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.

There are so many places to visit on Planet Earth – how can you choose where to go and what to see? Well, everyone has their own ideas. But here are some of my favourites: Of course they could have changed completely by this time next year!

1. The Lake District, Cumbria, England.  Discover what inspired many of the world’s greatest writers and artists to product some of their best work. Our quaint villages, beautiful lakes and rivers, soft hills and challenging mountains, historic sites, vibrant cultural events, welcoming old pubs, top-class restaurants and quality accommodation all ensure the Lake District was be voted ‘Best Destination’ in Virgin’s 2010 Responsible Tourism Awards. The loveliest place in the world – but then I would say that, wouldn’t I – it’s my back yard!

2. The Norwegian Fjords. Unsurprisingly this area is one of the top destinations in the world for outstanding natural beauty. The Geiranger Fjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is unparalled in its majestic beauty and the FlamsBahn railway is a quirky and spectacular.  I visited them on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth – now that’s the way to see them; up close and in luxurious comfort …

3. Western Turkey. For anyone interested in the origins of European civilisation, this area is a treasure-trove of delight. There are also great seaside resorts with gorgeous beaches, luxury hotels and quality restaurants, some of the best spa treatments in the world, exotic bazaars and traditional markets. The Temple to Apollo at Didyma, the Library of Celcus at Ephesus, Lycian Tombs, hot springs at Pamukkale, a leisurely cruise from Fethiye … and so much more.

4. Rotarua, New Zealand. Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe is its Maori name and that culture permeates the area as much as the smell of sulphur. Boiling hot steams escapes the earth at every opportunity, from tiny cracks in the formal English-style gardens to enormous geysers shooting high into the air in the geo-thermal park. There is so much to do here for all the family; some of New Zealand’s most spectacular scenery and adrenalin-fuelled activities are right on the doorstep.

5. Boracay. The Phillippines: simply one of the loveliest beach destinations in the world. White sandy beaches overhung with palm trees, the sea every shade of blue imaginable, laid-back charming people and an island so small you can walk its length before breakfast. The perfect get-away to relax and remember what life is really all about.

6. Lithuania. Relatively new to the tourist trail, this country is slowly emerging from a very colourful past to take its rightful place in the European travel itineries. With its age-old traditions, medieval towns and villages, breath-taking landscapes and friendly, hospitable people, it has everything the discerning traveller is looking for.

7. Jerez, Spain. This graceful old city retains Moorish influences in the Alcazar and is the home of some of the most names in sherry including Gonzales Byass, Tio Pepe and Pedro Ximenez.  Jerez is in the heart of flamenco country; brilliant guitar playing and passionate singing and dancing fill the streets every evening. Historic Cadiz is a stepping off point to other worlds and the White Villages of mountainous Andalucia are popular all year round.

8. Kinsale, Co Cork, Ireland. No-one really needs a reason to visit this part of Ireland, but the quaint fishing village has a cosmopolitan air that certainly adds to its appeal. Near the vibrant city of Cork, amongst some of the loveliest scenery in the country, Kinsale is famous for its diverse culinary delights and its excellent sailing. The village has colourful Dutch-style buildings. fantastic restaurants, welcoming bars and quirky shops, an old fort and, of course, the Irish ‘craic’. Great any time of the year.

9.Venice, Italy. No excuses for including this magical place. Everyone should visit Venice at least once in their lives. Take a stroll round the back streets, gaze up at crumbling palaces, find the most out of the way trattoria, escape from the heat into one of the many churches on every corner – and do the full-on tourist bit with a gondola ride and a coffee at Florian’s as you watch the world pass by on St Mark’s Square…

10. The Isle of Man. This unspoilt gem lies off the coast of Ireland and NW England and has Gaelic connections with Ireland and Scotland.  It’s like stepping back in time to a world where life was lived at a more leisurely pace – except when the world famous TT Races take place and then the island is alive to the roar of thousands of motorbikes and the pace definitely speeds up.  The Isle of Man is full of fascinating places including the capital, Douglas and horse-drawn trams, the lovely Laxey Wheel, Peel Harbour and Manx Kippers, the Calf of Man with its seals and maybe a basking shark or two… and so much more.

Follow Zoë on Twitter @quirkytraveller and on Facebook www.facebook.com/thequirkytraveller

Related posts:

1. How to be a responsible traveller
2. Boosting your half term holiday fun
3. Taking the plunge on your winter holiday

The Quirky Traveller’s Favourite Travel Destinations | World First Travel Insurance Blog

For many of us, going on holiday is one of those rare times when you can settle into a deckchair and get stuck into a really good book. It’s a glorious indulgence isn’t it? Once you know that everything, including the travel insurance, is in order you can begin to relax.

I love reading and adore books so I’ve spent many trips hauling piles of novels around with me. On one trip, to India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Bali I endured a couple of months with three volumes of Indian epic ‘A Suitable Boy’ in my rucksack. They must have weighed over a kilo but I just couldn’t bear to be parted from them. What a fool I was. But then again, they hadn’t invented e-readers yet!

If only I’d had a Kindle. This is Amazon’s e-reader.  It is a remarkable piece of technology that does away with books as we know them. For travellers and voracious holiday readers it will bring a welcome end to the annual chore of cramming novels into your luggage.

The new 3G Kindle will store up to 3500 ebooks and weighs less than a paperback. That’s remarkable isn’t it? All you have to do is pop it in your hand luggage and you’re away. And if you were worried that you might run out of reading material you can download new ebooks in about a minute as long as you’ve got a 3G signal or wireless connection.

So what about the readability? The screen uses what Amazon describe as Electronic Ink which can be read in bright sunlight, unlike backlit tablets. So no more squinting at a laptop for you then. The Kindle also outperforms tablets when it comes to battery life. Just one charge will last for two months. You won’t even need to remember to pack your plug!

Downloads are cheaper than books too - so you’ll soon recover the cost of the device. Some e-books are free. It’s no wonder the Kindle has been Amazon’s hottest selling item in the last two years. 

If you are unsure whether or not a Kindle would be good for you then why not take a leaf out of World First founder Stewart Rothwell’s e-book? At 67 he’s just got himself a Kindle and he loves it! It just goes to show you’re never too old for new technology. He uses Twitter too!

WIN a Kindle

We’re giving a way a Kindle in the next week or so. To enter just follow @wftristan on Twitter and then retweet the following message  before the 20^th July. It’s that simple. The winner will be chosen at random on 18.00 Wednesday 20th July 2011.

WIN a Kindle in the #worldfirstkindlecomp

Related posts:

1. Boosting your half term holiday fun
2. Taking the plunge on your winter holiday
3. Summer indecision? Solve it with a holiday on wheels.

How e-readers will change your holiday reading forever | 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

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

If you’ve travelled recently, are travelling or are planning to travel, you could be forgiven for being a little confused.

The ash has been coming back in the last couple of weeks but only to the edge of Europe. Frustrating if you live in Belfast, Dublin or Gran Canaria, but it didn’t cause the same major problems as it did across the whole of Europe a month or so ago (and hey, if it means me staying a few more days in Gran Canaria, where’s the factor 50!).

There’s also the will they/won’t they strike British Airways situation. BA asked m’learned friends last week to get the whole thing declared illegal again just because they the union didn’t report that there were 11 spoilt papers at the last ballot. They duly did but then the union appealed and got that ruling overturned. Some flights were cancelled on the morning of the first planned strike but there was no real disruption.

At the time of writing, talks are being held at the Advisory, Conciliation and and Arbitration Service (ACAS), but as things stand, further strikes will be held on 24th – 28th May, 30th May – 3rd June and 5th – 9th June

Then, when you do get to the airport….oh the confusion! Some flights leaving, some flights not. And of course no-one is giving any information. As if they were doing it deliberately. In another life I worked in that kind of situation. Let me tell you, if those people behind those desks aren’t telling what’s going on, it’s because they don’t know. And nor does anyone else because the situation is changing every 5 minutes and people are generally very bad at communicating.

So what do you do? Click here for a great article by World First that sets out the situation as it is now and what you can claim and what you can’t. And if you’re worried about the British Airways strike, replace volcanic ash with BA and the same applies.

Oh, and Martin‘s going on holiday next month, I hope he’s got insurance!

Related posts:

1. Travel, ash and strikes
2. My flight’s been cancelled by volcanic ash – will my insurance cover me?
3. Going to Cuba? Get your travel insurance here!

Confused.com? Ash, strikes and travel insurance | World First Travel Insurance Blog

The recent announcement that travel insurance is now compulsory if you’re travelling to Cuba or if you’re a Cuban national going back home makes another tip to addto the list of things to think of when you’re travelling to such a great destination.  This list is of course just a selection. Do you have any more to add to it?

1. Learn Spanish (or go with someone who can speak Spanish) – even with some basic language skills you’ll appreciate the trip even more. And Cubans will appreciate you making the effort.

2. Book your first few nights’ accommodation – as with anywhere, you don’t want to spend half your holiday looking for accomodation

3. Take plenty of medicine and toiletries – they’re in short supply in Cuba

4. Don’t forget your visa – from the Cuban embassy before you go (£15)

5. Buy travel insurance – it’s now compulsory

6. Buy mosquito repellent – pesky little things, those mosquitos!

7. Don’t take dollars or American Express anything – that one should be obvious. Visa cards issued in the USA are also useless

8. Take a hat – it gets very hot, especially if you’re used to a European climate

9. Photocopy your passport – and any other travel documents and put it and other valuables in the hotel safe

10. Don’t forget the airport tax – payable when you leave ($25 CUC)

11. Don’t buy cigars in the street – they’re likely to be rubbish

12. Don’t exchange money in the street – you may end up wit a fistful of worthless non-convertible pesos

13. Take plenty of sun cream – like medicine, there’s not a lot of it about and the sun is hot!

14. Don’t take your toaster – it’s not allowed, just like your furnace, electric oven or iron (travel irons are OK)

Related posts:

1. Going to Cuba? Get your travel insurance here!
2. How to plan a gap year – a few tips
3. Tips for having a baby when you’re on holiday

14 travel tips if you’re going to Cuba | World First Travel Insurance Blog

Cuba’s one of those places I’ve always wanted to go to. During the years of continued support from the Soviet Union and other Eastern Block countries and the US trade embargo, tourism was a largely ignored and underdeveloped sector. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in the last ten years or so, it has expanded exponentially.

Driving a course between the need to maintain its socialist credentials, a requirement to bring in hard currency and to keep the natives from becoming restless, Cuba has managed an incredible expansion in the number of tourists it attracts. No doubt helped by Ry Cooder filming the Buena Vista Social Club (now there’s a great film), the country is full of icons ranging form ancient Buicks, men playing dominoes outside and the ubiquitous images of Fidel and Che Guevara. People go to Cuba because it’s a welcoming place.

If you want to go there, you must have travel insurance

Since 1st May, foreign nationals and Cubans living abroad wanting to travel to Cuba must have travel insurance and more particularly medical cover. The new measures were first announced by the Havana Times on 7th March with much pomp who quoted the Government press release verbatim.

On arrival, you’ll be expected to present valid insurance documents that prove you have cover for the duration of your stay and you can be evacuated by air in case you have  a really bad accident.

If you’re one of the 20% that don’t take out travel insurance for Cuba, you’ll still have the opportunity to buy it from one of the (Cuban) companies when you arrive at the airport (or port or marina). And at Cuban prices of course.

I already have insurance, is it valid?

If you take it out before you leave, yes. There has been some debate in insurance circles about a list of approved insurers somewhere in the vaults of a Cuban Ministry of Something (Travel Insurance?). It has never surfaced so it’s fairly safe to say it doesn’t exist. In any case, World First Travel Insurance provides up to £5 million worth of cover and issues policies before departure and so meets all the criteria.

If you are a US resident, you could feel particularly targeted because you’ll have to buy your policy from a Cuban company before you go because under the embargo, US insurers cannot provide insurance for Cuba.

Related posts:

1. 14 travel tips if you’re going to Cuba
2. Confused.com? Ash, strikes and travel insurance
3. No tax increases for World First travel insurance customers.

Going to Cuba? Get your travel insurance here! | World First Travel Insurance Blog

To paraphrase LP Hartley’s famous line from The Go-Between, “Abroad is a foreign country, they do things differently there”. Recent cases of people getting into trouble have highlighted in the media the need to be very careful when travelling. It’s amazing how many people just don’t do basic research into the places they go to, or just assume either that they can do just like they do at home or, if they do get into trouble, the British Embassy will get them out of it (note: they won’t).

Be very careful where you go plane spotting

There have been two very high-profile cases, one in India in January 2010 and and another in Greece in March 2001 and therefore pre-9/11, that show that foreign governments take a dim view of people filming and taking pictures of their aircraft. Collecting numbers and images of means of transport, planes, trains, buses even more so, trucks, is a very British habit that is rarely understood by other cultures. Find out what you can and cannot do in advance.

Say nothing to airport security

It seems like a prerequisite for working in airport security is a complete lack of a sense of humour. If ever the maxim “speak when you’re spoken to” applies, it’s at the security gate. So jokes about bombs in suitcases or swallowing illegal substances are definitely out. Expect at least to be strip searched if you do.

Smuggling drugs through just about any airport in the world

This is a no brainer, but it’s amazing how many people get trapped into these situations, voluntarily or not. Midnight Express, although it has many inaccuracies, was a walk in the park compared to what could happen to you in many countries across the world. In both Thailand and Indonesia for example, it may well get you the death penalty.

Don’t have sex on the beach in Dubai

Local constabularies anywhere in the world tend to take a dim view of sex on the beach. In the Middle East, even in countries that are more open to Western culture, it’ll get you into very hot water. Even a snog in the street, married or not, will get you a severe reprimand. Skinny dipping at midnight might sound very romantic to you, but not everyone sees it that way.

Be very careful what you do on a stag weekend

Now, I don’t want to be a killjoy, but you really should find out about the cultural sensitivities that exist in some countries before going there and getting legless. A while ago, a group of guys got themselves arrested for dressing up as nuns and wearing suspenders in Crete. They didn’t realise that Greek Orthodox Christians take their religion quite seriously and their party was cut a little short. Constabularies in Eastern Europe are also getting increasingly intolerant of Brits that can’t take their booze littering the streets of Vilnius, Prague and Budapest.

Topless sunbathing will get you more than a tan in a lot of countries

It goes without saying that it’ll get you into big trouble in the Middle East, but also in countries like the Maldives and Barbados, it’s illegal and in Thailand, whilst not being illegal, you may well feel the stare of social exclusion.

It’s all really down to common sense and a bit of general knowledge about the country you’re going to. If you get into trouble, your insurance definitely won’t cover it!

Related posts:

1. How e-readers will change your holiday reading forever
2. 10 holiday tips for the first time golfer
3. Boosting your half term holiday fun

6 things that could land you in jail when you’re on holiday | World First Travel Insurance Blog

Many of you have already booked or will be booking beach holidays for the summer. For the vast majority, everything will fine and you’ll come back relaxed and ready to go. We’ve all seen the seaside rescue programmes on TV though and they act as a reminder that the beach and the sea do present some dangers. Here’s a guide how to how to stay safe. Most of it is common sense, but these things need to be said.

Avoid sunburn

No amount of information about the dangers of over-exposure to the sun seems to prevent us from flocking to the beach to fry all day long and come away looking like a ripe lobster (I know, lobsters can’t be ripe, but you get the image). Sitting on the beach all day is fine, but protect yourself from UVA and UVB rays with factor 20+ water-proof sunblock. Avoid the sun at the warmest times of the day between 11 and 3. Believe me, even at 4 in the afternoon, a beach on the Mediterranean can be a pretty warm place. And don’t forget your hat (do I sound like your mother? Unfortunately she was right).

Stay sober

Drink plenty – of water. Alcohol dehydrates, impairs judgement, effects balance, coordination and reduces your body’s ability to stay warm. Drink as much booze as you like in the bar, on the beach, best stick to the non-alcoholic stuff – preferably water.

Stay cool

This means water again, drink it to avoid dehydration even if you don’t feel thirsty. Your body needs it to keep cool and to replace the salt it loses when you sweat. Watch out for signs of heat stroke, that’s life-threatening. Signs include hot, red and dry skin, rapid and weak pulse and rapid, shallow breathing. Move to a cooler place, cool the body down and seek medical help.

Swim in designated areas

Red and yellow flags are there for a reason. You’ll be no daredevil just because you flout danger by going swimming when the red flag is flying, you’ll be an idiot, drowned or both. Also, if you want to swim a long distance, swim parallel to the beach.

Stay clear of jellyfish

The big bad wolves of the beach. These little things are found in all seas across the world. Although the vast majority are not dangerous to humans (many of the dangerous ones live in off the Australian coast), their sting can be pretty painful in many cases. Clear the area of any remaining tentacles by scraping it with a sharp knife, a razor or even a credit card. To relieve the pain, vinegar generally works, or salt water if you haven’t got any. Don’t use fresh water if the sting occurred in the sea, it’ll only make it worse. Then get medical assistance as soon as possible.

Go with the wind

Lost children tend to take the course of least resistance – follow the wind to find your kid.

Related posts:

1. Now that it’s safe to go back in the water…
2. The top ten of staying safe on the slopes.
3. Taking the plunge on your winter holiday

How to stay safe on the beach | World First Travel Insurance Blog

In an occasional series of interviews, we’ll be asking members of the World First team and beyond, a number of questions about their travel experiences. Today, it’s the turn of the Editor (well, we’ve got to start somewhere!).

First holiday memory

My father worked for British Railways (as it still was at the time) so from the early 1960s, the cheap travel gave us the opportunity to go to a relatively under-developed part of Spain where I first experienced a sunny beach. We continued going throughout the 60s and 70s. Before that though, I can remember a wet Dun Laoghaire beach, Pinky and Perky at the cinema and my 6-month old brother being fed chips.

Favourite place in the UK

The Sussex Downs and Brighton. I lived there for much of the 1980s. I love the seafront in Brighton in a wet January, the deserted pubs on the beach and the railway journey between Lewes and Newhaven.

Holiday reading

Wherever I go, I like to take a book that is set in the area that I’m in. In recent years then, beach reading in Spain has included Paul Theroux’s travels round the Mediterranean, The Pillars of Hercules or Carlos Ruiz Záfon’s The Shadow of the Wind and Angel’s Game, both set in Barcelona. Being roughly in the context changes the way you read a book and helps you appreciate it more. I’m looking for some set in the Seychelles now!

What places have seduced you?

Paris in the winter can be as depressing as anywhere else, but go to Notre Dame when there are no tourists walking around in November. There’s  strange inner peace.  Alternatively, go to the Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada (one third of the size of Wales!) and hear the silence fall on you, it’s quite eerie. I also went to Berlin six months after the wall came down, Check Point Charlie was still there as were the the 8 U-Bahn stations closed when the wall went up in 1961. I have an East German stamp on an old passport somewhere. Living history.

Better to arrive or to travel?

That all depends on the journey. Low-cost airlines are a cattle truck nightmare, get there as soon as possible. The train I took between Trieste and Istanbul in 1978, even if it was in Bulgarian couchettes (8 per cabin), was a joy and an integral part of the trip.

Worst travel experiences

Hoverspeed hovercraft across the English channel – the only time I’ve ever been seasick. Any trip on EasyJet. And a trip years ago from the long-defunct station at Boulogne-Aeroglisseurs to Paris on an overcrowded train (two car set when four was required). Sore bum time, at least I wasn’t standing.

Worst meal abroad

When I was 14, I went on a school trip to Paris. The journey was delayed for a reason I can’t remember and we arrived at something like 9 in the evening – to be served with tripe. Needless to say, I ate an orange that evening. It wasn’t all bad though. That was the trip I met the 13 year old that is now my wife.

Dream Trip

A drive from Quebec or Montreal to Boston or New York in September or any one of the trains across the USA. The Taj Mahal any time of the year or the Transsiberean Express, preferably in the summer. Trains, me? Nah, can’t stand ‘em!

Greatest travel luxury

This is going to sound corny, but a nice notebook. I take my iPhone and laptop with me when I travel, but nothing gives me greater pleasure than writing in my increasingly illegible scrawl on a pristine, plain sheet of paper with a good writing implement.

Worst tourist trap

Lourdes. OK, I’ll admit an agenda here. As an atheist, I would say this, but there was ever a case for Christ in the Temple, it’s Lourdes. Maybe I don’t get it, but it’s one of the most repulsive places I’ve ever been to.

Traveller or Tourist?

When go the the now slightly more developed part of Spain I first went to in 1963 or even more, when I go to France, the answer’s neither. I’m at home, I feel part of the furniture – I lived in France for 20 years. When I go anywhere else, I’m a traveller of course, I’m there to discover and talk to people if I can, not just soak up the sun. Even on a package trip to Tunisia, although that was a bit difficult!

Related posts:

1. My life in travel – Martin Rothwell – Managing Partner at World First
2. Welcome to the World First Travel Insurance blog
3. My Life In Travel – Steven Usher – World First Website Management

My life in travel – Mike Garner – World First blog editor | World First Travel Insurance Blog