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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.
Why late season boarding can play havoc with your snow style
It’s half term for many schools next week. And that means a mass exodus for a spot of late season snow. But, as the European ski season comes to a close and the numbers start to drop, the number of skiers coming home in plaster rises significantly. According to World First Travel Insurance, the end of the ski season is the time when injury claims go up. The reason for this is quite simple: the pistes have had months of regular use and will have deteriorated since the beginning of the season, there is less snowfall and the temperatures begin to rise. This often leads to more ice, which, in case you hadn’t noticed, is very, very slippery.
Martin Dorey
If you’ve been anywhere near BBC2 this week you might have caught a brand new series that’s been running every night at 6.30. It’s called ‘One Man and His Campervan’ and it’s all about a chap who travels around the UK in his classic camper cooking and eating as he goes.
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.
So it’s Friday afternoon. It’s raining outside. There’s nothing in the diary to keep you excited. Every other shop window is spraying fake snow all over the place. You’re dreaming of far away lands. You’re dreaming of pistes glowing white under a fresh dump of snow. You’re dreaming of schnapps and good times. Why not? But where to first?
If you’re thinking of dropping everything and jumping on a plane for a quick snow plough in the alps it’s going to be a bit of a risk at this time of year. But don’t worry. With your trusty computer at hand you can check out the snow conditions practically anywhere. So. How about a quick overnight dash to Scotland? What’s happening right now? Thankfully you can check out the conditions right here at Ski-Scotland’s website. There’s not much on offer but you might be lucky if you head for the Cairngorms. They plan to open this weekend for snow sports. Yippeeee. (more…)
In the last blog we looked at airport parking with ski gear on our journey to the slopes for this winter’s ski season and great deals on airport parking as part of a World First Travel Insurance package. For this one we’re going to look at a completely different way of getting there – the ski train from St Pancras ( you might not need the parking but you’ll still need great value winter sports cover). Going by train can be really relaxing and it could well prove to be the answer for people who want all the fun of the snow without the hassle or higher environmental impact of flying.
Now I’m no economist but even I know that the exchange rate means everything when it comes to booking your holiday. It can mean the difference between eating out and eking out the pennies. And that can make or break your holiday, especially during these (and I quote) ‘tricky economic times’.
So whilst you might be able to get great deals on your travel insurance and super-cheap flights, it may not be a true reflection of the cost of your holiday. Some of those great holiday deals might look great you when you’re tapping away on the laptop absentmindedly in front of the telly, but don’t forget to think about how much it’s all going to cost when you get there. At the time of writing the GBP (£) was at its lowest against the Euro for almost a year, which means that if I nipped out to the Post Office today I’d get about £140 less for every £1000 worth of Euros I bought this time two years ago. That adds up to more than just a few cervezas.
Earlier this week we talked about carrying surfboards on UK airlines. So, with half term coming up, we thought it might be a good time to talk about travelling with young kids – and all the paraphernalia that goes with them – on those same airlines.
Family travel essentials
There are always going to be things that you must have when travelling. Passport, tickets, money, the usual. Family travel insurance is also one of them. You could call it an essential. But did you know that having a car booster seat is essential – as it is in the UK – if you intent to drive anywhere in Europe? It is law in Europe for children between the ages of 3 and 12 (unless they are taller than 135cm) to have an age-appropriate car seat. So if you fly-drive it’s something you’ve either got to take with you or hire when you get there.
Carry-on or fly and hire?
We took a look at what the airlines will (or won’t) charge you to carry booster seats versus what car hire companies will charge to rent them at the other end. The results were great for the airlines but not so good for the car hire companies. Many of the UK airlines will carry pushchairs and booster seats for free. However others won’t and will charge per item per flight. So if all you want to do is take a couple of booster seats on a half term break to Spain choose your carrier carefully. Ryanair and BMI Baby will charge you £40 for the privilege. And if that’s a shocker, try leaving yours at home and renting one! Europcar will charge you £11.00 per day over the half term for renting a booster seat in Alicante. Hertz will charge you £22 per day. For a family of four staying for a week that’s an awful lot of cash considering the cost of an average high backed booster is about £40 and a seat booster is about £10. To be fair though, many of the airlines we asked will take boosters and pushchairs for free. Good for them!
Using your own seats
It seems obvious that taking your own seats is going to be the cheapest option – and perhaps the best. After all, you know how to fit your seats and car hire companies often operate a first come first served system, so even if you’ve booked the seats in advance, there may not be any available. Also, there’s no guarantee that a hired car seat hasn’t been involved in a accident previously. If the extra hassle of taking car seats into the airport is going to cause you stress you can always take the opportunity to relax airside with a great value holiday extra - a VIP lounge pass.
The cost of not complying with the law
But what happens if you decide that it’s not worth the hassle or the cost of hiring a car seat? Firstly you could get an on the spot fine for breaking the law. Secondly it just isn’t worth the risk to your children. And whilst underwriters might not see it as a serious offence – like driving whilst on the phone, under the influence or without a seatbelt – good sense must always prevail. Don’t risk invalidating your holiday insurance.  The story as always is this: ‘don’t take chances, either with the law or your family’s’ safety’.
Kid friendly? The UK’s popular airlines and their booster policies…
Some women choose to travel abroad to give birth. They have time to put things in place and plan.
But sometimes things just happen. Junior decides it’s time to make a break for the big wide world  just when you were enjoying yourself on holiday or even when you were in a business meeting.
If you do travel abroad when you’re pregnant, you’d be advised to take a certain number of precautions just to make sure things go smoothly. (more…)
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). (more…)
