Love Steam Trains? How About a Rail Holiday?

Here in Norfolk we are fortunate to have so many wonderful places on our doorstep.  This weekend the Poppy Line at Sheringham, on the North Norfolk coast, had its annual Steam Gala. We drove to the midway station at Weybourne but didn’t get there until mid-afternoon on the last day of the gala, and then kicked ourselves that we hadn’t got there earlier and bought day-passes. There were five or six of the magnificent steam locomotives passing through the station several times each hour.  It was a sight to behold and there were certainly plenty of other visitors and enthusiasts enjoying the spectacle. 

We had an eight-year-old to entertain recently, so we took him for a trip on the Poppy Line.  We climbed aboard one of the authentic old carriages – some being the type with separate compartments with a sliding door.  We were pulled along by a handsome visiting locomotive called the Black Prince. Despite it being a typical British summer day (cool, windy and drizzling) we stuck our heads out the door window and watched the engine up ahead as it powered along with steam billowing out across the fields - sometimes covering us.  We breathed in the lovely, warm, steamy smells and listened to the friendly chuff-chuffing noises and shrill whistles as we made our way on the short journey to the first station.  Our young visitor was thrilled with it all.  He could relate because of Thomas the Tank Engine and Harry Potter.  We even looked for platform 9 & 3/4 to Hogwarts!  Afterwards we stood on the platform and watched the giant black engine hiss and rumble past.  We had wondered whether an eight-year old boy would appreciate the experience, but we needn’t have worried - he grinned from ear to ear with delight.  We were marched into the gift shop and he left armed with souvenirs to show off to his school friends!

Check out the North Norfolk Railway website for more information on their schedules and events:  www.nnrailway.co.uk.  For information about other UK Heritage Railways, visit:  www.ukhrail.uel.ac.uk.

The experience left me feeling nostalgic and thinking about the Orient Express.  There’s something very romantic about trains. What about giving up the budget airlines and really seeing the country you are visiting?  I think we miss an awful lot these days when we fly to our destinations.  The convenience of air travel is wonderful, of course, and we all take advantage of the chance to see a new part of the world.  But for those who have the time and money (the organized holidays are not inexpensive, but include a lot) a holiday by train has to be a wonderful experience. Some of the bits in between would have to be by air or sea, but the bulk of the journey would be made by train and you’d get an authentic flavour of the place; seeing something other than the typical tourist attractions. 

If you type ‘train holidays’ or something similar into Google several websites will appear with companies offering organized rail trips. We looked at www.greatrailhols.com and they have some trips which will get your travel-buds going. How about a winter train holiday through Alpine winter wonderland on the Glacier Express, or seeing the Canadian Rockies and Alaskan glaciers from the comfort of your train seat?  You could even do the vast Australian outback.  Instead of a flying visit to North America, with the typical tourist stop-offs, you could travel from New York to San Francisco by train and enjoy excursions into the scenic Rocky Mountains and Grand Canyon.  If I had the time and money I would be off tomorrow.  It’s something I’ll definitely hope and plan to do in the future.  Have you experienced a rail holiday? We’d love to have your comments, tips and advice.

Memorial Service for Princess Diana

Will you be one of the millions watching the Memorial Service on television or remembering the late Princess in some special way? Tomorrow marks ten years since the tragic death of Princess Diana - aptly named “The People’s Princess” by Tony Blair.  If you live in London or are visiting our capital you will no doubt be affected by the significance of the day.

My parents both passed away during the last seven years and today, quite by coincidence, I was looking for a document and came across some pages I had torn from an address book my late parents kept. One of the pages contained a list of birthdays and the other contained dates of the death of family members and close family friends. I read through the list with sadness, remembering all those grandparents, aunts and uncles, neighbours and friends. They were the people who had been there throughout my life; the people who had brought me Easter eggs, remembered me at Christmas and on my birthdays and given me gifts. Then I was astounded to find, listed in chronological order amongst family members, ‘Princess Di’ - 31/8/97’.  I stared at my mother’s rather wobbly handwriting in amazement.  How sweet, and yet so sad.  My elderly parents obviously adored her; so much so that they included her amongst their list of deceased relatives and friends!

I was in Los Angeles when Princess Diana was involved in the car crash.  I saw the ‘breaking news’ reports appear on the television and watched in disbelief as the details unfolded. I called my friends and then called my parents in England at some very unsocial hour to tell them to turn on the radio or television because Princess Di had been involved in a car crash and it looked serious.  I sat glued to the television screen until the awful news emerged that she had passed away.  I called my parents again and they were crying.  I was crying.  I still remember how stunned I felt.  My first thought was for those adorable princes.  Then I thought how much I was going to miss looking at her and admiring her latest dress or look or reading about her latest escapade.  It was truly amazing how she won our hearts. 

I sat in front of the television any spare moment I had for several days.  I didn’t want to miss one minute of the coverage.  I needed to feel part of the grieving that had gripped my homeland so went along to the British Consulate in Los Angeles and placed a bouquet among the hundreds of flowers, photos and candles already surrounding the building.  It was an extraordinary and unforgettable time.  I chatted with ex-pats and grieving Americans as we shared our feelings about Princess Di and tried to deal with the shock. 

There have been many documentaries about Princess Diana shown over the past few weeks.  Some flattering and some not so kind.  One image that stood out in my mind was the very young and newly married Princess hiding in a doorway, weeping because her husband was going away on a trip.  We all assumed she was weeping because she would miss her prince.  We didn’t know that she was already suffering and had other reasons for her broken heart.  We didn’t know she had wanted to call off the wedding we believed was such a beautiful fairytale. 

The last time I was in London I visited Harrods.  Out of curiosity I sought out the memorial to Diana and Dodi placed there by Dodi’s grieving father.  No doubt that memorial at Harrods will be a popular venue tomorrow, as well as Kensington Palace and any other places where people can feel close to her.

From media reports it seems that some people despised Diana and said unkind things about her.  I don’t know of any ordinary people who disliked her. I think we felt sorry for her because she was obviously in a badly matched marriage.  She was a princess and yet she was like the rest of us – she suffered, she cried, and eventually she bled.  We had wanted her to be happy.  Just like the protagonist in a good novel, we wanted her to have the fairytale life we had all bought into.  We are not perfect and she made us see that neither was she.  We loved her for that.  We loved her for having made us feel better about ourselves.  I don’t know about you, but I will be watching the Memorial Service on TV tomorrow.

Travel Money - Cash, Credit Card or Pre-Pay Card?

You have your flight and hotel booked; car hire sorted out; parking at the airport reserved… Hmm what have you forgotten…?  Yes, of course, travel insurance!  But, wait, there’s something else… Travel Money! It’s often the last thing we think about and it’s always a dilemma figuring out how much to take and the best way to take it.  (How do you carry your travel money?  Please feel free to add comments and share any useful advice or tips with our customers).  

My most recent trip was a short one and easy to sort out. I purchased enough Euros to last me for the trip and also took a ‘nasty’ credit card for emergency use.  No matter where you’re going, or what type of holiday, you’ll always need cash in hand. It’s a mistake to wait until you arrive at the airport to think about changing money as the exchange rate will not be favourable at those kiosks!

Several companies offer decent exchange rates and you can even order your foreign currency online in advance and pay for it with a credit or debit card. If you have to withdraw cash from a credit card while abroad you’ll probably get hit with charges and costs, such as loading fees which your bank charges for converting the money - a percentage of the total amount withdrawn - typically about 2.75%.  Plus you will likely get hit with a ‘transaction fee’ for each withdrawal. 

I miscalculated and ran out of cash on my last day.  I didn’t need that much more but was forced to use my credit card to access extra funds, which was annoying but very simple to do at a bank cash (ATM) machine.  I remembered the advice I’d read somewhere to take out larger sums to avoid being hit with transaction charges for each withdrawal. The fee is usually in the region of £2 or two percent.  There are a few banks with credit and debit cards which do not charge fees for this service, one of the best-known being Nationwide Building Society. Another drawback with using credit cards to withdraw cash is that interest is usually charged from the date of withdrawal.  However, in my case, I was so glad I had that extra cash in hand as the bus I’d planned to catch to the airport didn’t show up and I had to pay dearly for a shared (and much in demand) taxi or miss my flight!  I certainly had not anticipated a last-minute snag like that, so it just goes to show you can’t be too careful and should never leave yourself short of cash. 

Pre-pay travel cards are becoming popular and may eventually make traveller’s cheques obsolete.  It’s a safer option as you can ‘load’ the card with the amount of currency of your choice and don’t have to worry about having those precious credit cards stolen and your bank account exposed to fraudsters.  There is a fee for obtaining a pre-payment card and also for using the card so you must decide if this is the right option for you.  They can be loaded with U.S. Dollars, Sterling or Euros.

The Post Office pre-pay cards start at £250 and can be topped up. The pre-pay cards can be used in shops or restaurants, just as you would pay with a credit or debit card.  The best feature of pre-pay cards is that they are not linked through to your bank account in the event your cards fall into the wrong hands.  The worst feature seems to be that even though you still pay fees for using this method (just as with credit or debit cards) you have no protection under the Consumer Credit Act if there is a problem. 

If you decide on Traveller’s Cheques you can rest assured that you’ve made a good choice.  However, do some research into your area of travel to ensure that you’ll be able to exchange the cheques.  In some remote or rural areas the banks may not accept them.  You may also be hit with a fee for the privilege of cashing the cheques.  No matter which method you choose, the banks are going to get their share of your hard-earned cash one way or another!

Gap Year Plans? To Volunteer, Backpack or Just Travel?

Are you considering taking a gap year, know someone who is, or have children planning to take one?  There have been reports this week about potential problems with some companies advertising gap year volunteering packages in various parts of the world.

This week has also seen debates about whether it is a waste of time sending many young people to get college degrees at all when there are no job prospects at the end of it.  They might be better of just getting a job and climbing the ladder from within, learning a trade, or gaining valuable hands-on experience in running a business before starting up their own entrepreneurial endeavours.  

So, should you spend that gap year volunteering, or backpacking, or maybe just take the time out to see the world and have character-building experiences?  That’s a question worth pondering. If you decide to use one of the companies advertising gap year packages, the best advice is to thoroughly research the company before committing yourself or handing over any money. According to the experts, it’s a good idea to ask the company for names and phones numbers of people who have gone on gap year packages with them in the past so you can call and find out firsthand how it was.   It is important to know that you are going to receive the help and support you’ll need once you get there.  It seems there are many reputable companies out there, but some that are not - so be warned. 

Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) recently reported that in their opinion many gap year students might be better off backpacking rather than wasting their money and time on voluntary work programs, which may not be very worthwhile – and expensive – often thousands of pounds.  Some companies operating these schemes are only in the business to make money, not to help you gain valuable work experience or help the communities, and you may not be able to depend on them if there are problems.  VSO sends young people out on work placement assignments to over 30 countries.  They are putting together a code of practice to assist young people in finding legitimate projects, so have a look at their site and decide for yourself:  www.vso.org.uk

According to a survey by the Year Out Group, some of the most popular destinations for gap year volunteering are S. Africa, Tanzania, Canada, India, Peru, UK, Costa Rica, Ghana, China and Mexico, with Australia less popular now then previously.   Prince William did gap year time in Chile and Prince Harry went to Lesotho.  No doubt they were very well taken care of, but that may not apply to you if you choose the wrong company and are not royalty. The culture shock for a young person, perhaps away from home for the first time, can be very real and take some adjusting so you want to know that you have support once there. 

The Year Out Group is an organization which represents 36 gap year companies.  They recommend that students should take their time researching what they want to get out of the experience before going abroad.  They claim that if you go with one of the companies they represent you have a good chance that everything will go smoothly and your experience will be a valuable and worthwhile one.  It may be worth checking with them for more information:  www.yearoutgroup.org.

Being in the insurance business and providing policies for many backpackers, we are obviously concerned that our customers are making the right choices before they set off.  Click on the link for more information about backpacker and other travel insurance:  www.travel-insurance.net/discovery/backpacker-travel-insurance.php.

Package Holiday in Space? Try the Galactic Suite

Travelling round the world will soon take on a totally new meaning. Many of us will remember the days when only the wealthy and privileged travelled the world by air. Flights were glamorous and expensive and air travel was certainly not financially available to the average working person. Nowadays young people think nothing of hopping on planes and seeing the world. Who would have believed that in such a short period of history we would be building hotels in space and have space ships to take us there for our holidays!  It really is amazing how far we’ve come if you stop and think about it.

The Galactic Suite, the first hotel in space, is planned to open for business in 2012 – the same year as the Olympics.  That’s just five years away. Tickets go on sale in 2008.  Guests at the space hotel will orbit the earth in a mere 80 minutes and a three day stay will cost about two million pounds.  However, think of what you’d get… Fifteen sunrises a day and you’d be able to bounce off the walls of your ‘pod’ (room) without any complaints from the neighbours. They’re still trying to figure out the bathroom set-up, which seems to have presented a challenge, but it would be fun taking a shower in a room full of floating bubbles!  You’d also get to participate in space experiments and ‘watch the world go by’ from your porthole. 

Included in the package will be the round-trip airfare and several weeks of training on a tropical island to prepare for space travel.  It’s guestimated that there are thousands of people who could afford to take this trip right now… Who knows, maybe budget ’spacelines’ will be taking the rest of us there in our lifetime…Our children will probably live to see that day even if we don’t.    

What began as a hobby for the aerospace engineer who dreamt up this project is turning into reality with an infusion of several billion dollars from an unnamed space enthusiast.  An American company, eyeing Mars as a potential new home, has taken an interest in this potential halfway house in space and the Galactic Suite Project is also attracting interest from investors in Japan and the Middle East. 

Would you be brave enough to take a holiday in space if you could afford it?  Have a look at the website for more information on this fascinating project: www.galacticsuite.com.

Cheap Flights and Holidays - A Thing of the Past?

It’s refreshing to know that there are people out there who still care about doing their jobs properly. Apparently the government has fined several airlines for using misleading advertising by not including taxes and other non-optional costs in their advertised fares.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) issued warnings several months ago that there would be consequences for travel agents, tour operators and air carriers who failed to comply. They have stayed true to their word by reprimanding and fining several airlines. ABTA has also fined several of its travel industry members.  All have since complied, with the exception of a couple of airlines which report to be having technical difficulties with changing their websites. Until the websites are changed those airlines (Aer Lingus and Ryanair) have agreed to post notices on their websites to alert customers about the non-optional costs which will be added to the total fare. 

It’s nice to know that the advertised prices for holidays and flights should now include all those nasty extras you have no choice about, like fuel surcharges and taxes.  It was highly annoying to be misled and get excited about what seemed a great deal on a flight only to find that by the time you went through the booking process and all the extras were added on it was no longer such a great deal, and perhaps not really affordable at all.  By the time most people would get to that stage they had probably already made up their minds they were going and the shock of the added costs may not have changed their minds. It’s all too easy to get the credit card out and forget about ‘reality day’ when the statement pops through the letterbox.  Do you think that the advertising of realistic prices will deter people from getting themselves further into debt? 

OFT is also on the case of BAA and their monopoly over UK airports, especially the biggies like Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted.  Anyone who travels regularly through many of the airports in this country will know all about the long queues and reported problems with lost baggage.  Even the airlines are complaining now so we have renewed faith that maybe something will really be done about it!

For more information click on the link for the Office of Fair Trading website:  www.oft.gov.uk,

New Mobile Phone Roaming Eurotariff

Under a new law established by the European Commission you should have heard from your mobile phone network provider by the end of July offering the Eurotariff. If you have not heard from your provider and plan to travel and use roaming in EU countries before the end of September you should contact them to request it.  The provider then, by law, has one month in which to implement the Eurotariff.  If you do nothing it will automatically kick in anyway by the end of September. 

It seems that despite the European Parliament’s new law some providers have been slow to comply.  The caps on charges came about as a result of complaints about the high cost of roaming charges, often inflated by as much as 85%.  Under the Eurotariff outgoing calls will be capped at 33p (€0.49) per minute, and incoming calls at 16p (€0.24) per minute, plus VAT  – meaning massive savings for mobile phone users compared with previous astronomical rates.  Further reductions in the rates are scheduled to occur through 2009.  If you travel to EU countries frequently and already have a special package set up for low roaming charges you may need to notify your provider that you don’t wish to change to the Eurotariff. 

If you are off on your holidays now and your network provider has not already switched you to Eurotariff you may not be able to take advantage of the new rates in time.  We’d suggest you check with them if you’re unsure.  The European Commission plans to set up a website to expose any network operators caught dragging their feet over implementing the new law.  

When you go abroad and your phone picks up a new network a (free) message should appear automatically informing you of the price of roaming calls.  This feature can also be deactivated. Being switched to the Eurotariff is free of charge and if you want to be switched sooner all you have to do is ask prior to automatic implementation at the end of September.

For more information about mobile phone roaming and the Eurotariff visit: www.ec.europa.eu/roaming.

Medical Tourism - Considering Surgery Abroad?

[Editor's Note: Travel insurance may be invalidated when travelling to obtain medical treatment]

British people are apparently seeking medical and dental treatment and cosmetic surgery abroad at an increasing rate, and spending millions of pounds doing so. Spending rehabilitation time abroad after a major operation is also popular at health farms and spas. The waiting times for treatment on the NHS or unavailability of some procedures and cost of private health insurance and treatment have contributed to the growing industry. Who could resist the lure of obtaining fast and affordable treatment in other countries? Millions of Americans cannot afford costly medical insurance and are turned down for life-saving surgery and treatment, so are left with no alternative but to give it a go. Their location of choice tends to be hospitals in Thailand where costs are significantly lower, partly due to the low cost of malpractice insurance and labour.

The most commonly sought procedures include joint replacements, heart surgery, cosmetic surgery, chemotherapy, infertility treatment and dental work. These procedures could mean a long waits - that’s if they are even available on the NHS – or very expensive trips to private hospitals and clinics in the U.K. This growing trend has spawned a huge new industry in medical tourism.

Countries like India are jumping to fulfil this need by building state-of-the-art hospitals and facilities offering top-class care and experienced staff, all saving the patient significant sums of money. If the cost of flights is an issue many airlines have frequent flyer programs which could mean you would soon accrue enough miles for follow-up treatments or further procedures. India is churning out doctors and nurses at a huge rate to cope with the increasing demand. The growing medical tourism industry in India is also luring many doctors back from hospitals in the UK and other countries. Many medical tourism companies offer foreign package deals on flights, hotels, treatment and post-operative care at popular vacation locations close to the hospital or clinic. Other countries that are vigorously promoting medical tourism include Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Jordan and Costa Rica. South Africa promotes safaris combined with plastic surgery.

So, why isn’t everyone take advantage of this new trend? It seems many are sceptical, afraid of going so far from home, or fear the potential of catching tropical diseases. After-care can be difficult – and what if there are side-effects or complications? If something should go wrong there is often little chance of any compensation and it could be a nightmare trying to navigate your way through foreign court systems. Many don’t want to face major surgery without family and friends close by to visit. However, many have no choice if their life depends on it and so they are willing to take any risks that might be involved. We looked online and, although we cannot endorse any, there are plenty of websites where you can do your own research and decide if surgery abroad is right for you. We can’t provide insurance for your procedures, but don’t forget to take out travel insurance for your trip!

Sharks in UK Waters? Mandatory Sunglasses?

We have Harry Potter with his assorted wizards and monsters, but don’t really have any serious predators to worry about here in the U.K. Our news has recently had an Australian theme. Sharks? In our cold British waters? Surely not?

We’ve been watching news reports about the suspected Great White Shark sighting off the Cornish coast. Seems the experts have concluded it was probably not the dreaded ‘Jaws’ type, but a basking shark – which is harmless and common to the area.  Great White sharks are a more common problem off the shores of countries like Australia and S. Africa. Let’s hope they are right.

I recently had a dip in the North Sea on one of our rare warm, sunny days and have to report that it was wonderful.  It would be a real nuisance to have to start worrying about shark attacks while we’re sitting in deck chairs eating our 99’s or hiding behind wind-breakers watching the children armed with buckets and spades trying to bury each other.  The old prank of startling friends with fake shark fins in the water may no longer be viewed as harmless, or funny.

Personally, I was really happy to see that at least somewhere in the world they are taking the matter of damage to the eyes from ultraviolet rays seriously.  A primary school in Australia has made the wearing of sunglasses compulsory for pupils while they are outside in the playground. The Aussies are considering adopting the rule at all their state-run schools.  With our chronic lack of sun in the UK we don’t have quite so much cause to worry, but on those idyllic days when it does shine down on us we should all be protecting our eyes as well as our skin.

Down Under they call sunglasses “sunnies” – which seems a cool enough name.  It does seem that back here in our gloomier climate there is still a stigma about being seen wearing sunglasses, especially when it is not particularly sunny.  You’re likely to be labelled as a poser or trying too hard to look cool, or just a plain prat.  That may be true in a lot of cases, of course, but cool or not sunglasses should be part of our daily lives - even here in our often-sunless climate.

Syd the Seagull’s popular and successful Slip! Slop! Slap! campaign to raise aware about skin cancer has been around for years in Australia.  We wrote a blog about this back in May for Sun Awareness Week.  You can find more Australian information at: www.cancer.org.au/sunsmart.

Having spent a lot of years living in a sunny climate I was made aware of the danger to eyes from leaving them unprotected.  I developed the habit of almost always wearing sunglasses or at least carrying them with me, with a spare pair kept in the car. Long term damage from leaving your eyes exposed to the sun’s rays and radiation can lead to all sorts of problems, including cataracts.  We all know that the sun’s UV rays can cause skin cancer but eyes are often neglected.  Click on the following link for more information about protecting your eyes:  www.health.uab.edu/default/aspx?pid=68489 or check back on our Blog Site Map for the entry with the title ‘Slip Slop Slap and Other Tanning Matters’.

The following sites contain more information on skin cancer:  www.safe-campaign.org and www.britishskinfoundation.org.uk.

Protect Yourself from the Crazy Weather!

As we are all aware, parts of the UK are still trying to dry out and assess the crippling damage from recent unprecedented rainfall and flooding. Ironically, with all the excess water lying about, obtaining drinking water is still a problem in some areas and the risk of infection from contaminated water remains.

It’s almost August and we’ve only managed to have one barbecue so far this summer.  The new gazebo we put up in the garden collapsed twice under the heavy rain and had to be thrown away.  However, we shouldn’t complain because so far we have been lucky here in Norfolk to escape the severe weather and catastrophic conditions that other areas have experienced with their homes flooded and possessions ruined.  The forecast looks a little more promising so perhaps we can think about summer starting at last?  Let’s hope so. Other than a nice spell in April and a few nice days here and there we have not had any summer to speak of yet.

Meanwhile, parts of Europe have recently been experiencing a heatwave which has caused wildfires and hundreds of deaths. Italy has seen temperatures near 40C (over 100F) and fires have raged in parts of Sicily, Sardinia and the Abruzzo area, among others.  Because of the very dry conditions the danger of wildfires still exists. The same has been happening in parts of the United States, especially in California.

Romania and Hungary have also experienced problems related to the heat which have caused many deaths. In Greece temperatures rose to the mid-40’s celsius (110F+) and in Athens emergency shelters with air-conditioning were put up and smog levels rose above safe limits.  Fires have also been a problem in parts of Greece and Portugal.  It seems that global warming is having a real impact and we can no longer rely on the normal expected weather patterns.

There is only so much we can do, so the best advice is to be prepared for anything.  Before you set off to any hot country do some research so that you know how to protect yourself from the heat and know the signs of heat exhaustion and potentially deadly heatstroke.  Arm yourself with some first aid know-how so that you don’t get caught out if the worst should happen.  Good sunscreen, hats, sunglasses and protective clothing are essential to prevent sun damage.  You don’t want to burn on your first day of holiday and have to spend the rest of it resembling a cooked lobster and nursing painful blisters.  Don’t forget to carry drinking water with you everywhere you go – and carry some extra for your dog or pet if they are also exposed to the heat.  We found a great collapsible nylon dog’s water bowl which fits easily into a bag or backpack so your best friend doesn’t suffer.

There’s plenty of information available online so check out the conditions and weather forecast for your planned destination.  Also check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website for any specific travel warnings, and review their excellent ‘Know Before You Go’ section for information and advice: www.fco.gov.uk.