24/7 Travel Insurance Blog

We are pretty fortunate to live in a country where the national language is so widely spoken – after all it saves us having to learn lots of other languages! But even if you still need to converse in English for the majority of the time on holiday, a sincere “thank you” or a firm “no” in the local language is more likely to gain respect, strike up relationships with the community or get you out of an awkward situation.

Here we have provided a range of basic vocabulary in a variety of foreign languages to maximise the enjoyment of your trip.

French
Hello – Bonjour / Bonsoir (evening)
Goodbye – Au Revoir
Thank you – Merci
Yes – Oui
No – Non

Spanish
Hello – Hola
Goodbye – Adios
Thank you – Gracias
Yes – Si
No – No

Italian
Hello – Ciao
Goodbye – Arrivederci
Thank you – Grazie
Yes – Si
No – No

Greek
Hello – Yassou (informal) Yassas (formal)
Goodbye – Adio
Thank you – Efharisto
Yes – Ochi
No – Ne

Portuguese
Hello – Hello
Goodbye – Adeus
Thank you – Obrigado
Yes – Sim
No – No

German
Hello – Hallo
Goodbye – Auf Wiedersehen
Thank you – Danke
Yes – Ja
No – Nein

If you would like to prepare some more detailed phrases to take to your destination, there are a number of free online translation tools such as WorldLingo. If you’re using one of these, keep the phrases as simple as possible for the most accurate results.

Luckily, should you need to make a claim on your travel insurance while abroad, 24/7 travel insurance has an English-speaking 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Medical Emergency Helpline which can be reached from all over the world, so you won’t be stuck for the right vocabulary in an emergency, and premiums for European travel start from under a fiver*

* Premium £4.38 includes Insurance Premium Tax; based on an individual traveller aged under 55 taking out a "Standard" Single Trip policy for 3 days in Europe excluding personal possessions cover and purchased within 14 days of departure date. Cover details and prices are correct at time of going to press (August 2008) and are subject to change.

Source for translations: Babelfish

A few years ago, Gap Years were something of a rarity. You went to school, then to university, then into work where you stayed for the next forty years. Nowadays they are increasingly becoming the norm, and employers look upon them far more favourably than they used to. To make the most of their time many people now look for voluntary or paid work abroad which gives fantastic experience of living as a citizen of the country. In this blog we have rounded up some of the best opportunities.

Coaching children
If there is a particular sport you have grown up with or if you are musical or artistic, passing your knowledge on to new learners is very rewarding, and great experience if you are planning on teaching or other youth work as a career.

Gap Sports (www.gapsports.com) offer worldwide placements coaching sports, mostly to disadvantaged children. You need not be a qualified coach; enthusiasm is far more important. Also on offer are placements for clinical and care staff, and in physiotherapy – great if these are your career aspirations. You will be expected to pay for your flights plus allow at least £1000 for arrangement fees.

A more affordable option is to work at a summer camp in the United States, where thousands of children spend their summers. Your flights are paid for by the camp you work for (you will almost certainly have to work out your entire contract for this however) and admin fees are much lower than those charged for voluntary placements. You may even have a bit of time at the end of your placement to travel further. You generally need to be available for 8-9 weeks from May/June so this could also be done during university summer holidays. It’s hard work – and you may encounter some real brats! – but very rewarding and lifelong friendships can be made. For more information visit www.bunac.co.uk

Conservation projects
With increasing concern over environmental issues, you may feel a leaning towards volunteering in this area. www.greenforce.org has a wide range of projects including marine conservation (some packages include a scuba diving course), wildlife monitoring, or community projects such as working in orphanages. Conservation work is particularly highly regarded by veterinary colleges, and with competition for places being fierce this could give you an advantage over other candidates. Expeditions last from 1 week to 12 months.

A new career
Some projects abroad enable you to obtain a qualification that you can use in the future, such as being a ski instructor, diving instructor or a lifeguard. These are not cheap, but enable you to learn the trade in some of the best surroundings and if you make a long-term career out of it, you can eventually recoup your initial investment.

Try www.alltracksacademy.com for ski/snowboard instructor courses, www.divinginstructortraining.com for dive instructors and www.gapsports.com for beach lifeguard training.

Insuring your trip
If you are going abroad for your gap year you will need travel insurance as even a trip to hospital for something minor can leave you seriously out of pocket. It is very important to check in your policy wording that you are covered for any activities that you may be undertaking. If your plans might involve manual work, read your policy wording as most policies exclude cover if you are involved in any kind of manual work. If it’s not clear, don’t assume you are covered - ring your travel insurance provider to check!

24/7 travel insurance offers worldwide cover for a six-month worldwide adventure from just £63.73* including cover for a wide range of activities which you can view here.

* Includes Insurance Premium Tax based on an adult aged under 35 taking out a 24/7 travel insurance "Standard" Backpacker policy for 6 months for Worldwide travel. Cover details and prices are correct at time of going to press (August 2008) and are subject to change.

Labels: Gap-experiences

As consumer concerns about carbon footprints increase and with flight prices rapidly increasing, more and more holidaymakers are now looking at self-drive holidays. If this is you, check out the useful tips in our blog.

Get serviced
If your vehicle is within a few thousand miles of its next service, it may be worth bringing it forward. It is worth having the car thoroughly checked over about a month before you go so all niggles can be fixed (and new ones don’t have a chance to arise). Mechanical problems can be very stressful to get sorted when abroad.

It is also important to check that your breakdown cover and motor insurance extends to you driving abroad as recovery bills can be very steep!

Documents
Wherever you are going, take the following documents with you:

· Driving licence, and the paper counterpart if you have a photo licence
· The Vehicle Registration Document (V5)
· Your Motor Insurance Certificate
· Your Passport
· Any Visa documentation you need for the country you are visiting
· Your travel insurance documents and EHIC (European Health Insurance Card)
· Your Breakdown insurance details
· If you are towing a boat or caravan, any documentation relating to that

Don’t leave any sensitive personal data in the vehicle though!

Drive on the right
Sadly, being on the wrong side of the road is one of the most common causes of accidents among Brits driving abroad and it is very easy to do. Be particularly careful when setting off from petrol stations or restaurants on the left hand side of the road, and on roundabouts.

Check the laws
While every country in Europe has its own motoring laws, they vary widely even between neighbouring countries. So it is important to check the regulations for every country that you are planning to visit including speed limits, age limits for driving, and drink driving limits (remember in some countries you can be arrested if any alcohol at all is detected, and others prohibit alcohol in the vehicle at all if it has been opened). A comprehensive guide to each country can be found on the AA’s website here.

Equipment
Motoring laws abroad also extend to safety items that must be carried. Most of these items are useful to the motorist anyway so are worth the investment. In much of Europe you must carry a warning triangle, a hi-visibility waistcoat or jacket, a first-aid kit, and a spare bulb kit.

Many countries also insist on headlamps being adjusted to ensure you don’t dazzle oncoming motorists. This is easier said than done however, particularly if your car is fitted with halogen headlamps. Consult your garage before your trip.

European Tolls
In much of Europe, car tax is cheaper than in the UK. The shortfall is made up by motorway tolls where you pay to use particular roads. Although most tolls take credit cards these days, make sure you have plenty of cash (including coins) on you for these, just in case!

Taking the scenic route and not using the motorways will probably be slower but cheaper, and you will often travel through beautiful countryside. Again the AA website has a detailed guide to fee-charging roads throughout Europe here.

Know your route
If you have a Sat Nav make sure it works abroad for the country you’re visiting. Also take a good European road atlas just in case your Sat Nav fails to work.

Travel Insurance
Even if you are only visiting the continent for a day, make sure you take out travel insurance as emergency medical expenses abroad can be very expensive. 24/7 travel insurance offers cover for 3 days in Europe for a family from just £8.77*.

*Premium £8.77 includes Insurance Premium Tax; based on two adults aged under 55 and their two accompanying children aged under 18 taking out a "Standard" Single Trip policy for 3 days in Europe excluding personal possessions cover and purchased within 14 days of departure date. Cover details and prices are correct at time of going to press and are subject to change.

Content in this blog sourced from the AA website

In the eighties and early nineties, we had the “bucket shop”. More recently we have had low cost airlines. But with the cost of oil still increasing, is there such a thing as a cheap flight anymore? Yes there is – if you follow the tips in this blog.

Book well ahead
While the cheap flight hasn’t yet died out, the cheap last-minute flight is becoming a rarity. One reason for this could be that business travellers tend to book quite late, thus taking up the seats that used to be sold at rock-bottom prices. Booking as far in advance as possible is now more likely to get you the cheapest fares. Do be aware however that some of the cheapest fares have stricter terms and conditions and very limited changeability so make your travel plans well in advance.

Low cost: not as low as you might think
Don’t automatically assume that the low cost airline is going to get you the best deal. If you are a family travelling with baggage, you will most probably have to pay for the baggage, a fee to check the baggage in, a fee to guarantee everyone sitting together and finally a debit or credit card charge, making that cheap flight less of a bargain than you first thought! Bear in mind that low cost airlines tend to fly into smaller regional airports, which may be a long way from city centres. This might be great for some holidays but not others so check out all your options.

Charter airlines
If you are flying to a popular holiday destination, your choice of airlines is greatly increased thanks to the charters. Unlike flights, package holidays can be very good value for money if you book them late so in some circumstances it may even be worth booking the package and not using the accommodation portion if you have made other plans. The website Flights Direct includes a search for charter airlines, and it is worth seeing your travel agent too for late deals.

Ethnic Travel Agent Specialists
The UK has many ethnic communities, which in some regions means that there may be a travel agent that specialises in cheap flights to those communities’ linked countries – if you are travelling somewhere like the Caribbean, India, the Middle East or Africa these may be worth a visit.

Using the internet
The internet has become a powerful tool for finding flight bargains. But with so many travel websites, where do you start? For flight only deals, look for sites that use “screenscraper” technology. They work by sending your request to a variety of sites and reporting back the cheapest. Try Kayak (http://www.kayak.co.uk/), Travelsupermarket (http://www.travelsupermarket.com/), Cheapflights (http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/) or Skyscanner (http://www.skyscanner.co.uk/).

If you are flying long-haul, or are also looking for a hotel for your trip, it is worth trying “flight broker” type sites as these have different commercial relationships which may work more in your favour. Try Expedia (http://www.expedia.co.uk/), and Opodo (http://www.opodo.co.uk/).

If you are flexible about where and when you travel, and are just looking for the cheapest flights then try the Flight Checker tool on the Moneysavingexpert site. This helps find the cheapest fares for a particular destination between a range of dates, or alternatively you can click “I’ll Go Anywhere!” for the cheapest fares in their database.

Insurance
Many airline’s websites and travel agents will suggest taking out travel insurance with themselves – but remember you are not obliged to do this and you can often make savings by shopping around. 24/7 travel insurance offers cover for under a fiver* - another great saving!

*Premium £4.38 includes Insurance Premium Tax; based on an individual traveller aged under 55 taking out a ‘standard’ Single Trip policy for 3 days in Europe excluding personal possessions cover and purchased within 14 days of departure date. Cover details and prices are correct at time of going to press and are subject to change.

Information in this article taken from www.moneysavingexpert.com

Labels: Cheap-flights

If you have a fear of flying you may find that you dread holidays rather than look forward to them. In this blog we explore some of the reasons behind flying phobias, and what can be done about them.

Up to 1 in 5 of us fear flying*, and the phobia can take various forms. Some “aviophobes” are actually frequent but reluctant fliers, others are unable to even visit an airport. Many people will face a “turning point”. For some people this is when their fear of flying stops them from taking holidays with their family or prevents them from visiting a destination they have always wanted to see. Or perhaps their dream job involves lots of flying and they want to start enjoying it rather than fearing it.

The important thing to remember is that your fear of flying is not something that you have to put up with – it can be cured. After all, most aviophobes are aware that their fear is irrational, as flying is by far the safest method of travel and the odds on being involved in an accident are minute.

There are a number of methods used for overcoming a fear of flying. These include hypnosis and counselling. Another method is courses that are run by airlines. These usually last a day, and help to overcome the fear explaining how flying actually works and removing the fear of the unknown. With the knowledge, you gain understanding and therefore feel in control.

Virgin Atlantic claim a 98% success rate on their “Flying Without Fear” course (http://www.flyingwithoutfear.info/). The course includes a talk from pilots about how they are trained, how an aircraft flies and even what all the noises mean! Later in the day there is a talk from a psychologist to help the participants explore the reasons behind their fear,

A short flight is included in the afternoon, and many participants find that their fear has already evaporated by then. The flight includes a complete commentary on everything that is happening with the plane and why turbulence is completely safe (apparently it is the aviation equivalent of speed bumps!).

People who have been cured are now finding that flying can be a very enjoyable experience and on a clear day you can see some incredible sights from your window in a way that isn’t possible by any other method. So don’t let your fear hold you back! An excellent site for tips and info is http://www.fearfreeflying.co.uk/

Once you have got your fears out of the way and are enjoying flying all over the world, don’t forget your travel insurance. 24/7 travel insurance offers single-trip cover starting from less than a fiver** and annual multi-trip cover starting from just £32.35***.

* Source: fearfreeflying.co.uk

** Premium £4.38 includes Insurance Premium Tax; based on an individual traveller aged under 55 taking out a "Standard" Single Trip policy for 3 days in Europe excluding personal possessions cover and purchased within 14 days of departure date. Cover details and prices are correct at time of going to press and are subject to change.

*** Premium £32.35 includes Insurance Premium Tax; based on an individual traveller aged under 55 taking out a "Standard" annual multi-trip policy for Europe excluding personal possessions cover. Cover details and prices are correct at time of going to press and are subject to change.

Labels: Flying

In the summer holidays the roads both in the UK and Europe can get pretty hairy and heavy traffic can cause chaos on the roads on certain days in the summer. In this blog we have collected some of the likely dates when you should allow extra time for your journey.

July 25th – 27th
Most English and Welsh state schools break up earlier this week, often on the Wednesday or Thursday. As the majority of family holidays begin on a Saturday, ABTA predicts this will be the busiest weekend of the year for outbound travel. The M1, M5, M6, A303 and A30 can expect the longest delays, and expect the ferry ports and the Channel Tunnel to be busy as well.

August 2nd
This is traditionally a very busy day on French roads in particular as most French families take a holiday this weekend, and is also a peak weekend for travel to coastal resorts in Spain and Italy.

August 16th – 17th
This is the last day of the Scottish school holidays, so expect roads and airports north of the border to be busy. In Italy and Spain it is the weekend following the big summer festival of Assumption Day and is also the end of their school holidays.

August 23rd – 25th
The last Bank Holiday until Christmas is generally regarded as being the busiest weekend of the year for roads, airports and seaports – avoid if at all possible.

August 30th – 31st
Most children in England and Wales will be going back to school next week, so with this being the last weekend of the school holidays expect congestion.

Additionally, before you set off, you may want to check whether your journey may be affected by local events – a large concert for example can put hours onto your journey. A very useful site is AA’s Routeplanner. Another clever site is www.keepmoving.co.uk which shows webcam images from UK trunk roads, enabling you to check on the state of the traffic. Tune into local radio stations as you go along too – they often have information on the traffic that national stations don’t.

If you do have to travel on a busy day, make sure your car is in tip top condition (breakdown and recovery firms are especially busy on these days and you can expect a long wait to be rescued). Consider taking a picnic as well, as the motorway services are likely to be jammed!

If you are travelling to the airport or seaport, particularly on one of these dates, leave a good time margin (at least an extra 50% of your usual journey duration) to ensure that you arrive on time and not too flustered!

Don’t forget your travel insurance
If the worst happens and you miss your plane or ferry, you may be able to claim on your travel insurance for any additional expenses incurred (terms and conditions will apply). It is vital that you keep any receipts for these, and you will also need to obtain proof of the delay - a police report perhaps, or a report from a breakdown company. 24/7 travel insurance offers cover from just £14.00* for a week in Europe for a family.

*Premium includes Insurance Premium Tax, based on two adults aged 18-54 and their accompanying children aged under 18 taking out a “standard” Single Trip policy (excluding personal possessions cover) for 7 days for European travel and purchased within 14 days of departure date. Cover details and prices are correct at time of going to press and are subject to change.

Information in this article sourced from Telegraph Travel, June 28th 2008

Labels: Travelling

With the summer holidays fast approaching, you may be looking forward to taking your kids on holiday but dreading the flight there. But airports and flying are a tremendous adventure for kids – in today’s age of easy flying it’s easy to forget that once upon a time it was exciting for everyone. The trick is to find the balance between them being happy and stimulated and overwhelmed or bored, and in this blog we have some tips to help turn things to your advantage.

Check in
It takes a very calm person to not get stressed out by check-in at the airport on a Saturday afternoon in the school holidays. Arrive early enough to avoid the queues and bear in mind that if you arrive late the airline may struggle to be able to seat you all together. Dress them in as bright a colour as they will tolerate so you can spot them easily amongst the crowds. Another useful tip is to write your name and mobile number on the back of their hand so you can be reunited speedily should they get lost.

Papers, please
The era of children travelling on their parent’s passports is nearly over. Children who are not already on their parent’s passport must now travel on their own documents. So if you are taking your kids abroad for the first time, you will need to obtain a passport for them. This applies to newborn babies too, and 16 and 17 year olds require their own passport even where they have previously travelled on yours. For the latest advice on passports, visit http://www.ips.gov.uk/

If you are travelling with children that are not your own – a friend of your child perhaps, or your grandchildren, it is wise to carry a letter from the child’s parents authorising you to take them out of the UK and giving consent for medical treatment to take place abroad if necessary. The letter should include the dates of the trip, the destination, and the name of the adults in whose care the child is being placed. This is because it is actually a criminal offence under the Child Abduction Act 1984 to take a child under the age of 18 out of the UK without proof of appropriate parental consent, and there have been reports of customs officials being rather heavy-handed.**

Put them in charge
Older children will thrive upon being involved in the whole adventure. Explain the airport procedures to them and give them the task of finding the check-in desk, passport control and departure gate and watching the screens for updates on their flights. They will love it and it gives useful practice for the day when – gasp – they have to do it themselves. In departures, give them a small “airport allowance” – searching for the perfect magazine or toy for the holiday will keep kids happy for a good length of time.

The dreaded D-word
Delays are every parent’s nightmare. Pack a good supply of travel games and colouring books, and a useful tip is to produce a new one from your bag just as they start to tire of the current one, rather than giving them all the goodies in one go! If conditions permit, take the kids up to the airport’s viewing gallery. Kids will watch planes taking off and landing for a surprisingly long time and it is usually much quieter than the departure lounge.

Younger children
An excellent tip for babies and toddlers is to pack a small ball. While waiting at the departure gate roll it around the floor for them to fetch and follow. Often other passengers will join in on the game. Feed them on take-off to stop ears from popping (this is much more painful for children than adults) and hopefully by the time the plane reaches the clouds they will be fast asleep!

In the air
In this era where cockpit visits are no longer allowed, flying often ceases to be interesting after take off. If you are lucky enough to be flying on a clear day, seat your child by the window – they will find the view fascinating, particularly if they can pick out landmarks. The in-flight magazine will often have a map showing the routes and flight attendants are usually happy to point out roughly where the plane is!

Technology
If your child owns a handheld games console you will realise it is probably the best money you ever spent. Just make sure it’s fully charged!

An excellent website for further tips, and a variety of items to make the family holiday go with a swing is http://www.travellingwithchildren.co.uk/. You may also find our previous blogs on Motion Sickness and Great games for journeys useful for your trip.

Insurance
Don’t overlook the importance of travel insurance in the excitement of going away. 24/7 travel insurance offers cover for a week in Europe for a family from just £14.00*, leaving you plenty of money for those colouring books!

*Premium £14.00 includes Insurance Premium Tax based on 2 adults under 55 and their two accompanying children aged under 18 taking out a Standard single-trip policy for 7 days in Europe and travelling within 14 days of purchase and excluding personal possessions cover. Cover details and prices are correct at time of going to press and are subject to change.

**Gill Charlton, Telegraph Travel, 7th September 2007

Labels: Flying