Getting up in the dark and heading home in the dark? Don't let winter get you down - start planning that holiday!
If you're sick and tired of heading to work in the dark then heading home in the gloom, no doubt you'll be desperate for some sunshine in your life. So what could be better than planning a holiday now?
Where to go?
But where should you go? Well with two US dollars to the pound, many of us will be planning to head across the pond to make our sterling go further. And now could be a great time to book, with British Airway's offering 25% off in its sale, you can currently book a flight to New York from just £255, and Orlando or San Francisco from just £335.
But for those wishing to stay closer to home, Spain, France, Greece and Italy have always been popular. And another two countries in our top ten favourite destinations, namely Malta and Cyprus have just become the thirteenth and fourteenth members of the eurozone, which should of course make buying foreign currency a little less complicated.
However, this may turn out to be a double edged sword, as while costs in Malta in particular are currently typically lower than in other eurozone countries, we may find that, like other countries joining before it, prices may be about to rise.
Indeed, research carried out by the Post Office has shown that there are marked differences in the prices charged for 10 of the most commonly purchased items by UK holidaymakers in different eurozone countries.
Post Office rHoliday Costs Barometer 2007 of top 10 items purchased by British holidaymakers
ITEMS | Euro | Euro | Euro | Euro | Euro | Pound | Lira |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cup of coffee - café/bar | £1.54 | £2.31 | £0.69 | £0.38 | £0.77 | £1.69 | £0.86 |
Bottle of Heineken (or similar) - café/bar | £3.08 | £3.84 | £2.69 | £1.00 | £1.92 | £2.01 | £1.57 |
Bottle of Coca-Cola - café/bar | £1.92 | £1.54 | £2.31 | £0.77 | £1.54 | £2.01 | £0.79 |
Bottle of Evian (1.5litre) -supermarket | £0.14 | £1.15 | £0.23 | £0.46 | £0.69 | £0.81 | £0.79 |
Nivea suncream (factor 15) - supermarket | £5.38 | £4.61 | £6.92 | £4.61 | £9.23 | £6.74 | £6.27 |
Postcard and stamp for UK - tourist shop | £1.00 | £0.77 | £0.86 | £0.38 | £0.62 | £0.75 | £0.79 |
Insect repellent - supermarket | £5.38 | £2.31 | £3.08 | £1.54 | £6.15 | £7.08 | £3.91 |
Packet of Marlboro Lights cigarettes | £3.84 | £2.31 | £3.08 | £2.31 | £2.50 | £3.64 | £3.02 |
English newspaper (Daily Mail/Express) | £2.15 | £2.31 | £1.54 | £1.69 | £1.38 | £1.42 | £0.93 |
3 course evening meal for 2 in local restaurant | £42.28 | £23.06 | £30.75 | £23.06 | £46.13 | £20.21 | £31.08 |
TOTAL COSTS | £66.71 | £44.21 | £52.15 | £36.20 | £70.93 | £46.36 | £50.01 |
As you can see, Malta is currently one of the cheapest places to buy a coffee, beer, soft drink or English newspaper. And if you fancy a three course evening meal, you won't find a cheaper destination in the table than Cyprus - but could this all be about to change when they adopt the euro? When the 2002 changeover occurred prices almost doubled in Spain, and rocketed in Greece. Looking at the table it's clear that if you want to spend as few euros as possible on your holiday, Portugal is the country to choose!
Do your research
Whichever destination you plump for, you should make sure you do your research first. While many European resorts are pretty straightforward in their requirements, head further afield and you could find a different story. According to insurance company Esure a worrying number of us book holidays to exotic climes without checking whether or not we require a visa to travel, if we need vaccinations, or if we need to start a course of anti-malaria tablets.
What's more, if you see a holiday that seems too cheap to be true, take a moment to ask yourself why. Esure reckons that when asked, 79% of holiday bookers did not know when the hurricane season in popular parts of the USA begins, or when monsoon season blows in across parts of Asia. You may have paid very little for that break but if you spend the two weeks under an umbrella, rather than sunning yourself on a beach as you'd imagined you may just wish you'd spent a bit more!
Check the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for travel restrictions and visa requirements and the Department of Health for vaccination requirements before booking that trip and be sure you're prepared for that holiday.
Travel Insurance
Finally, it may sound obvious but make sure you and your family are properly insured for your trip. If you're planning to do anything adventurous, make sure it's covered and ensure you bring all relevant documentation, policy particulars and phone numbers with you, should something happen.
Additionally, although it may be tempting to start your policy from the first day of your holiday a far better idea is to make it begin from the day of booking. This way you'll be covered should you fall ill or not be able to travel and have to cancel your trip.
Travel policy prices can be pretty competitive so shop, shop, shop around. Consider whether a single trip or annual policy will suit you best. Check that you haven't already got cover elsewhere (e.g. from a packaged current account) and make use of brokers (such as our very own Motley Fool Travel insurance service) if you don't have the time or inclination to find the best deal. They can quickly obtain quotes from a number of providers for you and save you having to search.
By spending a little time considering where you want to travel to, and whether or not there are any requirements will certainly help ensure you get the most from your holiday.
And finally, don't panic if you have a stack of Maltese lira, or Cypriot pounds stashed away in a cupboard. Pop to your local Post Office before 30 January and you'll be able to exchange them for sterling using the Post Office's buy back service (after this point you will have to contact the country's central bank).
Happy travelling!