Travel Blog

Why did I choose to travel across Canada 20 years ago?

New Zealand

Find out more about some of the most famous islands!

What is the point of travel insurance?

With the continuing uncertainty around rules for travelling overseas, many people this year are choosing to explore the UK instead. And with good reason: for a small country, we have a huge number of diverse and exciting opportunities right on our doorstep. Places to go From the grandeur of the Scottish Highlands to the gently rolling South Downs, the UK has the most beautiful scenery. There are 15 national parks with some of the most spectacular landscapes : Snowdonia, the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District among them. We have a coastline of over 19,000 miles dotted with accessible beaches, and enough interesting cities and pretty villages to keep everyone happy. Places to stay There is accommodation available to suit every budget and level of comfort, from full-board to self-catering cottages , and city hotels to camping, with everything in between: small hotels, bed and breakfasts, glamping, caravans and campervans. Some places will offer the use of a swimming pool, hot tub or gym, while others have activities. Things to do Many places offer deals that include activities . You can learn a new skill such as painting or cookery, play a sport, or choose a holiday park that has something for the whole family, including a pool and kids’ activities. How about a luxury spa or a yoga retreat? For walkers and hikers, we have a network of signposted routes including coastal paths and along the Thames, for example – 184 miles from London to the Cotswolds, taking in the largest city and the most picturesque countryside. There are London city breaks where you can book a hotel and show together. There are thousands of things to do in the UK’s cities and this is a good time to make the most of them, while they are less busy. And remember, most larger museums and galleries are free. This year will be a celebration of the return to ‘normal’ life, as pubs and restaurants are open again, and many events will go ahead. There are festivals and concerts across the country, featuring music, theatre, dance and more. Getting around The UK is small enough that it’s all relatively accessible. There are self-drive itineraries, or breaks by rail . There are also a number of cruises around UK shores. And if you don’t want to travel, why not stay at home and explore your local area? Whether you’re travelling with family or with friends, you can easily break up according to preference; some may like to spend the day on the beach, while others prefer a wander round an old town. Both can be done at pretty much any seaside town, with dinner at a local country pub in the evening. There is something for everyone.

At the beginning of March 2020 by 18 month old business was finally starting to take off! The many hours of networking, advertising, building websites and social media channels and word of mouth was finally having an effect and I was busier than ever and customers were finding me. I was having fun helping my customers plan and book holidays and I was doing what I love best. Then just a week or so later this virus that had been mentioned for a few weeks now started getting a lot more attention and overnight the world changed. Countries started closing borders. Not allowing people to travel, plans changed. My role changed from booking holidays to cancelling and amending holidays. Back in March 2020 we thought it would likely be over in a month or two and nobody imagined that a year on we would still be in lockdown! The last year has seen me cancel holidays, rebook holidays several times in some cases, arrange refunds, do a few bookings when the world allowed, but learn a new language in relation to covid protocols and how we want to help customers stay safe when travelling. Working in travel has always been interesting and a learning curve as I venture to new destinations and learn new details to pass onto my customers but in the last year it seems like there has been so much more information to absorb in order to be able to assist my customers on the best advice on where to travel, when to travel, what tests are required and what procedures need to be followed. Something that I have welcomed so that I can safely say that I offer my customers the best service that I can. Now a year on we have a road map from the Government on how they plan to open up the world again, so you might say that the end is in sight. But right now whilst I encourage you to discuss your plans I will still execute an amount of caution when booking some destinations. We might be on with the vaccination programme here in the UK but many countries are struggling with this for various reasons. It is going to take a while for every country to re open borders, vaccinate people and decide on what measures they need to have in place to keep everybody safe. So we might be going to Greece, Spain and Cyprus this summer but possibly not to Australia and New Zealand for example. So is travel worth waiting for? Definitely yes. Travel gives you so many different experiences from scenery to relaxation, new experiences and adventure, food and cultural experiences, creating memories and building new friendships. Whether you are planning a staycation locally or further afield in the UK, perhaps looking to get to the northern coast of Scotland. Or do you want to plan a break in Greece or Spain. Or plan a dream getaway for later in the year or 2022. Let me help you with the planning, making sure you have all the information you need and the peace of mind that your holiday and money are fully protected. Let me inspire you with dream destinations. I love talking holidays…. Get in touch today for a chat!

At Brilliant Travel, we know what it means to book a holiday. We know that planning a holiday should fill you with sheer excitement and joy as you count down the days to departure. During 2020, many of us haven’t been able to feel that holiday high due to the pandemic. It’s been a difficult year for everyone but we want to get back to helping you get that just-booked-a-holiday feeling for your next getaway. The world of travel looks a little different right now but we want to make your booking experience as enjoyable as your holiday. That’s why we’ve introduced our new Stress-free Guarantee to make sure that all you need to do is relax, knowing that we’ve taken care of everything for you. Keeping you and your family safe Our top priority is to make sure you and your family feel safe and confident when planning your next holiday; we know that safety abroad is top of your mind too. We only work with the world’s most reputable travel providers which means that you can rest assured that, wherever in the world you travel to, you’re travelling with the very best operators who have the very highest standards. We recognise how important it is to follow Foreign Office advice and we will never ask you to travel against FCDO guidance. If travel advice changes and you are due to travel imminently, you’ll be able to change or cancel your holiday at no additional cost. To give you extra peace of mind when you’re abroad, you’ll also have access to 24/7 support services. Financial protection guaranteed We go the extra mile to make sure that every single Barrhead Travel holiday is completely financially protected. When you pay for your holiday, your money is protected by either the ABTA or ATOL schemes which means that if your holiday cannot go ahead as planned, you are guaranteed to receive a refund. In addition, we take out supplier failure insurances to give you a cast-iron guarantee that your money is protected against failed operators, airlines, cruise lines or hotels - no matter the circumstances. Flexible booking options Now, more than ever, we’re all looking for a little bit of flexibility in our lives and we recognise how important that is when you’re booking a holiday. We’re committed to evolving our offering to help you book with confidence and that’s why we’re introducing even more flexibility for holidays in 2021 and beyond. When you book your Barrhead Travel holiday, you’ll have access to a number of flexible booking options. We’ve been working closely with our travel partners to introduce new cancellation and amendment policies and we’re pleased to let you know that many of the holidays we sell can be changed free of charge up to at least six weeks before departure. In fact, some of our travel providers will even offer free changes up to 48 hours before your holiday starts. Ask our team about flexible booking when enquiring about your holiday.

What do you need to know about

From the 10th July the list of countries that are exempt from the Foreign Office advice of all but essential travel has changed. BUT yes there is a but… many of the countries on the list are not yet allowing tourists to visit, or you need to self isolate on arrival for 14 days. Many countries require you to have a test certificate less than 72 hours old proving that you are Covid Free. Please note that this needs to be a private test as the NHS tests do not provide a certificate. There is also a form that you need to complete before arriving back in the UK. For the full list and more information check out the FCO link https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-countries-and-territories-exempt-from-advice-against-all-but-essential-international-travel Read this first hand review of a customer who flew last week from Gatwick with Easyjet. Check-in: Online as well, completely normal again. Bag drop: Self service bag drop, guided by an interactive screen which prints the baggage tags for you to attach yourself. Masks are to be worn at all times throughout the airport. Staff here seemed a little stressed but only normal with all the new measures in place. All queues are similar to those found outside supermarkets with tape on the floor measuring 2m between each group. One of our bags was flagged for assistance since it was oversized and we had to take it to a desk for oversized luggage on a different floor. This was very simple and there was no queue up there whatsoever. Customs: Quickest customs I have ever been through. 7am is meant to be one of the busiest times of the day in an airport but we were through within 5 minutes. Hand sanitiser is provided at stations around the departure hall and customs. Social distancing markers on the floor are present. All staff wear masks and gloves, all flyers wear masks and gloves are optional. Duty-Free: We didn't shop there but it was empty. Fully staffed but no one was shopping. Departure Lounge: The only shops that were open that we could see were W H Smith's and Boots. All clothing shops and restaurants closed. Normally at Gatwick on the departure boards you could probably see flights taking off 3-4 hours away, we could see tomorrow's flights at the bottom of the board. Plenty of empty seats to sit on allowing for social distancing. Boarding: The first time I took off my mask was when they needed to see my face for passport control, You have to put it back on immediately afterwards. They called 'speedy boarding' tickets up first, followed by 3 rows at a time,starting from the back of the plane to minimise queues and bunching up whilst boarding. Flight: Mask wearing still obligatory. Those who took their mask off were swiftly told by air stewards/stewardesses to put it back on. The flight was probably 1/3 capacity, however there were some groups on the same row from different parties. No in-flight services such as food or shopping magazines. Toilets were operational, but no queues of more than 2 people. When disembarking the plane you must wait for the row in front of you to have left before you stand up to get luggage out of the overhead locker. Passport checks: Small queue but only normal after a flight has just landed. All of it is computer operated if you have the biometric passports like we do. Baggage claim: Works as normal. Hold ups on passport checks and lack of flight passengers made it very easy to claim baggage while maintaining a 2m distance. The experience on holiday will also be different. On board the plane you may be asked not to wipe down the table and seats with anti bac wipes as the flights have been sprayed with a anti viral spray. You may take your own snacks and soft drink but no alcohol. When you arrive in resort things will also be very different. Hotels will ask you to book a specific time for your meals even if you have an all inclusive package. In your room there will be no room service menu’s, mini bars or other paperwork. Instead there will be a laminated card and an opportunity to download the menus. Rooms will only be cleaned if the room is empty and not every day to limit contact. For specific advice on your chosen destination please do give me a call on 01295 231525 or email Catherine.blackburn@brillianttravel.co.uk