Tuesday 26 May 2009

British Nuns Arrested In Crete

It has been reported in the British media today that 17 men from Bristol appeared in a Crete court for dressing as Nuns.

The men also wearing ladies underwear were on a night out as part of a football tour, when they were arrested and spent a night in a prison cell on bank holiday Monday.

Ranging in age from late teens to early 60's the shocked tourists were arrested for causing scandal and misrepresenting a uniform. Charges were later dropped and the Nuns ran free to enjoy the rest of their holiday.

Do you have a funny holiday story, if so why not share it with The Travel Times World Travel Blog.

Friday 22 May 2009

Mexico - Would You Go?

The recent outbreak of Swine Flu in Mexico now seems to be contained, but how much has it affected our confidence in travelling to the country.

With the major UK tour operators declaring ‘Business As Usual’ for holidays to the destination and prices at an all time low, The Travel Times is asking would you go?

I have done some research and found 7 night all inclusive deals at a four star a hotel including flights from as little as £370 per person. If I was available I would snap it up as it represents excellent value for money and an opportunity to visit a beautiful country.

The Travel Times World Travel Blog would be interested to hear your thoughts on this? Have you snapped up one of these bargains or are you avoiding Mexico like the Plague??!

Leave your comments below.

Thursday 21 May 2009

Making Sense of Ryanair

Ryanair have once again been grabbing the attention of the media as calculating the total cost of a flight becomes ever more confusing.

All seems well when you log-on to the Ryanair website and enter your search criteria. You are presented with some very attractive fares including taxes, but don’t be fooled! Once you progress to the next stage and you add on the baggage charge, the online check in charge and the card payment charge, you would be forgiven for thinking you had purchased shares in the not so Low-Cost Airline.

Further confusion is caused if you are unable to check in online and you will find your self throwing more of your hard earned cash in to the Ryanair coffers. Check in at the airport now means you have to pay £40 to re-issue your boarding pass, a truly memorable Low-Cost travel experience.

The Travel Times World Travel Blog would love to hear about your personal experiences with Ryanair, just add a comment to this post.

Tuesday 19 May 2009

Beat The Eurozone



With the Euro rate barely rising above 1.10 Euros to the Pound, many of us are looking to non Euro-Zone countries when arranging our travel plans for summer 2009.

Over the coming weeks the travel industry is expecting a huge surge in demand for late deals and holiday bargains as advance holiday bookings have been slow.

In this post we are listing The Travel Times Free Travel Blog Top 10 non Euro-Zone holiday destinations, their local currency and links to holiday companies featuring these destinations.

1) Turkey - A popular destination with UK holiday makers for many years. The local currency is Turkish Lira and you can expect a rate of around 2.27 Lira to the Pound.

For great holidays to Turkey check out http://www.anatoliansky.co.uk/

2) Bulgaria – A relatively new beach holiday destination for British Tourists. Be careful as some coastal resorts in recent years have been subject to heavy building works as they look to improve tourist areas. The local currency is the Bulgarian Lev and you should get around 2.04 Lev to the Pound.

You will find excellent Bulgarian holiday deals available at http://www.balkanholidays.co.uk/

3) Croatia – A country with beautiful architecture, unspoilt islands and vibrant cities. The local currency is the Croatian Kuna and your can expect around 7.73 Kuna to the pound.

Search for your holiday to Croatia at http://www.holidayoptions.co.uk/

4) The Gambia – Friendly people, rich in culture, excellent beaches and only 5 hours flying time from the UK. The local currency is the Gambian Dalasi and £1 will get you around 40 Dalasi.

Find great deals to the Gambia at http://www.gambia.co.uk/

5) Cape Verde - 10 Islands, all unique and mainly unspoilt. Only in the last few years have there been direct flights from the UK to Cape Verde, making it a new and exciting destination. The currency is the Cape Verde Escudo and can only be purchased on the islands.

To start planning your trip visit http://www.capeverdeexperience.co.uk/

6) Egypt - Culture, Deserts, Beaches, Pyramids, Diving, History, Mummies and the list goes on making Egypt a diverse and fascinating destination. £1 will buy you roughly 7.73 Egyptian Pounds.

Plan your trip to Egypt at http://www.peltours.com/

7) Tunisia – The perfect place to sample a traditional camel ride, take a dessert safari or simply relax on the beach enjoying the Arabian sun. Tunisian Dinar is the local currency and only available to purchase in Tunisia.

Check out some great deals to Tunisia at www.thomascook.com/panorama

8) Morocco – A land of Contrast with where crowded beaches meet the vast Sahara dessert and local markets buzz with activity. £1 gets you roughly 13 Moroccan Durham’s but this can only be purchased in the country itself.

Search for your Moroccan holiday at http://www.cadoganholidays.com/

9) Northern Cyprus – The Turkish side of Cyprus and quickly becoming very popular with UK tourists seeking a historical beach holiday. The currency here is Turkish Lira and the rate is roughly 2.27 to the Pound.

Search for your Northern Cyprus holiday at http://www.anatoliansky.co.uk/

10) Blighty – Remember there are plenty of beautiful and fascinating destinations here in the UK to explore. The experts are predicting a great summer so why not holiday at home?

Be inspired take a look at http://www.visitbritain.co.uk/

I hope this post has been informative and that you enjoy your summer holiday wherever it may be. Most currency rates used in this post were sourced from http://www.travelex.co.uk/


Sunday 3 May 2009

The Travel Times News

You can now also find great travel tips and advice from The Travel Times at

http://www.trazzler.com

You can check out our latest tips on the following direct link

http://www.trazzler.com/users/kevin.partridge

Trazzler is a great site where travellers and wanna-be travel writers share their favourite travel experiences. A monthly theme is created and writers are asked to write a 'trip' with the chance of winning $200 and a freelance writing contract.

We will also be publishing all of our Trazzler trips on the blog so happy reading.