Anyone covered by the ATOL scheme, which is run by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), will be able to finish their holiday and return home. However it could be the case that they will still need to pay for their hotel twice.

Sun 4 U also arranged flight and accommodation only deals that are not covered by ATOL.

Customers stuck overseas on a Sun4u holiday package should call 0161 444 5810 for more information.

Sun4u package holiday customers who are due to travel and need advice should call 08445 717260.

Any Sun 4 U customers renting with Sixt should contact the local branch from which they hired if they need to extend their rental.

Related posts:

1. Flyglobespan enters Administration
2. College Hotel Recommended for Tourists Heading to Amsterdam
3. Brits planning to head abroad this summer

The poor weather across Britain during the summer of 2009 combined with whats’ proving to be a bitterly cold winter is likely to act as a catalyst for overseas holiday bookings.

Popular destinations such as Spain, the USA and France are expected to top the list of hotspots, with Turkey also set to be a ‘bestseller’.

But despite the willingness to travel abroad it is expected that many of us will look for cheaper deals to compensate for higher exchange rates on foreign currency.

Travel websites are reporting a surge in enquries such as Travelsupermarket who reported an increase of 15% on visitor numbers during the three days after Christmas compared to the same time last year.

Looking for a holiday certainly seems to be one way to shake off the winter blues and remember if you are heading abroad this summer make sure you check out SIXT for the best deals on holiday car hire.

Related posts:

1. Brits ‘unlikely to give up ski breaks’
2. Brits ‘looking for cheap French breaks’
3. How to avoid large phone bills when travelling abroad

Amsterdam at Night

A journalist has suggested that those keen to be met by cheery, attentive staff should head to the College Hotel in Amsterdam, which employs workers who are taking their first steps in the industry.

If service with a smile is a must while you are on holiday, a trip to Holland may be a safe bet.

Jon Holmes, writing for the Times, comments that it is here that Brits can find the College Hotel, users of car hire in Amsterdam may be interested to hear.

This accommodation is staffed by trainees, which the journalist says means that the workers are “not jaded or fed up”, which he suggests may be the case in other establishments.

He states that this Amsterdam hotel provided him with “tiptop” service, however, he added that it may be wise for users of car hire in Amsterdam to head there as the workers approach the end of their course, rather than when they are first starting out.

In other accommodation news, Fiona Duncan, writing for the Daily Telegraph, recently praised the Chancery Court Hotel in London, saying it has “astonishing features”.

If you’re visiting the capital of the Netherlands and need to book car hire in Amsterdam, visit Sixt for an online quote. today.

Related posts:

1. US embassy to become luxury London hotel?
2. Pyrenees recommended for winter car hire breaks
3. New Sixt branch in the Netherlands at Amsterdam Schiphol airport

Justin Francis, managing director with responsibletravel.com, said that the average carbon footprint of these events is around 14.5 tonnes.

He said, when this is combined with the expense of a wedding, it is “no wonder that many UK couples-to-be are considering options closer to home”, which may involve booking car hire in London for a sightseeing break.

These comments come after a study by the company showed that there has been a year-on-year rise of 41 per cent in people enquiring about a honeymoon in the UK, which could include getaways in the capital.

Earlier this week, Francesca Moore, spokeswoman for hitched.co.uk, said that newlyweds may want to consider taking a close-to-home ‘minimoon’ before jetting off on a lavish break later in the year or for their first anniversary.

Related posts:

1. Skiers set for cheaper getaways
2. Car hire users ‘must control stress on their break’
3. Family Holiday’s on the up!

A View from the Eiffel Tower

An expert has suggested that Brits may opt for cheaper breaks in France rather than rule out a trip across the Channel altogether, which could result in high demand for car hire in Paris.

Many holidaymakers are looking for cheaper options when it comes to trips to France, an expert asserts.

Nina Richards, deputy editor at FrenchEntree.com, says that the credit crunch may not have deterred Britons from crossing the Channel, which could mean demand for car hire in Paris will remain high.

She comments: “Although the strong euro has affected some holidaymakers’ budgets, most wishing to go to France have just looked for cheaper options.”

Ms Richards states that this may involve those with car hire in Paris opting for self-catering breaks.

She also suggests that camping holidays could be a good choice for consumers looking to cut back on their spending, those looking into booking Paris car hire may be interested to hear.

These comments come shortly after the French Tourism Development Agency produced an online guide for those looking to holiday in the country on the cheap.

Tips on inexpensive accommodation and activities are among those listed on the website.

Related posts:

1. Brits ‘unlikely to give up ski breaks’
2. Spooky breaks recommended for Paris car hire users
3. Pyrenees recommended for winter car hire breaks

Family holidays are increasing in popularity as people prioritise spending quality time with their loved ones, which could include a trip using car hire in London.

Kate Kenward, executive director at the Association of Independent Tour Operators, claims that this provides people with an escape from the distractions of people’s busy lifestyles.

“Families are still looking forward to and booking their holidays as they realise it’s impossible to put a price on the value of a relaxing break,” she asserts.

She says that any location which offers good value and family-friendly facilities is likely to benefit from this trend, which could lead to people turning to car hire in London.

Among the key features Ms Kenward highlights are self-catering accommodation, which is one of the key draws for people looking to take a break with their loved ones.

Recent research by HolidayExtras.com has found that 42 per cent of customers believe being with their nearest and dearest is the best thing about a holiday.

Related posts:

1. Baggage restrictions ‘make family holidays difficult’
2. Car hire users ‘turning to self-catering for value’
3. Festive tales to light up family breaks in London

Open To All

This isn’t a competition and you don’t have to be David Bailey to get involved so whether you have a £1,000 Digital SLR or a camera phone you can still contribute! If you think you have taken a decent shot.

In addition to giving you the chance of some free exposure for your shots, hopefully people will use the comments to give honest feedback and advice to help you make the most of your photos.
In addition to this, we will be launching some competitions for the more competitive of you out there!

Guidelines

There are no formal rules or guidelines for what photos we will display but here are some simple points to bear in mind so that you don’t waste time sending in content that we are obviously not going to display.

• Photos should be family friendly and not contain anything that would typically be considered offensive.
• Photos should be travel related so for example a local landmark or landscape / seascape.
• Photos should be your own work. Please do not post anything that you haven’t taken yourself or that might lead to copyright infringements.
• Images shouldn’t be over 500 pixels wide.

When submitting pictures please also provide a title and brief description of what’s going on in the shot and a brief background to where you where and what you were doing at the time.

Depending on your level of experience with photography you can also include additional information such as EXIF data to show others how you have achieved a particular effect.

I really hope that this area of the site will grow into a thriving community for those with an interest in photography and that we can get some good feedback and advice going on in the comments!

Getting Started

Just to get things started I have included below a picture that I took last year whilst on the way to Amsterdam for the weekend.

It was the first time that I had done any photography at sea and whilst there are certainly improvements that could be made, I was quite pleased with the results.

Any feedback anyone can give on how I could make improvements here would be much appreciated as I am sure that it could be made a much stronger shot.

Many thanks!

Mike

Exif Data

Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Model: NIKON D40
Shutter Speed: 1/500 second
F Number: F/14.0
Focal Length: 18 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Date Picture Taken: Jun 12, 2008, 6:32:35 AM

Related posts:

1. Launch Of The New Sixt UK Blog!
2. Sixt Launches New Car Rental Blog For Spain
3. Earn Money From Your Holiday

With many people struggling to cope with day to day costs at the moment, a holiday is probably the last thing on the agenda for most of us. Unfortunately, those who have planned trips months in advance and already paid are left with little option but either to go as planned or accept their losses.

Whether you are in a similar position or would just like to make some extra cash to subsidise your trip, there are ways in which you can try and recoup some of the money when you get home.

An exciting new service launched yesterday might just help make this easier and may even uncover hidden talents you never knew you had!
Simonseeks is a new website from Simon Nixon, the man behind the hugely successful MoneySupermarket, which provides product price comparison in a wide range of verticals.

The idea is to allow travellers to make money from their experiences by writing reviews and guides about places they have visited and services they have used such as hotels and restaurants.
These articles are then submitted to the site and, subject to a review process could appear online for other’s to view.

Making Money From Your Travels

Unlike many copywriting assignments, the payment is not based on the number of words you write but how popular your article is (the number of people who view it).

On top of this, commission is earned on people actually taking action based on your recommendations and making a booking with partners to the site which include hotels.com, lastminute, ebookers and superbreak.

Unfortunately, the information provided on the site doesn’t give much of an idea what you might expect to make per article but they do offer online monitoring which allows you to see how much you have earned to date so it should soon become clear whether it’s worth your time and effort.

Some Tips On Increasing Your Chances Of Getting A Submission Accepted

To increase your chances of actually having an article approved and, more importantly making some money, there are some simple points you can bear in mind.

Make An Impact With Your Headlines

The headline for your review or guide is hugely important so think about what is likely to catch people’s attention. Make it short, snappy, intriguing and above all honest.

Don’t use clever headlines to draw people into something that is irrelevant to the title.
Here are some key points to try and guide you in the right direction

• Be short, snappy and to the point.
• Be accurate. Don’t use misleading titles just to get people to read your article.
• Be suggestive. Whilst bearing the points above in mind, think about what would make you want to click on a headline.

Maximise Your Opportunities

The more you see and do on your trip, the more you will have to talk about and review when you get back and going away organised and with some kind of plan will not only help you to make the most of your holiday but also take every opportunity to gather content to write about when you return. Here are some simple tips to bear in mind:

• Research bars and restaurants before you go, this will save you valuable time trying to find somewhere decent when you arrive at your destination.
• Think about using car hire as a more flexible means of getting around. The easier it is to travel, the more you will be able to see!
• Communicate with the locals! They will know better than anyone where the best places to eat and drink are and will be able to point you in the right direction to get some great write up material.

Content

A big part of the money making potential offered by simonseeks comes from the commission that can be earned when your reviews actually convince a reader to take your advice and make a reservation.

If you have had a good experience it is important to be able to communicate this in a way that appeals. A few tips:

• Read other peoples reviews and see what kind of response they get and how useful people find them.
• Only write about places that you have genuine experience and knowledge of. Writing a review based on reading an article on Wikipedia will not only probably be inaccurate but will also sound forced and false.
• Try to evoke an emotional response. If you can make your reader imagine that they are relaxing in an outdoor street cafe in Tuscany on a warm summers evening then they are more likely to be encouraged to consider a visit than if you say that you went to a cafe in Tuscany and they had good coffee.
• If you are planning on writing reviews when you get home try to take some notes of your experiences whilst you are away as this will help you give a much more detailed review later.

Photography

A key element in making your article engaging and visually appealing is to include good photographs.

Not only does this help people imagine themselves in the scenario you are presenting but also helps to break up your text and make it more readable. A few photography tips below:

• You don’t need a hugely expensive camera to get good shots. You could give the worst photographer in the world the best camera and it probably wouldn’t make much difference.
• Composition is key to a good shot. Take your time and frame your shot properly.
• If you are using a digital camera you can also take a number of shots of the same scene and then later choose the one that you like best. On the same note, make sure you have spare memory cards and a charger with you!
• Learning the basic principles of the rule of thirds can make an amazing difference to your photos and is really simple to apply.
  Simonseeks have a great Travel Writing Tips section with plenty of information to get you started.

So, will it take off?

All in all this sounds like a great idea and a way for people to make some money back on their holidays / time spent travelling. Potentially it could even lead people into a new career if they find they have a talent for writing.

My real question is how accessible the potential income will be to the average holiday maker?
In today’s Metro newspaper Mr Nixon was said to have expressed the hope that simonseeks will become one of the top ten travel sites in Britain within a year and that contributors could be able to give up the day job and earn a living from travel writing.

It’s a nice idea… but in reality online copywriting is a hugely competitive industry, perhaps more so in travel than any other so will the site becomes overcrowded with professional writers or will the opinions of the general public actually be heard?

If you are interested in other ideas, The Guardian also have a great article on How To Make Money On Holiday

Related posts:

1. Review websites offer ‘up-to-date travel information’
2. Early booking ‘key’ for value holiday
3. Rail Work To Cause Bank Holiday Chaos

A government arm is reminding those who have rented a hire car while on holiday to avoid drinking before going behind the wheel.

The Department for Transport warns that it will be working with the police to clampdown on this practice and is launching the THINK! campaign to emphasise the risks this practice can entail.

Jim Fitzpatrick, road safety minister, claims that the sun and long evenings could lead people such as holidaygoers to drink too much before driving.

He states: “Drink driving is not just a problem at Christmas – each summer almost 200 people don’t make it home to their families because of drink driving.”

Mr Fitzpatrick warns that a conviction could lead to someone with a hire car receiving a 12 month driving ban, criminal record and large fine.

Recent research by the University of Leicester and esure car insurance has found that football supporters listening to sports radio in a hire car could be at a higher risk of crashing.

Related posts:

1. New review into drink-driving limit
2. Think! Don’t Drink and Drive
3. North East England launches national media campaign