hard to carry sports equipment. There are plenty of others who like to charge to carry surfboards or refuse to carry them altogether. So if you’re thinking of hitting the road this autumn, who should you travel with?

Of course it’s also worth bearing in mind what happens if your precious surfboard gets trashed in transit (the airline has a liability according to the Warsaw Convention) or you hurt yourself when you get there. So it’s always a good idea to check the small print of your travel insurance policy. If you have a single item limit on your baggage cover then it may not cover the cost of your board so it may be wise to take out an all risks extension on your household policy that will cover single precious items. Some insurers may not even cover you if you are taking part in extreme sports like surfing and are unlucky enough to hurt yourself. World First Travel Insurance policies cover 75 sports automatically, of which surfing is one. This will automatically cover you for scuba diving, bungee jumping, and banana boating if the surf is flat and you fancy trying something different!

The World First Top 8 UK surfboard carriers

Virgin Atlantic: Great ads, great fares, great baggage policies! Virgin is our no 1 carrier because they won’t charge you a penny as long as your board weighs no more than 23kg and is less than 9ft long. Longboarders – and all surfers – will love it.

BMI Baby: BMI’s little brother is the daddy when it comes to carrying your stick. Surfboards, golf clubs, skis, bicycles, musical instruments and all other bulky equipment, will be charged at £17.99/€22.00 per sector per item when booked online, and will only be carried subject to space availability on the aircraft.

Easyjet: Another budget airline offering budget prices for surfboard carriage: Each passenger is allowed a maximum hold baggage weight of 50 kgs including any sports equipment, subject to available space. £18.50 per flight when prepaid.

Air south west. Flying to Newquay for some Autumn swell? These are the people to fly with. Sporting equipment will be carried subject to space being available for a fixed fee of GBP20.00.

BMI:   If you’re a surfer parading as a business type you’ll enjoy free carriage. But go cattle class and they’ll charge you a flat rate of £30 per item per flight, plus an extra £30 if it’s over 20kg.

Thomas Cook Airlines: Great deals if you’re going long haul. Thomas Cook Airlines charge surfboards and body boards at £40 for short haul or short haul plus flights and £60 for long haul for the return trip.

Ryanair: Surfing in the Emerald Isle? It’s going to cost you £40 per item per flight when booked online.

British Airways: Once the surfer’s favourite airline, BA are now operating a restrictive surfboard policy that, frankly, is of no use to anyone apart from boogie boarders. They will accept short surfboards as long as they do not exceed 6’3” and weigh more than 23kgs.

And avoid at all costs (even though they aren’t UK airlines)…

Iberia: 150 EUR per flight, regardless of the destination. Ole!

United airlines: £130 per board per flight to the USA. Yeeharr!

Delta Airlines:  $200 per surfboard per flight. Ouch!

Related posts:

1. Taking the plunge on your winter holiday
2. Guest post: Coast of riches? The pleasures and pains of a surf trip to Costa Rica.
3. Winter warmers: Ten top winter sun breaks

Taking off for winter sun and surf? | World First Travel Insurance Blog

Increasing numbers of people are now taking a year off to go and do something completely different with their lives. Typically and traditionally this has been students taking time off before they go to university but now we are seeing older people deciding to get out of the rat race or the rat race choosing it for them when they are made redundant.

What is a gap year?

Traditionally, (well off) youth have always taken time out to prepare themselves for the wider world or good society. In the eighteenth century, the Grand Tour saw upper middle-class men of means taking off through France and Italy in search of art and culture and Western civilisation. The modern day equivalent is the gap year. Although not limited to the English gentry, these days people “of means” will take time off to work, study or volunteer in search of challenges, fulfilment and memorable experiences well beyond the search for civilisation and the muses.

Gapadvice estimates that 230,000 young people, 90,000 career breakers and 200,000 retired people are taking time off every year and the biggest increases are currently in the mature travellers and career breaker groups. Last year, American Express Insurance reported that sales of year-long travel insurance doubled for the 30 to 50 age groups.

Why go on a gap year?

Common perception is that young people take gap years to improve their CVs. However, it seems that “taking a year out” is no longer enough to help you stand out for prospective employers. According to Tom Griffiths, founder of gapyear.com “What matters more than what you do is what you get out of it. Did you do what you did on your own initiative and did you raise the money to do it yourself?”. So it’s fine to go and sit on a beach, but get there by your own means. He thinks that employers will take a much better view of that than worthy work in a Chinese orphanage funded by Mummy and Daddy. So hey, where’s the beach?

The fastest growing sector in the gap year industry is career breakers. Economic downturns and a seeming willingness of companies to get rid of expensive 40 and 50somethings has created a glut of early retirees taking off and doing something completely different with their lives.

A  number of organisations are now placing people on overseas projects helping them to extend their working lives and use their skills in places where they can do some good. All the more so because they are living longer and healthier lives.

Whatever people do, it’s almost guaranteed to be a life changing experience

Where should I go and what should I do?

There’s plenty of advice out there to help with this one. Planning is of course essential to stay organised and stay healthy. The previously mentioned Gapyear.com, Gapadvice and Gogapyear.com are good places to start.

Ask yourself what is the purpose of the trip and what do want to get out of it. Especially if you’re a student and you want it to look good on your CV. Do something that’s out of your comfort zone, give yourself a challenge, if everyone is canoeing up the Amazon, do it backwards. Show initiative and make bold decisions. Or if you want to find your inner self, go lie on a beach, but go under your own steam and preferably take the long route.

Get insurance

Ah the insurance question! Well, we would be talking about insurance, wouldn’t we? It’s a travel insurance web site after all. depending on where you go and what you do, there are a number of things you should consider insuring against.

Travel problems: Losing your tickets and your passport, cash or your luggage. Airlines won’t just issue a new ticket if you lose yours and the Embassy won’t do the same with your passport just because you look honest. these things take time and money.

Extreme sports: Thinking of jumping off a mountain or just sliding down it in a slightly dangerous way? Or maybe you’d just like to do something more sedate like riding a horse or playing some golf. A specialist insurer will cover you for exactly what you do and not try to wiggle out of paying up because the contract is written in such general terms that they can say your not covered for what happened to you.

Medical problems: If you do fall of a mountain, do you have any idea how much it would cost to a) get a helicopter to come and collect you? b) repatriate you if you did some serious damage? Think tens of thousands. Minimum. With  proper medical travel insurance, all that will be paid for. What’s more, if you have a pre-existing medical condition, you’ll get cover for that. What more can I say?

Related posts:

1. How to plan a gap year – a few tips

So you want to go on a gap year? | World First Travel Insurance Blog

There’s bike races and there’s the Tour de France. The world’s greatest cycle race is approximately 3600 km long and runs across France and its neighbours. This year, the itinerary is taking riders from Rotterdam to Paris, via the Alps and Pyrenees – the scenic route. It lasts three weeks and will finish in Paris on 25th July. 22 teams and 219 riders started it on 3rd July. How many will finish?

A bit of history

“Le Tour” as they call it in France was first organised in 1903 by the newly formed newspaper, L’Auto (now l’Equipe). The race started in Paris and stopped off in Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and Nantes before returning to Paris. There were no mountains and no difficult stages. Between 60 and 80 entrants were attracted by an overall winner’s prize of 12,000 francs and a “day” prize of 3,000.

Cheating was such that the second race was almost the last with riders being beaten up by rival fans. The stages were so long that participants were required to race at night. The third race in 1905 had 11 stages rather than 6 and was held during the day to make cheating more obvious. By then though, the race had captured the public’s imagination. L’Auto‘s circulation trebled and the rest, as they say, is history.

Great riders

The greatest of recent/all riders is Lance Armstrong, a household name almost across the world for having beaten off cancer to win the race 7 times. He has never been popular in France though because, to put it quite bluntly, there have always been rumours that he was cheating. Or may be it’s just because he’s an American.

The last Frenchman to win it was Bernard Hinault (Le Blaireau or the Badger) who won 5 times between 1978 and 1985, as did Jacques Anquetil between 1957 and 1964. Belgium’s Eddy Merckx and Spain’s Miquel Indurain both won it 5 times in the 70s and 90s respectively.

Special mention should also be made of Raymond Poulidor, famous in France for being the greatest rider never to win the race and Tom Simpson. He won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1965 and in 1967, although he had never won a stage, felt he could make an impact on the Tour. In those days riders were limited to 2 litres of water and he died of dehydration going up the Mont Ventoux. Oh and the amphetamines probably didn’t help.

Three types of stage

There are three types of stage, mountain, flat and time trials. The race starts with a prologue, increasingly not held in France, which is a time trial. British rider Chris Boardman had a spectacular crash when leading the first stage time trial in 1995 and was forced to withdraw through injury.

Flat stages are for those riders who can sustain extended effort on flat(ish) terrain and they often end in sprints. Although this year the itinerary took them along the route of the Paris-Roubaix race along 13 km of cobblestones. Ouch…There is a reason for it being called L’enter du Nord (Hell of the North).

Never mind the cobblestones though, the mountain stages look like hell. Those stages that have riders swanning around the Alps and the Pyrenees are won by specialists and all the flat riders group together with their teams in the middle of the peleton and wait for them to be over.

The most famous is the Col du Tourmalet where the climb starts at Luz Saint-Sauveur and continues for 18.3 km at 7.7%. After Barèges, there’s a 9% slope that lasts for a kilometre. I went up there once in a coach that really struggled to get through the gears. There’s an observatory at the top and it’s a great view, not that the riders care, they have to go straight down again.

What do all those coloured jerseys mean?

We’ve all heard of the “maillot jaune” (yellow jersey). It’s the overall race leader who has the fastest aggregate time. The rider with the maillot jaune at the end of the race is the winner, even if he’s lost in the pack when they all cross the line on the Champs Elysées in Paris on the third Sunday. The maillot vert (green jersey) is awarded to the fastest sprinter and the maillot à pois rouges (the white jersey with red dots) is awarded to the King of the Mountains, the first rider to reach designated spots in the mountain stages.

Lanterne rouge

The expression “lanterne rouge” (the red lantern) has now passed into common usage in French It is awarded to the rider that comes last. In the past there have been fights amongst cyclists to become last simply because no-one remembers the guy that comes second last.

What does it take to win it?

A cynic would say a lot of EPO and other performance enhancing drugs. The race has always had its share of doping allegations right back to 1903. The most (in)famous year was 1998. Willy Voet of the Festina team was arrested with EPO, growth hormones, testosterone and amphetamines in the boot of his car. Following police raids, the riders went on strike finishing one race at a snail’s pace. Richard Virinque, Festina’s King of the Mountains was caricatured on the French satire programme, Les Guignols de l’Info, as having taken the drugs “à l’insu de mon plein gré‘ (against my free will).

A non-cynic would say, apart from a lot of guts, determination and strength, a good team is required. The Tour de France is not a sport where individual riders win races, teams win them. They protect each other, support each other and then the team leader/star rider takes the glory.

Fancy a cycling holiday?

No-one is suggesting it would be a good idea to do that much cycling for a holiday. Although former England international footballer Geoff Thomas might disagree. Diagnosed with leukemia after his career was cut short by injury, he survived and cycled the entire route of the Tour de France in 2005 and then a second time in 2007. All in aid of cancer research.

For the less courageous and more sedate (although slightly sporty nevertheless), a wide variety of cycling holidays are available, and not just in France. And don’t forget (shameless plug), travel insurance will cover any cuts and bruises if you fall off or repatriation if you have a really spectacular accident.

No related posts.

A beginner’s guide to the Tour de France | World First Travel Insurance Blog

The biggest killer in sub-Saharan Africa and in many other places in the world, way ahead of AIDS or famine, is malaria. Without wanting to be sensationalist, it kills a child in Africa every 30 seconds, Africa accounts for 90% of deaths from it as it is home to the most deadly form and it is responsible for 20% of the deaths of under 5s and 10% of all deaths in Africa. South Africa included football fans.

Cheryl Cole (or Tweedy or whatever she’s called these days) and her problems will hopefully place something of a spotlight on malaria and help reduce the incidence of this preventable disease – I know, most diseases are preventable one way or another, but this one can really be prevented cheaply.

So what is malaria?

We know that malaria is caused by a mosquito bite. The parasite enters the blood stream and can be in the liver within 30 minutes. The parasite then starts reproducing and gets into the blood stream and the blood cells where it reproduces again. The infected blood cells then burst which affects the healthy ones….well, you get the picture.

So we’ve established that it can be pretty dangerous and you really don’t want to get it. If you go on a gap year, sabbatical or just on holiday, there are some simple and let’s face it, sensible things you can do to avoid coming a cropper like poor old Cheryl did.

Check where you’re going and get protected

Malaria is endemic across most of Africa and particularly Sub-Saharan Africa, parts of South America, the Indian sub-continent and South-East Asia. If you’re going to any of those places get down to your doctor’s surgery well before you go and get some malaria pills. Otherwise, there’s plenty of travel centres, clinics or consultancies you could visit. If you’re in Devon for example, go to the Travel Health Consultancy in Exeter.

Take the pills

You should take them before you go AND after you come back, just like antibiotics. The parasite can remain dormant in you for quite a while and could quite easily creep up on you when you expect it the least. You should also take them on time and don’t miss a dose, especially if you’re a child under 16 or pregnant. Your doctor will tell you what to do. If you don’t take your pills, or worse, you don’t even get any, you’ll be considered to be reckless and won’t be covered by your travel insurance.

Use a mosquito net at night

Obviously the best way to avoid malaria is not to get bitten in the first place. And the best way of doing that is to use a mosquito net. They’re cheap and fit into your luggage very easily.

Protect your room and protect yourself

• Mosquitos don’t like insect repellent, there’s a highly popular brand available across Southern Africa called Doom (great brand name!). Spray it liberally.
• You can also put a mosquito coil under your bed, they’re effective for up to eight hours.
• Where you can, stay in rooms with screens on the windows and/or air conditioning and don’t forget to switch off the lights, mosquitos like lights.
• They  like perfume and after-shave as well, so if you have a tendency to splash it all over, don’t. You’ll become a mosquito magnet.
• Wear long sleeves, especially at dawn and dusk.
• If you do fall ill, trust local doctors, they’ve got loads of experience.

Whilst you’re at it, take a few mosquito nets with you

As I said, they’re cheap and easy to put into your luggage. And you might save a life….

Related posts:

1. Travelling with a medical condition? Be prepared for delays.
2. How to make it to the World Cup and have a good time – safely
3. Want to avoid the crowds? Don’t go to these places then

How to avoid malaria when travelling | World First Travel Insurance Blog

Backpackers old and new have always travelled across Europe and the world by train. As relatively characterless and antiseptic high-speed trains gradually take over the travelling landscape, it shouldn’t be forgotten that there is a wonderful architectural heritage in our train stations (and some pretty rubbish ones as well, but we’ll ignore them).

St Pancras, London

Not so much a train station as a temple to train travel. A triumph of neo-Gothic Victorian architecture, it was almost demolished in the 1960s (thank you John Betjeman) but re-furbished and re-opened in 2008 when it became the London destination for Eurostar. A destination station if ever there was one. Like many a modern station, it has become a shopping centre, but that doesn’t distract from the stunning architecture. And it does have a champagne bar, so it’s not all bad…

Strasbourg

Strangely enough, with one or two exceptions (Marseille St. Charles or the Parisian stations), the French don’t give their stations names like St. Pancras or Estatio de Francia in Barcelona. The boringly named Gare de Strasbourg is also something of an architectural marvel as befits a station located at one of Europe’s rail and political crossroads. Renovated in 2007, a new glass cocoon was added creating an interesting contrast to the 1883-designed original station.

Berlin Hauptbahnhof

Europe’s largest station with no buffers, it is also Europe’s largest two-level station. Located on the site of the original Lehrter Bahnhof station, every day more than 1100 long-distance, regional and rapid transit trains run through the 14 platforms. Another glass and steel temple (and no shortage of shops), it’s the sign of a confident, reunited nation and a statement. It somehow represents what Berlin was, a collision of two worlds, and what those worlds have become, the triumph of commercialism.

Milano Centrale

The cornerstone was laid by King Victor Emmanuel III as early as 1903, but real building work didn’t start for another 10 years and was hampered by the onset of the First World War. Influenced by Mussolini, it is often seen as representing the power of the fascist regime. It has no definite architectural style except imposing, the current station sees 600 trains a day running through its 24 platforms carrying something in excess of 320,000 people right across Italy and beyond. TGVs now run directly to Paris.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai

Indian Railways is a force of nature in itself. The world’s second largest railway company, it has 7,000 stations, employs 1.6 million people and almost 64,000 meters of track. CST, as it is known for short, is the former Bombay Victoria station and it could be said it dwarfs its not inconsiderable little sister in London. Victorian neo-Gothic in style, it is a superb example of nineteenth century railway architecture and the confidence of that age. If you can’t get to see the real one, it features a lot in the film Slumdog Millionnaire.

Grand Central Station, New York

Actually, the name is Grand Central Terminal, but popular culture knows it as a station, not a terminus. Whatever you call it, it’s the world’s largest with 44 platforms and 67 tracks on two levels. Its focal point is an enormous concourse that is usually filled with crowds. The ticket offices remain although they haven’t really been used since the introduction of ticket machines.  It also gives you “68 shops and 35 places to eat and a ride home” as the web site says. Train stations have definitely changed since my day!

Related posts:

1. Wouldn’t it be great if your holiday insurance paid out every time?

Great stations for backpackers to admire | World First Travel Insurance Blog

A lot of people fantasise about long-term travel and just giving it all up and going away.  Most of them never manage it,  something or someone always  seems to conspire to prevent it happening. But for the lucky few, gap years can be an incredibly enriching and even life-changing experience.

However much we’d like to just throw everything up in the air on a whim it wouldn’t be a good idea. A minimum amount of planning is required to prevent a dream experience turning into a nightmare.

Have a purpose

Why do you want to take a year out of your life and do something completely different? That’s perhaps a philosophical question but it’s one that needs answering. It will help you determine your goals and ultimately may greatly affect whether or not your gap year is successful or not.

A year will seem like a long time. But it goes past very quickly. Just think back to what you were doing a year ago. Seems like yesterday doesn’t it? Now project yourself forward one year. What do you want to do in that time, what do you want to have achieved? There’s plenty of advice out there to help you plan a holiday, work experience or a volunteer project. Use it.

Take into account factors like how it will affect what you do later in life. But don’t try to plan everything either, because you know that doesn’t work, stuff happens. And also, there really is nothing wrong with sitting on the beach for a while!

If you really want to plan ahead, apply for a job or a University place now. This will give you something to come back to and look forward to.

In order to enjoy yourself, make sure you have enough money. The dream won’t be much of a dream if you run out of cash. Don’t forget to leave some in the bank either, it’ll be useful for tiding you over when you do get back.

Think about what you leave behind

If you’re going to stay in one place, you can get your mail forwarded to almost anywhere in the world these days. If not, redirect it to friends or family and hope you don’t get any letters from long-lost girlfriends.

It’s hard to imagine anyone travelling across the world and not keeping an eye on their finances. The simplest and most efficient way of doing this is with online banking. All banks provide the service now making it easy to control money from afar. It also makes it easier to control your bills and keep on top of things. If things do go pair-shaped and your credit card gets scammed for example, you’ll probably find out before you meet that embarrassing situation in the shopping queue.

Travel insurance, travel insurance, travel insurance!

Take care of yourself a little bit. Have a health check up before you go, just for some peace of mind.

And get some travel insurance. Its available for any period between a day and a year or more.  It should cost you around £250 for a year if you want worldwide cover. That’s about 70p a day. Compare that to £25,000 if you need to be repatriated from the US or even worse £100,000 for a mountain rescue.

Don’t forget to tell the truth on the form as well, even if you have a minor condition. Yes, your premium will be higher, but it’ll still be a bargain compared to the bills you could face. Remember, insurance is always too expensive until you need it.

Whilst you’re away

You should also be prepared for hostile police, customs or border guards. You may think they’re jobsworths (and they probably are), but they can seriously mess you around. Just smile and be polite, nod in the right places and you be on your way and not sitting in a cramped office waiting for a fax to arrive to confirm that you are who you say you are.

Lastly, don’t forget to respect other cultures. Remember, one of the aims of a gap year is to do new things and meet new people. You may think they do some strange things sometimes, but they probably think you’re a bit wierd too. Get things wrong and you could get yourself in trouble.

Related posts:

1. Tips for having a baby when you’re on holiday
2. 14 travel tips if you’re going to Cuba
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How to plan a gap year – a few tips | World First Travel Insurance Blog

The exams are over and summer holidays are here again. Well, for some of us anyway. If you’re a student and you’re kicking your heals wondering what on earth you’re going to do for the next year because you deferred going to university, you may well consider taking a gap year off and seeing the world. It’s a unique opportunity, you’re young, healthy (hopefully) and enthusiastic. Here’s a few tips and guides to help you make it a success.

Do the research

One of the great things about a gap year is discovering new places and new cultures. It’s the ideal springboard for a university education. However, a bit of research before leaving about local conditions and customs will go a long way towards keeping you out of embarrassing situations or worse, trouble. Also, don’t forget to take a look at the Foreign Office web site for updates on travel advice. That was quite useful in the recent Bangkok crisis. If there is trouble where you are, you could also subscribe to their RSS feeds to get the updates sent directly to you and register with the FCO LOCATE service so you can can be found if need be.

Get proper travel insurance

When you’re 19 or 20 and you first fight off the shackles of the parents and you make your bid for independence and freedom, you think you’re invincible. The problem is however that you’re not. You are just as much accident prone as anyone else (in fact, arguably more so). A sensible move therefore is to get travel insurance that will cover you for delays and cancellations along the way but more importantly for medical bills and repatriation if something nasty happens to you. Also think about any activities you might be doing that may be considered dangerous, specific cover is essential for this. Oh yes, and if you have a pre-existing medical condition like diabetes for example (types I and II), let your insurer know as failure to do so will almost certainly invalidate your policy.

If your policy doesn’t include a 24-hour multilingual emergency medical assistance service, don’t buy it. If you feel unwell or want advice, you should able to ask for it. Insurance will also pay all your medical bills and if you’re really poorly, fly you home in a medicalised aeroplane.

Make sure your passport is valid

If you’re going away for a year, your passport needs to be valid for another year. Obviously. And then, most non-European countries require you to have another 6 months because that’s the maximum time you can stay without a residents’ permit. You may be refused entry to a country if you don’t have it. And if your mates do, you’ll look an idiot.

Get the right visas

We live in a world where you no longer need a visa for Poland, Hungary or even Albania. It’s also much easier to get into Russia these days. However, many countries do still require you to buy pieces of paper for the right to visit. These include India (where your passport must be valid for 190 days and have at least two blank pages in it), Kenya or Australia (but you can apply for that online). This also applies if you’re planning to fund the trip by working, check you have the right residents’ and work permits. For example, you don’t need a work permit in the EU (if you’re an EU citizen), but you do need a residents’ permit to stay in each of the EU countries for more than 6 months.

Make sure you’re healthy

You’d be well advised to make sure you’re in good shape before you go. Have your GP give you a proper health check. Make sure you tell him where you’re going so he can advise you about any vaccinations you might need. Trust me, malaria may sound a remote possibility, but you really don’t want to get it.

Set up a web mail account

You’ve probably already got one but a webmail account from providers like Hotmail, Google Mail and Yahoo! can be accessed from any computer from anywhere in the world. You can keep in touch with photos and videos with it and just think what you’d save in postcards!

Do a budget

Get a good idea of how much you’ll need on a daily basis. The Foreign Office won’t bail you out if you run out of money. Also, don’t forget to tell your bank; there have been many cases of cards being stopped because they’ve been used at cashpoints across the world. You must tell your bank your frequent usage in all for corners of the world is not fraudulent.

Keep out of trouble

Know your drink limits. Even more so than a night out on the tiles at home, you’re more likely to get into trouble if you’ve had one over the odds. Your insurance won’t cover you if you do. It goes without saying that you should steer well clear of illicit drugs, especially carrying them. the Foreign Office can’t get you out of jail if you get caught. Lastly, if you’re with a group of mates,  blend in with the crowds and try not to stand out. You’ll get two things from that, you’ll be less likely to get into trouble and you’ll have a better “cultural” experience of wherever you go – and that’s the reason why you’re travelling isn’t it?

Related posts:

1. 10 things to keep you healthy in a gap year
2. How to plan a gap year – a few tips
3. World First Launch The Gap year “Survival Guide” to Support the FCO “Know before You Go Campaign”

An easy guide to getting a gap year right | World First Travel Insurance Blog

Many students decide to take a year off after school before committing themselves to university or a job. It’s a great way of seeing the world or getting some experience before moving on the the next stage. And increasingly, older people are also feeling the urge due to unexpected unemployment or just sheer burnout, to take time out and a break.

So you’ve got your passport, your tickets and your money. What about your health when you go abroad? Fancy some Delhi belly? Some sunburn? Or even worse, a dose of malaria? Here’s a few basic rules about staying healthy on the road.

1. Have a check up

Go to see your GP for a quick check. It’ll be fairly summary but he’ll be able to tell you what jabs you need and general health precautions to take. You could also go to the dentist and check your eyes. My wisdom teeth are playing up at the moment, that’s fine, I live in Somerset. But do you want your wisdom teeth to play up in Thailand? (nothing against Thai dentists, they are probably very good, but what’s your spoken Thai like?)

2. The sun is hot

There are large parts of the world where it gets a lot hotter than in our Northern European temperate climate. It’s regularly 40+ degrees anywhere between Dammas and Tehran, in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Horn of Africa. Don’t think you just have to pile on the factor 50, you can’t go sunbathing for very long periods in countries where the temperature is in the late 30s. Even less between 11am and 3pm. What do they say about mad dogs and Englishmen? Also, if you have a heavy night on the town without much sleep, it would be very easy to fall asleep on the beach next day. I think we all know that’s not a good idea.

3. Don’t forget your medicine

I know most of you are fit and healthy but if you do have to take medicine regularly – even just for hay fever – make sure you have adequate supplies of them and pack it in your hand luggage.

Did you know that some some prescription and even over the counter drugs, including inhalers, are illegal in some countries? If you need to take medication you should ensure that you have a note from your doctor and that the medicine is in its original packaging. Consult the embassies of the countries you are visiting before you leave.

4. Keeping fit on the plane

Without being tabloid-style alarmist, there is some danger in sitting in one place for long periods, especially if you’re flying to New Zealand. Get up and walk around regularly, even if you’re in the window seat it and annoys your neighbour. Your legs will love you more than he doesn’t. It would be a good idea to have a long walk before getting on the plane as well just to get the blood circulating and drink plenty – of water, the other stuff doesn’t count! – to keep yourself hydrated. And stretch your legs whenever you can.

5. European Health Insurance Card

A replacement for the old E111 form, the European Health Insurance Card entitles travellers in the European Economic Area or Switzerland to reduced or free emergency care. Apply for an EHIC online at www.dh.gov.uk/travellers, by phone on 0845 606 2030 or at post offices. However, it’s only available to residents of the European Economic Area or Switzerland and it really doesn’t replace proper travel insurance.

6. Stomach ailments

In Europe and the US, you can generally ignore any “don’t drink the water” warnings. European water is often better than ours. In other places however precautions should be taken. Stomach problems are the most common source of misery endured by travellers and often go beyond a simple case of the runs.

They are often caused by dirty water or food and poor hygiene practices such as reheating cold food. They can also be caused over-exposure to the sun, too much alcohol or too much fresh fruit. Diarrhoea can be mild but, if it develops blood or pus, it becomes dysentery. Then you’ll be in trouble and you’ll need urgent medical attention.

Prevention is the best policy. Where possible, drink water from a bottle but check the seal hasn’t been broken. Failing this, check the tap water is safe to drink or boil it. Street food can be great in many parts of the world, but be wary. A bit of caution may save you a lot of problems. Also avoid ice cubes as these are often made from tap water. Make sure any vegetables you eat are cooked properly and that meat and fish are very well cooked.

7. Things to do if you get ill

Drink as much as you can, as you’ll lose a lot of fluid: flat or carbonated drinks, tea (with sugar), soups (with salt) and clean water. Definately no booze.

Get treatment ASAP. Find out the local emergency number and the address of the nearest hospital when you arrive overseas. Your rep/local guide or hotel/guesthouse will know. This information could help save a life.

8. Don’t go out without a cover

If you’re going to party then there’s every chance you may be having sex. Treat it as you would a Friday or Saturday night at home and take the condoms with you. They’re not always easy to find in many parts of the world and when you do find them, the quality may vary. Always check the expiry date and throw away any that are out of date, you know the consequences of failing to do so.

9. Take out proper travel insurance

We all think we’re invincible and “it won’t happen to us”, but just as an example, every year thousands if people are airlifted or flown home to safety at a cost of thousands. There’s a far better chance of that happening than you winning the lottery. Can you afford it? Get travel insurance cover just for peace of mind.

10. Take a first aid kit

Vital. From everything to repairing cuts and bruises to avoid infection later to paracetamol and malaria tablets. Depending on where you go it’s contents will vary, but take one.

Related posts:

1. An easy guide to getting a gap year right

10 things to keep you healthy in a gap year | World First Travel Insurance Blog