Why It’s Good To Blog About Your Holiday
Admittedly you probably won’t want to spend too much of your holiday in front of a computer screen, but taking a few minutes each day to update a blog can be worth the effort.
Friends and Family Can See What You’re Up To
Email Friends and family with the address of your blog before you go; they’ll love reading what you’re up to on holiday. It’s a great way of staying in touch without having to actually call anyone or bother sending a postcard. You can jot down your daily activity and upload your photos for everyone to
see immediately.
Provides a Diary
It’s just like writing in a diary but less private, obviously. Having a record of your holiday like this is great when you want to revisit your experience. A blog can have so much more depth than a simple photo album. You’ll forget all sorts of details about your holiday if you don’t write it down.
Provides a Place for Photos
You can completely bypass the need for a photo album by uploading all your pictures to your blog. You can snap as many as you like and throw them on your blog in a matter of seconds. And if you do this while on holiday, there’s no chores to be done afterwards.
People Can Interact With You
Your blog can feature a comment section so friends, family and anyone else who visits your blog can post replies. It’s great to interact with people while you’re away without it demanding more of your time. You can simply read any comments when you come to write your next post, and reply to them if you want to.
You Can Get Instant Holiday Tips
Having a forum-style comment section on your blog means you can get tips and advice from people while you’re out there. If you say you’re planning on visiting a site in a couple of days, you might invite someone to offer you recommendations of things to see while you’re there.
It Helps Other People
Holiday Blogs can be extremely useful for people researching destinations. The more you talk about on your blog, the more helpful it is. Discuss your hotel, nearby bars and restaurants, the best beaches, the local transport, anything you care to mention. When people investigate potential holidays, blogs can be a very helpful means of getting genuine opinions and experiences about all sorts of related things. It’s like a holiday community that you can contribute to.
It’ll Still be There for Your Next Holiday
Your blog will stay there for you to revisit after your holiday, throughout your research for your next holiday and during all future holidays. You can use it as your own personal log and contact point for other holiday-goers.
It’s Free and Easy
There are loads of bog sites that offer you space for absolutely not cost. Have a little browse to see which one you like, sign up and build your first page- it’s very easy. They are designed to be as simple as possible so non-techy, everyday folks can create a blog without any trouble.
Give it a go. The reward for recording your holiday and creating a platform for sharing your experience can be invaluable.
Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in Belfast airport parking , Liverpool airport parking and Edinburgh airport parking.
Essential Research for a Beach Holiday
No matter how many filter options you apply on a Holiday website search engine, you still get presented with dozens of options that are all a little bit vague on the important details. Exactly what should you be researching to ensure you book the right beach holiday for you?
Climate
The two most important factors for a successful beach holiday are the beach itself and, of course, the weather. Punch your potential holiday destination and ‘climate’ into Google and take a look at a couple of the results to compare. You need to look at temperature (daily averages), sunlight hours, and average monthly rainfall. If you’re not too sure how to interpret these numbers take a look at the same figures for the area where you live or a holiday destination you have visited before. This gives you a basis you can easily relate to.
Location
Make sure your research is specific to the exact area of your hotel/beach. If you’re looking at average weather stats for a whole island you’re not getting the most accurate picture. When you consider the difference between living in Kent or living in some parts of Scotland you can understand how national averages don’t necessarily give the best impression. Some coastal areas are windier than others depending on land formations, while northern areas can be quite different to southern areas. So when you check the weather stats try to be as specific as possible.
Distance of hotel to beach
A lot of websites are very unhelpful when describing the beach and its proximity to your hotel. Some will say ‘nearby’ or ‘within easy distance’ which means very little. People have different ideas of how far they are happy to walk before it becomes a chore getting there. Other people are happy to ride a bus for 10 minutes each way getting there and back. If the website doesn’t give you an actual measurement, try to find the hotel and beach on a map that shows a scale.
If it’s not a distance you’re happy walking every day, you’ll need to find out about bus routes and costs. Again, I find holiday websites can be surprisingly tight-lipped about this but it can be an important part of making a successful holiday. If buses only run once or twice in a morning or afternoon, you probably don’t want to be quite so restricted. Similarly, forking out 4 pounds each way for you and your partner to get there every day might be something you need to budget for in advance.
Type of beach
Is it a golden sandy beach, black sand, shingle or pebble beach? The type of beach is quite a crucial factor but, again, something often they regularly neglect to tell you about on holiday websites (I don’t like them, you might have gathered). Some research, especially in Google Images, should help you here. Other people’s holiday snaps can be great for giving you a good idea of what the beach is like- I nice view also makes the world of difference. A description of the sea might also be helpful.
Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in free airport parking, cheap airport parking and airport parking fees.
The Lochness Monster – Fact or Fiction?
Loch Ness is situated in the Highlands of Scotland and is reputed to be one of the most popular holiday destinations that the UK has to offer. The location of Loch Ness is fairly central in Scotland which makes it the perfect place to stay if you are interested in visiting the Scottish Highlands. However, Inverness’ beauty, location and Loch are not all it is famous for.
The story of the Loch Ness Monster originated in 7th century when tales of a monster residing near the loch appeared in the “Life of St. Columba”. According to the author, an Irish Monk named Saint Columba, was staying in Scotland when he heard a tale of a man being attacked by a beast in the river and being buried by the Loch. The tale suggests that on hearing this story, Columba then proceeded to send one of his followers into the water and, on entering, the ‘beast’ came after him. To deter the animal Columba made the sign of the cross and commanded “Go no further. Do not touch the man. Go back at once.” According to legend the beast then halted immediately and fled away in terror and Columba, his men and the Scottish pagans praised God for the miracle.
The reliability of this tale in relation to evidence of a monster in Loch Ness is questionable, because stories of beasts, especially in the water, were extremely common place in tales of the Saints’ lives. Some critics say that the story may, in fact, be entirely unrelated to the modern day myth of the Loch Ness monster and might only have been used in retrospect to support claims of later sightings and ideas. Also, if the monster that purportedly resides in the lake today is the same monster that existed during the time of Columba it would have to be incredibly old to still be in existence, either this or a descendent of an earlier creature. Although scientists have, in fact, suggested that the lake couldn’t support more than one animal the size that the Loch Ness monster is supposed to be.
It was in the 1930′s that alleged sightings of the monster in Loch Ness started to become more frequent and documentable. In 1933 George Spicer was the first man to claim to have seen a creature in the Loch and described it as “the nearest approach to a dragon or pre-historic animal that I have ever seen in my life”.
After this sighting an article was published in the “Courier” by a local Inverness journalist (and water bailiff for Loch Ness) to report the claims of George Spicer and his wife. Not long after the article was published in Inverness the story was intercepted by the national, then international press who reported tales of a “monster fish”, “sea serpent”, “dragon”, “dinosaur” residing in the Loch and shortly after ‘The Loch Ness monster’ gained its name. The article in the ‘Courier’ encouraged responses from others claiming that other similar sightings had also taken place. Another two claims of sightings of the creature were made by Arthur Grant and Margaret Munro in 1933 both suggesting that the creature had a long neck and small head.
After the 1930′s there have been numerous reported sightings of the “Loch Ness Monster” recorded on websites, in books, on video and by the LNIB (Loch Ness Investigation Bureau) but so far no over riding evidence contributes towards its existence.
Today, there is a full blown tourist industry based around ‘The Loch Ness Monster’ or as it is more affectionately known ‘Nessie’. There have been webcams placed around the lake, an exhibition centre set up, tourists can partake in Loch cruises and a series of thorough explorations and tests have been carried out on the lake to search for the monster. In more recent years the interest in ‘The Loch Ness monster’ has died down as there have been fewer reported sightings as people become more and more skeptical about the existence of a creature in the Loch. Of course, this is not to say that there are not believers out there and, as the Smithsonian website suggests, there are still a few open minded scientists waiting on concrete evidence of skeletal or photographic confirmation of the creatures existence.
So if you are taking a trip to the Scottish Highlands and either fancy your chances of spotting Nessie, taking a trip around some fascinating exhibition centres or just a beautiful walk with awe inspiring views then Loch Ness is a good place to go.
Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in Inverness Airport Parking and Edinburgh Airport Parking.
Keeping the Children Entertained in the Summer Holidays
With the summer holidays looming, parents across the country will be racking their brains for ideas to keep the children entertained during their time off school/college and six weeks can seem a lifetime when faced with the cost of babysitters, summer camps and general outgoings to occupy them for days on end.
However, there are plenty of things that children will enjoy that won’t break the bank and it all boils down to being a bit creative and using the resources that you already have.
Start collecting early.
This is an age old classic: prior to the summer holidays, start collecting up odd bits and bobs that you would normally throw to waste or recycle. This could be anything from washing up bottles to cereal boxes or tin cans and plastic tubs. After a few weeks you will have accumulated a whole selection of materials that can be used to create a child’s masterpiece. Think spaceships, castles and boats or something that the kids can play with or use afterwards, that way you are killing two birds with one stone as they while away the hours with their newly created toys.
Pre-book in advance.
With regards to money saving, expensive days out probably won’t be at the top of your agenda but it is amazing how much you can save by pre-booking in advance. Museums, theme parks and art galleries often offer two-for-ones online or in local newspapers or a special discount rate if you book your tickets early. At such a busy time of year, ‘kids go free’ offers are everywhere and this can apply for restaurants or fast food outlets as well. Drag the children out of bed for an early start to avoid queues, allow them to let off some steam during the day and them fill them up with a hearty meal on the cheap and by the time you pack them in the car for the journey home, with any luck they will be asleep!
If you are lucky enough to be having a holiday abroad with the family, pre booking in advance is essential for your holiday extras too. Airport parking, travel insurance and car hire rental costs all increase closer to the date of travel so be sure to get in early for some good deals. This will enable plenty of time for a game of ‘I went to the shop and brought….’, without you having to worry about the costs of travel add-ons.
Get Lively.
It is common knowledge that you cannot rely on the British weather, however on those occasional sunny days we do get, make the most of your local area. Trips to the park, woods or seaside are all free, relatively easy to get to if close by and will provide children and their friends with a means of exercise and fresh air. Taking a picnic will break up the day and tennis rackets or footballs encourage children to make new friends as well.
Timetable the days.
It is understandable that a number of factors will affect your ability to keep children entertained for every waking minute of their summer holidays so scheduling their activities will help you to divide your time and spread your budget evenly across the six weeks. If the children know they have something exciting to look forward to once or twice a week, they won’t get as bored on the days where they aren’t doing so much. Days in the house could comprise of baking, reading, watching films and making things to keep minds active and brains stimulated.
Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in airport parking and Bristol airport parking.
Justifying “Ridiculously High” Airport Parking Prices
Which? Car magazine recently published an article based on a survey they conducted about airport parking, which concluded that the prices are ridiculously high.
However, it would seem that the figures released by Which? don’t do much to give a realistic idea of the different parking prices throughout the UK. Some of the examples that the survey used, compared the more expensive, business parking at Heathrow airport, which includes a meet and greet service with a chauffeured driver who will meet you at the terminal, to a cheaper and more standard park and ride service at Manchester airport. Parking is bound to be more expensive at the busier Heathrow airport and the business parking option will also cost more as the service offers more than a standard park and ride service does. It is also important to bare in mind that the prices of parking at both Heathrow and Manchester fluctuate year upon year, in fact airport parking prices in 2010 are 11 percent cheaper than they were in 2008 and depend on the type of parking that is booked and at also at what time of year.
Heathrow is one of the busiest airports in the world and due to the high demand, prices are bound to be inflated. In 2009 Heathrow saw 65.9 million passengers compared to Manchester who catered to just under 19 million passengers. The amount of custom and therefore demand is so much higher at Heathrow and so the airport and parking companies are able to increase parking prices as people want the spaces. However, at Manchester, the demand for airport parking is very low and the spaces are not being used, so the prices are lower to encourage more people to use the service.
Also, there are a variety of parking options to choose from at most airports, ranging from the more expensive services such as on-airport valet parking to the cheaper off-airport park and ride options. Depending on whether customers are looking for the most convenient service and are willing to pay more or whether they are looking for the best value option there are different parking services for different situations. As Which? outlined in their survey the prices of airport parking at some airports for 7 days is actually fairly cheap; the cheapest on-site parking being at Belfast for just 23 pounds and cheapest off-site parking at Edinburgh for 20 pounds and 50 pence.
Although Which? claim that airport parking prices are ridiculously high, they do not have to be, as is evident above and when they are compared to city centre parking prices they are actually relatively cheap. To park in city centre car parks it often costs around 1 pound 50 an hour, so for a whole days parking this would amount to around 12, multiply this by 7 for a weeks parking it would be 84 pounds. So in comparison, some of the prices for 7 days parking at an airport are a bargain.
One response to Which’s? claim that airport parking costs are ridiculously high was that: flying means high carbon emissions and driving to the airport adds yet more carbon emissions. I think the high charges are absolutely justified. Perhaps this is a fair statement, as although it is possible to find fairly cheap airport parking, perhaps the prices should not be contested so much given global aims to reduce Co2 emissions as a whole.
The survey suggests that Purple Parking generally offer the lowest prices for airport parking, however, matching deals can be found with most of the big airport parking providers if people are willing to look around for the lowest price. In addition to this, some airport parking companies (e.g. APH, BCP and Parking4Less) offer incentives, such as a Best Price Guarantee or Price Protection. These policies state that if you can find cheaper parking elsewhere within 7 days of booking you will either be refunded the difference, given the parking at the same price you find it. Other companies, like Holiday Extras, even offer the parking for free if you find it cheaper elsewhere within 24 hours of booking.
As an alternative to airport parking some people choose to take a taxi to the airport. Some airport parking companies provide tools or calculators which allow you to compare the price of your airport parking to the price of a taxi to and from the airport. This offers customers the chance to find the cheapest option, whether this is airport parking or not. It seems that Which? suggest some airport parking prices are unfairly expensive and that our hands are tied to do anything about it, but a closer look reveals that this is perhaps slightly over-dramatised and there are plenty of good deals available and justifiable reasons behind most current pricing.
Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in Q Park Belfast Airport, Prestige Parking East Midlands and Heathrow Parking