Weekend break in Madrid

Madrid is a perfect location for a weekend break. Having travelled to Madrid on a number of occasions there is definitely plenty to do! It is one of the cultural centres in the whole of Europe, and is a major tourist destination with reason!

The city is primarily made up of three major districts, known as Retiro, Arganzuela and Salamance, most of the major tourist destinations are located within these three areas, however there are certainly some additional places worth visiting on the outskirts of the city.

Within the city one of the major attractions is the Golden Triangle of Art, which is made up of Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Reina Sofia Museum and The Prado National Museum. The art which is contained within these venues is significant, including masterpieces by Goya and Rubens. There are further examples of paintings and sculptures from differing periods, including Post-Modernism, Surrealism, Cubism and latterly Pop-Art.

In the city there are two major parks which are conveniently located nearby the museum, so providing some much needed light after being inside for a period of time. Retiro is the most central of the parks and has a boating lake in the centre, which provides a sedate way to spend an afternoon. In addition there are a variety of kiosks and stands providing ice creams and other snacks. As you can imagine, for the vegetarian’s reading this there is little or no choice with most sandwiches made up of meat, meat and more meat!

Additionally there is the Botanical garden which contains a huge variety of plants and trees, which is definitely worth visiting. There is a small charge for entry.

Another area to visit within the city is the main town square known as Plaza Mayor. This is a great place to find a wide variety of restaurants and cafes. In addition this is located nearby to the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) which is an impressive building and worth visiting.

For those sports fans who are considering a trip to Madrid, there is plenty to see. The Bernabeu stadium (Estatdio Santiago Bernabeu), is located relatively near to the city centre. As you will no doubt know this is the home of Real Madrid and is considered to be one of the best stadiums in the world, and as the locals will no doubt argue Real Madrid are considered to be one of the best football teams in the world! Tickets are relatively cheap compared to the UK, but it is recommended that if you wish to attend a game that you book prior to leaving.

Additionally the national sport of Spain is bullfighting. Probably the most famous bull fighting venue within Madrid is known as Las Ventas. This is a somewhat controversial sport outside of Spain, but inside Spain is considered to be their national sport, entrance for those wishing to visit is not expensive, and I’ve been informed that tickets can be purchased easily.

Food – A huge variety of restaurants make up the culinary flavours available within Madrid. Whilst there on my last visit I found a beautiful Argentine restaurant providing flame grilled food cooked to perfection! There is a wide range of choice and as you would expect with a capital city a number of establishments having earned the prestigious Michelin star, these include:  Santceloni, La Terraza del Casino and Sergi Arola Gastro holding 2 stars!

Madrid is a great city, that I would definitely recommend a visit to with a wide range of tourist based activities, coupled with great food and entertainment. Add to this the good weather, you have a winning combination!

Weekend break ideas – Venice

Venice is one of the most gorgeous towns in Europe. In my experience it is a completely astonishing destination and is definitely considered to be one of Italy’s riches. It has provided a stimulus for artists, poets, singers and writers for hundreds of years. The architecture including the churches and museums is outstanding, and the value of the treasures that these buildings contain is vast.

Add to this image a slight air of decay, brought on by some of the building subsiding into the water, and the romantic connotations of taking a gondola down the waterway, this has to be one of the most charismastic areas of the world. Plus the fact that there is continual concern about the rising levels of water and the potential impact that this could have on the buildings means that it is increasingly likely that this treasure trove will not remain through our lifetimes.

With Venice being portrayed in countless movies and television shows and this image being embedded into our brains it is still surprising that this City has further surprises in store. With water lapping at the feet of palaces, and lines of boats prepared to whisk you off around the canals, it is the sight over the water from the Palazzo Ducale that really captures the imagination, and a personal favourite of mine.

Venice is an area that is made up of 15 small districts, and was originally formed on a group of 177 islands. There are many walkways that cross the many canals, causing a zigzag effect, most of the walkways and canals are framed by architectural trinkets which serve as a reminder of the city’s former glory as a highly significant business hub connecting East and West.

Aside from the flocks of tourists that crowd around St Marks square and Basilica, the Palazzo Ducale and the Rialto Bridge it is surprisingly easy to quickly get away from the chaos that this creates, within minutes you can easily find a more sedate way of life with incredible examples of architecture in evidence almost constantly.

Venice is definitely a weekend destination, with a combination of windy streets and continual bridges and canals meaning that it is extremely easy to get lost! I’m speaking from experience here! But even whilst lost this is when you can stumble across some further gems in terms of the buildings and museums and the treasures that they hold.

It isn’t cheap, the shops have some fairly garish ornaments as to be expected in any tourist destination and the price of coffee will make you wince! However, for the perfect break in a rare gem it has to be worth a visit!

Money on the slopes

When changing money for the slopes there are some factors that need to be considered:

-          You are out on the slopes all day, you need to make sure that you have enough cash! As you are up in the mountains things are not cheap, there is nothing worse than getting cold or hungry half way through the day, and not being able to afford a coffee or some food.

Whilst it may sound somewhat childish, I would recommend taking a packed lunch or snack up with you. Even a hip flask or chocolate bar can be nice for when you are on a chairlift, or on a t-bar!

-          You will probably need a combination of coins and small notes. Most restaurants or food outlets will probably not appreciate you turning up with a 50 Euro note for a chocolate bar!

-          You need somewhere safe to store your cash. It would not be sensible to take all of your funds on the slope of the first day, just in case your pocket opens up and you lose it all. Our proposed solution is to transfer funds onto a pre-paid travel money card. You then get a fixed exchange rate agreed at the outset and provided you can find an ATM you should be able to withdraw your cash for little or low cost (plus these fees will be included in terms and conditions so that you can budget for them).

-          We would not recommend using a debit or credit card, unless you have carefully selected a card which provides preferential exchange rates and does not incur hefty penalties for withdrawing cash. Some providers will double charge for these, so you may incur up to £3-£4 charge per transaction, plus generally a poor exchange rate.

-          Apres Ski – This is the indulgent part for most people, where they consume too much food and drink! Pre-paid currency cards can provide a viable alternative for paying in most restaurants as they are generally accepted in the same way as Visa/Mastercard Debit or Credit cards. However you will require some cash to buy drinks in the local nightspot, as generally there will be a minimum payment amount/transaction amount for bars and pubs to transact via debit/credit/prepaid cards.

-          Budget wisely. Make sure that you set a budget for each day, as otherwise it is very easy to overspend. There would be nothing worse than not being able to enjoy the last night due to too much indulgence during the preceding days.

-          Factor in ski/snowboard hire. Whilst this is generally not expensive, do you have enough cash to pay any extra charges that may be incurred if you damage the equipment?

-          Travel insurance – It is a fact of life that accidents happen in the mountains. Make sure that you have travel insurance that covers you for skiing/snowboarding.

Enjoy your trip!

Tip to prepare for your snowboarding holiday

Snowboarding can be quite terrifying at the first few attempts! However, with some perseverance and practice it is in my opinion the best way to travel in the snow. You will have accidents, you will undoubtedly have some bruises but most importantly you should have a great time on a snowboarding holiday.

Naturally due to climate in which snowboarding can take place, it is extremely important that you select clothing that is suitable. It must be waterproof particularly the trousers as you will no doubt end up sitting on your backside. In my experience it is always best to wear multiple layers, so if you do you get too hot, you can remove one item of clothing to cool down.

Additionally to provide protection from those teething problems, I would recommend hiring wrist guards and a helmet at least for the first few days to ensure that you don’t injure yourself unnecessarily.

In terms of the board that you choose, it is very important to select a board which is right for both your height and weight, ideally the board should touch your chin when standing up. You can get a wide variety of widths for snowboards and in general terms the wider the board the easier it is to control.

From experience I would recommend hiring both board and boots. There is the outside chance that you may not get on with snowboarding as it isn’t for everyone, and there is considerable expenditure in purchasing the equipment. Most ski resorts will have a snowboard hire shop that can normally provide a variety of levels of equipment for beginners up to advanced boarders.

To begin the first couple of days on the slopes, or even prior to departure from experience I would recommend taking some lessons. Whilst this may be frustrating for some people, it will eventually mean that you are in control (reducing accidents), and you will understand the theory behind how to snowboard. Plus you will be able to practice in an area where there are not people flying past!

Most ski resorts have nursery slopes and will provide both ski and snowboard schools. There is some cost associated with the lessons, but it’s not normally excessive. Alternatively in the UK there are a number of indoor snow domes springing up which will provide both single and multiple lessons and there are some dry ski slopes remaining. I would recommend that snow domes over the dry ski slopes as it is much less painful when you fall over!

When you get to the mountains don’t forget that you are in a potentially dangerous environment, we’ve all got carried away after some lunchtime drinks, but this is when accidents are likely to happen.

Most importantly enjoy your holiday, for me spending time in the mountains is one of the most liberating experiences of my life and one that would definitely recommend to all.

Some tips for beginner skiers

You will fall over lots, this is an unfortunate fact of learning to ski. However once you learn some basic skills, this will reduce in regularity, until you will be able to make it down a whole slope without stopping!

I personally learnt to ski the foolhardy way whilst at school, i.e. Being a stroppy teenager I didn’t want to side-step up a mountain for a day, so I decided to join the advanced group, without knowing how to stop! This meant that I was dropped in at the deep end and had to learn quickly. It lasted very well until the last day of the holiday, where I crashed very heavily!

It is important that you have a reasonable fitness level when you get onto the slopes. I would personally recommend conducting a fairly rigorous regime on the cross-trainer as this simulates the action of skiing, as close as possible.

When you do fall over to begin with, if you try to fall onto backside instead of your knees or hands, this reduces the likely-hood of damaging yourself, although this can feel quite unnatural to begin with. In addition it is important to continually keep your knees bent. The main reason for this is that this distributes your weight evenly. In addition it is important to gently lean forwards, as if you lean backwards this can result in all kinds of trouble! In addition to move you need the ski’s to be facing forwards in a parallel direction.

It can take a little while to get used to the speeds which can easily be achieved whilst skiing, so I would recommend that you start off on a very gentle slope just to get used to the speed. There’s nothing worse than going up a huge chairlift then having to walk your way down! – This causes frustration, and you will potentially get cold.

The most common way to stop when learning skiing to is twist your ankles outwards, to make the tips of the skis come together, and the rear of the ski push outwards. This causes lots of friction on the edge of the ski and slows you down relatively quickly. This is known as a snow-plough turn.

As you gradually get used to this technique if you gradually begin to shift your weight onto opposite skis you will begin to turn as well. As you will naturally become more accomplished at this over a period of time, you will gradually rely less and less of the snowplough method where the skis are inverted and more and more adopt the parallel turns where the skis should stay roughly the same distance apart.

I would definitely recommend that for your first skiing trip, it is better to hire the equipment than buy it for several reasons. You are going to crash lots, which will potentially damage the equipment. Additionally if you do not enjoy skiing then after your days on the slopes you can hand it back, rather than having to sell it and potentially losing lots of money.  Additionally it is recommended that you start off with shorter skis as these are generally easier to control.

Skiing can be great fun, but it is important to remember your personal safety whilst up in the mountains. It is easy to get carried away after some lunchtime drinks but this is when accidents can happen.

Most ski resorts  will have some beginner slops, so that you can learn on relatively gentle slopes, plus tuition is generally available, plus more technical slopes for more advanced skiers.

The Conversion of Your Travel Money

In general terms, the use of cards has become far more popular than currency as far as taking care of your money goes. If you are in possession of the right card, there is no doubt about it, you are going to save money when compared to swapping your Sterling for the currency you need. Nonetheless, many people are wary of using any kind of plastic, credit or prepaid, and they worry further that choosing the wrong card could face them with additional risks. Carrying cash around with you to pay for things is easy, but if you are unfortunate enough to lose it or be the victim of theft crime the insurance you have taken out needs to be sufficient to replace it.

When it comes down to it, the bottom line about getting the most from spending your money abroad is making sure you have the best deals open to you.

Let’s take a look at those ‘commission free’ signs we so regularly see. More often than not, this will not mean you are going to get a super rate of exchange as the commission is hidden within the deal. This is the way the currency exchange companies make their money. Forget about the no commission sign and simply ask them how many dollars or euros they will give you for your pound.

There are some companies who genuinely don’t charge commission so providing their rate of exchange is in line with what you can get elsewhere, they are worth taking a look at. It’s still worth bearing in mind, however, that those charging commission to change your money may be offering you a much better rate of exchange currency for currency so they should not be ruled out of the equation just because a commission is added on.

Minimum charges and flat fees should be looked at more carefully. This means that however small the amount of money you are changing you will be charged a flat fee on each transaction. Conversely, flat fees can work out well though, if you are changing a large amount of money. Keep an eye on handling fees which are usually around the £3 mark but can be higher. It’s also worth taking a look at what your bank or building society are prepared to offer you by way of preferential rates as one of their valued customers. Watch out for handling fees too, which are normally about £3 but can be higher. As rates change from day to day you really need to do your homework and be ahead of the game.

Travellers Cheques

By far one of the more safer ways of carrying money abroad, travelers cheques are automatically replaced should they be lost or stolen, as long as you have a photocopy of them or a written note of the cheque numbers. For this reason it’s a good idea to keep details of your cheque numbers separate from the cheques themselves.

As you would expect this peace of mind comes at a cost and in this case the price you pay is the fact that travelers’ cheques are not the cheapest way to take your money to foreign lands. Two fees are often charged – commission when you buy them as Sterling cheques and then a further fee when you change them into the currency you need.

You can, however purchase foreign currency travelers cheques which affords you the luxury of buying at the right time by keeping an eye on the exchange rate before you travel. Make your move when the rate is good and take advantage of any special rates on offer and you will get the very best for your money.

As with cash, you may come across no commission deals from companies but check out their exchange rate to make sure they are competitive before using them to change your travelers cheques. Cashing cheques abroad may also incur small additional costs of a couple of pounds for each transaction so try to get your cheques in higher denominations to avoid having to pay more fees than necessary

Credit Card Use Abroad

Many credit card providers offer incentives such as frequent flyer points giving the user great benefits. However, the price the provider charges you in fees and interest rates should be your first consideration if you are planning to use your card for borrowing money abroad. In fact, it sometimes pays to have a credit card for overseas use only, one that you will pay off in full each month and not accrue any extra charges

Cash withdrawals using a credit card usually attract interest from the day you take the money so every care should be taken to pay the loan back in full when your statement comes in when you have used your card to borrow money abroad. Even though there are additional charges to changing your money in this way, there are also some great cards on the market for using abroad and some of these offer low hole in the wall fees too.

Another great benefit of using credit cards is that as far as purchases go, there are many cards offering 0% interest on spends for as much as the first twelve months This means you can happily spend your money using your card and not incur any interest for the agreed period. However, loading fees and restrictions on overseas buys should be checked into prior to your trip so you know exactly what you are letting yourself in for. The majority of card providers will give you a replacement card free of charge if you lose your original card which gives you a higher level of security than carrying cash around with you all the time.

The Post Office Classic, a leading credit card for use abroad as well as at home has a typical rate of 14.9%APR and boasts a commission free use outside of the UK. With a super introductory offer and 24 hour customer service promising to replace your card should you lose it, this card could be just what you are looking for

The New Style Plastic Power

Cards with a prepaid balance are another way to use your money abroad. They are safe to carry and if you are making your purchases on line or by telephone any fraudulent card use costs will be refunded to you. You cannot get into debt with these kinds of cards as you can only use the amount of money you have put onto the card. All you need to get a prepaid card is the money to put on it – there are no checks made into your previous credit history. There are many advantages of having a prepaid card for use when travelling and safety is the main one. If you lose your card you simply contact your provider and the card will be immediately cancelled and a new one will be issued to you. Depending on the card provider, you many be able to use your card all over the world and lucky enough to not have to pay anything at all by way of foreign exchange fees.

So where is the catch? Yes, as you would expect there is one. Due to the fact that prepaid cards are a relatively new idea to the market they are not too competitive at the moment, although this is changing from day to day. Costs like card application fees, cash dispenser withdrawals and top up charges need to be taken into consideration for the time being, but you may still find with the incurred costs that this kind of currency is the best for you. Think about the options open to you when topping up your card abroad. If you want to top up on line, make sure the card you have allows you to do this, for example. It will pay you to take a full look at what’s on offer as far as prepaid cards go in order to help you pick the right card for your needs.

Card users should take care when offered what is known as dynamic currency conversion. This is when the overseas merchants or retailers charge you in your own currency, not theirs. Although convenient, as you will know the price in your own currency, you may well be stung with a less favourable exchange rate making the deal not so good after allIt’s really best to be billed in local currency so check this out before signing on that dotted line

Our Recommendations

So with all these options open to you which way should you turn. Our advice would be to select a credit card or travel currency card as your main source of funding when you go off to foreign lands. Pick one without loading fees – the Post Office one looks good with no commission charges when you use it abroad.  The ICE Card is very good and has some excellent rates.  You can compare travel money here

If you simply can’t be bothered with making an application for a new card, then use the card or cards you have but not for cash withdrawals unless it is really essential. Carry small amounts of cash on your person for incidentals like a cup of coffee or local transport costs. Prior to setting off on your travels, change any cash to the currency you need and have a good look around so you get the best available deal. As far as a plan B goes, you may wish to have some travelers cheques with you or a prepaid card for use should an emergency arise

All that’s left to be said now is Bon Voyage!

Foreign Currency – How to buy

There are a few ways to go when dealing with foreign money exchange.  You could total up what you expect to spend and buy travelers cheques to use whilst you are there, or take a credit or cash card along with you.  Now you can also get a prepaid travel money card.  On the other hand you may decide to change all of your money into the currency you are going to need prior to setting off on your journey

However, there is an element of risk involved when you carry large sums of cash around with you and you may also find you don’t get the best possible exchange rate when you buy before you leave your own country. For this reason if it’s your intention to pay for things with cash, travelers cheques are probably the best option for you. Doing things this way affords you the luxury of being able to cash the amount of cheques you need at any given time and best of all should you lose your cheques, without a corresponding signature and photo id it is extremely difficult for anyone else to use them. The provider of the travelers cheques will replace any lost or stolen cheques upon confirmation of their issue. Other than this, you have the credit card option open to you, which we will talk about a little later on

So, how do you go about getting the best rate of exchange? Well, it’s far easier to tell you how not to do this and the first point to mention is strolling up to the first “Exchange”, “Cambio,” or “Wechel” sign you see and handing over your hard earned cash

You will find the only place where your exchange rate will be worse than this is when you use the services at the airport or the train station. They are providing a service of convenience to the client and they make their profit from you, the traveller, arriving in foreign climes with no local currency to hand;

All this can be avoided by simply thinking ahead and getting some of the currency you need from your local bank before you go on your travels. Once you reach your destination the banks located in towns and cities will change your travelers cheques into local currency and some of them provide this service without charging a fee. Banks more often than not come up favourable as far as exchange rates go, but there is nothing stopping you from doing a quick local currency exchange comparison between the banks and the exchange places on the streets, so you know where its best for you to change your money.

Using your credit card is another way to ensure your exchange rate is good. Of course, how you pay off your credit card balance has to be taken into consideration, but if it is settled responsibly with little if any interest being incurred then using your card is as good a way as any. Generally speaking, credit card companies are able to get better rates in restaurants and hotels so by paying by card instead of cash or travellers cheques, you may even find yourself saving some money in the long run

However, it’s not a good idea to get cash advances from the cash dispensers using your credit card. You are likely to get a better exchange rate but there are other charges such as cash advance fees and interest is accrued from the day you draw out the money, so this option becomes a less viable proposition. In simple terms this means for every cash withdrawal transaction you make over the duration of your trip abroad, you will have individual fees to pay.; Any excess money you have withdrawn and wish to be put back into pounds at the end of your journey will cost you in fees once again. If you have absolutely no choice but to take money from the hole in the wall, then take no more than is essential as the fees for withdrawing are nominal compared to the interest you are charged on the sums of money you find you didn’t really need after all.

Take Advantage of Any Discounts Offered and Ways of Saving Money

There are some great discounts to be had to help you save money. For example, if you are a student all you have to do is show your ID and reduced rates of entry to youth hostels, museums, cinemas, and various other places of interest, as well as special concessions on some forms of public transport become available. Similar discounts are offered to certain professional affiliations as long as proof is shown, so don’t forget to take any memberships you have along with you

There are great car rental deals available for those booking prior to leaving their country of origin. A lot of money can be saved doing it this way and you also get to see the terms and conditions of the contract in your own language, always an advantage

As far as accommodation goes, you are likely to find hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts and guest houses charge little more when including a breakfast compared to simply the use of the room.

What are you waiting for? Get out there and enjoy yourself!

How to avoid being a victim of fraud on your holiday

Here are some of the things you can do to avoid being a victim of theft and fraud when travelling abroad.

Plan Ahead – To Do Before You Go

• Buy the local currency you will need a week or so in advance of taking your trip.
• Take a combination of cash and travelers cheques and a credit card as back up ensuring the card is valid in the country you are visiting. As well as spending money you should also take sufficient funding to cover any emergencies which may arise.
• Make a note of the numbers of your travelers cheques and your credit card account details including expiry dates and leave a copy of this information at home as well as taking one along with you. You also need to know the number to call should you have to cancel your credit card due to loss or theft.

Whilst You Are Away

• Take a good look at the local currency and familiarise yourself with it upon arrival.
• Only carry as much money with you as you need at that time. If it is absolutely essential to have a large amount of money on your person, ask another member of your party to look after some for you.
• Use a secure inside pocket or money belt to carry your money except for a small amount of loose change kept in your pocket or wallet.
• Only take one credit card out at a time – leave all other valuables in the safe of the hotel assuming you are happy that it is secure.
• Don’t give anyone information about your bank account, or any other personal details for that matter. These days scams are increasing rapidly so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

To find the best rates on Travel Money see our Compare Travel Money

Top 21 Travel Tips!

In order to assist you to plan your trip abroad and remain safe whilst away from home we have put together a travel check list on your behalf.  Here are a few things to do before you go.

1. Do some research about the local embassy, where they are located, their opening hours and what services they can provide for you.
2. Ensure you have adequate insurance cover, especially for any extreme sports or water activities you intend carrying out.
3. If you are staying within the EU on holiday you can pick up a free European Health Insurance Card.  With this document, emergency care will be either free or at reduced rates.  It does not however, replace holiday insurance, so make sure you still have normal insurance cover whilst you are away from home.  For your information the emergency services telephone number in EU countries is 112.
4. You will need to visit your doctor to see if you require any vaccinations to go to your chosen destination.
5. Do you have a valid Passport and are any entry visas required?  If you don’t have a passport and it is the first time you are applying for one, you need to attend an interview in person in order for identity to be verified.  This can take up to six weeks and you will find current information at DirectGov.  Some countries require that your passport is good for a further six months after your travelling date so check up on this before you set off on your trip.
6. It always pays to take photocopies of any documents such as your passport when you travel away from home, but make sure you keep them separate from the originals.  You could even opt to store them on line on a secure data storage site.
7. It is also of great importance to complete the emergency contact information in your passport too.   It makes the job of contacting your nearest and dearest so much easier should the need arise.
8. Make sure someone back home has an idea of where you are going and when.  They may not need to contact you but its better to be safe than sorry so if there is a telephone number you are available on, let them know what it is.
9. As far as finances go, you need to take enough to last you for the duration of your trip and to have a little as back up in case you need it.  A combination of cash and travellers´cheques is a good idea, but remember to write down the numbers of the cheques in case you need to make a claim for stolen or lost money whilst away.
10. If you are on a bit of an adventure, it will pay you to take a good travel guide along with you. This way you won’t miss out of any places of particular interest.
11. Your driving licence needs to be valid if you intend to drive abroad.  Please take a little time to familiarise yourself with the driving laws of the country you are visiting as quite often these vary from one place to the next.
12. When it comes to bringing back duty free items it’s up to you to know what you can and cannot import into the UK.; Have a look at the HM Revenue  Customs Travel website where you will find all the information you need on the subject.
13. And now the things to do whilst you are away – be vigilant, trust your gut feelings and don’t take risks you wouldn’t take at home.
14. Keep your valuables under wraps and don’t flash your super duper latest model of a mobile phone or digital camera for all and sundry to see. To keep things really safe, padlock them away in your suitcase or backpack.
15. It is really important to know about local customs, especially dress codes, and behave accordingly.  Carrying out actions which seem of little relevance at home may be mean you find yourself in a spot of bother for breaking the law in other countries. For example, don’t photograph people without getting their permission.  This act is quite often misunderstood and people in other lands may find it offensive. This is particularly relevant close by to military buildings or personnel.
16. Although we have mentioned not to flash your mobile around too much, it’s a good idea to carry a mobile phone whilst abroad. You will, of course, have to check with your service provider that it will work in the country you are visiting.
17. Once you arrive at your destination find out where the local embassy or consulate offices are located.  It’s also beneficial to know where the police station is too.
18. Be careful what you eat and drink while you are away from home.  Stick to bottled water if you are in any doubt and avoid eating any food prepared offered to you on the street.
19. Show the environment some respect and leave the place as you found it.  Litter bugs are not appreciated whatsoever.
20. Make sure you know exactly what you are allowed to take back with you as a souvenir from your holiday.  By being aware of this and following the rules, you will save a great deal of time and trouble at the airport when your trip comes to an end and you arrive back in the UK.

Eat and Drink Safely Whilst Travelling Abroad

Eating and drinking abroad whilst travelling may cause you to suffer with diarrhoea or some other kind of stomach upset.  On a more serious note, cholera, typhoid fever and hepatitis A can also be contracted by drinking water and eating food which is contaminated.

However, there are precautions you can take to ensure you enjoy the best of health when travelling in foreign countries and some of these are detailed below.

• As you would as home, always make sure you wash your hands after using the toilet or before preparing food to eat.
• Only eat food you know to be fresh and make sure it is cooked all the way through and delivered to you piping hot. Warmed up food and tasty morsels exposed to flies should be avoided at all costs.
• Avoid using mobile street traders to buy foodstuffs such as ice-cream and with milk and dairy products like cheese and butter, make sure they have been kept in a refrigerator prior to you purchasing the goods.
• As far as fresh fruit and vegetables are concerned, unless you can peel them yourself, leave them alone. 
• Eating undercooked or even raw seafood is not a good way to ensure you remain healthy for the duration of your stay abroad.  Similarly, drinking alcohol to excess is also not going to be good for you. 
• Use bottled water if you have any concerns about the quality of the tap water, making sure bottle seals are not broken prior to your use. If you have to use tap water its best to boil it or filter it with a water purifier.
• Unless you can be sure that it is made from chlorinated or otherwise treated water, you should really give ice a miss.

Restrictions on Foodstuffs You Bring Back to the UK

Even if it is for your own personal use, it is against the last to bring meat or milk based products from outside of the EU back to the UK with you. There are also limits on bringing back other food items, including eggs, fish, honey, poultry, shellfish and certain kinds of fruit and vegetables and these rules stand whether you are taking the items back yourself or someone else is posting them to you from abroad.

It’s worth remembering that breaking these rules and bringing illegal stuff back to the UK will not only result in long queues with the Immigration staff.  Your prohibited items may be seized and you may well be prosecuted as well so think long and hard before you do it.

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