Choosing the best holiday travel insurance

Being fully insured is perhaps the single most important thing you can do in order to enjoy a worry-free holiday. Ensure that you choose a policy that covers the geographical area you will be travelling to, for the full duration of your trip. It is important that your insurance covers cancellation, holiday disruption, and medical care. However, do not underestimate additional extras such as luggage cover, leisure activities or extreme sports. Compare family travel insurance via MoneySupermarket.com to ensure you had right cover.

Medical risks and health issues

Whether you are at home or abroad, there is always a risk of becoming ill or suffering an accident. Although your holiday travel insurance policy should cover these eventualities, it is always better to prevent rather than to cure.

If you are travelling within the European Union, make sure you do not leave without your EHIC form. This will allow you to access state-run healthcare services should you require medical attention during your holiday.

Keeping your money safe

Although bank cards are the most convenient way to have access to your money while abroad, it is wise not to rely on them only. Traveller cheques guarantee your peace of mind, since you have your money returned even in the event of loss or theft. Alternatively, consider purchasing a pre-paid travel money card. This type of card is not linked to your bank account, so if it is stolen, wrongdoers will only have access to a limited amount of funds.

Preventing theft and loss of personal possessions

Lock all doors and windows before you leave and arrange for someone to pay regular visits to your house to deter potential burglars. At your destination, do not leave your possessions unattended, and whenever possible, store them at hotel safe boxes. Do not withdraw large sums of cash from ATMs, especially at night, and follow local advice and safety tips from previous travellers.

The Whale and Dolphin cruise from Plymouth to Santander Spain is a mini 3 day ferry cruise which includes 2 nights on board accommodation on the ferry and time spent in Spain before returning to Portsmouth. The whale watching will start on the evening of day one on your way towards Spain with a wildlife watch in the early evening however the action really takes place on day two. You can start whale watching from sunrise as the ferry will be sailing through richly populated areas of the ocean and will be likely to see an array of birds, sharks, whales and dolphins until the ship reaches Santander. Once at the port you will have approximately 3 hours in Santander to enjoy authentic Spanish food and some of the sights. The third day will be sailing back to England through shallow waters where you will have the opportunity to spot Bottlenose Dolphins, Gannets and Porpoises, arriving back on land at Plymouth 4.30pm.

Don’t worry about not being able to spot or identify any of the wildlife you may see, there are experts on board to help you out with expert whale spotting advice and wildlife presentations if you want to find out more. The cruise is brought to you thanks to a partnership between Brittany Ferries and ORCA, the whale and conservation charity so you can be rest assured this is a trip done with their support.

The cruise will take place on board the luxurious Pont Aven ship so you will have all of on board facilities that you would expect from a cruise trip rather than a ferry trip such as cabins with en suite facilities, shopping areas, bars restaurants and even a pool

There will be six cruise dates across the summer season from July to September and they will cost from £165 per person for a party of 3 or 4 with a range of supplements and upgrades available for those wishing for larger or porthole cabins. Coach transfers are also available for those that need to return to Portsmouth.

Some tips to ensure you get your ferry to Spain as cheap as possible:
Britanny Ferries are the only provider of ferry to Spain services so there will be no need to compare prices of various companies however you should still look at the different prices that are offered by travelling at different times of the day or different days of the week. You will find if you avoid the busy, peak season services you could save a significant sum.
Book well in advance; this is a rule that tends to go for many travel based services, the earlier you book the cheaper your fares will be. This is especially important if you are booking a peak time service which is guaranteed to fill up quickly.
Keep up to date with the best offers available. It is currently National Ferry Fortnight (between 17th and 31st March) which was set up to raise awareness of the ferry industry and travel options available and to do this all ferry companies taking part are currently offering a range of limited time offers.
One suggestion people often make in order to reduce the cost of your ferry transport is to get the ferry from the UK to Spain then at the end of your holiday drive from Spain to Calais where there are more value priced, quicker crossings back to the UK available. The pros and cons of this option really do need to be considered, the fuel costs to travel from Spain to Calais, and then Dover to your home may cost more than the cost of the ferry from Spain to Plymouth or Portsmouth. It is however a great idea if you plan on a travelling holiday which involves visiting the sights of Spain whilst travelling towards France.

Unfortunately, the firm has already had to axe sixty staff, with some others being given a four-week lay-off in a case that is closely mirroring the fortunes of SeaFrance ,which went into liquidation a few months back.

Other known impacts are thought to be the competition between the ferries and the Channel Tunnel, as well as rival firm P&O offering larger vessels on the same route. Because P&O have a lot of impact on the cross-channel routes, however, Brittany have turned their intentions to Spain and offer many strategic routes from there. This is proven by the fact that its passenger and freight services from Portsmouth and Plymouth to Santander and Bilbao on the Atlantic coast are recording strong growth.

Despite this, times are still going to be hard for the company, as this year will prove to be the first in three where they will reach a break-even financial position. According to some reports, the company chairman, Jean-Marc Roue, was reported as saying that this will be the first time in three years that the company has reached a break-even situation after being in the red for that period of time.. Publication of official figures, however, is not due out until March.

Taking part will be PSA members; Condor Ferries, DFDS Seaways, Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, Red Funnel and Wightlink. Big ferry operators and PSA members such as Brittany Ferries, Hovertravel, Irish Ferries, P&O Ferries, Stena Line and LD lines will also be in attendance.

There will also be a number of promotional products up for grabs as well as many cut price offers on routes to the Continent, Spain, Ireland and Britain. The PSA said that the change in date from May to earlier in the year was designed to ‘emphasise the great value of family ferry travel at a time when parents have a watchful eye on budgets’. The campaign will also feature a new logo and the aim is to receive as much public support and media attention as possible. As well as the announcement that the fortnight will be moved forward, it has also been revealed by the association that around 35million people, roughly 8million cars and 140,000 coaches were carried by ferries in 2011. These are very impressive stats. PSA director Bill Gibbons said: “Particularly for families, Britain’s ferry services offer a reliable and flexible way to travel that’s good value for money.”

A spokesman for Brittany Ferries said of the disruption: “We are not anticipating any further cancellations and the service should soon be back to normal. It’s the strength of the wind that can lead to some of the ports being in danger of closing. The cancellation of services going down to Spain was more to do with the comfort of passengers because it would have been quite rough.”

As ever; always check with the company that you are travelling with before setting off and try to find out if there are any delays. The company’s website will always keep you updated too.

The news however, also came as a surprise to many passengers as they were trusted firms both nationally and internationally and are all successful in their own right. The National Competition Committee found that tickets for ferries between Algerciras and Ceuta were kept artificially high between February 2008 and April 2010. The firms were found guilty of using an interchange system whereby passengers could board any ferry, irrespective of which operator they had purchased their ticket from. Despite their behaviour however, after agreeing to comply with the authorities and powers-that-be, Balearia had its fine reduced to 2.35million euros, while FRS were fined 1.8million as it joined the scheme later.

Trasmediterranea were fined the highest amount at 12.1million euros. The news is disappointing for the Spanish ferry sector and will no doubt have dented confidence among many regular ferry users. The question is, can they bounce back and restore much needed trust after such damaging revelations?

Lately however, things are changing, as more and more people choose to travel via ferry to Spain and enjoy something a little bit different. Ferries have been operating routes linking Britain with Spain for many years now, but because of airlines offering direct flights at cut-price deals, it has always been second in line in terms of popularity. This fact isn’t as clear cut nowadays however, and several factors have meant that ferry travel is becoming more popular. As well as offering cheap deals and excellent services, there are now more ferry routes than ever before and all offer competitive rates.

One of the biggest reasons for the latest surge in popularity however, is the option for families to take their own car with them. All too often, people like to explore a country and to do this they need to either take their own car, or hire one whilst they are there. In many instances now however, travelling to Spain by ferry and taking your own car can often be cheaper than flying and then hiring a car once there – bearing all that has been said in mind, it certainly comes as no surprise that ferry travel is slowly becoming a real force to be reckoned with.

Madrid has a dry climate. The summer is hot but, winter is cold with snowfall. Madrid is passed by the Madrid River. The Lozoya River, one of the major rivers in Madrid supplies the daily necessary water for the city.

Madrid is the head quarter of the major Spanish companies. It has got the third highest GDP among the cities of Europe. Tourism has a great impact on the economy of Madrid.

Madrid has a large number of historic buildings and landmarks. The Royal Palace of Madrid is the most prominent of them. Royal Theater (Teatro Real), built in 19th century, is the oldest Opera house in Spain. Archaeological Museum, Prado Museum, Thyssen Bornemisza Museum are some of the prominent museums in Madrid.

Madrid has a lot of architectural beauties. Madrid International Airport specially its terminal 4 is one of the world’s largest terminal area and at the same time a great architectural beauty. The building style in Madrid is influenced greatly by Gothic and Baroque style. Royal Palace of Madrid in Paseo Del Prado is one of the notorious architectural beauties in Baroque style. Torres business area is more likely a park than a business area and it can be mentioned as a Business Park actually, has the tallest skyscrapers in Spain.

Madrid is a city of Green. It posses the highest amount of trees among the cities of the Europe. It has a handsome amount of fascinating parks and Gardens. Parque Del Retiro is the most famous park in Madrid. The Retiro Park is full with beautiful sculptures and monuments, including an excellent lake in the front. Royal Botanical Garden is famous for having a collection of rare herbal plants and research facilities on them. Campo Del Moro Garden is another beautiful garden in Madrid.

Madrid has a huge number of churches specially, catholic churches. St. Jerome Church, built in Gothic style, is the most famous. San Nicolas church is the oldest church in Madrid. Bishop Chapel, St. Isidor Cathedral, San Francisco el Grande Basilica are some of the prominent religious landmarks in Madrid.

Spain is famous for the special game Bullfight. Madrid is the home of the biggest bullfight ring in Spain. It is considered as the world’s most prominent place for bullfight, having a fabulous capacity of seating. March to October is the best period for the bullfight. Visitors from various parts of the world come to enjoy the fight every year.

The beautiful environment of Madrid is a great attraction for the tourists. Every year a large number of tourists visit Madrid not only for its beautiful parks, gardens, cathedrals or, museums but also, for enjoying the bullfight and the football matches. Madrid is one of the most visited tourist spots in Europe.

Madrid is the home of the famous football club Real Madrid. So, undoubtedly football is the most famous game as well as one of the most famous entertainments in Madrid.

If you are after an island break, the very popular Balearic Islands lie just off the north east coast. With shimmery seas, sandy beaches, hours of sunshine and lively nightlife, these islands will always be a destination of choice for anyone looking for an action packed and vibrant holiday. However, it’s not all nightclubs; quieter parts can also be found on these pretty islands and can be little havens of calm. With atmospheric fishing villages, lovely countryside walks and ancient ruins scattered about, it is well worth getting away from the main areas to explore. The people are friendly and will welcome you with tasty cuisine and hospitality.

On the mainland, the east coast of Spain is the location for the awe-inspiring city of Barcelona. Surely no visit to this side of Spain would be complete without seeing the unique architecture, galleries, museums and sights of this incredible, eclectic urban area! Barcelona’s must-see attraction is Gaudi’s Masterpiece, or ‘Sagrada Familia’. This is a large Roman Catholic church and has been under construction since 1882.

Travelling south from Barcelona and you will be spoiled for choice if you wish to spend time on the beach. This stretch is known as the Costa Dorada, meaning Golden Coast. With beautiful, golden sands, it’s easy to see how it got this name. Shallow, safer waters south of Salou are a perfect choice for families with younger children. There are several country parks and nature reserves interspersed with the beaches along this coastline which offer much appreciated shade and a cool sanctuary when you with to retreat from the sun.

Continuing along the Costa Dorada, the final major area on the east cost of Spain is Valencia. Valencia is a very prominent Spanish city and is celebrated for its baroque buildings, especially around the central market place. The Torres de Serranos are recognised as being the largest gothic gateway in the whole of Europe, dating back from when the city was surrounded by walls.

Wherever you choose to visit along the east coast of this wonderful country, you are sure to find people that will welcome you with open arms when embark from one of the ferries to Spain. Take time to learn a few words of Spanish and you may even find friends forever.