HolidaysPlease

Holidaymakers travelling to Europe have been warned that their insurance claims may be rejected if they do have a valid EHIC card. Insurance experts have alerted travellers to accurately read their travel insurance policies as many of them are inserting clauses requiring EHIC cards, which means travel insurance alone will not cover you. Travel experts at Moneysupermarket.com explained “Some insurers will refuse to cover you if failed to travel with a valid EHIC card, whereas other will waive the excess on claims where you have an EHIC card and used it for your treatment.”

Approximately three million people are carrying cards that have expired whereas many travellers don’t even hold a card at all. Therefore experts advise holidaymakers how it is crucial that you travel with an up-to-date EHIC card and a full travel insurance policy when travelling in the EEA area. The card is free and valid for up to five year as it ensures that you receive medical treatment on the same basis as citizens of the country in which you are travelling in.

Once you are fully insured and have your EHIC card then why not book you next European holiday with Holidays Please. We offer great holidays to some of Europe’s top destinations, why not take a look at our European Holidays section. Our dedicated holiday experts will be delighted to help you book the perfect European holiday.

There’s one thing most of us will definitely not leave behind when we go on holiday and that’s our mobile phone. We can escape to the other side of the world yet still many of us want to be in contact with everyone else back at home. However, moneysupermarket.com have warned travellers to be aware of using mobile phones for calls, texts and browsing the internet as charges are much higher when you are abroad. So make a note of Holiday Please’s top tips for roaming charges when you’re on holiday so that you don’t come home to a shocking hefty phone bill.

• Bear in mind that the inclusive minutes, texts or internet browsing you may have on you mobile phone tariff will be invalid as soon as you leave the UK. Therefore you will be charged at a much higher rate if you want to text, call or browse the internet when abroad.
• Remember to turn off your data roaming option on your phone so you can steer clear of being charged heavily for automatic downloads and updates. This is especially important for those of us with Smartphones such as an iPhone or Blackberry.
• New rules from the EU are now in effect which means there is a set cut-off point for the cost of data use. However this only applies to EU destinations so check your individual network provider for more information.
• Speak to you network provider before you leave to see whether they offer you a cheaper international tariff. This can save you a significant amount of money so that you don’t have to worry about receiving a huge bill on your return.
• Don’t forget to turn your phone off when you are not using it on holiday. This will help you to avoid being charged for receiving calls.
• Why not consider getting a local SIM card of you visit the same place often? This can actually work out to be much cheaper for you in the long-run.

Don’t get caught paying a fortune on your phone bill while your away and bear in mind the tips above. Or better still, enjoy your much-deserved holiday and leave the phones at home. After all, what better way to relax than to completely shut off from all the stresses back home? Mobile phone or no mobile phone? Feel free to leave your comments below and tell us whether you would take your mobile phone on holiday with you or would you rather leave it at home? One a final note, don’t forget to book you next escape with Holidays Please. Check out our latest holiday deals for your perfect get away and one of our travel experts will be happy to help you.

With the summer holidays starting this week, it’s that time of year when we all turn our attentions to our much-deserved, long-awaited holiday. But first comes the dreaded task of packing everything we need to take with us. Thomson and First Choice revealed that a quarter of us spend between two to three days packing our bags for our holiday. However only 16% of us actually use everything and wear everything we’ve packed once we get there. With the number of baggage allowance restrictions and charges for even taking a suitcase on board, it makes sense to just pack the bare essentials. Why carry around a ridiculously over-stuffed bag when you have more important things to do like actually enjoying yourself? Check out our top bare essential must-haves in your suitcase when you’re away so you don’t get dragged down by the weight of carrying the whole house!

• Check the weather of your holiday destination before you travel- simply by doing a search-engine search of your destination you are able to get up-to-date forecasts of the weather and temperature of where you are going. This will then give you an indication of what sort of clothes you’d need to take- if it’s sunny and warm then 1 jumper is more than enough, but if it’s cooler then maybe consider taking more.
• Think about your shoes- it goes without saying that shoes will way you down! Relax, you’re going on holiday, you don’t need a pair of shoes to match each outfit. About 3 pairs of shoes should suffice- a pair of flip flops, walking shoes and a nice pair for dressing up for your evening meals.
• Ditch the towels- these become heavy and smelly once wet, which can weigh your bag down. Instead use the hotel ones or buy a cheap towel from where you are going.
• Go easy on the toiletries- lugging all that shampoo, soap, body lotion, sun block, hair spray etc will without a doubt weigh you down. Why not try and cut down or buy mini versions of what you need. Most supermarkets and toiletry shops now have mini versions of virtually all the essentials leaving your bag feeling lighter.

So there you have it, the bare essentials leaving you to enjoy your much-deserved break. Having said this, all of us are different. So why not tell us the one thing you wouldn’t like to forget on your holiday this summer? Feel free to leave your holiday must-have below. If you have yet to book you next holiday, why not visit Holidays Please for all the latest holiday deals.

The travel insurance industry paid out a massive £274 million in claims during 2009 to people who needed emergency treatment while abroad. According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), travellers who fell ill or had an accident whilst on holiday were compensated the equivalent of £5.3 million a week. Although the number of trips abroad fell by 15% during the year, this was the highest amount since records began in 2000.

The most common illnesses included stomach upsets, ear infections, allergies and heart problems. The amount paid out to ill travellers ranged from £49,000 to a man who was holidaying in the US for the cost of a coronary artery bypass and an emergency flight home to £9,000 to a woman who suffered an allergic reaction whilst in Cyprus.

So if you’re planning a holiday soon make sure you take into consideration the following 3 tips. After all, it’s better to be safe than to be sorry!

·        Buy you travel insurance as soon as possible- so many people are unaware that your travel insurance covers you as soon as you book your holiday and not just while you are on it. It can often cover the cost of your booking if you have to cancel your trip for cetain permitted reasons. Make sure you check you policy first as each policy varies.

·        Find the best policy to suit you- Shop around to find a good price and the right policy that best suits you. There’s nothing worse than travelling something going wrong and you end up not being covered to the extent you wish. Although cheaper policies may seem like a bargain, it usually means they have less cover so cheaper may not always be the best option here. If you’re a frequent traveller then consider an annual multi-trip insurance policy, this can save you time and money. The travel insurance market is very competitive and so higher priced, more comprehensive policies are usually still competitive.

·        Make a note of important numbers- have a list of emergency medical telephone numbers in order to call for advice should you fall ill on holiday.

·        Check your policy- most policies don’t cover you for alcohol or drug-related incidents so be careful. However, 60% of policies now cover for you for terrorism, be sure to make check your policy does too.

If you would like any further advice or to find a good last minute deal look at our holiday deals section for great escapes…but don’t forget the travel insurance!

The Co-operative Travel predicts that 38% of the UK package holidays sold by summer 2012 will be to exotic destinations including Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey. Popular destinations such as the Costa del Sol and Algarve, which have experienced a steady decline over the last few years, are expected to lose out to more exotic destinations. This comes after traditional Mediterranean resorts make up only 11.6% of all holiday bookings compared to more exotic locations including Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey which account for 23.4%.

A major contributor to this trend is the increased capacity to such exotic locations as well as the high cost of the euro. The impact of the credit crunch has meant that customers are now demanding more all-inclusive holidays as a way of fixing their holiday budget, which is exactly what these fast-growing destinations are providing. Co-operative Travel commented that if these trends continue then it be the biggest change in booking since the boom of package holiday in the 1970s.

Which do you prefer, all-inclusive holidays or not? Whatever you prefer we at Holidays Please are happy to help find the best holiday for you, so why not take a look at some of our holiday destinations today.

Protection specialists, Bright Grey, revealed that a third of us Britons will go in debt to fund our summer holiday this year. Surveys found that 32% of us will pay for our holiday this year using a credit card, a travel agent payment plan or even by borrowing money from family or friends. This borrowing amounts to more than an average of £1,200, a whooping £12 billion in total, of which half us can’t afford to pay back straight away. This means extra interest payments on top.  Even though most of us can’t afford these holidays, one in seven of us said we have to have a holiday every year despite whether we can afford it or not. One in five of us will splash out on a bed and breakfast holiday whereas one in six prefers it all to be tailor-made for us. The average holiday takes more than four months to be planned and lasts a duration of 10 days.

This just goes to show how important a holiday is to us however it is vital that we don’t break the bank when planning our next escape. Check out Holiday Please’s top 5 tips to help you save money when booking your next holiday:

1.     Timing your booking- If you are not flexible with your dates then book early. This will not only be cheaper for you but will give you the chance to get the best room and also more time to look forward to it. If you are flexible with your dates and destinations then you can book late and pick up unsold hotel places at very good prices.

2.      Buy your travel insurance early- Not many people know this but your travel insurance covers you from the minute your purchase it and not from when you start your holiday. This means that you might be able to recover the cost of the trip if you have to cancel your trip due to any unforeseen reason or emergencies. Make sure you check your policy first as each one varies.

3.      Splash out on the whole package- Many of us are unaware that booking an all-inclusive holiday could be cheaper for us in the long run. Having your food and drinks already paid for leaves you the hassle of having to look for and fork out on food and drinks when you get there.

4.      Avoid traveling during peak times- If you can avoid it, book your holiday during term time when the kids are at school. Travel companies put their prices up during peak times like the summer and Easter holidays. Book your holiday around these times and you’ll be amazed to see how much you can save. Also if you don’t mind the weather you can travel to places off peak. Some destinations actually have very nice weather even in low season because they have their own microclimate. Our holiday experts can help advise you on these places.

5.      Don’t be afraid to haggle – Even on websites you can pick up the phone, speak to a sales agent and haggle over the price. They probably won’t have more than 3-5% up their sleeve to play with but for a £3000 holiday that’s a £90 – £150 saving, which is a bit of extra holiday spending money!

One final tip is obviously to look at the holiday deals section at Holidaysplease!