I am a regular subscriber of Travel Rants – a blog by Darren Cronian who writes and “rants” about the problems that consumers face with travel.

His views on travel issues always spark debate and as such he has become a commentator for the media – having appeared on the BBC’s Rip Off Britain and been quoted in several national newspaper articles.

Where am I going with this you may ask? Well, Travel Rants has produced a series of travel guides which I would recommend anyone booking or going on a holiday to check out. They are all based on queries Darren has received from the general public and provide some really useful advice.

His guides cover:

- Driving abroad advice and car hire tips

- How to protect your holiday

- How to make a travel complaint

- Travel tips for solo travellers

- Skiing holiday tips and ski safety advice

There are plenty more on the site, so if you have a spare five minutes I would don the reading glasses and have a butcher.

(Source: dreamstreetmarketingblog.com)

Check Safety First has been trying to educate people on the importance of holiday health and safety for over 20 years, but it doesn’t appear to be sinking in. According to research by Bupa Travel, the biggest holiday worry for people is losing their luggage. Contracting an illness only came fourth:

1. Your airline losing your luggage

2. Losing your wallet or purse

3. Being robbed

4. Becoming ill

5. Poor hotels

6. Terrorist attacks

7. Getting injured

8. Having to be treated at a foreign hospital

9. Bad weather

10. Not being able to speak the local language

I can’t believe that people value their possessions over their own wellbeing. The fact is that people are more likely to become ill or pick up an injury on holiday than they are to lose a suitcase, wallet or purse. Contracting food poisoning can ruin the whole holiday, whereas losing a bag can only spoil a couple of days.

People have to be more aware of the potential problems that can arise on holiday, such as food poisoning. Given the choice, I’d take losing my luggage over getting ill and having my holiday spoilt any day.

(Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com)

The après-ski is a massive part of any winter holiday, with off-piste activities taken as seriously, if not more so, than the actual skiing. Being an avid skier, I was not shocked to read an article in the Daily Mail discussing the extent of the drinking culture in resorts across Europe.

The Foreign Office is trying to get the message across that alcohol can affect you more at high altitude and limit your awareness of danger and the cold. A recent study shows that every year, a third of British skiers and snowboarders aged under 25 are involved in accidents involving alcohol. 

I’m not sure whether the blame lies with the holidaymaker or the bars selling booze specifically for customers to neck before skiing back to their chalets. Skiing can be dangerous enough when sober, but combining it with destructive sounding cocktails, such as the Jagerbomb or the Grenade, is surely a recipe for disaster.

At a bar in Italy, drunken customers at end of the night are given torches to attach to their heads as they ski down the mountain. A British tour operator referred to in the article said that after taking customers to this bar, he prayed that they returned in one piece. 

And if a hangover isn’t bad enough, heavy alcohol consumption can lead to effects similar to food poisoning, such as diarrhoea – which is never a nice experience, particularly if you are caught on a ski run! It is important to know exactly what you are drinking and your limits, so that you don’t ruin your holiday.

I have been a skier for 25 years and probably did drink too much when I was younger, when the mountains were less crowded and more sedate, but alcohol intake and skiing in today’s crowded resorts is not a good idea. I urge anyone planning a ski holiday to enjoy the après-ski responsibly and make sure the skis are off before attempting to stagger home.

Steve Tate

Reading the Times online at the weekend, I saw a piece discussing how British travellers are avoiding Spain because it isn’t ‘foreign’ enough.

I am flabbergasted, never have I heard something so ridiculous.

Spain is a massively diverse country with a rich culture, but is all too often tarnished with the Benidorm stereotype. Yes, there are areas of the country like Benidorm, which are filled with British bars and cafes, but that is because that is what visitors to that part of Spain want. Travel to the north of the country and you will be greeted with beautiful villages and amazing landscapes.

What also really got my goat with the article is that apparently the US has taken over as a popular choice for us Brits. Well if Spain isn’t blooming ‘foreign’ enough for you, then why are you opting for the land of the theme parks instead?

Last month you got an insight into our CEO, Mr Harrington, so it is only right that you get introduced to Check Safety First’s other head-honcho… Steve Tate:

Name: Stephen (Steve) Tate

Role at Check Safety First: Chairman

Sum yourself up in ten words or less: Honest, good fun, with a strong sense of right and wrong. Oh and I can be dogmatic. I should also put down bad at maths, because I have gone way over ten words!

What one thing couldn’t you live without? 

Apart from my daughter, Isabel, I would have to choose skiing. But red wine comes a pretty close second.

Favourite desert island disk? 

Dreadlock Holiday by 10CC – it has to be reggae for a desert island.

Favourite holiday destination? 

Interlaken in Switzerland. It doesn’t matter if it is in the summer or the winter, I just love the place.

Best holiday memory? 

Driving with a girlfriend from London to Costa del Sol in 1989. We did the journey in one go – only stopping for fuel – and it took 27 hours (Spain had no motorways at the time). We arrived at a friend’s villa, absolutely shattered. The villa had a resident maid who looked after us for the next 10 days – pure bliss.

Then we drove from there to Frejus in the South of France, again in one long drive, and had a week of not so glamorous camping. We spent two days in Paris on the way back.

Holiday nightmare? 

In 1982 I rode my motorbike all over Europe which took four months over the course of a summer – an amazing experience, would recommend it to everyone.

However, somehow I got into Yugoslavia without a visa. All the road signs were in Serbo-Croat and I couldn’t understand a thing. Eventually I found the coast and a great camp site, but after three days I got really sick – high fever, vomiting, delirium, the lot!

As I was in Yugoslavia illegally, I made the choice to try to ride back to Austria in case I needed medical help. The worst ride of my life! I eventually arrived in Austria went straight to bed and slept for 18 hours straight.

Favourite type of holiday?

I am a massive fan of skiing and activity holidays. In fact, I am planning a cycling holiday from the north to south of Spain, which is around 1,000kms.

Source: The Sun

Oscar fever has swept the Check Safety First team and everyone is discussing their favourite films. My personal favourite is Withnail and I, a film that never fails to make me laugh with their revolting dwellings reminding me of my life as a student.

Browsing through The Sun travel pages, I found a list of top holiday suggestions inspired by this year’s Best Picture nominations which movie lovers may want to check out – I have included some interesting facts about each location:

- New Zealand was the location for James Cameron’s sci-fi hit, Avatar: It is also the location for other blockbuster movies, such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong.

- The Elbe Sandstone Mountains where Inglorious Basterds was filmed: Follow in Brad Pitt’s footsteps along hiking routes that wind though the German forestry.

- Venezuela from the Disney Pixar film, Up: One of the only countries where you can find snow-capped peaks, Amazonian jungle and stretches of sandy beaches.

- South Africa, the setting for District 9: The World Cup 2010 is the biggest event in South Africa this year, but Johannesburg was also the destination for this sci-fi hit movie.

- Oxford was the location for much of the film, An Education: Not only the setting for Lynne Barber’s autobiographical tale, but also the home to over 20,000 students.

- Las Vegas was a glitzy location for George Clooney’s film, Up in the Air: The gambling capital of the world, where one Las Vegas gambler is rumoured to have lost $127 million in one year.

- Jordan, where war epic, The Hurt Locker was filmed: The capital, Amman, features bustling markets selling everything from traditional carpets to smoky spices.

- Atlanta was the base for The Blind Side starring Sandra Bullock: It is also the birthplace of Martin Luther King and the home of Coca-Cola.

- Minneapolis, the setting for The Serious Man: The American Mid-West is home to 10,000 beautiful lakes and spectacular scenery.

(Source: http://images.easyart.com)

Most of the talk today in Check Safety First HQ is around Valentine’s Day. Women speculating over what romantic act their other half is planning or how many cards they will receive, and men, including myself, wondering what all the fuss is about – there’s another three days to get something arranged and the local garage is open on Sunday, right?

I have to admit I am suffering from Valentine overload, which isn’t helped with all the newspapers being filled with gift guides on the perfect present to buy your loved one. So you can imagine my shock, and partial delight, when I found an article in The Independent which offered an alternative take on relationships: the top ten reasons for getting dumped when on holiday

1. Ogling other people at the beach
2. Inappropriate holiday wear
3. Being tight with money
4. Getting too drunk
5. Being rude towards other holidaymakers
6. Not wanting to do anything and staying in the holiday complex the whole time
7. Not sampling the local delicacies
8. Moaning about being too hot
9. Being rude to staff and local people
10. Going out on excursions alone, without your partner

It would seem this happens more often than you might think. Apparently 25 per cent of couples break up on or after their first holiday together. So, it’s definitely worth thinking long and hard about where you are going and what you plan to do when you go on holiday with your partner, if you value your relationship.

Having just read this entry back, it has occurred to me that I may come across as if I am completely against romance and Valentine’s Day. This is not the case – I have a wife who I love dearly and will no doubt spoil rotten on Sunday – but, why do we need a day to tell the one we love how much we care?

(Source: www.timesonline.co.uk)

It seems that the British public are so fed up with the freezing weather that they are escaping to sunnier climes.  Research from The Co-operative Travel Company shows that there has been a rapid rise in sales of summer holidays after the chaotic January weather.

Following Britain’s coldest spell in 13 years, the travel agency has seen a 20 per cent increase in both high street and online holiday bookings. Top of the list for summer destinations are Turkey and Egypt, which are offering great value for money with the exchange rate of the euro putting people off other traditional bucket and spade resorts.

If you’re one of the many that have booked to go to Turkey, I would recommend visiting the city of Istanbul – it has been voted one of 2010’s European Capitals of Culture, after all. Alternatively, if Egypt is more your flavour it offers some of the best diving hotspots (no pun intended) in the world. And let’s not forget the impressive pyramids and the Sphinx.

It is that time of year again, when people begin planning their summer holiday. And when you’ve booked your break, what is the first thing you tell people after where and when you are going? What type of accommodation you’re staying in – “I’m going to Turkey in July and we’re staying in a five star all inclusive resort.” But in reality what do those five little stars actually mean?

Well, according to our research over 50 per cent of you don’t actually know. Many believe that it is the benchmark for accommodation quality. But how can it assess quality when it doesn’t even look at health and safety? In reality, all the star system covers is the facility of the hotel/resort not the standard of it – does it have a swimming pool? How many restaurant does it have? Is there a trouser press in the room? Not, is the swimming pool properly cleaned and maintained? Is the food being served riddled with Salmonella? Are a family of cockroaches calling your hotel room home?

The grim truth is that simply choosing a five star hotel is not enough to ensure your family’s health and safety when on holiday. In fact, in our experience we have found that safety standards in three star establishments can be just as good, if not better in some circumstances, than their top rated counterparts.

It is vital that travellers do their research – speak with travel agents and tour operators, use word of mouth recommendations from friends and carry out internet searches – to ensure they stay in accommodation that has been recognised for its health and safety standards not just its facilities.

(Source:  www.teamsugar.com)

Unfortunately it looks like another celebrity has come down with food poisoning, this time model Jodie Kidd was taken to a Nepalese hospital with stomach cramps shortly after filming a BBC documentary.

Those of us who travel to countries like Nepal shouldn’t forget that standards of hygiene are generally low and the risk of food contamination is extremely high, mostly due to the sheer volume of water-borne viruses.

So, I’ve compiled some top tips for those of you thinking of travelling to Nepal in the near future:

1- Research what vaccinations you need and make sure you have them.
2- Don’t drink tap water or use it to clean your teeth.
3- Avoid eating food from street sellers as it’s probably not been prepared with treated water.
4- Nepal boasts a number of tempting Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Nepalese food outlets, just make sure the one you choose to eat at is clean and avoid peeled fruits.
5- Finally, should you need to see a doctor, medical facilities are limited and probably expensive, so make sure you take out sufficient travel insurance.

Both Jodie’s and Chipmunk’s cases of food poisoning just show that anyone, regardless of their celeb status and what country they’re staying in, can be susceptible to food poisoning if they’re not sensible about what they eat.

Jodie – we wish you a speedy recovery.