Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

As we go into the new year we are going to see rail fares go up by an average of 5.9%, with some commuters even finding their season tickets rising by almost 11%. Chief executive Anthony Smith said they should not have to keep paying for a “fractured, inefficient industry”. Whilst the association of train operating companies (ATOC) claim the increases will help pay for better services.

The average rise for all rail tickets - including unregulated fares such as advance and business tickets - is 5.9%. However, the cost of a Chester-Crewe annual season ticket goes up 10.6%, as does a season ticket for travel between Llandudno and Bangor in Gwynedd and Port Talbot Parkway and Swansea, will increase by 8.7%.

With the price of UK train fares being the most expensive in the EU its hardly surprising the majority of the general public are in uproar at these ridiculous increases. The rises are bad enough for commuters who mostly cannot hope to match the fare rises with comparable salary increases. Yet things could have been even worse, as the Government had originally intended to raise the January 2012 annual increase for regulated fares from RPI inflation plus 1% to RPI plus 3%.

However the Government is apparently still planning to operate a RPI plus 3% formula for January 2013 and January 2014, leaving us hard-up passengers to hope that promises of a reduction in inflation will be fulfilled. There was a similar “reprieve” for London travellers who had faced Tube and bus rises of around 7% from today until an extra £136 million of Government was found to limit the London increases to an average of 5.6%.

Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc), stats money raised through fares helped pay for improved services. “For a number of years, the government has sought to sustain investment in the railways by reducing what taxpayers contribute and increasing the share that is paid for by passengers,” he said. “The focus of the whole industry is to keep on reducing the overall cost of running the railways as a way of limiting future fare rises and providing taxpayers with better value for money.”

Campaign groups and transport unions have bemoaned the 2012 increases which come at a time when rail regulators have warned Network Rail about poor punctuality on some long-distance routes.

Last week, the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) released figures showing that passengers in Europe can pay between three-and-a-half times and nearly 10 times less for their annual season tickets on routes of around 23 miles than their British counterparts. But the Government, train companies and London Mayor Boris Johnson have all stressed that fare rises are necessary to sustain investment in Tube and main line systems that are attracting more and more passengers.

Yesterday saw the launch of the UK’s first mass-produced electric vehicle as the Nissan Leaf, an all-electric family car with the performance of a Ford Focus but a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions was delivered to UK dealerships. The current arrivals were built in Japan but the Nissan factory in Sunderland has won the contract to produce them in Europe from 2013, creating hundreds of jobs in the process.

At £30,990, the Leaf is at the expensive end of the family car budget but that didn’t discourage 600 fans of greener driving from eagerly waiting since last September to take possession of one. Drivers can, however, claim a £5,000 government grant towards the cost. They are also exempt from road tax and congestion charges.

Radio DJ Mark Goodier was one of the first to get his hands on one.  ”The great thing about electric cars is that the fuel distribution is already in place,” he said. “We all have mains electricity at home. We have it at work and councils are already working on how to install thousands of charging points at the roadside. You can see why electric vehicles make such sense, particularly in towns and cities.”

Nissan reckons a full charge will last for about 110 miles, costing about £2 in electricity. That compares with about £12 for 110 miles for a petrol-driven car of a similar size. Even taking into account George Osborne’s budget give-away to “Ford Focus families”, in the form of a 1p cut to fuel duty, switching to an electric car is likely to save the average driver more than £1,500 a year.

A comprehensive charging network is currently underway in the UK, with around 9,000 charge points planned by 2013.Nissan’s network of EV dealers – of which there are currently 26 sites – will be equipped with a quick charger, which will charge the battery from zero to 80% capacity in under 30 minutes.

The government is hoping that there will be a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transport with the wider availability of electric cars. This will be essential in order to meet climate change targets. The government’s climate advisers - the Committee on Climate Change - says the country needs 1.7m of them on the roads by 2020 to help meet the country’s tough carbon targets.

However despite the influx of new cars, 2011 is unlikely to see a dramatic change. Andrew Close, European manager for powertrain forecasts at IHS Global Insight said: “It might be the first year people notice electric cars driving around – normal people rather than G-Wiz owners, but 2011 will not see any breakthrough in volume [of cars on the road], though it will be a considerable jump from before. 2011 is way too early, £5,000 or not – the vehicles are expensive, constrained in supply and there are still too many good [conventional car] alternatives.”

Here are ten of the biggest monuments in the world.

1. Ushiku Daibutsu, Ushiku, Japan

The world tallest freestanding bronze statue stands in Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Built in 1995, it towers 120m, including a 10m high base and 10m high lotus platform.

2. Buddhist statue of Guanyin, Sanya, China

The Buddhist statue of Guanyin in Sanya, Hainan, in the People’s Republic of China, stands 108m above the ground and was completed in May 2005.

3. Yellow Chinese emperors Huangdi and Yandi, China

Towering 103m above the earth, the statues of Yellow Chinese emperors Huangdi and Yandi, are also based in China.

4. Motherland, Kiev, Ukraine

The memorial statue to remember the Great Patriotic War (World War II), the statue of the Motherland in Kiev, Ukraine, stands 62m tall, with a total height of 102m.

5. Statue of Peter I, Moscow, Russia

The statue of Peter I, located on the banks of the Moskva River, Moscow, Russia is one of the tallest monuments in the world.

6. Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, New York

The Statue of Liberty, also known as ‘Liberty Enlightening the World’ was given to the United States in 1886 by France. Standing tall at the mouth of the Hudson River, New York Harbour, the statue has been welcoming incoming immigrants, visitors and returning citizens for over a century.

7. “The Motherland” statue, Volgograd, Russia

Built as a commemorative statue to the Battle of Stalingrad, Yevgeny Vuchetich completed the structure and provided it to Mamayev Kurgan, Volgograd, Russia, in 1967. Weighing in at 7900 tons and 84m tall, it easilly makes it into the top ten.

8. Statue of Lanshan Buddha, Lanshan, China

Another statue of Buddha makes it into the top ten, located near Lanshan, China reaches 71m into the sky.

9. Buddha of Bamyan, Afghanistan

Yet another statue of Buddha makes it into the top ten, but this time located in Bamyan, Afghanistan, it was carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan Valley. It stands 55m tall and was discovered by the Taliban in 2001.

10. Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Europe boasts some of the best cities in the world. With such a wide variation in cultures, languages and religion, it comes as no surprise that 500 million people holiday in Europe every year.

To get the most out of a visit to Europe, it’s important to put together a good plan and decide which cities interest you the most. Here we try to help you with your decision by listing the ten best European cities.

1. Paris

Who will like it?

Artists and art lovers, bohemians, fine diners, romantics.

Which attractions?

Paris is a city for all seasons with something for almost everyone. The Louvre, Eiffel Tower and Moulin Rouge are the top of most peoples’ ‘to see’ list.

2. Barcelona

Who will like it?

Couples, art lovers, foodies, football fans.

Which attractions?

Gaudi’s art appears throughout the city’s architecture. Enjoy Picasso’s art, the beach, port, mountain and vibrant streets; Barcelona certainly caters for everybody.

3. London

Who will like it?

Sightseers, royalty, museum, history and theatre enthusiasts.

Which attractions?

British Museum, London Eye, Tate Modern and Buckingham Palace are just a few of hundreds of things to do.

4. Prague

Who will like it?

History and architecture enthusiasts.

Which attractions?

The ‘city of a hundred spires’ plays host to a beautifully historic ‘old town’ and castle with public access available.

5. Athens

Who will like it?

Archaeology and history enthusiasts.

Which attractions?

World known for the Acropolis, Athens provides a wide range of ancient Greek history and archaeology.

6. Amsterdam

Who will like it?

Young people, cyclists, night-owls.

Which attractions?

Boat rides on the canals and cycling are great ways to see the city. But known for its lively night-life, Amsterdam comes to life when the sun goes down.

7. Istanbul

Who will like it?

Those seeking alternative culture, architecture and cuisine.

Which attractions?

Istanbul provides something completely different to other European cities. Alternative culture and cuisine fill the bustling streets.

8. Venice

Who will like it?

Romantics, art enthusiasts.

Which attractions?

Venice itself acts as a unique attraction, with canals and gondolas providing a great way to see a beautiful city.

9. Budapest

Who will like it?

Couples, romantics, those looking to relax.

Which attractions?

The Danube provides a beautiful meandering centrepiece, dividing Buda and Pest. The hot spa’s in the public baths are a must.

10. Munich

Who will like it?

Beer lovers, skiing enthusiasts, architecture fans.

Which attractions?

Capital of Bavaria, Munich offers beer, skiing, and textbook German architecture.

Job Searching Across The Globe

There is most certainly no rule that states that you have to look for a job in the same old city or town that you have lived in your whole life - by all means there is a wide world out there ready to invite you over…

You can apply for a job in the next city, in the next country or on the other side of the world.  It’s up to you to make the first step.  In a recession you may find that the jobs in your area are totally depleted and there has never been a better time to make the move.

Below are a few tips your should keep in mind when looking or a new job across the country, or abroad, to make the whole process a little easier;

Focus

The world is pretty big - the Internet can help you get a job almost anywhere in the world, but perhaps before you get too deep in a search you should focus your ideas and search to more of a specific place.

To help you trim down your options you should think about the cost of living in different countries and cities, interesting places and places where you have family and friends for example.  These factors will help you make a stronger decision.

Also think about the professional factors involved - which cities have the best prospects, is there any demand, what is the pay like?

Clarity

Be clear to your potential employers about your reasons for wanting to leave your current home town - explain your reasons clearly and honestly as they will most likely be attractive selling points.

Your reasons for leaving might show that you are strong and willing to take risks.

Phone Interview

Be prepared and ready for the possibility of a telephone interview - you probably won’t be able to get out to the new city or country for an interview and so you will have to work even harder over the telephone where you can’t win people over with your winner smile or smart dress sense.

Make sure you conduct the phone interview in a quite place and try and make sure you are relaxed throughout - try not to conduct the interview using your mobile phone as you can never guarantee quality of sound, and when speaking remember to smile as it will come over in your tone.

Flexibility

When looking to take a job in a new city or country you should remember that your best chance of doing so is by remaining flexible - this means you should think about working around your potential employers schedule when it comes to organising telephone calls and remember that you will probably have to pay for your own travel expenses, etc…You will have to be flexible to get what you want.

Moving?

Are you thinking about looking abroad for work?  Perhaps another city?  Let us know…

Holiday Hell?

The summer is here and more and more of us are taking the opportunity to leave our offices and our workloads to hit the beaches across not only the country but the world.

Unfortunately the black cloud hanging over all of our heads while on holiday is the workload waiting on our desks for our return - we all love going on holiday but you can never really switch off because you know it’s going to be a nightmare upon your return.

However, don’t let this stress turn you off holidays altogether - there are a few methods you should think about to make the transition from beach to cubicle a lot easier!

Plan

Not enough can be said for planning - if you can manage to plan before and after you leave for your holiday then the whole thing will run so much smoother.  Make sure to get specific work done before you leave for your trip and guestimate what will be waiting for you upon your return so you won’t be shocked when you arrive.

Work with those around you and you might be able to delegate some of the work you will be missing so you aren’t greeted with a mountain of paperwork on your desk when you get back.  You should also try and get ahead with your work before you leave so that it doesn’t seem like you are just starting from scratch when you get back.

From The Plane To The Office

It is much easier to make sure you give yourself at least a day at home before going back to the office - this is a great way to get back into the mindset of home living and break away from tropical ‘you’ that you met on the beach.

Use the time to unpack, feel comfortable at home again, catch up on any jet-lag and missed sleep, catch up on emails and give yourself a good home cooked meal if you’ve been eating out a lot recently.

Refresh Yourself

You may have lost touch with the work that you were doing before you left - a good idea is to spend the first couple of hours back in the office reading through the work to make sure you are back in the know about the work.

If possible have meetings with team mates to make sure you are fully sub-merged into the work and you are in the right mind set.  Once you are clued up once again you can then spend some time prioritising work and focusing on the more important work that requires your attention.  The key is to find your way around the office again slowly but surely.

Not Looking Forward To Coming Back?

Are you going on holiday this summer?  Do you struggle with relaxing because you’re worried about going back to the office?  Leave us a comment and let us know…

Things to know before travelling abroad…

We all love to travel abroad whether it is to Greece, Dubai or the United States – wherever we go, however, we need to know a few things before we step on to the plane.

•    Travel Advice – Get as much travel advice as possible.  There’s a lot of free travel advice available to you which you can get your hands on easily, whether through websites or travel agents for example.  Sign up for free newsletters and keep in the know about where you’re going to go.

•    Travel Insurance – If you find yourself falling ill on a beach in America and you don’t have any travel insurance then you’re going to be in a really sticky situation.  Get hold of some travel insurance if only for the peace of mind at least.

•    Understand the Law of the Land – Laws are different in each country…some country’s laws differ greatly compared to others so it is vital to understand exactly what you are going into.  You could do something that you don’t even know is illegal but in another country you could be in serious trouble.

•    Visas – Do you need a visa where you’re going?  Do the research and don’t get caught out when you arrive at the airport in the country.  The earlier you find out, the faster you can get it sorted out but keep in mind that just because you have a visa doesn’t necessarily mean you will be allowed in the country.

•    Copies of Everything – Make copies of your passport, visa, insurance policy, traveller’s cheques and credit card numbers in case the worst happens.  Leave one copy of everything with someone trustworthy at home so they are always available and carry the second copy in separate place to the originals.

•    Get Jabbed Up – Check with health professionals to make sure that you have all the injections that you would need to visit whichever countries you are going to.  You will be surprised what you can pick up in different countries and you can very often protect yourself with a simple injection.

•    Valid Passport – Make sure that your passport is valid and has at least six months left of validity on it otherwise you could find that you have problems when trying to travel.

•    Copy of Itinerary – Make a copy of your plans and leave it with someone trustworthy at home who you are in regular contact with – you don’t want to be stuck in a foreign country, lost and without the possibility of contacting friends and family at home…copying your itinerary will provide you with a little peace of mind.

Remember to be well prepared and understand every possible issue that could happen when travelling abroad!  Be prepared…

What about you?

Did you find our advice useful?  Are you planning a trip and have used some of our tips?  Do you disagree with our advice?  Leave us a comment and let us know what you think…

Be safe…no laughing!

We all know that we have to strap ourselves in when driving.  We can’t eat or drink when driving, no chance of using a phone and if you want to read a book behind the wheel then you might as well drive straight to the jail cell – but one motorist was pulled over in Liverpool for LAUGHING?

The motorist was shown the flashing blue and red lights, pulled over and questioned by police officers for driving under the influence of laughter.

The driver in question was Gary Saunders who was chatting to his brother-in-law over a hands-free mobile phone when he was told a joke and broke out in hysterics.

That’s a crime apparently…

Little did he know that the police that were on his tail were offended by the jovial spirits of the man and signalled him to pull over to the side of the road for a questioning session.

When he pulled over the policeman approached Mr Saunders and actually said “laughing while driving a car can be an offence.”

Mr Saunders was questioned for around half an hour which was a bit of problem for the company director of Spontex Workwear as he claimed that due to the questioning he missed an important appointment.

Mr Saunders was asked to show his license and other documents at a police station – all for laughing whilst driving…

“I couldn’t believe it when he told me I’d been pulled over for laughing.  I was driving very safely in the Birkenhead Tunnel and took a call,” clamed Mr Saunders.

“He said something funny and I was laughing - simple as that. I never took my eyes off the road and was in full control of the car.

“I definitely wasn’t speeding so I asked what the problem was and he told me I was laughing too much.”

No record – waste of time…

However, the incident wasn’t taken to be too serious by the police officer as Supt Kevin Hagger of the Mersey Tunnels Police has said, “There is no record of the incident in the system so it seems the gentleman was just spoken to by the officer and the matter not taken any further.”

However, Mr Saunders won’t be forgetting the incident too quickly as according to him it went from weird to surreal in an instant.

“The officer accused me of throwing my head back in a dangerous way, which I denied since it is definitely not something I do.

“It went from ludicrous to unbelievable. He definitely had a bee in his bonnet about something and I got the brunt of it.  In the end he reluctantly admitted that he had nothing he could accuse me of, but still required me to take my documents to the station.”

Should we be buying electric cars?

The car industry isn’t exactly having a fun time as the Government ploughs more and more money into the sinking ship – less people are wanting to buy thousands of pounds worth of automobile and as a result car companies are giving away two for one offers on their motors.  But is it time we should be switching to electric cars?

Obviously it’s not something that could be done tomorrow but there are a few reasons why you might think it’s time to leave the petrol under the ground and change to electricity to power our cars…

•    No Air Pollution – Surely that’s a winning reason if ever we heard one.  We want to stay on this world for more than another generation or two, but if we carry on ruining the planet then we’re not going to be able to enjoy our green and blue buddy for much longer.

Electric cars are an obvious way of clearing up the polluted air that we are constantly breathing in to our tired, old, tarred lungs – studies have shown that you could charge millions of electric cars overnight using existing surplus electrical generation.

•    Fuel for thought – The planet is running out of gasoline for cars and as we are aware electric cars don’t run on fuel – they run on electricity.  By using electric cars we will be avoiding depleting our planet’s gasoline deposits.

•    Saving you those precious pennies – It’s like telling a smoker that they could save a fiver everyday if they gave up smoking but switching from petrol cars to electric cars could save you an absolute fortune!

Running an electric car only costs a small fraction of the amount of money it costs to fill up a petrol or diesel car.

You will also be saving a few pennies at the garage as well as electric cars have fewer moving parts and therefore have fewer things that could cause problems.

•    It’s getting hot in here – Global warming is no laughing matter.  The o-zone layer is become more depleted month by month, the climate is changing and the globe is warming up and carbon emissions from cars are hardly helping to slow that change down.

Electric cars cut down on CO2 emissions by a staggering amount when compared to combustion cars as we all know…so they obviously make sense when you look at which wins against the fight to protect the planet.

It’s a very touchy subject, obviously, as there is so much money floating about the combustion car industry, whether it is involved with the fuel for the cars or selling them there’s a lot of money involved.

And you?

But what do you think – do these reasons make you think that we should take this opportunity to swap combustion cars for electric cars or do you think even the thought is to ridiculous to comprehend?

Mirror, signal, position…

Most of us pass our driving tests after the first few goes at the most.  However, what do you do when you have just failed for the 771st time?  Maybe get the hint?

A 68-year-old woman in South Korea has indeed taken the driving test 771 times and apparently she is nowhere near giving up just yet.

Although, the story doesn’t pan out exactly as you would expect.  In this country we get the opportunity to take the test after about a few weeks wait due to the high number of learner drivers, however, the woman was able to take the test almost every working day since 2005.

30-50 per cent…

Even more ridiculous is how she is failing the test.  Apparently she stumbles on the written aspect of the test, where she is averaging a score between 30 and 50 per cent, although the pass rate is 60 per cent.

The woman, only known as Cha, failed her latest test this week and the plans are already set for her to take the test for the 772nd time.

Cha currently delivers groceries door-to-door around her home city of Jeonju, and it is said that she could use a car to help her business.

4 million Won.

According to the police in Jeonju, Cha has up until now spent 4 million Won (£2,000) on the tests and has won over the hearts of the police officers that know her story.

According to Park Jung-Seok, a traffic police officer in Cha’s area, “I feel sorry every time I see Cha fail. When she passes, I’ll make a commemorative tablet myself and give it to her.”

Maybe she would appreciate a crib sheet in the mean time and maybe a helping hand in the actual exam.

Don’t even mention the practical test.

Apparently once she passes the theory test, costing her 6,000 Won a go, she will then be able to move on to the practical test.

According to the Driver’s License Agency in Jeonju, Cha has now broken the record for the amount of tests taken by a single person, although that little record will be little reward as all she wants is to pass her test.

Try a bit of technology.

We here in Britain don’t seem to have these issues due to all the literature, DVDs and technology surrounding the subject.  Even the Nintendo DS has recently announced that there is a game in the “brain-training” style that helps the user to gain a strong grasp of the Driving Theory Test.

Maybe we should all chip in a penny and buy her a DS and the Theory game and she might eventually get 60 per cent…but then there’s the practical test.