28 June 2018

For all those thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies out there, Universal Orlando is the place for you. There are three amazing parks to choose from - Universal Studios, Universal Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay waterpark. Universal Studios Harry Potter fans will love Diagon Alley, , Escape from Gringotts ride and Hogwarts express - the fabulous train ride that takes you over to Islands of Adventure. They have lots of little amazing shops where you can buy wands, Harry Potter costumes and souvenirs. Kids and adults will love it. You can buy Butterbeer and all the weird and wonderful sweets featured in the movies. There are other rides to try including TRANSFORMERS: The Ride-3D (I really enjoyed this one, the special effects are amazing. Boys love it), Shrek 4-D, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit™ (make sure you choose your music and then watch your video when you get off the ride. It's even better in the dark too), Despicable Me Minion Mayhem™ Revenge of the Mummy™ (fast and furious and very scary), Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon™, Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl, The Simpsons Ride™, MEN IN BLACK™ Alien Attack™ and Fast & Furious – Supercharged™ which is now open. And for the little thrill seekers there’s Animal Actors On Location!™, E.T. Adventure™, A Day in the Park with Barney™, Curious George Goes to Town, Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster™ and Fievel's Playground™. Islands of Adventure Here you have even more Harry Potter - the fabulous ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Most people say this is their favourite ride in the park. There’s Skull Island: Reign of Kong™, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man®, The Incredible Hulk Coaster®, Doctor Doom's Fearfall®, Storm Force Accelatron® (ride with Storm as she faces Magneto) and meet the Marvel Super Heroes! Prepare to get wet! The following water rides are brilliant fun, but you will get very wet so make sure you take some spare dry clothes with you. Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls®. Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges® and Jurassic Park River Adventure™. And for the little thrill seekers there’s Dr Suess Landing, The Cat in the Hat™, Caro-Seuss-el™, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish™, If I Ran The Zoo™ and The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!™ If you are visiting in October, then make sure you go to Halloween Horror nights. It's one of the best things, hilarious and very scary. I would recommend staying in one of the Universal on-site hotels. I have booked clients to the Cabana Bay, Portofino and the Hard Rock. Cabana Bay is fabulous for families, the pools are amazing, and it's got a real friendly atmosphere. It's right next door to Volcano Bay too. Portofino is very Italian in style, luxurious and stylish. Hard Rock is great for everyone. Rock music theme, cool and trendy vibe. Fabulous clubs for kids and pool area. Benefits of staying at Hard Rock, Portofino and Royal Pacific mean you get unlimited Xpress passes so you can skip the line on most of the rides. This is definitely a bonus and well worth it. Whichever hotel you choose or even if you stay in another Orlando hotel then you will have an amazing holiday.

18 June 2018

Only a seven-hour flight from the UK, this Emirate makes for a unique and thrilling holiday destination with kids. Pick from world-class theme parks, activity parks and water parks, desert excursions and incredible wildlife sightings – all in a setting of near-constant sun shining down on pristine beaches. We’ve shared our top picks for the best activities to do during your family holiday in Abu Dhabi. • Head out on a desert safari in Abu Dhabi’s surrounding dunes which were one of the main filming locations for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. Options vary by age but can include quad-biking, camel trekking and camel farm visits, dune-bashing, sandboarding and even spending the night in a Bedouin tent. • Ride the world’s fastest rollercoaster, Formula Rossa, at Ferrari World theme park. After hurtling along at a speed of up to 240km/h (150mph), you can also experience the world’s highest rollercoaster loop courtesy of the Flying Aces ride. • With younger kids in tow, head for long-established Hili Fun City with its old-school rides including dodgems, mini-trains and a carousel. • Go wild at Wadi Adventure, a man-made white-water rafting, kayaking, wakeboarding surfing venue worthy of a day’s fun. Also, on-site is a giant swing, a high-ropes course and a climbing wall. • Cool off at Yas Waterworld, where more than 40 rides, slides and attractions, from a tots’ aqua playground to drop slides, mean fun for all ages. You can even surf and bodyboard here. For an alternative with younger kids, try Murjan Splash Park. •Go wildlife-spotting on the nature reserve of Sir Bani Yas Island, where the Arabian Wildlife Park breeds and rehabilitates animals at risk of extinction, including hyrax, ostrich, oryx, giraffes and hyenas. Guided nature and wildlife drives and walks, horse-riding and mountain-biking are all good ways to discover this spot. • Visit the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, a veterinary facility where you can see birds being treated, tour a museum and watch free-flight displays, all giving you an insight into the traditional Emirate sport of falconry. • Take a guided tour of the mighty Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Even kids can’t fail to be impressed by its 82 domes, 1,048 columns and chandeliers gilded by 24-carat gold. • Shop ’til you drop in Yas Mall, or head for the kids’ attractions. There’s Fun Works with its adventure rides, soft play, toddler playgrounds, Softair Battlezone and Lego: Pop-in and Play. • Go for a bike ride along the Corniche. This 8km stretch of waterfront includes a beach park with play areas and plenty of cafés and restaurants at which to refuel.

10 June 2018

Booking a holiday and then counting down the days until you can set that ‘out of office’ on your work email account is one of the most exciting times of the year, isn’t it? We look forward to making those memories for so long. But how protected are you? And how much do you really know about it? Having the peace of mind that no matter what, your holiday is safe is priceless and it’s not something you can find everywhere. But the minefield of financial protection is not easily negotiated so we’re trying to make it clearer to help preserve your precious holiday funds. Why do I need to worry about financially protecting my holiday? In short, if you don’t and something happens to one of the companies involved in your trip, you could lose out. If you’ve booked a package holiday, your holiday is financially protected. If you’ve booked your flight and accommodation separately and one of the companies fails, you could end up in a situation where you’re having to pay for an alternative flight or accommodation. Even if you book accommodation with a travel agent, if they fail, you could end up losing your money and be left without your hotel room. Your holiday insurance isn’t fail-safe either, as it isn’t guaranteed to cover a travel company going bust. Read on to understand more about the financial protection available for your holiday… What are the different types of financial protection? ATOL ABTA Section 75 Insurance Independent protection What is ATOL? The Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL) regime is a financial protection scheme for holidaymakers regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). In the UK, all travel companies selling package holidays with flights must hold an ATOL. If the company isn’t registered in the UK, they aren’t legally required to hold an ATOL and you might find you aren’t as covered as you thought. And unfortunately, by that stage, it’s probably too late. If a travel company with an ATOL stops trading, the ATOL scheme protects all customers who had booked with that company. If the company goes into administration before you travel, your money is protected, and you’ll be able to apply for a full refund. If you’re on holiday when the travel company goes bust, the ATOL scheme guarantees you’ll be able to finish your holiday and return home. When you book a protected holiday, you’ll receive an ATOL certificate as soon as you pay for your trip. The certificate explains how you’re protected and what to do in the event of a company collapsing. If the company is a registered member, you’ll spot the ATOL logo and a four or five-digit number on their website and in brochures and adverts. (You can also check that the company is an accredited member of ATOL on the Civil Aviation Authority’s website) My travel agent is an ABTA Agent. What is ABTA? If you’ve booked a package holiday from an ABTA agent, your money is protected. However, you might not be financially protected if you haven’t booked a package holiday. You will need to speak with your travel agent if you are relying on this level of protection. I paid for my holiday using my credit card. If the travel company goes bust can I claim through my credit card provider? (Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974) If you’ve booked your trip and have paid on your credit card, you might be able to make a claim against your credit card company. This claim is under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, so you might hear people talk about “section 75”. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 applies to goods and services paid for with your credit card and includes online bookings. If you’ve paid for your travels using your credit card, it means that you can claim against the creditor, which in this case is the credit card company. To make a claim against your credit card provider, the amount you’re claiming for must be between £100 and £30,000. However, you may still be able to make a claim if the amount on your credit card is less (a deposit, for example) as the claim against the credit card provider is directed at the total cost of your trip. One Travel Counsellor helped a group of 25 when the travel company they booked their holiday with went into administration: “They thought all was lost as they had planned a Christmas in the sun and after my advice they have instigated section 75 on their credit cards.” If you paid using a debit card, you may be able to use chargeback to claim some or all the money back. You will need to contact your card provider and speak to them about your claim. Doesn’t my travel insurance cover me if the company I’ve booked with goes into administration? Not every travel insurance policy will cover you if a company goes bust, so it’s best to read the small print and check with your travel insurance provider. It’s also worth checking whether the provider will cover you for the whole holiday if you’ve booked your flights, accommodation and car hire separately. As an example, you might find that your travel insurance will cover you if the airline goes into administration but that you can’t claim for a refund on your accommodation or car hire. If you’ve booked through Travel Counsellors, your holiday is 100% financially protected so your money is safe. In the event of an issue, your personal Travel Counsellor will contact you to discuss the options available, such as travelling to a different destination or changing your flights to another airline carrier. In many cases, our customers don’t even need to know when a company has gone bust – we just do the necessary work behind the scenes. Is my money 100% safe when booking with Travel Counsellors? Yes. And it’s the highest level of protection you could wish for because it’s fully independent. Set up in 2004, it sits alongside our ATOL cover and financially protects every part of every trip, whether it be the whole holiday, a flight, hotel stay, car hire or even airport parking. It’s completely robust meaning no matter what happens, your money is safe.

01 September 2011

We were met by Laura Jurgens Regional Sales Manager Flybe north and Andrea Parkinson Travelcube Retails Accounts Manager North at Manchester Airport. After a smooth check in we proceeded to the Flybe lounge - the best way by far to start any holiday or Business trip, nice seating and comfortable atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle. Our Flybe flight was Excellent and although it only took 1 hour and 10 minutes there was still time to purchase that favourite perfume and a drink and tasty snack from the bar service. Before we knew it we had landed, passport control was stress free and they were very welcoming. We transferred from the airport by coach to the Bristol Stephanie Hotel for our first hotel inspection and dinner. On arrival the streets in the centre were very busy and roads were being closed, this happens every Friday evening in the summer and the local people rollerskate and cycle through the centre. It was great to see, I was only too sorry I had not brought my own! The hotel is part of the Thon group and is situated on Avenue Louise, the most fashionable shopping and business district in Brussels. Rooms are spacious and modern with excellent food. There is free internet connection in the hotel lobby. The Bristol Stephanie is a four star hotel suited for both business and leisure travellers providing five star service. From here we took went to the Crowne Plaza hotel and we checked in for our short stay in Brussels. Dating back to the 1908, the Crowne Plaza Brussels,'Le Palace' has a long distinguished history and has been at the heart of Brussels daily life since the day it opened. The hotel has provided new and modern comforts but still maintained its unique traditions. It is within walking distance of the world famous Grand Place and historical centre across the road from the main shopping area and a five minute walk to the north and Midi stain. The rooms are very spacious and modern and have tea and coffee facilities as well as an iron and ironing board - something I cannot live without, maybe the iron, but not my cup of coffee in the morning! There was plenty of breakfast and the service was excellent. The hotel bar was comfortable and inviting and the prices were very reasonable given that this is a city centre hotel. Breakfast was plenty and the service was excellent. The hotel bar was comfortable and inviting and the prices were very reasonable given that this is a city centre hotel. In order to show us what the area had to offer Andrea had organised a walking tour around Brussels with a guide from the tourist board. This is the best way to see the city at a reasonable pace and we walked to the old town which took around ten minutes. The area had a lot to offer and the guide painted a picture as he explained how the town developed. The town square was bustling with plenty of shop/bars/restaurants too. We visited 'Poechenellekeider' which is used by locals and well worth a visit also close by is the 'Manneken Pis', an icon of Brussels albeit a very small icon. Sacha our guide, made our tour memorable and exciting. We then went to the Sheraton for a hotel inspection and lunch; this hotel is situated in the same area as the Crowne Plaza. The hotel is modern and the rooms are light and airy. They also offer interconnecting rooms at this hotel for families and the suites at this hotel are amazing. There is a pool/gym/sauna on the top floor. Our next visit was the Thon Hotel Brussels City Centre, this a four star hotel which would be a good location to stay for the Christmas markets. Although the hotel is a little dated some rooms have been refurbished and I would recommend paying a little more for these rooms. We headed back to our hotel to change for our visit and dinner at the Hilton which is next door to our hotel. The hotel was very minimal, although I did like the restaurant/bar area as I thought it was more informal than other Hilton hotels. It was in a great location and ideal for those on a budget. The next day we took the train into Bruges, trains operate every 30 minutes and it takes an hour. Bruges is very pretty and I would have liked to have spent more time there. I did the traditional Belgium meal "mussels and frites" the portion of mussels would of served three but I still managed not to waste any!! A great trip with great company.