Though it will never rival car hire in terms of volume, motorcycle hire is growing in popularity. While car hire caters to families and all kinds of customers, motorcycle hire tends to be the preserve of singles and couples who are looking to have a good time. A long motorcycle ride can be very romantic way for two people to travel, or the ultimate way for one person to really clear their thoughts and have some great alone time. The main brands of motorcycles that are popular to hire are Japanese, Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki.


However if you go to specialist motorcycle hire companies there is the chance to get a signature vehicle like the Harley Davidson which really will be the envy of all your friends. This kind of motorcycle is good for countries which have long open roads, for instance if you are doing a road trip through Australia or America. There are also exotic models of motorcycle hire like the Firebird. Motorcycle hire companies can rent these to people who have always wanted to ride a Firebird without being able to purchase it.  Motorcycle hire can also encompass smaller European vehicles such as the scooter or Vespa. These are ideal for crowded cities like Rome or Paris and there are a lot of romantic connotations associated with the Vespa.


With motorcycle hire insurance is not only a legal requirement but a necessity as motorcycles are much more dangerous than cars. You should always wear a helmet and protective clothing as your chances of surviving a serious accident on a motorcycle are a lot lower than on a car. Shop around for the best deals and see our blog on bike insurance.

Because of the dangers of riding a motorcycle the motorcycle test is much harder than the car test. Of course to hire a motorcycle you need to have a valid licence specifically for a motorcycle and the correct grade, for example you’d be foolish to try and hire a Yamaha R1, reputed as one of the fastest road going production bikes, with a CBT (uk 50cc licence)! The age to rent tends to be a bit higher than with cars, unless you are getting a low powered motorcycle like a Vespa or scooter.

The massive advantage of motorcycle hire is the amount of time you can save yourself in traffic. While cars have to sit there stationary, their drivers cursing, you can zip right to the front of the queue. For this reason more and more businessmen and women who commute are using motorcycle hire to get to work on time.

With the cost of petrol constantly rising, governments around the world are now looking at helping customers to save money by converting to Liquefied Petroleum Gas or LPG.


This flammable gas is less damaging to the ozone layer and so makes an environmentally friendly fuel. Because of this most governments impose less tax on LPG. LPG is either made primarily from butane or propane and used for fuel in heating appliances as well as vehicles. When used for cars LPG is often referred to as auto propane or auto gas.

LPG has very low production costs as the Australian motoring service NRMA explains: "LPG is a by-product of the oil refining process. The refineries themselves use it as a fuel source so it is basically the excess supply which is sold."  In Australia sales of LPG run cars have rocketed. Even though it can cost between two and four thousand dollars to convert your engine to LPG dependence, this cost can be recouped quickly as LPG is significantly cheaper than petrol.

Despite the rise in demand for LPG vehicles it takes a long time and a lot of money to do the engine conversion and motorists could have to wait for up to a year for one of these cars. Furthermore only a limited number of companies make them and you also need to have LPG compliance plates fitted. About eighteen hundred Australian businesses do an LPG vehicle conversion.  The Ford Falcon is the most popular LPG run car in Australia and sales of this model have jumped by a fifth. There are special government grants to buy these vehicles, though quite a few terms and conditions apply.

Contrary to popular belief there are few negatives to running a car on LPG and a depending on the mileage that you cover the capital cost of the install (anything from £1k-£3k) can be paid off in no time.  For example if you cover 20,000 miles per year and run an average family saloon achieving approximately 30mpg, (assume petrol prices £1 per litre and LPG 50p), you will save approximately £1500 on your annual fuel bill! 

comparison price difference from circa 2003

Contrary to popular belief there are few negatives to running a car on LPG and a depending on the mileage that you cover the capital cost of the install (anything from £1k-£3k) can be paid off in no time.  For example if you cover 20,000 miles per year and run an average family saloon achieving approximately 30mpg, (assume petrol prices £1 per litre and LPG 50p), you will save approximately £1500 on your annual fuel bill!  The myth that LPG has a negative effect of performance or a cars mpg is far fetched, probably started by the leading petroleum suppliers as LPG is becoming big business and more and more drivers choosing to fuel their cars on it.  You’ll find that often the spare tyre well is used to store the tank, or if your can uses the increasingly popular run-flat tyres, its usually some boot space needed.  The only other thing to consider is that LPG is not available at all forecourts.  The infrastructure costs are such that not every station will have LPG so its always useful to know where you can fill up.  Thankfully there are lots of sites out there that can guide you, such as the very useful service from Drive LPG, check out there map of LPG stations here.

If you are considering an LPG conversion your best bet is to search for a local supplier / installer who can guide you as to what is needed.  Make sure they carry the necessary accreditation and look out for the LPGA approved Autogas Convertor logo.  There are many reputable LPG installers around and is sure to be one near you as the market is growing with thanks to the ever increasing prices on the forecourt, so why not take the initiative and get one step ahead by using LPG from installers such as FES Auotgas.  Why not contact them for advice on the system most suitable for you at www.fesautogas.co.uk

Romano Autogas are an Italian manufacturer that come highly recommended within   the industry.  If you are looking for a Romono Autogas Installation you’ll find all the information you need and your nearest approved supplier at www.autogasworldwide.co.uk

So when you see someone at the Autogas pump at the filling station looking rather smug, thats becausewhen they follow you into the kiosk to pay, they'll be paying around half of what you are for petrol ro diesel and rightly feeling pretty chuffed with themselves.  And its not only cars that you can convert, any vehicle with a combustion engine can feasibly be converted, for example the thirsty looking limo's on our roads have likely been converted by www.avonautogas.co.uk so they are greener than your average family saloon!

Villas in France come in all shapes and sizes but what they all have in common, if you take the time to find the best ones, is the absolute serenity of their surroundings. Villas in France are always popular with British holiday makers considering how close France is for them. Brittany is probably the most convenient location and you can get fantastic deals on four person villas there.

The Jardin Botanica takes its name from the beautiful foliage which is kept nearby and it has a marvellous sun deck where you can admire the view.

Another option is the La Torche villa which is near one of the best surfing beaches in France and very reasonably priced. Both villas are only an hour and a half away from Brest airport.

The French island of Corsica is known for its spectacular flora and fauna and anybody would be charmed by the thought of staying in a shepherd's cottage. There is I Fiore di Vazze which is an hour away from Figari airport. A Muredda also sleeps four people and is slightly more impressive. Both have plunge pools.

Provence is widely considered to be the most dazzling region of France and Les Bruyères encapsulates what is so appealing about it with its 18th century farmhouse. If you want a story to tell your friends when you get back stay in Lou Roucas. It was occupied by the painter Chagall during wartime and stands impressively on a cliff. You can drive from Marseilles airport in only an hour and six people can stay in this spacious villa.

Another endlessly appealing region of France is the Dordogne. Imagine waking up to the sounds of a river running at the bottom of the garden and you can probably picture how beautiful the Au Bord de la Rivière villa is. It might be one to avoid if you have small children though. From Bergerac airport it is less than an hour's drive to Au Bord de la Rivière and Les Bernards is an hour's drive. The latter cottage is big enough to sleep four and they can enjoy a newly refurbished residence which has a plunge pool and a brand new kitchen.

Large groups should try the Maison Loupiac in Lot Valley. This villa is a wonderful combination of old and new with a rustic 19th century exterior that encases a glamorous modern interior.

Villas in Spain are easy to access as they are spread out all over the country. While most people think of tacky Costa del Sol residences which are put together with all the charm of a council estate in Liverpool, with a bit of searching you can get off the beaten track and indulge in some real Spanish agrotourism.

Just a two hour drive from Malaga international airport you can get to the lovely Dar Hajra villa in Andalusia. This showcases all the best qualities of southern Spain as it is surrounded by a pine forest with gorgeous mountain views of the Grazalema.
If you have a larger party the Casa de los Espejos at Alma de Granada, Andalusia, is a wonderfully restored old building. You can get here in one and a half hours from Malaga airport.

Another luscious two person villa is the Sa Teulada in Mallorca. Within an hour of Palma airport you can drive to this east coast hideaway which overlooks some spectacular beaches. An even closer drive from Palma airport is the Serelleta, one of the nicest villas in Spain. The outdoor room here is the 'piece de resistance' as it encompasses comfy sofas and a barbecue on which to cook your food.

If you really want to splash the cash stay in C’Awanui in Mallorca which has the décor of a five star hotel with all the privacy of a villa.

To immerse yourself Spanish history stay in a disused watermill in Cantabria. El Molino sleeps four people and overlooks a pretty stream.

You get all the charm of the Spanish countryside by only driving 45 minutes from Santander airport. You could also try La Torruca, a six person villa in Cantabria which has a stone façade and bundles of character. Catalonia also has two of these larger villas, Nostra Pau and the Portal de Burgos. The former is only a few kilometres from the beach and has its own swimming pool while the latter is a merger of an old 19th century house and a 14th century gate tower.

You can also stay at the six person Mar Bona which is only an hour's drive away from Girona airport. Imagine sitting in your spacious pool while staring out across the Mediterranean Sea.

Rail travel in the United Kingdom is becoming the most unreliable form of travel. Over Christmas the railway lines were paralysed by snow. Every year England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland have quite a bit of snowfall and every year the public transport system is totally unprepared to deal with it. They give you some guff about the wrong kind of snow (it's the wrong kind of leaves in autumn) as an excuse to leave thousands of travellers stranded during the holiday season when they desperately want a break from all the chaos. And this is despite the government always telling us that we should leave cars at home and take the train. It's not as though they are making the service any more affordable.

Rail travel hit the headlines recently with the first £1,000 rail ticket. It costs over a grand to get a train from a station in Cornwall up to Scotland - about five times what it would cost to do the same journey by plane. Many people don't want to have to go through all the inconvenience of checking in for a flight.

Rail travel used to be romantic and you could enjoy the beautiful British scenery going by while you played a game of cards with a friend. Now you are lucky if you get a seat let alone a table. Why can't we get it together? Rail travel is a pleasure on the continent, with spacious trains arriving on time and a general sense of bonhomie in the compartment. Surely privatising the rail service should have made it better not worse? Instead we have to skulk around in stations afraid that we will get mugged and stand in the aisles while yobs who haven't paid for them take up the best seats.

The latest bad news is that British rail staff will strike over Easter. Talking about envying rail travel on the continent I was not referring to that rather French habit of striking every five minutes. The British seem to have caught the disease. First there was the threatened British Airways plane strike, then the postal strike in which millions of letters never arrived (a few of mine were among them) and now another chance to hold the country to ransom over the holidays.


There would be more sympathy with the strikers if they didn't always choose to pull their stunts over the holidays. Strike during most of they year and it has a grave effect - both personal and financial. But when you strike over the few precious days of holiday that people have it drives them to distraction.
I used to be an avid public transport supporter but now I'm afraid I just can't. Rail travel is simply not heading in the right direction.

International removals can really help to take the pressure off in a stressful situation. Studies have shown that moving house and country are some of the most stressful experiences that the human body can undergo. In that respect we are not much different from animals. Although we like the newness of different surroundings, moving is actually upsetting to our equilibriums.

My cousin is currently weighing up a move from England to Australia. She's in her mid thirties and it's a huge decision. She and her husband have a nice house in London which is really well furnished. So they will be turning to international removals to take care of everything for them. That way they can get their large sofas and the king-sized bed shipped so that it's ready to meet them on the other side. How she is going to get to get her cats across to Australia is a much bigger problem!

International removals companies can take care of all your personal effects for you and they will usually specialise in the various processes.

They use a number of different shipping lines to ensure fast delivery. Most of them allow you to make your booking enquiry online and then you can get a speedy and free price quotation. Make sure you shop around as you could save yourself a lot of money by using one international removals company versus another.

What all the companies should provide is a thorough packing service. But some will charge you for the packing materials while other international removals companies will include them for free as part of the service offered.

Make sure that you get insurance when you get international removals. It should cover your goods in all parts of the transit process, especially at sea. Shipping could take a week if you are getting international removals from London to New York but it could take as long as a month if you are shipping all the way down under to Australia. Factor these time considerations in when you are planning international removals.

Most customers say that they are very satisfied with an international removals service. It is a great peace of mind that you can leave one of the hardest and most time-consuming jobs to a company of professionals. And it is equally comforting when you are trying to settle in to a new place to find that all your possessions have followed you.

Along with its neighbour on the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal is probably the most popular holiday destination in Europe. As Portugal is long and thin, most of the best villas are near to the coastline with the Atlantic Ocean, though there are some good country residences too.

The Algarve has a reputation for being overcrowded but there are some lovely villas here. Try the eight person Quinta Velha which has a shaded terrace and an enormous lawn so that you can choose whether you prefer to sunbathe or lie on the shade. If you want to be looked after during your stay in the Algarve then the Colinas Verdes, or Green hills resort, is the logical choice. It comes with a nanny and a cook so that you all you have to do is let yourself unwind. The villa is only an hour's drive away from Faro airport.

The Algarve has some of the best golf resorts in Portugal and the Casa Moderna, Quinta do Lago is well placed to enjoy them. This lovely property is most appealing for its delectable roof garden where you can cool out in the company of shady plants.

Four people can sleep in the Casa de Fontainha in Minho. This villa is fully equipped with a pool, barbecue and a big garden and is only a few miles away from the Costa Verde.

Another attractive place in Minho is the House of Soutelo which is only an hour away from Porto airport and sleeps six people. This gives you a great slice of rural Portuguese life and you can go horse riding and wine-tasting with ease.

Or you could choose a six person villa which is actually on a vineyard, the Quinta de Lamelas. The 17 century house and pool are surrounded by vines and the airport is only one and a half hours away.

Close to Costa Verde is the Casa do Barral. But many people who stay here never actually make it to the beach so lovely is the pool and garden area. The Casa do Barral sleeps five people.

Also in Minho is the Amarante which is a huge villa where three 17th century houses have been fused together. It sleeps between eight and 10 people. The Amarante has all the great components of Portuguese architecture including a courtyard and a terraced garden which has been put together with a lot of love.

Fed up of all the speed camera’s and speed humps that are plaguing our roads? If you love the thrill of driving, you’ll no doubt have witnessed the demise of an enjoyable Sunday drive over the last 10 years or so and lets face it, things are not going to get any better any time soon!


There is a solution however.  Track Days have been popular in the UK for over 10 years now, but their popularity is ever increasing with so many performance car drivers taking to the track to enjoy their car to its limits.  Most UK circuits offer track days all year round for both car and bike events including;

•    Silverstone
•    Brands Hatch
•    Castle Coombe
•    Donnington
•    Anglesey

The great thing about track days is that everyone there shares the same passion for performance cars / bikes and are there for one reason and one reason only – FUN!  With a mutual respect for one another safety and vehicle trackdays are possible the only environment in which the average driver can enjoy their car to the full in both a safe and legal manner.

A few tips you might consider if planning a track day in your car;

•    Check your tyre wear levels – Its likely that a single trackday will wear your tyres considerably more than general road use, if your tyres are low its likely that by the end of the day they may be under the legal limit and you will need to drive home on them!
•    Drive within your limits – The best ‘modification’ you can make is to you and not your car – most organised events offer fully qualified instructors, this is by far the best way to get your lap times down!
•    Ensure your car is mechanically sound BEFORE the day, check oil and water levels. Track use put more stresses through the cars mechanicals so ensure your car is in order
•    Check circuit noise restrictions – dB levels vary from circuit to circuit, Castle Coombe for example is on the outskirts of a sleepy Wiltshire village and its dB restrictions are low and well monitored – Don’t arrive on the day and not be able to participate due to failing the test!
•    Listen to the safety briefing – you’ll need to attend the safety briefing, listen to the rules of the day and abide by them, its for your safety and others and if you don’t play by the rules, your day will be cut short by the marshals and your money wasted!

There are lots of organisers here in the UK that offer events at most leading UK circuits such as www.trackdays.co.uk, www.bookatrack.co.uk and www.goldtrack.co.uk .  You can even hire cars prepared for a track day from certain suppliers.  This is often the only way many of us will get to experience a full race car in action on track without winning the lottery.  Motorsport in an expensive hobby however, so don’t expect hiring someone else’s pride and joy to come cheap!  Cars can vary from £250 per day for a Caterham 7 up to £1000 day for a Porsche 911 GT3.  In contrast if you are using your own car a days fun can be had for as little £100 for the smaller tracks and airfields and up to £300 for the national circuits like silversone.  Be aware that your car insurance policy will explicitly EXCLUDE use on a race track.  You can get independant track day insurance, but you will pay on average £1-200 per day, so it isn't cheap, although its not very often mandatory, but do check with the provider.

You can guarantee to fall in love with driving again! Just remember to obey the speed limits on the way home or you could end up in hot water with the local police!

When it comes to golf, Portugal is one of the world's best countries to play in because of the amazing facilities on offer. Within Portugal the Algarve is the golfing hotspot and consequently attracts the most tourists. The golf courses are spread across the east, west and centre of the Algarve. They include popular courses like Alto Golf in the west, and Quinta Do Lago North golf course in the centre.

Alto Golf is a high class 18 hole golf course which is only 72 par. Alto Golf is famous for having the longest par five hole anywhere in Europe so you are certain to find this course challenging. Playing here is a fantastic way to spend a day out as there are amazing sea views and wonderful landscaped gardens to enjoy as you walk around in the gorgeous Portuguese climate. The course was designed to be everything to everyone by a famous English golfer known as Sir Henry Cotton. At more than six thousand metres long this course overlooks Lagos bay on the opening nine holes and has plenty of sloping hills and windy fairways. In 1995 the open was held here and in 1998 the Jonnie Walker amateur golfer competition took place.

Located just to the west of Faro airport, which is the main airport to use for golf in the Algarve, Quinta Do Lago North is a resort which is based around a golf course. This top course has hosted the prestigious Portuguese open tournament before and you are sure to enjoy its finely manicured course and facilities. The course is punctuated by lakes which provide a challenge to even the most adept of golfers and there are quite a few traps to look out for. Pine trees, sand and seasonal grass mostly make up the terrain and there are also beautiful flowers on many of the fairways. All in all you could be assured of a fantastic experience at Quinta Do Lago North. The course is twinned with the Quinta Do Lago South course which was also designed by an American architect and opened in 1974. Since that time the course has been so popular that it has hosted the Portuguese open on a staggering eight occasions.

There are a number of different golf in the Algarve packages and the best thing to do is shop around for deals. You should be able to get all your accommodation, flights, hotels and car hire for around £500 per person if you book early.

The following companies offer custom packages for all your golfing holiday needs;

Golf Holidays in Spain and Portugal
Premier Iberian offer flexibility and choice whatever size your group.

Following a recent holiday in North Italy, i’ve tried my hand at traditional Italian pizza.  What a revelation.  The takeaway menu’s are in the bin and frozen supermarket pizza’s off the shopping list.  Why oh why didn’t someone tell me about this earlier.  All you need are some basic ingredients, 30 minutes prep time (20 of which are letting the base rise) and 10 minutes to cook.  What you end up with is a traditional Italian base that will trump anything on offer on the highstreet!


It all started following my first visit to Italy, Summer 2009 saw us take in the truly delightful lake Garda in northern Italy.  Flying in to Milan, we picked up our car hire Milan from the airport and were swiftly on our way.  Only a few hours drive gets you to the south of the lake where you’ll find lots of camping spots and a very commercial feel to this increasingly popular resort.  Travel around the lake (higher the better) and you’ll stumble across some truly exceptional scenery and villages.  We decided on the sleepy harbour town of Malcesine with its qaint cobbled streets, traditional restaurants and fantastic harbour serving the great lake.  A short walk from the harbour in either direction and you’ll find various hotspots for lapping up the sunshine on the lake side.  Stroll south  you’ll see the small island a few hundred yards from shore that provides an appealing point to swim.  We did this on a number of occasions, but be warned, its further than it looks, I’m a competent swimmer and it took me a good 20 minutes in fair weather!  If you’re uncertain or the water is cutting up, I’d give it a miss.

Back to the Pizza.  

After a few efforts at making the base, I must confess to cheating here, its far easier to buy a base mix (not pizza base) from the supermarket, these come in small sachets and just require warm water a bit of kneading, let them rise for 20 minutes then they are ready to roll (or stretch by hand if you fancy a challenge).  You can experiment with making your own, but you’ll need to get your flour / yeast mix spot on to succeed!


The key to a good pizza is to get the oven upto its max temperature, not many of us have the luxury of a traditional stone pizza oven, so get it hot nice and early, roll out your base (approx 12” diameter), lightly flour a baking tray and lay the base on.  I use a tomato and basil passata (again I buy from supermarket, but if you have time its easy to make your own, blend fresh tomatoes and add some chopped basil, salt and pepper to taste), lightly cover the base and add mozzarella (approx 3-4mm thick slices).  From there on, the world is you oyster, just grate a little cheddar cheese over your chosen topping and a light drizzle of olive oil, you can add whatever toppings you like, but here are a few that I have tried and tested and come back to time and time again!

•    Prawn and garlic (well drained baby prawns work well)
•    Steak and pepper (best steak you can get – slice into fine strips – add raw)
•    Smoked Ham and mushroom
•    King prawn and smoked salmon – add sliced smoked salmon to pizza once cooked and drizzle with fresh lemon
•    Goats cheese and caramelised onions
•    Pepperoni and Chorizo – my twist on a classic!

Personally, I like rocket and its peppery taste, so often scatter the cooked pizza with fresh rocket and add a generous grating of parmesan to the finished pizza before serving….Belissimo!

If you are taking a break to the med this year, Cyprus is pretty much as far east as you can go!  With near guaranteed sunshine from May to September the beautiful island has plenty to offer.  Its crystal clear waters accessible from almost anywhere on the island within a short drive is truly worthy of its reputation for some of the best waters the med has to offer. 

From the lively town of Ayia Napa at the most easterly tip of the island right to Paphos and Polis in the west, the clear waters are a must.  And what better way to enjoy the water than from a boat!  Sure the beautiful beaches get you into the water, but why not get away from the masses and take a boat trip to some of the islands most beautiful spots that you wouldn’t otherwise get to experience.  Many trips are operated from Ayia Napa, I would recommend you pay Nissi Beach a visit, either by boat of the short 30 minute walk along the coast as the white sand is almost Caribbean like!  If you are in Paphos, the harbour has many trips available, from short hour cruises in a speed boat, to half and full day excursions.  Both sight seeing and fishing trips are available from a number of skippers on the quay, be warned you will be hot property as the skippers see you approaching, you are after all a pay cheque in their eyes, so only enquire if you are actually going to book, otherwise they will follow you along the quay until you do!  Be sure to haggle on the price, the ticket price is always negotiable, especially if travelling in a group, play hard as if the shoe were on the other foot, you’d be giving trips away!

If the thought of a crowded deck doesn’t float your boat however, there are a limited number of self drive boats available from Paphos, however if you have taken advantage of the cheap car hire Cyprus has to offer, jump in the car and head north to Paphos, follow the coast along to Latchi and this is where the real fun begins.  Latchi is a beautiful harbour side village with some truly exceptional boats in its moorings, clearly the harbour of choice for the rich and famous on the island keeping out of reach of the busiest tourist hotspots whilst enjoying arguably the best stretch of coast line the island has to offer.   Latchi has a good supply of self drive speed boats, can take up to 8 adults and can be equipped with all the waters ports equipment you can think of from water ski’s and wake boards to inflatable rings and of course life jackets for both adults and children.  Prices start from approx 50 Euro per hour, however tend to creep up as demand increases in the height of the summer.  You should only take the self drive option if you are familiar with motor boats, its not for the complete novice as you are driving around in a 30,000 Euro boat powered by 200hp outboards!  These things are not for the faint hearted, but if you know what you are doing, a great little boat for a few hours!  A little advice, get safely out of the harbour, swing a left and power along the coast, past the island (feel free to wave to the fishermen around the island, their persistence is admirable, I’ve snorkelled around the whole island and not seen a single fish!) and onto the blue lagoon cove. 


Accessible only by water, the cove is a truly great find!  You might see the odd boat trip out there, but you’ll be happily in charge of your own vessel and can stay until your hearts content.  Anchor down and spend a few hours lapping up the sun or take a dip in the crystal clear water where it’s only about 10ft deep for a few hundred feet from shore!  Boat trips in Cyprus? There are lots on offer, but my advice, get a self hire from Latchi and get away from the crowds!

Travel currency is available at good rates at the moment if you are going to Egypt, Dubai or Thailand.

The United Kingdom’s Post Office’s Travel Money Monitor reported January currency purchases going up by 17% for the Egyptian pound, 23% for the United Arab Emirates Dirham and 45% for the Thai baht.

However the British Pound is still weak and you may want to look at ways of getting around that before considering you travel plans. For instance many people who went from Britain to Canada to see the Winter Olympics suffered as the pound was very low to the Canadian dollar.

There are prepaid currency cards which can guarantee you against any sudden currency dips, such as the FairFX or the Caxton FX.

These cards can be topped up over the phone or online making them a great deal. Although many high street and online currency dealers say that they give commission free travel currency, the commission is usually built into the exchange rate.

Peter Harrison at moneysupermarket.com said: “Using an appropriate travel currency product can save holiday makers a packet and there are several different options which are available to any savvy travellers.”

The prepaid currency cards can save you from getting charged by your bank for overseas transaction fees. These fees usually run at about 3 per cent and with ATM fees of anywhere up to £4 to consider as well, a prepaid currency card makes a lot of sense.

One way to ensure that you are not overspending is to go to a country which is outside of the European Union where you are more than likely to get better value for money. Despite the recession Europeans are still very keen to take their holidays as long as they can get value for money.


Jonathan Cudworth, the Expedia travel company director of product management, said: “By booking flights and hotels together customers can make their money go further.  “They can also pinch the pennies by visiting destinations that offer the best currency exchange rates and by ensuring that additional hotel costs are kept to a minimum.”

Although travel currency is constantly fluctuating, until recently the United States has counted as one of these good value travel currency destinations.

Expensive travel luggage has to be one of the biggest wastes of money. The only thing worse than losing your luggage is when the bag that helds all your belongings was also valuable. Coming from the Caribbean, lost luggage in transit is a way of life. One of the main inter Caribbean airlines is LIAT, known to locals as Luggage In Another Terminal.

Most passengers who spend money on their travel bags do so to show off, and to make people think that they are well-to-do and successful. But there could be one good reason for getting the new Tumi range of pricey travel bags. They come in a hard to miss range of exotic colours. That means that if your luggage does get lost you can at least say that it is distinctive and easy-to-spot.


One luggage thief was recently apprehended in America with over one thousand travel bags stacked up in his garage. This news came at around the same time that airlines in the United States had vowed to get tougher on baggage security. You only have to walk into any baggage reclaim area of any airport in the US to know that stealing bags would be a piece of cake. Even if you were to get caught you can just play the old, sorry, 'I thought it was my bag' routine.

Most of the thieves are not so brazen though. They don't try to steal the whole bag, but just a few choice items out of it on the way. Airport staff who are on low wages and dissatisfied with their jobs can remove an expensive camera from your bag easily without getting caught. The only way to stop them is to make sure that you keep your most valuable items in your hand luggage. Even then it is important to keep a good eye on them.

Lost travel luggage is a problem which is on the increase around the world. While a few years ago there were a recorded 30 million bags lost, that figure has now shot up to 40 million bags. The best ways to avoid your bag getting lost are to arrive early for check in, make sure that your bag has the right handling instructions on it and place some ID on the inside and the outside of the bag.

The airlines say that most bags are reunited with their owners (eventually) and that only one in 200,000 bags is never found. One way to get bargain travel luggage could be to go to Scottsdale in Alabama where the major American lost luggage depot is located.

Most of these bags are never reunited with their owners and instead re-homed thanks to a cut-price fire sale. If they can't reunite the bag within 90 days or sell it then it gets given away. And then the whole cycle starts again the next time the bag is used.

Cyprus has a tourism problem. When the Foreign Commonwealth Office describes what is supposed to be a top vacation spot as a place where people drive badly with no property security whatsoever then it is not a glowing reference.

To quote the FCO site –

• Many British nationals have experienced serious problems associated with the purchase of property in Cyprus.
• Driving standards are poor. You should drive with care and caution.
• There is an underlying threat from terrorism.  Attacks, although unlikely, could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

Although this property problem is part of a larger political one which is unavoidable, the island really needs to buck its ideas up. Cyprus is far more expensive than Spain and yet twice the distance to travel by plane. When you consider that a half hour taxi journey in Cyprus costs 70 Euros and a pint of beer in the capital costs 4.6 Euros then this is certainly not a cost effective place to travel to. So you would think that people in Cyprus would be putting their efforts into promoting tourism to make up for the prices? Wrong. Although there are some very friendly people here and some lovely local hotels, on the whole people try to rip you off.

At Youkoso sushi restaurant in Paphos on the Tomb of the Kings Road we were charged 24 Euros for some microscopic pieces of sushi. When I complained about the sushi size and price the owner looked me straight in the face and said what good quality sushi it was, even though it was composed of a decaying crab stick and some tinned lumpfish, which costs about 1.30 Euros, in the sushi rolls. We returned it and it went back in the fridge for the next sucker to eat. There were also two side dishes in small containers that had not even been filled up. One was a beef dish and one was a mushroom dish. I swear they used about a finger sized strip of beef and one mushroom to make the whole thing.  Youkoso is owned by Cypriots and they are the stingy kind and not the nice kind.To their credit they did give us a refund.
At hotels in Limassol they charge you top dollar for the rooms in a four star hotel and then have the cheek to charge extra for the facilities which should be included. Four star hotels which charge 120 Euros per night should have free internet and sauna but hotels such as the Mediterranean Beach Hotel charge you five Euros extra for each. If that’s not a way to put off customers from returning I don’t know what is.

Flights have long been the worst kind of dead time. Suspended hundreds of miles above the ground, passengers are usually like cranky cattle forced to endure cooped-up pens and bad food. The logical way to pass the time was in flight entertainment.

The first movie was shown on a plane as far back as 1921 - ‘Howdie Chicago’ on Aeromarine airways. In flight entertainment really started to take off in the 1960s though. Pan Am was the first airline to have television monitors on its flights. In 1975 Braniff International Airways came up with the genius idea of allowing customers to play Atari computer games during the flight.

Sadly in flight entertainment has not got much better over the last 50 years. Virgin used to wow customers with its range of in flight entertainment. But the last couple of times I have flown with Virgin Atlantic the tv channels failed to work properly making an annoying transatlantic flight even more unpleasant. So all the latest developments to allow people to access the internet and plug in their IPods on planes are most welcome.

Alaska Airlines is to put wi fi capability on their flights. Using Gogo’s 3G to Wi Fi system, the price of the wi fi will depend on how long the flight is and what kind of internet device is used. If you use a hand-held device such as a Smartphone it will cost $8 per day and this does not depend on how long the flight is. For a Notebook it will cost $5 for a red eye flight (a flight which departs late at night) and the price could go up to $13 for flights that are more than three hours duration.

Initially Alaska Airlines will trial the system on a Boeing 737-800 plane pending Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval. Alaska Airlines will then use it on all planes if it proves to be successful.

Internet and IPod portable music player capability is becoming a strong trend on flights. American Airlines, Air Tran, Delta Airlines, United Airlines, Air Canada and Virgin America are airlines which already use wi fi. New Zealand Airlines is now installing USB cables, and power connections for PC computers and IPods. This is a comprehensive service. It improves on the fact that some airlines only offer power at one source which forces people to switch off their devices mid-way through the flight.