GOLF SHERATON

Travel Insurance for Your Golfing Holiday

There are a great number of travel insurance providers online that offer insurance aimed specifically at the avid golfer. If you are the type of person that likes doing a few rounds in distant climes then it may be worth visiting a comparison site, such as Moneysupermarket, so that you can see what is on offer.  However, for a general overview of what you can expect, read on.

Firstly, your precious clubs will be covered in case they are damaged or stolen. The amount that you are covered for will vary from provider to provider, so it well worth shopping around.  However, you can expect the amount of cover to be somewhere between £1000 and £1500.  There will be an excess of somewhere in the region of £50 to £100, which you will have to pay yourself before the insurer contributes to the cost of the amount you have lost.  For example, Go Travel Golfing travel insurance provides up to £1000 worth of cover with a £70 excess. 

The majority of companies also reimburse money that you may lose from green fees that you have paid in advance.  If, for example, your flight is cancelled, and you have pre-booked time on the green, then you will be able to make a claim.  Also if you are injured you can make a claim.  The amount that your provider is willing to pay will, as always, vary.

There may also be cover should you have to hire golfing equipment because your own has been lost or stolen.  This is usually paid on a daily basis.  This can be anywhere upwards of around £25 per day, although there will be a limit to the amount the company will pay. If you are playing at a very exclusive (and therefore expensive) club you will have to pay anything above and beyond the amount that your insurer is willing to pay.

Golfing insurance can be added to single trip or annual polices.  This means that on top of the extra benefits, of special interest to the golfer, you will also receive standard travel insurance. This will include payment of hospitalisation charges, payout for serious accidents, theft cover, and various payouts should you be unable to take your holiday or if the flight is cancelled for any reason. 

Of course adding Golfing Insurance to a policy will increase the premium, but this is often a small price to pay for the added cover that it provides. Also many companies provide different levels of cover dependant on how much you are willing to pay and how much cover you feel that you might need. 

Some companies, such as AA Travel, also provide business travel insurance with their golfing insurance as standard. This is because they realise that golfing is often part of many business trips these days. Other companies may charge extra for Business cover so, once again, it is best to shop around.  Business cover means that you will be covered should you lose essential business equipment, such as laptops, and also cover costs for having replacements couriered to you no matter where you are.

Dubrovnik - Croatia

With the rise of budget airlines and airports growing all the time, services now operate from some of the biggest airports in the world to countries and cities that previously had barely registered on the consciousness of the majority of western holiday-makers and travellers alike.

One such city is Dubrovnik on the Adriatic coast of Croatia. Flights now operate regularly from Gatwick to this prominent tourist destination, and accordingly the reputation of Dubrovnik continues to rise. If you want to head to make the journey, then take a look at Travelzoo for some cheap fights.

Dubrovnik’s success historically was based on its position on the Adriatic coast. It became the only city at the eastern end of the Adriatic that could rival the prosperity of Venice in the Mediterranean. From its height in the fourteenth and fifteenth century the city then suffered the impact of earthquakes and war, but it eventually found itself after many upheavals as one of the principle jewels in the crown of the new Croatia.

Dubrovnik benefits from the typical Mediterranean climate, while the Adriatic coast is stunningly beautiful, known more for the rugged charm of the cliffs than long beaches found further west in the Mediterranean.

With the rise of Croatia and the impact of tourist money flooding into Dubrovnik the city now represents an interesting mix of old and new. The Port of Gruz and the bridge that marks the northern entry to Dubrovnik are remarkable examples of modern architecture. Whilst the city itself has kept much of the character of the previous thousand years, its walled quarter remains intact, whilst the towers and turrets were originally designed to protect the city they are now one of the more striking architectural features of the city.

There is also a strong religious heritage in the city, the Rectors Palace, the church of St Blaise and the city’s baroque cathedral are all fine buildings that dominate the city sky line, and fortunately survived the seventeenth century that claimed the majority of other Renaissance buildings in the city at the time.

Out from Dubrovnik harbour is a large wooded island called Lokrum. Local legends claim that Richard the Lionheart was cast ashore there after a shipwreck in 1192. The island now houses a fortress, a botanical garden and a monastery.

If there were to be one word that defines Dubrovnik it would almost certainly be ‘picturesque’. It is a beautiful city, filled with history and blessed with the a Mediterranean climate that due to local weather conditions is cooler than some of the other tourist traps along the Southern European coast. Being slightly off the beaten track, however, travel insurance is even more a necessity than in some other, better known locations. For all of the integral travel items, check out ASDA’s travel website for a range of flight deals and accommodation.

Different Types of Airport Parking

Most large airports in the UK offer a number of different options for car-parking, dependent on the differing needs of their customers. Bookings can be made online, which can save a lot of time, effort and money. It is important, though, to know the different types of airport parking before you begin the booking process.

On-Airport Parking
On-airport parking refers to parking that is available within the boundaries of the airport. With many airport sizes increasing to meet the demands of increasing numbers of customers, it can be a long way from the edge of the airport boundary to the terminal and often there is not transport offered from the car parks to the terminals. Generally speaking the closer you park to the terminals the greater the cost will be, as you pay for convenience of being closer to the terminal. Either way, if you are parking within the airport boundaries make sure that you check the transfer times from your car parking spot to the terminal.

Off-Airport Parking
If on-airport parking refers to car parking within the airport boundaries, off-airport parking refers predictably to car parking outside of the boundaries of the airport. Due to transport links the transfer times from off-airport parking can often be less than for on-airport parking. It also has the advantage of being generally cheaper than on-airport parking. This is by no means a general rule though, but it’s easy to find out by looking at Holiday Extras’ website, which has comprehensive guides on airport car park locations.

Valet Parking
For those that can afford it the most convenient parking method has got to be the valet service. This means you will be met at the terminal by a driver who will take your car to an on or off-airport parking space leaving you free to check in with minimal transfer time from your car to the airport. When you return, the driver will bring your car back to you outside the terminal. This is by far the most convenient option, particularly for those with large families or large amounts of luggage.

Car Hire
It might sound like an expensive option, but it can be a crafty way of reducing your costs, and you won’t have to leave your car in a car park for the duration of your holiday. It’s possible to hire a car at a nearby depot, and then drop it off at the airport when you arrive. It’s a particularly good option to look into if you are travelling in a large group that is flying and then staying there for more than a month. If this sounds like you, then take a look at car hire from Holiday Autos.

A Whistle-Stop Guide to Budget Accommodation

Youth hostels, Backpackers and Y.M.C.A’s are all friendly and familiar terms to a seasoned budget traveller, yet the differences remain a little unclear to many. This is partly due to the massive recent development of the hostel as an industry, giving way to new ideas, such as ‘concept’ hostels and other such creative innovations.

It’s useful to have a brief glance over the history of youth hostels to clarify the distinctions. The first youth hostels were built in Germany as part of a youth movement to encourage city youngsters to get to the countryside and enjoy some clean air. Costs were kept down by encouraging them to maintain the hostel themselves. When the idea spread, ‘Hostelling International’ was born and nowadays there are over 4500 ‘HI’ hostels worldwide, presenting our first category. HI is a non-profit organisation which umbrellas over 90 smaller hostelling companies. HI hostels usually provoke a mixed reaction. Some travellers see them as compromising individual character to a large organisation, whilst others would argue that they represent a guaranteed standard of accommodation. Either way, HI hostels are well known and reliable and tend to set the standard for what most people imagine a youth hostel to be. They usually offer mixed or single sex dormitories, as well as private rooms with en suite showers. There are kitchens for self-catering, washing facilities and storage space, and usually breakfast is included in the price.

From HI hostels, we have ‘Backpacker’s hostels’, often abbreviated to just ‘Backpackers’. These are much the same, but they are not affiliated with any larger organisation, they are independently run. This often means they have more of a characterful identity and a certain kind of spirit, which very much depends on personal taste as to how it will be received. They usually offer similar accommodation and facilities, but standards could vary from the HI hostel norm. Check comparative websites for reviews and extra information.

Y.M.C.A accommodation is becoming rarer these days, and in the UK many have been sold to universities to provide student accommodation. The few that remain usually offer dormitory accommodation with a guaranteed safe and friendly atmosphere.

At the moment there are all kinds of innovations appearing in the world of youth hostels, expanding the classic HI idea of budget accommodation. Army Hostel is one example of this, offering tiny army themed rooms, and Japanese ‘cube’ or ‘capsule’ hostels are an entirely different species of accommodation altogether.

So, there’s a rough guide to the basic types of hostels available. The industry is on the verge of a huge creative outburst so look out for the new and inventive kinds of budget accommodation that are springing up worldwide. If you’re on the hunt for some good hostels when planning your travels, then take a look at HostelBookers.com. Go Travel is also recommended as a supplier of low priced travel insurance for backpackers.

Three Famous Spanish Festivals

If you want to do something a little different for your holiday this year, visiting one or more of the colourful Spanish festivals could be right up your street. They range from sombre traditional affairs, to the highly fun and entertaining, to the downright weird. With travel ideas galore to be found online, it’s no surprise that holidays to Spain are becoming more and more popular. Companies like Travelzoo, for example, offer regular deals on holidays while others sites, like Cheapflights.co.uk specialise in providing cheap flights to most of Spain’s major airports so popping over for a festival for a week or a weekend couldn't be easier.

You could visit the spectacular carnival of Cadiz. The Cadiz carnival is one of the best loved, as well as being one of the oldest, Spanish carnivals. The town goes nuts - there really is no other way to describe the crazy atmosphere that descends on this otherwise peaceful place. People sing, dance and leap around like lunatics with fleas. One of the funniest things is witnessing small groups of people start singing about anything under the sun, from comical ditties, to international politics.In total contrast would have to be the extremely sombre marches through the streets that come with Valencia's Semana Santa. These are Catholic ceremonies that attract thousands of visitors every year. While the religious aspect may not be your cup of tea but it is truly amazing to see. 

What is even more amazing is the transformation at the city’s mood at the end of the festival, when another festival, called Feria de Abril, begins. In direct contrast to the austerity of the Semana Santa, comes the much dancing and drinking of the Feria de Abril. It is hard to see that many of the people who took part in the sobriety of the first festival also take contribute to the second – but they do!

And the weirdest of all has to be the Fallas festival in Valencia, which comes at the end of March. Huge backpack puppets are made from paper and paraded around the streets like wandering giants.  At the end of the festival these are then ceremoniously burnt, which, although may sound a little odd, is really something to behold. The other amazing thing about the Fallas festival is the firework displays that take place three times a day, one conveniently placed at eight in the morning to ensure you're out of bed!

If you’re looking to visit Spain, don’t forget to book those holiday extras before you go. AA Travel can provide low priced travel insurance to suit your holiday, and for those who are making their own holiday package, check out Holiday Extras for car hire.