Travel Insurance: Don't Leave Home Without It

Guest Post by Catherine Lavinia

When you're booking your next holiday, one of the most important things you should plan for is travel insurance. Whether you're planning a quick weekend away, a week in the sun or a full-on winter sports experience, it's essential to book the right sort of travel insurance for you and your chosen holiday.

Travel insurance can provide financial protection against all sorts of scenarios. One of the most obvious is illness. If you fall ill while you're abroad, or if you have an accident and require medical or hospital attention, you can't fall back on the NHS. Instead you'll be liable for hefty hospital fees which could set you back thousands of pounds. So it's well worth ensuring you've got insurance sorted before you go to make sure you've covered for situations like this.

Another benefit of certain travel insurance policies is that it can provide financial protection in the event of holiday cancellation. If you fall ill and can't travel, many policies provide cover that can reimburse or compensate you for missed holidays, which is another good reason to make sure you're adequately covered.

The upshot is that none of us know what's around the corner, so unless you're prepared to shell out hundreds, even thousands of pounds - possibly more - on circumstances that are beyond your control, it is always worth taking out a good level of travel insurance cover to protect you against the unexpected.

If you have booked a holiday through a tour operator, and even if you haven't, you can usually find out more or reserve travel insurance through your travel agent. For instance you can book travel insurance from Thomas Cook at the time you pay for your holiday, or add it on later. Alternatively, get online and use a comparison website to search for travel insurance policies and compare prices from a wide range of providers.

Top Reasons to Choose Late Season Deals

Guest post by Catherine Lavinia

The 2012/13 ski season is coming to a close, meaning now is an opportune time to look ahead to the forthcoming winter. While many people will be heading for the mountains during December and January, others will be opting for a late season deal, but why? The tail end of the ski season is often considered to come hand in hand with icy conditions and chronic snow meltdown but that’s not always the case. Choosing to Ski Austria or Switzerland for example, can provide some incredible snowsure conditions until early May in some cases.

Skiing in Austria and beyond can be perfect for a late season deals, but why would you choose to go later rather than sooner? Here’s some top reasons to consider. 

• The weather is warmer and the sun shines brightly. There’s a smaller risk of snowstorms and blizzards and, while not guaranteed, chances are the blue skies will mean you’re be more inclined to ski for longer.

• The snow in many resorts is better than some might expect during the springtime months. The higher altitude resorts are more reliable, while glacial skiing offers the chance to ski all year round.

• Holidays in late season tend to be much cheaper and kinder to the purse-strings.

• Resorts tend to be quieter, meaning less crowded slopes and a more relaxing holiday.

•  Longer daylight hours mean that you’ll be able to appreciate more activities than you would usually. Rather than heading for the slopes and leaving them during mid-afternoon to return to your chalet, lighter evenings mean you’ll have the chance to enjoy the other facilities, such as ice skating or tobogganing.

•  Lighter, warmer evenings mean that the nightlife will undoubtedly be more vibrant. There’s much more chance of getting the party started when it’s not unbearably cold outside! 

Skiing in Austria is incredible, whatever the time of year you choose to travel. Take a look at the fabulous offers online, today.

Gorgeous Greek Getaways

Guest post by Catherine Lavinia

Searching for a summer holiday? Need a little inspiration? You're not alone. With so much choice on offer, from time to time, we all need a few ideas and suggestions on where to try for our next getaway. The great thing is that there is a huge range of options on offer to suit every personal preference imaginable, and more often than not, there's always something to suit even the most stringent of budgets too. From cheap holidays in the Algarve to last-minute getaways in Malta, there's plenty to tickle your fancy.

One summer holiday favourite that keeps bringing holidaymakers back to its sunny shores year after year is Greece, and it's not hard to see why. Just look at the sheer variety on offer. You've got the lovely island of Corfu, known as the Emerald Isle, which is perfect for family holidays and boasts some of the best family-friendly resorts and local activities of all the Greek islands. There's beautiful Kefalonia, an island famed for its good looks and dramatic scenery which even caught the attention of Hollywood. For those who like their holidays quiet and relaxing, try lovely Samos, or head to one of the five-star resorts in gorgeous Halkidiki.

If you're after a lively holiday, clubbers can get their kicks in non-stop Faliraki in Rhodes, Kardamena in Kos, Kavos in Corfu or Malia in Crete. Every island has its loud 'n lively town, and any one of these bustling resorts is bound to tick all the right boxes for the party animals among us.

Whatever you fancy, you'll find stacks of cheap Greece holidays on offer covering a vast array of tastes and preferences. From big and bustling to quiet and tranquil, it's all here - and at a price that won't break the bank.

What's not to love about getaways in gorgeous Greece?

Dismiss the Doubts: First Time Cruising Tips

Guest Post by Catherine Lavinia

If you’re after a holiday with a difference this year, have considered cruising but are dubious about whether you’ll enjoy it or not, read on. Whether you like the look of the itinerary that RCI liner, the Mariner of the Seas offers, or you’re midway through browsing the cheap cruises available, there’s little point booking until you are sure that a cruise is the way to go.

As far as the holiday trade is concerned, cruising has skyrocketed over recent years, with one in eight foreign holidays being a cruise. It may be stereotyped as being a holiday for the older generation and it may be sneered at by treehuggers, but are these stereotypes based on fact? Or mere fiction?

• Seasickness isn’t as common on liners as it might be on a speedboat. Stabilisers and new-fangled technology will maintain the balance of hulls while medication is available on the market to help.
• More and more young holidaymakers are choosing the humble cruise for their vacation, reducing the average age of passengers on board, so you will be surrounded by like-minded people. Choose a cruise that offers facilities for your age group.
• Novovirus may have been reported aboard ships due to the close quarters and shared communal areas, but it’s been a common virus on dry land this year too.
• Cruises don’t always expect you to dress formally during the evenings anymore. With many ships, including RCI liners, offering ‘my time’ dining and welcoming informality.
• They may not be the most environmentally-friendly method of transport, but many liners aim to do everything they can to give back to the planet, including reducing emissions in port and supporting local charities.
• It’s unlikely that you’ll get bored. There are so many activities available on deck, from climbing walls to spa treatments, that you can take part in, plus the shore excursions are excellent.

Research cruising online and you can be safe in the knowledge that many of the myths associated are unfounded. Check out the cheap cruises available and try something a little different this year.