Holiday news
US to charge $14 (£9) for ‘ESTA’ entry
Aug 12th
From the 8th September 2010, the US are charging $14 (approx £9) to enter the country. The fee is to use the compulsory Electronic System for Travel Authorisation, otherwise known as ESTA.
$4 of this is considered an administration fee, whilst the remaining amount is to provide a fund to promote US tourism.
The ‘ESTA’ use has been in place since January 2009, but this is the first time the US has charged to use the compulsory system. Britain are one of 35 nations which are part of the Visa Waiver program which requires visitors to complete the ESTA.
The ESTA is currently free until the 8th of September and lasts for 2 years, so anyone traveling to popular US destinations including New York, Las Vegas and LA or on holidays to Florida should get it before this date before you have to pay!
Portugal’s Algarve is 2010’s cheapest destination
Aug 3rd
Research carried out by Post Office Travel Money using their ‘beach barometer’ to monitor prices across popular European resorts for such things as eating out, water park entrance fees or a simple bucket and spade, show holidays in the Algarve as this years cheapest destination, less than half than the price of the most expensive destination, Sorrento in Italy.
Report highlights include:
- Portugal’s Algarve is this year’s cheapest destination, less than half the price of highest-priced Sorrento in Italy
- Five basic kids’ beach items could add as much as £32 to family costs per child – and parents could pay almost twice as much for the same items in France as in Malta
- Family days out vary enormously in price – water park entry costs twice as much in Cyprus as in Italy
- Family meals have been slashed in Portugal but have risen steeply in Turkey and France and cost three times as much in Italy.
Download the full Family holiday report 2010 from POST OFFICE® TRAVEL SERVICES
Holiday mishaps to avoid
Jul 7th
Once in a while holiday mishaps occur, but travel writer Doug Lanksy has put together a short video with a few moments most travelers would wish to avoid when on their chosen holidays.
Sit back and enjoy, knowing there are better ways to travel………..