Thursday 24 April 2014

The Reluctant Traveller

I'm not a reluctant  traveller far from it, I thrive on the planning , the anticipation and arrival of the event , where as Mr T is happier when he's just got there  . I think the planning of a holiday adds to the ambiance and overall happiness of a holiday ,planning a holiday really doesn't have to be a stressful affair. If you take simple practical steps then in no time you can be having your own adventures of a life time , now I think I've been to far flung places but when I look at friends and families lectures there are adventures yet to be taken and  tales yet to told.




Perhaps I saw one to many adventure films as a child , my adventuring as a child was limited to Europe and anyone going to the U S A back in the 80s at my school was basically a travelling god , think the brat pack 'Breakfast club' and you've got it.

I hasten to add my adventuring I suppose started as a baby flying backwards and forwards to the Outer Hebrides where I'm from ( I'm Scottish with no accent and I don't even have my own tartan)

The trick is to figure out where you want to go first say New York perhaps ?




The first steps you need to take are :



1.  To ask yourself  do you want from a holiday destination - is it a beach, peace and solace, culture , life and soul partying ? action-packed entertainment and so on and so forth ?



2. The next question being is how far do you want to travel  is long haul for you  ? or do you want to start off with short haul and built up ? etc.

3. Don't just rely on a holiday brochure to describe or think about your destination - As such descriptions can  short on detail? Research the country before you book! ask friends and family, research , research !

4. Does your chosen country suffer with weather that is extreme , such as hurricanes? Do not rely on the brochure; check out their  weather information sites before you book your holiday - will the  weather problems exist around the time you want to travel? ( this can be a given in Florida at times but don't let that stop you going )

5.. Check out if the country has political problems  ? We have been to Egypt before the troubles erupted again and whilst Mr T was nervous it was an experience I am glad that we took when else am I going to see the pyramids again !? Also does the country have a poor record on human rights  how do they treat their citizens that live and work in tourist areas . Check out information sites and local newspapers online! Also is there any festivals etc on , perhaps there is a religious occasion I know that when we went to Dubai it was Ramadan so eating and drinking  out in public is frowned upon .






6. When you know where you want to go  , do check that the resort will met your expectations - for example, is there  lot of building work - check out reviews, gazetteers  or visit Google Earth and ' stroll' round the resort , I expect in a few years we will be able to immerse ourselves in 3D an look !
7. Is the hotel what you really want? - check out reviews from other holidaymakers - is there a constant  pattern of  problems at a hotel or resort? I have down this with every hotel I have ever gone to , so I know what to expect when we get there, I even do this with UK accommodation . The last time we went on holiday and it wasn't me that booked it , I knew that even though the holiday cottage was beautiful , it only had one shower for 4 adults and 3 children. it did however have 3 toilets and a bath so I need that we would have to have the sofa on a rota or escape to the bath and hide from the children !

8. Check the airline that is suggested you fly on , do they offer a lounge like the V lounge from Virgin for instance a relaxed start to the holiday makes all the difference before you fly. And if there is food,drinks and entertainment for the children and adults it makes the wait go quicker, the only problem you will have is tearing them away from all the new found fun ! Also if you in the lounge of the airline you are flying with you can sort out any last minute requests, book trips etc they are there to help after all and a happy traveller will come back time after time.
9.  If you are in doubt about anything check , check check and please do  ask your  tour operator and get them to confirm their responses in writing ( then you have it and black and white)
10.  Travel insurance is a given ( make sure you take it out and do shop around) - Make sure always declare any preexisting medical problems to your insurers, also once at your resort if you become aware of any problems let someone know. If  you are travelling in Europe, please carry your European Health Insurance Card! but also get travel issuance as well. Also check if you need a Visa before you visit your intended country.

30 comments:

  1. Some great advice and tips in this post. Excellent.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks , I have travelled quite a bit but I want more ,more more !

      Delete
  2. Great tips. I think good planning is the way to go especially if you've got little ones in tow too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OOh gosh yes , planning ,planning planning hopefully means a smooth and restful holiday.

      Delete
  3. Lots of great holiday advice there, I will have to refer back to it when we're heading off on our next holiday.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I can never plan enough when it comes to holidays! Great tips!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Some great trips! Obviously I am all about the going away so I would also add that it's good to follow a good travel with kids blog ;) Where's your next trip? Happy travels!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am going to Ibiza ! my partying days are behind me but the island I have heard is so much more than that.

      Delete
  6. Fabulous tips holidays are expensive you want to make sure you are prepared so you can relax and enjoy your time away! Enjoy yourselves in Ibiza, I love it there but never been with kids would love to though xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Do you want to be my official holiday planner? I love going but hate all of the planning beforehand!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sounds like you have it all sussed out, great tips!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Everyone should read this post before thinking to travel , you have listed all the points so well.

    ReplyDelete
  10. fabulous tips! i'd love to do more traveling

    ReplyDelete
  11. Some great holiday tips thank you .x

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great tips and advice, thanks very much for sharing x

    ReplyDelete
  13. It's been a while since we have been abroad, in fact since we had kids! We do love travelling though and hopefully will get another trip before too long! We went to egypt too and its great, would love to go to dubai

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love the idea of travelling - exploring the world :) thank you for the tips :) x

    ReplyDelete
  15. well thought out tips i want to go on hols again

    ReplyDelete
  16. Some great tips, thanks for sharing! I went to the US in the 90's but there was no brat pack 'Breakfast Club' excitement for me, despite hair the same colour as Molly Ringwold :-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great tips! I am awful on the build up to travelling anywhere. But once we are on our way I stop stressing! We haven't got a holiday until Center Parcs in August but I cannot wait :-) hope to go abroad again when the twins are bigger x

    ReplyDelete
  18. This is a fantastic post with many great tips. Thank you I have tweeted :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. some great tips! I'd love to go to New York! x

    ReplyDelete
  20. Great tips. I am traveling to France by car next month and I'm so nervous!! I've been abroad many times before but never driven! x

    ReplyDelete
  21. Some great advice and I so agree with you about the USA travel and Breakfast club! x

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks for these tips. I particularly ike your reocmmendation to research the country before booking. I went to Russia in 2000, but didn't research it (I was only fourteen and didn't have an iNterent connection). Thankfully I went iwth a utch organization that had a counterpart in Russia.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Some great tips and advice there. So many people don't think to get travel insurance on top of their EHIC and personally I wouldn't have thought about checking out Google Earth, will definitely be a must for any future trips for us.

    ReplyDelete

Everytime you comment on this blog you will be sent a kitten ... that could be a lie .. though it would make me very happy Thank You! If you are allergic to cats then wine will be sent .... * that could be a lie also.

Not connected with kittens

In line with new Data Protection legislation (GDPR) by commenting you do so in the knowledge that your name & comment are visible to all who visit this blog and thereby consent to the use of that personal information for that specific purpose.