Category Archives: Travel

Short Accommodation Website For London Helps Find Somewhere to Lay Your Head.

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Head2Pillow launched its short stay accommodation website for the London area in Autumn 2010, enabling homeowners with a spare room to rent it out and make tax-free money and for visitors to the capital to find an affordable room for a short stay.

The site has been developed over a considerable length of time, with the focus being on ease of use for both homeowners and guests.

For Guests looking for a room, the site has an innovative Quick Search facility, enabling users to look for a room by *either
*town
*postcode
*venue, which now also includes the main Olympic venues.

In addition, the Advanced Search allows users to carry out a more detailed search based on a selection of criteria, including cost, distance and availability dates.

Many online accommodation sites only allow users to find out limited information online and the actual booking process is dealt with by email. Head2Pillow enables users to search for a room in real time, book and pay securely via Barclaycard all online. In addition, there is no sign up fee for Guests, no minimum stay required and no booking fees.

Homeowners with a spare room can advertise their room straight away with no sign up fee, knowing that they have complete control over the room price and availability and can rent it out as often or as little as they like. In addition, they can select to receive an SMS alert every time a booking is made for their room.

With the Government’s cuts really hitting households across the country now, there has never been a better time for homeowners to make some much needed extra cash or for Guests to book an affordable room with Head2Pillow.

LAUNCH OF BLUEBELLS & SEASHELLS: ONLINE GUIDE TO ACCOMMODATION ACROSS GREAT BRITAIN

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A new comprehensive online accommodation guide for Great Britain which will feature all types of places to stay, from bed & breakfasts, hotels, holiday cottages, yurts, campsites, boats, glampsites and even a converted Shepherds Hut has been launched. The website: www.bluebellsandseashells.co.uk, has been named to represent all that is typical of Great Britain’s beautiful countryside and stretching shorelines.

The advanced search page offers one of the most comprehensive search facilities available ensuring that users of the site are able to find accommodation suitable for their individual requirements, such as with wheelchair access, eco-friendly accommodation, or places that cater specifically for vegetarians. Alternatively, holidaymakers can consider trying something new during their break, by searching for accommodation providers that offer workshops and courses, for example cupcake making classes or crash courses in keeping chickens!

Visitors to the site are also able to view up to ten large images of the accommodation, view feedback from other guests, check availability of holiday cottages and see details of popular local attractions and things to do locally as listed by the property owner rather than advertisers. The news section carried on the www.BluebellsandSeashells.co.uk home page and monthly newsletter also features stories on places to go and things to check out around Great Britain, for example places to take children during the half-term break.

Joanna Thorne, Founder of Bluebells & Seashells commented: “There are 2.9 million bedspaces* available to guests in the UK every night, including hotels, B&B’s, guest houses, through to holiday dwellings and tourist campsites with an average occupancy rate of 55% for all serviced accommodation**, suggesting that the flow of traffic and money into the British tourism industry is still very much alive and open for business. London remains the most popular destination for overseas visitors (14.2 million), who collectively spent over £8bn in 2009, representing 50% of all inbound visitor spending***.”

“We launched this site to counter all of the items we found most frustrating from our own experiences at looking for accommodation and we’re delighted that we already over 1250 properties of all shapes and sizes, atmospheres and locations registered with us. We’ve ensured that images are displayed as large as possible and the search does not limit browsers to select one property type or another unless they choose to, as we all know that when looking for a bed for a night when attending a friend’s wedding for example, choosing a hotel, guest house, B&B, converted mill or boat is not what’s important; but the price, warm welcome, décor, cleanliness and location are.”

“Furthermore, many of the holiday cottage letting companies around Great Britain have been purchased by overseas corporations, and as a result the consumer ends up paying considerably more for their holiday, including the compulsory insurance than cottages owners receive. This is neither fair for the owner, or traveller, but perhaps worst still is that this money is leaving our economy, when it has never needed it more. Bluebells and Seashells is aimed at providing those independent accommodation owners, with an affordable and fair platform to share what they to offer and with Royal Wedding and the 2012 Olympic Games only months away, the outlook for accommodation providers looks extremely prosperous.”

SKIERS HEAD TO SCOTLAND FOR BARGAIN BREAKS. {Travel}

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Scottish Independent Hostels are reporting a boost in visitor numbers, thanks to the early arrival of the white stuff!

All of Scotland’s ski centres are open, including Lecht, Glenshee and Cairngorm Mountain, with near-perfect skiing conditions – and as a result, lovers of snow sports are heading north and bunking up in nearby hostels.

For Ardenbeg Bunkhouse in the Cairngorms National Park, Christmas and New Year was extremely busy with no let-up in numbers over the coming weeks.

Rebecca Reid explains: “We have had a good number of bookings over the last few weeks, mainly for skiers looking to take advantage of the great conditions. Last year’s successful ski season and the bumper start to this year’s, has given snow lovers the confidence to make the trip to Scotland.”

Chase The Wild Goose Hostel in Banavie near Fort William is another perfect location for snowboarders and skiers.

Liz Fairclough from Chase the Wild Goose Hostel adds: “The benefits of hostel and bunkhouse accommodation is that it offers so much accommodation options, from en-suite family rooms, to the more traditional dorm-style sleeping arrangements. This works well for families and groups who like the relaxed environment and cost-effective catering, as well as the option to eat in local pubs and restaurants.”

Fraoch Lodge near Aviemore is within striking distance of the slopes, but also caters for other winter sports. The team offer guided walking tours, including a winter walking skills course.

For the more adventurous Fraoch Lodge also runs Snow Hole Expeditions during the winter months where participants help construct a communal snowhole. Once complete, Andy, the guide, cooks a three-course dinner by candlelight before bedding down for the night.

Andy enthused: “Nothing can compare to waking up in the absolute silence of a pristine winter wonderland bathed in the soft light of a Cairngorm dawn. It is truly magical!”

The Roy Bridge Hostel in Lochaber provides bunkhouse style accommodation at the budget price of £12.50 per person per night. It sleeps up to 28 people in private rooms for two, four or eight people. Just five miles from the Nevis Range, The Roy Bridge Hotel next-door serves bar meals daily and the friendly bar is open for après ski.

Andrew Donaldson, chair of Scottish Independent Hostels, concluded: “The year of austerity shouldn’t mean an end to holidays. A stay in a hostel is not only great value, it is also a great way to explore Scotland with friends or family. Our members offer so much individuality from collecting your own eggs for breakfast, to building a snow hole. The experiences are endless and all are star-rated by Visit Scotland.”

Details of all the hostels mentioned can be found on www.hostel-scotland.co.uk

Frost City Guides {Zurich}

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Zurich is known as a sterile banking city – don’t believe a word of it. True, Zurich plays home to one of the largest stock exchanges in the world and is the financial motor of Switzerland itself, but step back from the markets and share prices and you’ll find an arty and surprisingly vibrant city. It is very expensive however. Especially food and drink.

Zurich’s setting on the northern tip of Lake Zurich helps lend it an air of affluence and good living, while the Fraumünster and Grossmünster churches, which face each other across the River Limmat, hint at the rich heritage of the Old Town. In addition, Zurich offers smart shops, upmarket clubs and good restaurants. I was told by a local that there were two sides. The golden side and the sneezy side. The Old Town is on the golden side – where the affluent people live. The weather is usually good on this side. The sneezy side is so called because it rarely gets any sun. This is where the ‘poor’ people live. Although, one feels, to be poor in Zurich is to well-off anywhere else!

We got a tram into the the old town. (8 Ch, all day on all types of transport) and walked around. Zurich’s Old Town. It is a beautiful and cobbled. Full of cafes and restaurants. Perfect for people watching.
The next day we made a picnic and went swimming in Lake Zurich. Picturesque, although I found the current very strong. Yes, I know it’s a lake!

While browsing in the elegant boutiques along Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse, one of the most beautiful shopping areas in Europe you can work out your credit card. Jimmy Choo , Louis Vuttion are just some of the designer stores there. And this being a financial city with negotiable tax, you can be certain that a couple of metres below, unimaginable treasures are lying in underground vaults.

There are over 50 museums and over 100 art galleries. The National Museum is worth the price of admission alone for a table-top mock-up of the Battle of Morat in 1476 using 6000 tin soldiers.

All in all, Zurich is a beautiful city. It is very small. It would be very easy to cover all of it in less than a week. I made a friend chuckle by saying it reminded me of Glasgow; Small, cultural, near water.

Transport is easy to figure out. Get a tram/ train map. It is usually very prompt, but there was one day I waited for hours because of a tram crash. The locals don’t all speak English, but they were quite helpful. Other helpful hints are; Switzerland’s currency is still the Franc. And spend coins in Switzerland. Banks won’t change them.

I recommend Zurich. It is a lovely city to spend a weekend.

Main information:
Zürich Tourismus
Zurich Main Railway Station, 8021 Zurich
Tel: (044) 215 4000.
www.zuerich.com
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0800-2030, Sun 0830-1830 (May-Oct); Mon-Sat 0830-1900, Sun 0900-1800 (Nov-Apr)
information@zuerich.com

Hotel reservations
044 215 40 40
hotel@zuerich.com

Passes:
The ZürichCARD, available for 24 or 72 hours,offers unlimited travel within the Zurich canton, free admission to over 40 museums, reduced admission to the zoo and a complimentary welcome drink at over 20 restaurants. You can buy the cards at the train stations, many hotels and some of the main VBZ ticket offices around town. There is a full downloadable guide to the ZürichCARD at

Transport times: Regular services from 5am until 00:30am
Friday and Saturday 1am until 4am.

Facts and figures:
Inhabitants city 383,565
Inhabitants canton 1.30m
Proportion of foreigners 31%
Currency Swiss Francs (CHF)
Colloquial language German ( Swiss German)
Other languages English, Italian, French

By Catherine Balavage

Flaming July [Travel]

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July is the grumpiest month for Brits, according to findings from a new survey conducted by Travelodge.

Hot, humid nights mean, we miss out on 56 hours of sleep during flaming July – that’s one entire week of sleep.

Sleep deprivation is taking its toll with 78 per cent of adults admitting they are moodier in July than any other month.

Nearly 90 per cent of us (88%) loose sleep every night with two hours being the average amount lost.

More than three quarters of the population (69%) will take one to two days off work to catch up on lost sleep.

Seventy per cent of parents admit they are woken up at least three times a night by children struggling in the heat and humidity.

According to the snap survey by Travelodge, sleep deprivation is fuelling more arguments at work, bust-ups between couples and kids being snapped at.

A higher number of men and women also admit they are likely to have an attack of travel rage due to the heat and exhaustion.

One in two (49%) tired or hot drivers will shout at another motorist out of frustration at least once over the month.

A quarter will use bad language, 40 per cent will make rude gestures and a really mad one in five will go as far as tailgating an unsuspecting driver.

More than one in five short tempered rail, tube or train commuters admit they will make a rude comment to another traveller while 15 per cent will end up arguing with staff.

Over a quarter (27%) of commuters will even shout at a partner or child when they are travelling.

Work will be the tensest place during moody July, 45 per cent of hot, tired men and women admitting they will take their grumpiness out on colleagues.

Partners, kids, friends and even the boss will also come under attack from irritable adults.

Leigh McCarron, Travelodge Sleep Director said; “We wait all year for the hot weather, but when it arrives, most of us aren’t prepared. We lose valuable hours of sleep and everything goes downhill from there. The lack of sleep makes us irritable, that combined with soaring temperatures in the day make many of us quite tense. We like the heat – but it takes us time to get used to it.”

Listed below are Travelodge’s Sleep Director’s top five tips to help you sleep in the summer months

1. Change your duvet to a lighter tog (4.5 to 6)
2. Sleep in 100 per cent natural fibre sheets
3. Change your sheets every couple of days
4. Have a shower or bath before bedtime
5. Have a milky drink or herbal tea before going to bed

But the July misery doesn’t end with lack of sleep – up to 40 per cent will suffer sun burn, while one in five will endure sun stroke or an increase in their asthma symptoms.

The same number will also be laid low by hay fever while 15 per cent endure heat related migraines, according to the Travelodge survey.

Exhaustion, dehydration and nose bleeds will also increase as the temperature rises.

Work pals (43%) will also suffer the most from body odour followed by friends (27%) and commuters (23%).

Just over 80 per cent of Brits also admit getting fed up in July – because they are too ashamed of their bodies to strip off and soak up the sun.

Londoners lack a getaway plan {Travel}

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RESIDENTS ONLY LEAVE THE CAPITAL SIX TIMES A YEAR AT THE WEEKEND – AND EVEN THEN ONLY GO 42 MILES FROM HOME

Weary Londoners fed up with the hustle and bustle of the city may be promising themselves they’ll escape this weekend – but new research reveals that people who live in the capital only manage to go beyond the M25 an average of six times a year.

The findings by train companies show that while Londoners love nothing better than to move around within the city in their leisure time, they rarely travel outside the M25 – with the average city dweller making a weekend trip away just once every two months.

And even when they do get away for the weekend, they only go 42 miles on average, which wouldn’t even get them to the capital’s nearest beach at Southend, Essex – which might explain why nearly half of Londoners (45%) haven’t even been there.

The survey also reveals:

· Camden residents are the least likely to travel outside London at weekends, at just five times a year – while those in Wandsworth are the most likely (eight times)

· People in Haringey travel the furthest, journeying 135 miles when they get away at weekends

· Over half (56%) of the capital admit they should make an effort to get out of London more

· North Londoners get away from the capital more than South Londoners

· The London celebrities people would most like to travel out of London with is Stephen Fry followed closely by Lily Allen…while they would LEAST like to travel away from the capital with Peaches Geldof

· 60% of Londoners say the main reason for getting out of London would be to visit friends and family they haven’t seen in a while

· The main reason for not leaving London is due to cost (45%) and 20% said they simply can’t be bothered

Train companies, in conjunction with Transport for London (TfL), are running a special promotion to encourage Londoners to explore Great Britain this summer by offering Oyster card holders huge savings on Off-Peak rail fares to over 500 selected destinations in the South East and beyond, from 26th June – 25th July inclusive.

Cardholders simply need to download their chosen voucher offer at www.daysoutguide.co.uk/oyster and present it at a London mainline station ticket office along with an Oyster card to enjoy a trip out of London – including destinations such as Brighton, Chichester and Southend-on-Sea all for just £5 Off-Peak return (or £10 First Class).

David Mapp, Commercial Director at the Association of Train Operating Companies, on behalf of National Rail, said: “Londoners are great at planning busy lifestyles – but occasionally forget the simple things, like getting away from it all for the weekend.

“Train companies understand that while the country might technically be out of recession, many people are still feeling the pinch.

“We hope that this promotion helps people to get out and about to enjoy Britain’s many wonderful destinations this summer, perhaps with rather more spending money in their pockets.”

Kulveer Ranger, transport adviser to the Mayor of London, said: “Now that Oyster is available on both TfL and National Rail services, all that Londoners need to do to take advantage of this fantastic offer is to download a voucher from the website, travel to the relevant mainline terminal using Oyster to get their discounted ticket from the ticket office and hop on the train.”

The research into city dwellers’ leisure travel habits also identified different types of ‘London tribes’, depending on what they do and where they go at weekends:

1. Commoners: These are outdoor types such as ex-Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, who likes to visit London parks for picnics, playing sport, walking and general fresh air – and are the most likely to leave the city to get away from their stressful jobs.
2. Perkies: 20-30-somethings like Daisy Lowe, in a tight social clique with whom they spend all their leisure time – like a constant episode of TV classic ‘Friends’ (‘Perkies’ are named after ‘Central Perk’, the meeting place coffee shop in their favourite sitcom).
3. Pubwallers : Like fun-loving Johnny Vaughn, Pubwallers are those who spend most of their time propping up the bar, watching the match and putting the world to rights.
4. Westies: Bargain hunters such as fashion conscious TV favourite Fearne Cotton, whose urge to shop is stronger than any addiction; they spend their days combing Oxford Street and Westfield for an outfit to wear that evening.
5. Sohoistas: Fashionable types who like to spend their days in Soho coffee shops and restaurants watching the world go by, such as London’s very own Jude Law.
6. Twitterati : Media types whose lives depend on tweeting every action of the day, no matter where they are or what they are doing, much like celebrity DJ, Chris Moyles

According to the research, Sohistas are the least likely to leave London at the weekend with an average of just five times a year and nearly two thirds (63%) of the Twitterati London tribe admit that they should get out of the capital more. The London celebrity that Pubwellers would most like to get out of the capital with is Lily Allen – while Perkies would prefer to be accompanied by Stephen Fry and Westies would much rather hop on a train out of the city with Prince William.