Backpack Travel - Travel Insurance Blog

U.S./Canada Visas and Import Rules

Posted on August 27th, 2010, Jean. Filed under Backpack Travel, Holiday Destinations, Student Travel, Travel News, No Comments

The Foreign Office (FCO) has published advice for British citizens travelling to the U.S. and/or Canada under the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP).
In particular, the British Consulate in Toronto has reported problems with some British nationals who travelled to the United States, took a short trip to Canada, and then experienced problems when trying to re-enter the [...]

India Travel - Visa Changes

Posted on August 13th, 2010, Jean. Filed under Backpack Travel, Destinations, Student Travel, Travel News, No Comments

Are you planning future trips to India? Check the current visa rules and information, especially if you may need to make more than one trip in a short space of time. Changes to visa rules for visitors have been in effect since last December.
The Commonwealth Games takes place in New Delhi from 3-14 October 2010. If you [...]

Party Animals & Brits Abroad

Posted on August 9th, 2010, Jean. Filed under And Finally..., Backpack Travel, Holiday Destinations, Student Travel, Travel News, No Comments

In the animal kingdom there are no rules about being drunk and disorderly in public. Humans, however, are held to a higher standard.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) recently released the ‘British Behaviour Abroad’ report for the past year. It showed, yet again, that many British tourists are still doing silly things and getting themselves [...]

Pakistan Travel - Floods

Posted on August 4th, 2010, Jean. Filed under Backpack Travel, Destinations, Travel News, No Comments

The Foreign Office (FCO) has advisories against ‘all but essential travel’ in effect for certain regions of Pakistan, including Lahore. They also advise against travel to Peshawar city and districts south of the city.
The FCO also advises visitors against using rail networks across Pakistan. For more extensive details of areas with advisories against travel please visit [...]

Beach Holidays - Tips to Avoid Common Hazards

Posted on July 29th, 2010, Jean. Filed under Backpack Travel, Holiday Destinations, Student Travel, Travel News, 1 Comment

Before you head to the beach it’s a good idea to do a little research and be prepared to recognise and avoid some of the potential dangers. There are plenty of excellent resources online, so we will point out a few of them and you can go from there.
Jellyfish are beautiful and alien-looking creatures but also a potential hazard. It can be hard [...]

China Travel - Typhoons

Posted on July 22nd, 2010, Jean. Filed under Airlines, Airports, Backpack Travel, Holiday Destinations, Travel News, No Comments

A second typhoon named ‘Chanthu’ has hit southern China, in particular the Hainan and Guangdong provinces and Guangxi region.
Chanthu follows on the heels of Typhoon Conson, which has recently caused serious flooding and landslides and destroyed homes.
There have been hundreds of deaths in recent weeks, hundreds are reported missing, and millions have been evacuated. Many rivers are [...]

Malaria Buzz - Mozzies Don’t Care Who You Are!

Posted on July 21st, 2010, Jean. Filed under Backpack Travel, Destinations, Student Travel, Travel News, 2 Comments

Britain’s darling and X Factor celebrity Cheryl Cole recently contracted malaria after a trip to Tanzania. She is reported to be on the mend now, and her illness has certainly helped raise awareness of health risks when travelling abroad. She had taken a course of anti-malarial tablets before travelling, but some types of malaria are resistant to the drugs.
Popular TV [...]

Benicassim International Festival - Spain

Posted on June 29th, 2010, Jean. Filed under Backpack Travel, Europe, Student Travel, Travel News, No Comments

If Glastonbury was not enough for festival fans, Spain’s annual Benicassim International Festival kicks off soon - from 15-18 July 2010.
The location is once again the Recinto De Conciertos in Benicassim, which is a small town situated between Valencia and Barcelona on the Costa del Azahar (also known as the ‘Orange Blossom Coast’ for the many Valencia orange groves [...]

Oil Spill - Florida and Gulf Beaches

Posted on June 21st, 2010, Jean. Filed under Backpack Travel, Holiday Destinations, Seniors Travel, Travel News, No Comments

The Deepwater Horizon oil platform tragedy on 20 April 2010 devastated the families and friends who lost loved ones. The resulting oil spill has devastated the livelihoods of many residents along the Gulf of Mexico coastline.
The scale of the disaster is mind-boggling. The devastation extends to the heartbreaking damage to wildlife - and is likely to impact tourism. Efforts by [...]

France Deadly Flash Floods - More Rain Forecast

Posted on June 17th, 2010, Jean. Filed under Backpack Travel, Europe, Motoring, Travel News, No Comments

The severe storms and flash floods which struck the southeast of France yesterday have continued into today, resulting in a reported 22 deaths. Clean-up operations are underway but more storms are forecast. The local authorities advise against travel to the Draguignan area (Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur) until the situation resolves. Draguignan is approximately 25 [...]