If you are going to Europe on your holidays this year then remember that all holders of British passports are entitled to free health care in other European countries using the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) provided by the Department of Health (www.dh.gov.uk).

This will cover you for any state provided medical treatment you need during your trip in Europe , through either accident or illness, and once you have received your card it is normally valid for 3-5 years, so can be used again and again.

Please bear in mind that this type of insurance will not cover you completely for every single kind of treatment you may require, and you may need to make a contribution to the costs of your care in some cases, so it can be a good idea to supplement this cover with some private travel insurance.  Also the EHIC will not cover you for free treatment abroad if this is the main reason for your trip.

Travelling with young children can be very stressful as any parent will know, and children can be inclined to be fussy and fretful when outside of their normal routine and bored and restless on long journeys, so here are a few ways you can help make the experience more pleasant for everyone:

• Keep It Simple – try to keep your travelling plans as simple as possible to reduce the duration of the journey, and book direct flights and avoid any transfers where you may have to spend hours waiting around at airports.  Also if you are going on a long flight or train journey book it overnight, and then your children will be able to spend most of the journey asleep, which will make it easier on both them and you.
• Pack Some Snacks – pack some basic snacks such as bananas, raisins, crackers and small boxes of cereal (and the occasional packet of sweeties), as it can be a long wait between meals whilst you are travelling, and also pack plenty of drinks to keep everyone hydrated.

If you are worried about your carbon footprint then you may be concerned about travelling on holiday, and what carbon emissions this will contribute to the atmosphere.

Unfortunately although plane journeys are the quickest and cheapest way to travel long distances abroad they do have the highest carbon footprint, but there are a few ways you can help to offset this, and still allow you to enjoy the benefits of affordable travel:

• Carbon Neutral – this website helps you to calculate your carbon footprint, and offset it by buying goods that contribute to projects that aim to reduce and soak up carbon emissions such as tree planting and green energy research and development.
• Climate Care – this website will also help you to offset your carbon footprint by providing a number of projects you can contribute to that help to address the balance of emissions such as rainforest management and funding for low energy light bulbs in developing countries.

Festivals can be very exciting and often bring out the very best in area they are held in, creating a great party atmosphere that can really liven up your trip.  However festival times will also be very busy, so make sure you plan carefully to make sure your trip is as enjoyable and successful as possible.

Tickets

Some music and arts festivals may be for ticket holders only, so make sure you book and pay for these as soon as possible before they run out, otherwise you could miss out completely or end up paying twice as much to get them from ticket scouts.

Flights

Don’t wait for last minute deals and book your flights well in advance.  If you leave it too late you may not be able to get a flight at all, especially if you are travelling in a large group.

Accommodation

This will be another area that can get booked up very quickly during festival time so make sure you book this in advance too, and don’t just assume you will be able to find somewhere to stay once you have arrived.

Packing

Make sure you have packed for the occasion, and if the climate is very hot take plenty of sunscreen and a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses so that you can protect yourself from the sun when out and about all day.

Hello Guys

Welcome To Trip Travel Blog. I am excited to launch my first blog on Trips, vacation and travel as I am a big travel freak and had travelled a lot to various parts of the world.

I will post some travel guide, pics, favorite destinations and so on. So keep watching this space