Tag: telephone

Getting To The Airport With Children

Getting To The Airport With Children

Generals planning a military campaign against a well-organized enemy may think they have problems with logistics, but they do not have to take their children on airplanes. This is the ultimate test of any military planner. How to get the family from A to B with everyone safe? It all starts so innocently with a question about holidays or a business trip where the family might go along. Then comes the first problem. If this is to be an international trip, are the passports up-to-date with all the children added? Now is the time to learn all about the new rules on photographs — how frequently they have to be updated when children are growing — when the other data may be collected including fingerprints, retinal scans, and so on. Life has become quite complicated since the threat of plane hijacking became more real. Then we get into the age of the children for ticketing purposes. Do they qualify for travel with accompanying parents or will they need separately ticketed seats? You may need to get notarised copies of their birth certificates not only to buy the tickets but also to carry with you when you go through airport security in case any question arises as to their ages. Now where are you going? If there are interesting diseases common in the destination country, you and the children may be required to get immunized. Some countries require proof before you are allowed entry. In others, it is merely a wise precaution. In any event, you should have your doctor examine them before they fly. One of the things to look for is any sign of a cold or stuffed up nose. Because of the changes in pressure during take-off and landing, there can be damage to the ears causing pain and, sometimes, slight deafness for days. Take your doctor’s telephone number with you. If there is an emergency, a quick telephone consult with local doctors can save time in deciding what treatments are safe. Thinking about documentation, if you are traveling as a single parent, you should carry a verifiable form of consent from the other parent. There are cases of abductions and you should aim to avoid suspicion. More importantly, you need to carry a document confirming your sole power to give consent to medical treatment in the country to which you are traveling. Should any child fall ill, there must be no doubt that the single parent can authorize treatment. Travel insurance including cover for all medical costs is also vital. Children are prone to falling sick when it is most inconvenient. Make sure you can cover all costs without having to hit your credit card. So these have been the first steps to get us to the airport. You have your cheap plane tickets. Everyone is ready to go. You have done your online check-in, reserving the seats with the most leg room. Now is the time to set off, not forgetting those cheap airline tickets.

Lost Your Wallet Travelling

Lost Your Wallet Travelling?

Do you know what you carry in your wallet?

If you are like me, then you keep your most documents in your wallet such as money, drivers licence, credit cards, ID cards etc. So, if you loose or have your wallet/bag stolen, then the impact of such a loss is tremendous. Although we don’t like to think of the possibility things do happen which are out our control so it is best to adopt strategies that will minimise the impact of such loss.

The first obvious strategy is to keep the contents of your wallet/bag to the bare minimum. Only carry the amount of money that you plan to use that day with a little extra. If you are travelling in a developing country such as Bolivia where they mainly deal in cash leave your credit cards with your passport. If you do need a credit card then carry one with you and leave the others back at the hotel safe or where ever your passports are being kept.

I am not a believer of having multiple credit cards but for travel it is a good strategy. I strongly recommend you have two different credit cards which allow you draw money out. That way, if you do loose one, then you will still have the other one safe and sound at the hotel. Make sure that for travel purposes that your partners card has a different number that way if one need to cancel one the other is still active.

Please take photocopies (front and back) of all important cards e.g. credit cards, ID cards and any other official documents. Photocopies will provide you with immediate access to those crucial phone numbers on the back of your card as you won’t always be able to find a phonebook.  Further, photocopies of your ID cards will you enable you to exchange money i.e. traveller cheques and get your ID card replaced easier.

Avoid centralising your funds i.e. have a combination of cash and travellers cheques available for emergencies. If you are only taking credit cards then you need to make sure that you have enough money to get you by for approximately two weeks. The reason for such a long period is that in some parts of the world it may take anything up to six weeks for your replacement card to arrive by either the post.  We had ours delivered by courier and that took over two weeks.

Have a phone card or Skype credits available to call overseas so you can get your cards cancelled and re-issued. Although, most of the financial institutions do have a reverse charge number the problem we found was that the telephone operators either did not provide reverse call services or the queues were so long that the line kept dropping out which cost us more money.

Finally and perhaps the most obvious, carry your wallet on the front of our person. I was carrying mine in my back pocket. I think it became dislodged when I was leaning with my posterior on top of a horizontal metal bar while crouching in a crowded bus.

So enjoy your trip and please safe guard yourself from a possible financial disaster when you travel.

Travel Tips

  • Clean out your bag or wallet and only keep the essential.
  • Carry on the money that you require for that day plus a bit extra
  • Only carry your credit card when you need it
  • Have at least two different types of credit cards or credit cards with different numbers
  • Only carry one credit card at a time and leave the other back with your passport (safe)
  • Take photocopies of your cards and documents
  • Have cash and/or travellers cheques for emergencies – you should have at least 2 weeks worth.
  • Have a phone card or Skype credits to make those important calls back home

Guided Bus / Coach Tours in Iceland, – Excursions and Longer Tours

Guided Bus / Coach Tours in Iceland, – Excursions and Longer Tours

If you are a true travel addict, then Greenland must be a destination of lifetime for you. You may try out either the short trips or the longer tour packages for exploring the icy terrains of Greenland.

The shorter visit to the eastern parts of Greenland will provide you definite feels about the culture and people of the land. The modern frame houses and the traces of hunting societies make these tiny tours even more eventful. Approaching the Kulusuk islands by air is a real feast. The views of icebergs brushing the rocky coasts is a must watch for all curious tourists.

For experiencing the best journey, hire ‘Touris’ as your Iceland tour operator, they will arrange you a cozy and comfortable journey from Iceland to Greenland via Reykjavik. Taking out these few hours from the Iceland vacations will add up a lot to your travel experiences from this part of the world. Walk down the lanes of the Kulusuk village, the gorgeous atmosphere will surely make your day.

Try the handmade ornaments created by the village maidens, those are really priceless. This village has only 360 residents, getting to know them is an experience by itself. And if the weather allows you, you can also witness a native ceremony of primitive drum-dance. These incidents will not only make your tour moving, but also make you a more flourished person.

People, who are already in between their tours in Iceland, can also go for the longer excursions to Greenland. There are numerous packages offered based on the number of nights they want to spend in Greenland. The entire area of the Kulusuk Island has some real ecstasies in store for the nature lovers. If you are interested in discovering the core essence of the region, then the longer expeditions are more appropriate for you. ‘Touris’ will help you to get closer to panoramic atmosphere amidst the ice filled oceans of Greenland.

Other than the divine natural pleasures, you will also enjoy the artificial facilities like 24 hours service of telephone, and television in your hotel room. ‘Touris’ will also take care in making the tours interesting for the adventurous breeds. If you are daring enough, then attempt the hikes, sleigh riding across the mountains and glaciers of Greenland. ‘Touris’ has arranged packages involving all the basic needs of tourists. They are by far the preeminent service provider in this industry.