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# Friday, 21 November 2008

Train fares will rise in the new year with some tickets going up by nearly double the rate of inflation. Regulated fares including season tickets are due to increase by an average of 6% from the 2nd of January 2009 with unregulated tickets including leisure and advance fares rising 7% on average with some rising as much as 11%. The train companies have said that the revenue will be reinvested but the watchdog Passenger Focus have said that some rises are unjustified.

posted on Friday, 21 November 2008 13:47:44 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
# Wednesday, 19 November 2008

Virgin Atlantic have said that they are planning a bid for Gatwick airport in conjunction with other parties. Gatwick airport has recently been put up for sale by the current owner BAA. Virgin is talking to a group of interested parties about a bid for the airport which is valued by analysts at around £2.5bn. Australian company Macquarie, Germany's Fraport, and the owners of Manchester airport are among the firms thought to be interested in buying the airport.

posted on Wednesday, 19 November 2008 16:27:20 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
# Tuesday, 18 November 2008
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This weeks Travel Blog of the Week is Everything Everywhere written by Gary Arndt. Gary set off on a trip around the world in March 2007 after selling his house and putting all his possessions in storage. Since then he has visited over 40 countries to date. His blog is predominantly a photo travel blog with a new picture being posted every day but also includes some short accounts of his travels. Some of my favourite pictures include the Cave-Entrance-Palawan-Philippinesentrance to the underground river in Puerto Princess, Palawan in the the Philippines (left) and  these roots growing oTa-Som-Back-Temple-HDRut of the stone at the Ta Som Temple in Cambodia (right).

One article from Gary's time in Nha Trang Vietnam highlights how local knowledge can often prove more beneficial than a guide book. He tells a story about a European couple who ask for a room at a guesthouse. When told that it will cost $20 a night the couple are surprised and refer to a guidebook which is a year old and quotes a price of $10-15 a night. On querying it with the owner of the guesthouse the couple are told that she has put in internet access and air conditioning since then, hence the higher price. It should really be common sense that whilst guide books can often provide a good overview of any area that prices do frequently change. Gary on the other hand asks a local man if he knows where he can find a room for $20 with internet access. He finds a place in just minutes and is even driven there on the local mans motorbike, all for just a small finders fee. This blog is well worth checking out for the stunning pictures and the informative articles, a well deserved Travel Blog of the Week.

posted on Tuesday, 18 November 2008 20:27:41 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
# Wednesday, 12 November 2008

Trading standards officers have been handed out leaflets at airports to warms passengers holiday makers about bogus holiday clubs. The scams involve fake Spanish holiday clubs with the tourists being lured by a tout handed out scratch cards and claiming they have won a prize. The cards are often a ruse to lure unsuspecting tourists to a high cost sales pitch. They are then persuaded to sign up for a fake holiday club that can cost thousands of ponds in membership fees. The OFT said "In most cases, consumers find they have bought little more than access to an internet booking service offering the same service they could get at a travel agent for free". Victims of the scam have lost an average of £3,030 each.

posted on Wednesday, 12 November 2008 15:22:25 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
# Monday, 10 November 2008

blogoftheweek_thumb3004483222_b162a737d5_bThis weeks Travel Blog of the Week is Life of Justin written by Justin Wright. The blog  looks predominately at hiking destinations within the US. One of the most recent articles looks at the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. The article gives a positive view of the caverns which can be viewed for just $6. The review helpfully mentions that there is a lift to take you down to the caverns but does not recommend using it if you can make the walk as it skips some of the best parts of the walk. Despite warnings that the hike is strenuous Justin comments that its a fairly easy hike but does recommend hiking shoes as it can be quite steep. Its all useful information and worth checking out if you are planning a visit to the caverns. The article is also illustrated with several stunning pictures such as the one on the right.

3003086942_ffa71fa432_o Another post deals with another very different hike. This time its backpacking at the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. The interesting thing about this hike is that instead of following the path as you would normally, here you follow posts in the ground looking for the next one on the horizon and then walking towards it. Camping overnight under the stars looks to be a really cool experience and the shots of the stars in the sky are worth checking out. Overall this hike gets a favourable review.

A slightly more conventional day out looks at the Arizona Science Centre in Phoenix. As a family day out the venue gets a rather poor review which is partly down to it being fairly pricey and partly to the number of exhibits that are out of order. The initial thought here is that are too many unsupervised children and that the venue seems more like a zoo than a science center. This is obviously not a day out for people without children. The exhibits, however, are described as very cool but the science center gets a poor review because many of them are broken or have an out of order sign stuck on them. The center is also criticised for not including the special exhibits in the entrance price, if you want to see these they cost an extra $9. Overall as a family day out the costs would amount to around $92 for a family of four, the verdict is that at these prices it is simply not worth the money and you might be better off looking around for something that is a little better value. Its well worth checking out some of the other posts on this blog.

posted on Monday, 10 November 2008 20:40:54 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
# Friday, 07 November 2008

The City of Derry airport has spent more than £19 million on safety work. The money was used to extend the airport's runway with the demolition of 17 homes in nearby Donnybrewer. The British and Irish governments paid £14m towards the work with the remaining £5m being paid for by Derry City Council.

posted on Friday, 07 November 2008 18:17:27 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
# Thursday, 06 November 2008

BAA has announced a £230m funding package for the Crossrail project. The scheme which will cost a total of £16bn will connect Maidenhead in Berkshire to Shenfield in Essex via Heathrow and central London. The project which received the parliamentary go ahead in July is expected to start running its first trains in 2017. The new rail route will provide four fast trains an hour Heathrow and will run direct services from Heathrow airport though central London, the City and Canary Wharf. It will also mean creating new stations Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel and the Isle of Dogs. The 74-mile route (118.5km) will be underground for 26 miles (41.5km) and allow for stops at 38 stations.

posted on Thursday, 06 November 2008 14:29:20 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback
# Wednesday, 05 November 2008

Profits at Ryanair have fallen 47% in the first half of the financial year. The fall has been put down to a doubling in the price of fuel. Although oil prices have since fallen Ryanair still expects to make a loss within the last six months of the financial year. Despite the fall in profits customer numbers have continued to grow with numbers being up 19% between April and September. Chief Executive Mr O'Leary has said that if oil prices remain below $80 a barrel that profits will recover.

posted on Wednesday, 05 November 2008 11:11:39 (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #    Trackback