Live the High Life on a Low Budget

Are you looking to for a different kind of travel experience? Still want to see a variety of different countries and feel up to a bit of a challenge? Then read on, as I have the perfect solution right here.

I’m talking motor racing with, of course, a travel twist.

Unfortunately, the main drawback with the majority of these automotive extravaganzas is the prohibitive entry costs. The prestigious Gumball 3000, for instance, will set you back a cool £28,000 to get among the action – not to mention the need for Ferrari or Lamborghini or other such machine to actually become any kind of real player.

It’s much the same story for the ROARR classic car race across the Himalayas and the Lisbon-Dakar Rally, coming in only slightly cheaper at £20,000 and £8,700 respectively. Sigh.

If, like me, you are starting to feel a little downhearted at these prohibitive registration levies, worry not. There are other options for the more budget conscious.

Let us focus on a triplet of races that are less Club Class and Caviar, and more Skateboards and Sandwiches. In contrast, the following challenges are infinitely more affordable yet still offer fun and adventure by the trunk load.

The Cannonball Run. London – Puerto Banus

If the Lisbon-Dakar is luxury travel, the Cannonball Run is definitely backpacking. Essentially, it’s a 2,400 mile, 4 day event for pre 1991 vehicles. The cost is £1,350 based on two people, and includes ferry transfers, accommodation at the end of each race day (and champagne!), personal sign writing on entrance vehicles, and the black-tie party on the final evening. For more details visit www.cannonballrunclassic.com

The Italian Job. Venice – Brighton

Cheaper still, this 3000 mile, 10 day charity event will set you back £500 to enter. Competitors must be over 21, and be comfortable behind the wheel of a Mini. Micheal Caine look-alikes are also heartily encouraged to join in the fun. Visit www.italianjob.com to find out how you can get involved and help raise more money for NCH - The Children’s Charity, and other worthy causes.

The Plymouth – Banjul Rally

The Plymouth-Dakar Challenge, as it is now known, has been encouraging hundreds of the world’s lunatics cash-strapped explorers to head into the wilds of the Sahara Desert since its inauguration in 2003. If the Cannonball Run is the backpacker, then this must be the hardcore vagrant. Forget the Gumball 3000, and enter the Oddball 3000.

The 3000 mile fundraising ‘race’ from the South of England to the West Coast of Africa is mere snip at £300 to enter and, now here’s the kicker, you must have a cheap car to enter. It has to cost less that £100, to be precise. Now for an insider tip: Russian built Ladas seem to be the vehicle of choice as none of them have failed to complete the challenge…yet. You heard it here first.
For more information on the mother of all cheapskate rallies, visit http://www.plymouth-dakar.co.uk

In-Flight Air Travel Tips

A recent study showed that a long haul flight will undoubtedly be the most unpleasant, distressing, uncomfortable and most horrific 12 hours of your entire life (unless you’ve tried to drive right across London.) Alright, the study bit was made up…but long haul flights are still a pain in the butt.

Anyhow, here are a few tips to ease that pain quicker than you can say ‘Cheap Plane Thrombosis’.

Watch your Step

Airline toilets are gross at the best of times, but after a few hours of turbulence on a long haul they’re not a place you want to be in thin socks or bare feet. Always pop on a pair of shoes (ideally someone else’s) before a visit to the toilet, you’re feet will thank you for it.

Earplugs & Eye Masks

Some airlines supply the mouldable, foam earplugs in their passenger goody bags, but take your own just in case they don’t. Together with an eye mask, they’ll shut out the rest of the world for the duration of the flight – leave them at home if you like screaming babies, compulsive talkers and loud snorers.

Extra Eye mask tip: If you still can’t sleep, cut 2 holes in it to look like a tired and irritable super-hero.

Keep Fed, Keep Watered, Stay Happy

Listen to your body and eat and drink as required. Take along a few of your own favourite snacks to munch on in between airline offerings. If you’re planning to diet or quit smoking, start after your holiday, or at least after your flight. A recent airline smoking study showed that those who use nicotine gum or patches are far less likely to bludgeon to death ‘inconsiderate passengers’ with tightly rolled in-flight magazines.

Sick Bag

Check your seat pocket and ensure you have a barf bag to hand. Although you may not suffer from air sickness, you may still be in someone else’s firing arcs. Giving Mr or Mrs Pukey a barf bag in those first few vital seconds will ensure a pleasant flight for you both.

Wear Layers

Regardless of the airport and in-flight temperature and the climate at your current or final destination, dressing in layers allows you to put on or peel off clothes with the minimum of fuss to remain comfortable throughout your journey. In addition, more clothes on you mean more space in your luggage for duty free booze and fags.

Drink Water

Remain hydrated in a dry cabin by adopting at least a 1:2 booze/water ratio, and try to drink at least 8 oz of water every hour. It’s not compulsory to maintain the ratio by drinking the 4 ounces of booze each hour, though. Also, avoid overindulgence in diuretics such as tea, coffee and carbonated drinks.

Use Bottled Water

Airline regulations prohibit the carrying on board of bottle water (most of the time…), but it’s acceptable to board with an empty bottle with lid for the cabin crew to fill for you on the plane. It’s easier to drink from and store between sips than the undersized plastic glasses supplied by cabin crew, and by causing less trips up and down for the trolley dollies, you’ll be more inclined to stay hydrated.

Hold out on the Sleep

If unable to sleep through a whole flight, then put the snooze off until the latter part. Eat a snack, have a drink, watch a film, or read a book or whatever, then when sleep comes it’ll be both heavier and longer (and through the part of the flight where the novelty has worn off.)

Use the Cushions

A few well placed cushions will make for a more comfortable flight. Lower back pain can be avoided or at least reduced when placed between the lower back and the seat, and a couple supporting your head and neck will promote better sleep. If you need extras, either ask the cabin crew or pick up a couple of spares on your trip back from the toilet.

Don’t Rush to Leave

When the Fasten Seatbelt sign goes out at the end of the flight, stay put. Remain seated and stay relaxed by leaving all the others to flap, rummage for bags and stand half bent over seats and squashed in the aisles. Even the last one off the plane will probably still beat the bags to the carousel.

Pre-Flight Airline Travel Tips

Before even setting foot on an aeroplane, there are plenty of things we can do to ensure a more pleasant flight. Here are some pre-flight airline travel tips to help you on your way.

Pick your Plane
Before booking your flight, if several airlines offer the journey at similar prices and on suitable days then compare the planes and services on offer with each flight. Airline consumer standards and in-flight services vary significantly from carrier to carrier. www.airlinequality.com is a good place to start.

Find the Best Seats
Once you’ve chosen your airline, check out where the best seats on your plane are. User friendly Seat Guru is an excellent resource for this. Find your model of plane and read the reviews. All seating layouts are colour coded in the helpful overview.

Window Seats
Unless you have a bladder the size of a peanut, window seats are the way to go. A window seat means less disruption (for you, at least) and a headrest that does not get upset when you dribble on it.

Exit Row Seats
There’s only one thing better than a window seat: an exit row window seat. You’ll get legroom-a-plenty and never have the seat in front nestled on the bridge of your nose.

Cross Pack your Belongings
If travelling in company, split your belongings between both sets of luggage. That way, if one bag gets lost you’ll still have half your stuff.

Mark Your Luggage
Mark your luggage with something unique to identify it clearly. Mark it as distinctively as possible and you’ll be able to spot it more easily at baggage claim and (more importantly) no one else will mistake it for theirs and walk off with your favourite holiday shirt!

Park Smart
If you drive to the airport, note the lot/area where you park the car. Write it down somewhere, take a photo of the sign, or leave a verbal or text message on your phone. Remember: Memory fades with both time and Pina Coladas.

Check in Online
If you have the opportunity to check in online, take it. Not only will you avoid the long queues at the airport but also be in with a better chance of bagging your preferred seat. The early bird gets the legroom.

Check in Early
If you can’t check in online, check in early for a better chance of bagging your desired seat. Remember to speak to the check in staff nicely about your seating preference, otherwise you’re in the lottery with the rest of the shitmunchers. Be sure not to simply ask for extra legroom though, since you may end up stuck by the toilet and the constant barrage of passing/waiting toilet-bound passengers.

Be the Last to Board
If the flight isn’t full, linger toward the back of the boarding queue. Boarding last will allow you to see where all the empty spaces are. If you don’t like the look of your seat (or the people around it) then jump in one of the empty ones. When seated, rarely will the cabin crew ask to see your boarding pass if there is no dispute over a seat. If they do, and they insist you move, you just go back to your original seat having lost nothing.

How to Find Cheap Deals on the Best Hotels

Cheap deals on swanky hotels do exist in real life. Honest. There are some excellent deals to be had and, with a bit of digging, you can bag yourself a bargain.

Here are some tips on how to go about finding them cheap deals on the best hotels.

 

Search for Unique Offers

Newly opened hotels are inclined to offer bargain room rates to get bums on beds. 50% discounts and ‘3 for 2’ style deals are not uncommon. Here, Google News is your best friend and a good place to start. Search for your city + hotel + opening soon /recently opened etc. (you get the picture) and track down a bargain. Also, sift though the bigger industry publications, such as Hoteldesigns & Hotelnewsresource, to get a feel for what’s going on and then sound the hotels out directly.

 

Use and Abuse Hotel Comparison Sites

These sites are cropping up all over the internet, with many offering different prices on the same accommodation over the same period. Crazy but true. Price checking over several sites can help find the cheapest deal over the widest range of accommodation and also familiarize you with your destination. Here are a few to kick things off:-

EasytoBook User friendly with maps, panoramic views, plenty of photos and refined searches. Nb. TripAdvisor also aggregates this site.

LateRooms Sortable searches (by distance from center/grade/price/rating etc) and google map friendly.

HotelsComparison Doesn’t search a huge amount of rooms, but easy to navigate and use.

MoneySupermarket Massive search, but very broad.

Go to the Auctions

Another way to stay in a posh hotel at a spectacularly discounted price is by bidding for it. Room auctions and bidding sites are a clever way for hotels to shift vacant rooms without alienating their regular, premium paying customer base.

Although there are around approximately 4 kajillion accommodation auction websites out there, Priceline has to be a favourite thanks to it’s multi bid loophole. Taking advantage of this can bag a cheaper room and see savings of around 70%. For the full lowdown on this and other links to help you win the bidding war, read Martin Lewis’ Priceline bidding article.

Scan Individual Travel Agent’s Websites

It can be time consuming, but some travel agents are willing to flog some apartments and rooms at ridiculously cheap rates just to shift them.

Thomsons are renowned for this, and their £1 plus deals really do exist. These cheap deals generally crop up during a destination’s off-peak times or relate to either unestablished hotels or unestablished areas. It’s a gamble, but even if it does turn out to be crappy it’s only cost you a quid. Thankfully, just like happy hour, it’s always off peak somewhere in the world.

Avoid Tourism Epicenters

Instead of paying a premium to stay right in the heart of a popular district, consider cheaper deals offered in alternative locations. It sounds like a no brainer, but you still have to choose wisely. Money saved in terms of cheaper accommodation has to be weighed up against the extra time and money spent getting to where you ultimately want to be.

Do a bit of research. Is it viable to stay in a cheaper area and still get the most from your stay? Check transport links and costs, walking times, safety issues etc and weigh up if there is much to be gained from a cheaper, alternative location. Sometimes it really pays off, resulting in a better room at a fraction of the epicenter rate.

For example, the hotel room at the north end of Central Park will generally cost a lot less than, say, the same standard of room overlooking Times Square, yet the regular and inexpensive public transport system will leave you laughing all the way to the bank.

Be Flexible on your Destination

Think in terms of supply and demand. The more empty rooms in an area, the higher the chances are of finding a cheap deal on accommodation. You don’t have to settle for a weekend in Kabul instead of Krakow, but just as places have their peak times, such as New York at Christmas or Pamplona when the bulls are running, they also have their quieter periods – that’s when room prices get slashed, it becomes a buyers market and you’ll find dirt cheap deals a plenty.

Be Flexible on your Times

Particularly if you are planning a short break, try and stay midweek instead of weekends. Again, it’s the old supply and demand routine. In addition, midweek flights are generally cheaper, too.

Cast the Net Wide

Hostels, guesthouses and budget hotels aren’t always the cheapest accommodation options. Keep your options open and include more ‘upmarket’ establishments within the searches - it could land you a bargain since there is a fair bit of price crossover. I’m constantly astonished by how - and this is in exactly the same area - it’s not uncommon to find some 1 star hotels charging more than several of the 2 stars, and sometimes even the cheapest 3 star.

Book in Advance

Where possible, try and plan ahead. Failing that, don’t plan at all. Booking a room more than 3 weeks in advance can secure great deals otherwise unavailable closer to the departure date, but if you can’t book early to get the cheapest deal, book very, very late.

Read the Small Print

Buyer beware. Just because a deal on a room comes up as the cheapest during an internet search, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it IS the cheapest. Check the small print to ensure there aren’t any extra hidden costs.

Similar in nature to the fuel taxes/check in levies/baggage fees etc on low cost flights, hotels may not wish to include mandatory extra surcharges, such as a room tax or breakfast, in the quoted price. If you are booking via a hotel comparison site, read the hotel’s blurb very carefully and always check the customer reviews.

If you (yes, you there) have any more tips on how to get decent deals on rooms, please share them with us.

Tips to Avoid Traveller’s Diarrhoea

Nobody wants to get hit with traveller’s diarrhoea, whether it be their own or somebody else’s. Really, it ain’t a laughing matter.

Fortunately,  there are several steps we can take to avoid doing the most unwelcome step of all:  The Colorado Quickstep.

Right, I’ve run out of diarrhoea gags.

Here are some travel tips to help you stay road-fit and avoid the squits.

Pick your Beverage Carefully

As a rule, the following should generally be safe to drink: Commercially bottled water with an unbroken seal, hot drinks made with vigorously boiled water, wine and beer in their original containers (phew), and canned or bottled fizzy drinks.

Always Check the Seals

Ensure the seal on bottled water is intact. It’s not unheard of for more unscrupulous vendors to refill empty water bottles with tap water.

Wipe Around the Lid
Before you drink or pour from any can or bottle, give the lid a good wipe around. Bottles and cans may have been sat in melting ice and water in a cooler bin – this is quite common practice among beach and roadside vendors.

Drink from Original Containers
Any non-disposable crockery (basically anything that can and probably has been washed) could you more at risk. To be ultra safe, consider them unsanitary and use new, clean straws. Better still, stick to original cans or bottles where possible.

Kill Bacteria
If you are uncertain of your water yet that is all there is, boil vigorously (for at least 5 minutes) to purify it. If obtaining either bottled or boiled water is completely out of the question, use both a filter and iodine tablets on your water source.

Don’t be Cool
Avoid ice unless you are certain of its source. In addition, steer clear of fruit juice and drinks made with tap water (such as cordial and real lemonade) to further reduce the risk of suffering from a dose of the squits.

Bathroom Protocol
Use bottled water to clean your teeth and rinse your brush, and keep your mouth shut when showering!

Consider Every Meal
When we think of food poisoning, we usually think of dodgy meat – but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Steer clear of foods that need to be rinsed or washed in water, such as raw fruits and vegetables with the skin on, and salads. Similarly, consider whether dairy products have been pasturized. Meat-wise, those prone to travel bugs should only eat meat, poultry and fish if they’re certain it’s been well-cooked and is still piping hot. Always cut it open and give it the once-over before consuming.

Stick to Popular Places
Zero in on popular restaurants and busy stalls since they have a higher turnover of food and are less likely to have produce sitting around (and breeding nasties) for lengthy periods. An eatery or stall buzzing with locals should provide a visual vote of confidence.

In Summary
If you can’t boil it, cook it, or peel it then forget it. Committing this simple rule to memory will help you avoid an unnecessary bout of Montezuma’s Revenge.

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