It is all too easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of a holiday and to forget that things can and do go wrong. I learnt at an early age how important travel insurance can be and in later life I never left home without adequate cover. Even the healthiest people and the best laid plans can fall prey to disaster and usually just when you don’t expect it. Continue reading
As a young child I was always tremendously excited when it was time for my father to return from one of his business trips abroad. Naturally I was pleased to see him again but my enthusiasm for his return mainly centred on the fact that he always came back bearing gifts! I was usually treated to a beautiful doll in the national dress of wherever he had been and was very proud of my growing collection. It was a firm tradition in our house that travellers made the time to buy gifts and so when I first set out on my own I felt obliged to continue the habit. Continue reading
I must have been a nightmare for my parents. Ok I did my homework, worked hard at school, largely went to bed when I was told and I was always polite but I also had a sense of adventure which ran me into plenty of trouble. Little wonder that the adult me has the travel bug and the thrill seeking urge. The signs were there from the start and my fun and games wreaked havoc with the family home. Continue reading
Life with small children is difficult at the best of times but can only get harder when travelling is involved. You only have to watch parents at airports or in the car hire offices to realise the hoops they have to jump through and the volume of equipment that they must carry with them. I always wince when I see these families stumbling along with screaming kids and I don’t want to imagine what their views are of paying to put luggage in the hold. Continue reading
I have a pathological hatred of queuing and so whenever I find myself unreasonably held up I inevitably start looking for something on which to focus my attention. In supermarkets this is usually the contents of other people’s trolleys and at airports it tends to be other travellers’ luggage. This is actually a matter of some interest as it is truly incredible just how much many people see fit to take away with them. Continue reading
I recently read an article about what hotel guests love and hate about the establishments they stay in. It started me thinking about the hotels I have visited and I realised that it generally wasn’t the most expensive or prestigious properties that had impressed me the most. I understand that the higher prices of the more expensive hotels may have raised my expectations and caused me to be more critical but even considering this fact my best memories are largely of some cheaper stays. Continue reading