Gap Year Travel – be Safe

Gap Year Travel – be Safe

That is no reason not to take a gap year because similar accidents can and do happen closer to home but gap years do generally involve extended travel to remoter parts of the globe and thereby lies the problem. According to the FCO, over 200,000 people in the UK, of all ages, are now taking gap years or sabbaticals abroad with India, Peru and Tanzania currently the most popular places for gap year placement.

The UK Government has also recently announced a £10 million scheme to offer 18 to 25 year old from less advantaged backgrounds the opportunity to undertake placements living and working in developing countries. This means that the trend to take a gap year is set to grow even more and one estimate puts the global market to be worth a staggering £11 billion pounds by 2011. So how do you reduce the potential risks involved? The FCO offers very useful advice on their website at www.fco.gov.uk/travel and they do keep up to date travel advice information on most, if not all countries. What is still surprising though is that 25% of all travellers go abroad without adequate travel insurance but why take this unnecessary risk? Although travel insurance will not prevent something happening to you, it can certainly help to reduce some of the stresses in the aftermath. Medical expenses including repatriation, loss of baggage, legal assistance, and curtailment are just some of the essential benefits that come with most policies and it is now possible to buy tailored policies from specialist providers to cover almost every combination of gap year.

Check travel advice before you leave

Check travel advice before you leave

Not many people will have been aware that, up until the end of February, Madagascar was the only country in the world, apart from Somalia, that the Foreign Office were advising Britions not to travel to, giving it a higher risk factor than Afghanistan, Iraq and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although Madagascar is not on most tourist routes, the recent political turmoil on the Island does show that, whilst most holiday destinations are generally strife free, it still pays to check out where you are going before you travel. The best place to do this is by checking with the Foreign Office which has up to date advice on all countries and to log on to www.fco.gov.uk/travel is a wise precaution, particularly if you plan to travel to parts of the world off the beaten track. Should you become caught up in what is neatly termed, civil commotion or civil unrest, you need to be aware that most <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.travelandinsure.com/”>travel insurance</a> providers include this as a general exclusion in their policies. The impact of this is that you may not be as well insured as you think you are. If in doubt, do check with your <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.travelandinsure.com/”>travel insurance</a> company before you travel and look at your policy wording. Generally, medical expenses and medical repatriation will be included but if you want to be covered for all eventualities then you will have to pay an increased premium on your <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.travelandinsure.com/”>travel insurance</a> policy. Thankfully the chances of being caught up in these types of incidents are still very slight, and even when they do strike, they tend to be away from the main tourist destinations. So if you do plan to travel abroad, do look at your itinerary and check with your tour operator beforehand who may be able to offer alternative destinations away from the troubled areas. For the independent traveller, be wise and avoid those areas where a heightened tension exists.

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Travel advice for Bangkok and Thailand

Travel advice for Bangkok and Thailand

A violent showdown between Thai soldiers and anti-government protesters in Bangkok has prompted governments around the world to issue travel warnings. The Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to Bangkok. British nationals should also review travel plans to other parts of Thailand. British nationals already in Bangkok and other cities affected by the violence are advised to stay indoors and to monitor the media and this travel insurance advice. A state of emergency has been in force in Bangkok and the surrounding provinces of Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Pathumthani, Nakhon Prathom and Ayudhaya since 12 April. Armoured vehicles are deployed in the capital and security forces are attempting to clear the streets. Several violent clashes have occurred between red-shirted supporters of ex-Prime Minister Thaksin and military and police units in central Bangkok and the seaside resort of Pattaya. During the early hours of 13 April, troops used tear gas and fired warning shots at one group of protestors who returned fire. There are reports of some 60-70 injuries. Some shops are closed and red-shirted protestors have blocked several road junctions with makeshift barricades and tanker trucks. This is making travel in some parts of Bangkok difficult. The Lao/Thai border crossing in Nong Chai is closed and there are reports of road blocks in Chiang Mai and Lampang in northern Thailand. Red-shirt leaders have threatened major protests in 50 cities throughout Thailand in the next few days.

The main Bangkok railway station is closed. However the international airport and the main access road to it remain open. Transit through Bangkok airport has so far been unaffected. Foreigners have not been targeted by the protestors and there are no reports of British citizens being caught up directly in the violence. However, the situation remains volatile and unpredictable with a high risk of further bloodshed. The political situation in Thailand remains uncertain. Throughout Thailand, British citizens should exercise great caution and avoid demonstrations or large gatherings of people which might turn violent.

Should you become caught up in what is neatly termed, civil commotion or civil unrest, you need to be aware that most travel insurance providers include this as a general exclusion in their policies. The impact of this is that you may not be as well insured as you think you are. If in doubt, do check with your travel insurance company before you travel and look at your policy wording. Generally, medical expenses and medical repatriation will be included but if you want to be covered for all eventualities then you will have to pay an increased premium for this. Thankfully the chances of being caught up in these types of incidents are still very slight, and even when they do strike, they tend to be away from the main tourist destinations. So if you do plan to visit Thailand, do check with your tour operator beforehand who may be able to offer alternative destinations away from the troubled areas. For the independent traveller, be wise and avoid those areas where a heightened tension exists.

Cheap Air Travel Tips

Cheap Air Travel Tips

The era of airline travel has allowed us to travel the world and connect in ways that have never existed before. We can visit family overseas and travel anywhere in the world within 24 hours. Isn’t that amazing?

With all this ability to travel, we are also faced with the expense of such travel.

For the many who would like to find cheap air travel, we’ve put together the follwing tips.

The first thing you need to know is that you never need to pay ‘list price’. Airlines have many tiers of pricing, and the same seat can sell for prices differing in the hundreds of dollars, depending on where, when and how it is purchased. Ask the Professionals: Your first step would be to ask your travel agent for advice on when to purchase airline tickets. He or she will be able to give you some guidance as to which airlines offer discounts and when. For instance, some airlines offer ‘earlybird’ pricing, and some also drop their prices as the trip date gets closer if no one has purchased the seat. Get a Promotion: If a scheduled flight is full to capacity or overbooked, some airlines will offer complimentary upgrades in seat class to selected passengers. Although this is less common than it used to be, it still happens occasionally. Your best shot at being selected for such an upgrade is to arrive for your flight dressed in a clean-cut, professional manner, and to be polite. You can even try asking at the check-in counter if there is any chance you can get an upgrade – they may offer it to you if such a perk is available, or may offer it at a lesser price than you would have paid when booking. Success will depend on many factors, such as the mood and authority level of the ticket attendant and the way you ask for it. Note that they may also need to move passengers around for weight-and-balance purposes and can offer a better seat to assist in this process – you never get anything if you don’t at least ask! Also, you can sometimes get a free or discounted flight by being on an ‘overbooked’ flight and being willing to wait until the next one can be arranged for you, but this is not something you have any control over. Flexibility: Are you flexible in your travel times or dates? By going ’standby’ on an airline, you can hang out and wait until a seat becomes free or someone cancels, and can often get cheaper last-minute tickets. ‘Pre-owned’ Tickets: For an array of reasons, people buy tickets and their plans change. When those tickets are non-refundable, they may try and sell them to receive at least some of their money back. This is good news for you, as you can take advantage of some discounted prices (remember, if they don’t sell their tickets they get nothing, so anything they can recover is of help to them). On-sale airline tickets can be found many places, such as your local classifieds, craigslist, kijiji or backpage or other online classifieds, and auctions such as ebay. Try google as well to search.

For even more money-saving travel tips, be sure to get your copy of the Travel industry Secrets guide found at Travel-like-a-pro.com — the guide can save you money on ALL your travel expenses from now on!

Tips for Cheap Travel

Tips for Cheap Travel

 

Everyone wants to see the world, but few of us have got the money to go everywhere we would like. What’s the solution? Do it on the cheap! Discount travel is available to the average person just like you. With just a little bit of leg work, you too can become a savvy traveler on the cheap. I am going share with you all the industry insider tips to find great discounts on your travel. Travel professionals have been using these tricks to find the very lowest fares every day. It’s time the internet savvy traveler have access to the same tricks.

 

Be flexible

Traveling on weekdays (Mon-Thur) is usually less expensive than weekend travel. Staying over a Saturday night will also qualify you for a lower fare.

 
Know the Season

Every destination has an “off season”. It is almost always less expensive to travel during “off season.” You can do an internet search to find this time of year for your specific destination.

Plan Ahead

Book your travel in advance, usually 21-30 days in advance to get the lowest fares.

 

Avoid Holidays
Try not to fly just before, or just after major holidays – these are some of the busiest travel times of the year and you will pay higher prices.

All Inclusive Packages

Stay at an all-inclusive resort. It may seem pricey, but keep in mind; all drinks and food are included. Cancun, Mexico has many of these types of packages so look into a weeks stay at any of the larger resorts.