If you were “ in the know” you would ask for a sneak look at the under the counter book the travel agents had which had true opinions of resorts and hotels. Other than that, you could only hope the brochures were telling the truth and that the 5 minutes from the beach claim didn’t mean 5 minutes by plane. Or of course, you relied on friends who had been to the resort before.
You started to get really excited when you went to the travel agent to collect your tickets. The big day arrived and you headed off to the airport early to make sure you got seats together, and to get your choice of smoking or non smoking. Inflight entertainment meant reading a good book. Food onboard was inedible (so what’s changed?) You got your photo taken coming off the plane.

Air conditioning in the hotel meant opening the windows. You could never sleep at night as the heat was unbearable. There was one tv in the entire hotel, and everyone packed into the tv lounge when the football was on. There were English newspapers in the resort but they were 2 days old. You had to write what felt like thousands of postcards on day 2 of your holiday for there to be even the slimmest chance of them arriving through the letterboxes within a week of you being home. A call home meant waiting in a long queue in the resort centre.

You absolutely had to get on the plane on the return with a sombrero on and carrying a straw donkey. Your castanets, Spanish doll, sangria and record of Y Viva Espana were safely packed away. The first chance you got after unpacking you rushed down town to put your film spools in to be developed and to find out when next year’s brochures were being published.

I vividly remember my first holiday abroad, when I was 11 years old. We went to the Aqua Azul in Benidorm. We were woken up at dawn everyday by the cock crowing in the farm directly behind the hotel. We couldn’t ever have an early night as we were right next to the open air cinema, which played Oliver on a continual loop for the entire fortnight we were there. I was very sick after eating asparagus for the first time: I had to get stitches in a toe after stepping on a broken tile in the swimming pool and my little sister collapsed on a bus taking us to the weekly market and had to see a doctor. We had a brilliant holiday.

Does any of this bring back similar memories to you? Can you remember holidays in the days before holiday forums and review sites? Was travel more exciting way back then as you ventured into the unknown? Come on – tell us what your memories are: http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/forum/remember-those-first-steps-abroad-t157854.html

This is your chance to win an iPad Mini. Every holiday review submitted to us from 8th January 2013 until the 16th February 2013 will be entered into a prize draw, with one entry drawn at random to win the iPad. It’s that easy, the more reviews you enter the more chance you have of winning. Just write a review of a recent holiday or stay anywhere in the world.

Full details on the rules are below, but please remember you will be notified if you have won via email and if you fail to respond we will have to redraw the prize, so PLEASE keep an eye on your inbox and junk mail folders after the 19th February, we don’t want anyone to miss out on this fantastic bit of kit. Alternatively you can sign up as a member of the forum and we can easily contact you via your account. Sign up for free here.

Competition Rules

1. The holidaytruths.co.uk prize draw is open to all UK residents, except employees of Webdibular Ltd T/A holidaytruths.co.uk (Holiday Truths) or their families. Overseas residents are not eligible.

2. There is one first prize, drawn at random from those participants entering the prize draw, which consists of one 16GB iPad Mini in either Black or White.

3. No purchase necessary to enter the competition. To enter the prize draw the participant has to enter a holiday or hotel review on holidaytruths.co.uk. No automated entries or third party entries are permitted! Any reviews previously submitted to other review sites are also not permitted, please keep them unique.

4. All entries must be received by 23:59 16^th February with the prize draw taking place on the 19^th February 2013.

5. The prize winner will be notified by email and Private Message if they are a forum member immediately after  the draw has taken place and are required to accept their prize by email within 7 days of notification. In the event of non-acceptance within the specified period, we reserve the right to reallocate the prize and award it to the next randomly drawn valid entry (and the same acceptance period, as provided under this condition, will apply). Winner will have their name displayed on website.

7. The prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative.

8. The Judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered in to.

9. These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

Been anywhere this year that you haven’t written a review for yet? Overseas, by the sea or even down the road, we want your reviews.

Here at Holiday Truths we are giving away a Brand New 5^th Generation iPod Touch by Apple’s (PRODUCT) RED.  We will choose one lucky winner to receive the iPod in time for it to arrive with you on the 21^st December 2012. To be in with a chance of winning you just need to write a review of a recent holiday or stay anywhere in the world. We will draw, at random, a winner from all the reviews submitted between December 6^th 2012 and midnight on December 19^th 2012. Already written your review? What about a family member who hasn’t sent one in yet?

What is (PRODUCT) Red? (RED) works with companies like Apple to help fight for an AIDS-free generation by 2015 by creating (PRODUCT) RED merchandise. A percentage of gross profits from the sale of those products goes to the Global Fund to help fund AIDS programmes in Africa.

For more information about the Global Fund and (RED), visit JOINRED.com.

Competition Rules

1. The holidaytruths.co.uk prize draw is open to all UK residents, except employees of Webdibular Ltd T/A holidaytruths.co.uk (Holiday Truths) or their families. Overseas residents are not eligible.

2. There is one first prize, drawn at random from those participants entering the prize draw, which consists of one 32GB iPod Touch (PRODUCT) RED.

3. No purchase necessary to enter the competition. To enter the prize draw the participant has to enter a holiday or hotel review on holidaytruths.co.uk. No automated entries or third party entries are permitted!

4. All entries must be received by 23:59 19^th December 2012 with the prize draw taking place on the 20^th December 2012.

5. The prize winner will be notified by email immediately after  the draw and are required to accept their prize by email within 4 hours of notification (To ensure delivery before Christmas). In the event of non-acceptance within the specified period, we reserve the right to reallocate the prize awarded to the next randomly drawn valid entry (and the same acceptance period, as provided under this condition, will apply). Winner will have their name displayed on website.

7. The prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative.

8. The Judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered in to.

9. These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

Loquax Competitions

Roads are less busy while hotels and restaurants are keen to welcome travellers as families return to the humdrum of their day-to-day lives.

The sun is also still shining, particularly in southern Europe, while the changing colours of autumn leaves make for some spectacular views as you pootle along whichever country road takes your fancy.

Moreover, taking your own car to Europe is a wonderful opportunity to pack as much as you like, ignore the rules and regulations of flying and simply hop on the ferry or the Eurostar and cross the Channel.

However, while we all know the rules are different overseas, trying to find out exactly what is legally required of you can prove difficult.

Nor is ignorance of the law an excuse should you get caught out by the local police, meaning you could end up facing a stiff fine for simply being unprepared.

And many Brits are still unprepared when they go overseas, as a recent survey of 1,000 drivers in Dover heading to Europe undertaken by Halfords has revealed.

As many as six out of 10 drivers heading to France weren’t aware that new laws introduced on July 1 require drivers to have not one but two NF approved breathalysers in their cars at all times.

Failure to do so if you’re a foreign driver will lead to an on-the-spot fine of €11 as of November 1, so be prepared.

French law also requires drivers to keep a warning triangle in their car boot and a fluorescent safety vest in the car itself and failure to do so could result in a €90 fine.

Other points of ignorance exposed by the survey included 20% of Brits not having headlamp converters, which will see a €100 fine levied across Europe, while 74% didn’t realise that if you wear glasses, Spanish laws require a spare pair need to be kept in the car.

A further 12% weren’t displaying a GB sticker which is mandatory across Europe if your number plate doesn’t have a GB Euro symbol on it.

Most worryingly 9% thought alcohol limits would be lower on the Continent when instead the drink drive limit is considerably lower in France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

So it really does pay to be prepared, as well as saving drivers a lot of hassle and potential serious trouble with foreign police.

Fortunately Halfords have a lot more advice on the matter here while the AA also offers a check list of things you need here.

And while you’re taking care of all of this, don’t forget to check with your insurers that you are covered overseas while making sure you have your passport, drivers licence, copies of insurance documents and vehicle registration documents to hand is a sensible idea.

Last but not least do think about getting some overseas breakdown cover which you’ll hopefully not need but can come in handy.

Happy motoring!

The airline has long been considered more friendly than its nearest competitor, Ryanair, and it seems its latest decision to allocate all seats prior to boarding is the next step.

So from November 2012 you will no longer have to face the rush to secure enough seats to allow you and your family or friends to sit together.

The change has come following a trial started in April which saw more than 800,000 passengers fly on 6,000 flights with allocated seating.

The ensuing research revealed 70% of those on the trial preferred allocated seating with a further 60% saying they would be more likely to fly with the airline as a result.

Seats will be allocated at the time of check in and the airline has pledged to seat families and groups travelling on the same booking reference together ‘wherever possible’.

Customers will also be offered the option of reserving seats at a cost with three separate price bands; £12 for front and exit row seats with additional leg room, £8 for seats up front – rows 2-5 on the A319 or rows 2-6 on the A320 – and £3 for any other seat.

If it goes to plan then it should put paid to the regular bun fight that is more commonly known as ‘boarding a no-frills flight’.

But what will be more interesting is seeing whether or not rival airline Ryanair adopts the practice, which seems unlikely given its boss Michael O’Leary’s general contempt for paying passengers.

So what do you think – is this the move we’ve all been waiting for and will it make you more likely to fly easyJet? Tell us what you think.

Whether it was before university, after university, a replacement for university, after a few months doing some terrible job or simply to avoid getting a job, disappearing off to a country where you could live for a day for the price of a meal in the UK was on every 20-something’s mind.

And while travelling might be easier these days thanks to mobile phones and the internet, it pays to be prepared.

Which is why anyone planning a lengthy trip now should get themselves a copy of Plan.Pack.Explore, a travel guide released today by the Foreign Office aimed at helping ensure you are fully prepared.

This 72-page guide is free of charge and is available as an app, online or even as an old-fashioned book complete with paper pages.

Advice covers everything from travel insurance and inoculations to visas and fitting in with local customs and will also reassure anxious parents.

Given the Foreign Office’s own figures reveal that in the last six months as many as one in four 16-24 year olds travelled without insurance and only a quarter made health-related preparations, it’s probably pretty essential.

As Khalida Cox from the Know Before You Go team, which is behind the publication, at the Foreign Office says: “Now that exam results are out and people start considering a gap year, preparation can be daunting for young people and their parents – particularly if it is a trip away without family for the first time.

“Plan.Pack.Explore. helps travellers understand exactly what they need to do before they go away and provides essential information for parents in the run up to the big trip.

“The guide will also be invaluable for those who book last minute travel and need essential travel preparation advice quickly.”

Following analysis of 1,174 flights in September on sale during August, the consumer watchdog Which? has revealed Tuesday is the cheapest day of the week to fly out of the UK, with Thursday the cheapest to return home.

The information was revealed following the analysis of the UK’s three biggest airlines, British Airways, easyJet and RyanAir for flights to Dublin, Barcelona and Alicante.

Facts it turned up include the easyJet flight from Gatwick to Alicante on a Friday is £28, 35%, more expensive than the Tuesday flight.

As far as returning to the UK is concerned, Sunday was found to be the most expensive day to return home with an easyJet flight from Alicante to Gatwick costing 45%, £56, more than on a Thursday.

The research also revealed the cheapest time of day to fly although this chops and changes according to the airline.

Anyone looking to leave the country with BA will find the best prices are on flights departing before 7.30am, whereas easyJet flights departing between 5.45am and 11am are the most expensive.

Of course this information takes no account of the time constraints people face and is completely impractical for anyone booking a weekend city break.

But if you’re planning a longer overseas holiday, then you could do a lot worse than paying attention to the above.

Despite the recession, or because of it, weddings have been one of the few growth sectors in the travel industry over the last few years as they are often a cheaper option, costing an average of £6,585 compared to the UK average of £20,000.

Similarly agents, operators and overseas hotels are all very good at putting together packages to benefit from this lucrative market and will compete to out do one another.

So you can see how the benefits quickly stack up.

This has driven an increase in the market with Mintel reporting one in five British markets now take place overseas.

But on such an important day, you want the reassurance that things will go to plan which is why we at Holiday Truths have had a word with our friends at Thomson and First Choice to get some advice.

As the operators’ wedding manager for Cyprus, the most popular place in the UK for overseas weddings, Jeanette Salmon has seen more weddings than you average vicar.

And here’s her five top tips:

1. Research any paperwork you require to marry abroad and create a check list. Go through it three months before the wedding to give yourself plenty of time for last minute arrangements.

2. Prepare a play list on your iPod for your ceremony and the first dance you have as a married couple.

3. Calling all brides: make sure that your wedding dress is packed in hand luggage rather than the hold to ensure peace of mind.

4. Ensure you contact the resort you are travelling to ahead of your special day to discuss wedding extras or ask any questions.

5. Booking with a certified tour operator or travel agent will help you have a stress free wedding from start to finish. Which is what you want.

Other things worth doing are visiting the wedding venue before the big day with your wedding head on to ensure everything is as imagined.

Also try and make the visit at the time of the wedding, my friend and I did so for his wedding and discovered even at 4pm in the Caribbean the sand was too hot to stand on barefoot and some shade was hastily arranged.

And should Cyprus not take your fancy then do consider other destinations, Salmon reports Thomson’s next busiest destination is Mexico, followed by Rhodes, Italy and Turkey.

A new consultation is seeking to tackle excessive charges in the travel industry, from outlawing 0871-style premium numbers to outlawing opt-out boxes which automatically sign you up to costly ancillary services and products.

And the government is even asking you to get involved, by giving you the chance to give your own feedback on the Consumer Rights Directive by November 1, 2012.

Sadly, the consultation does not cover excessive fees charged by websites for using a credit or debit card to pay, but the government has pledged to tackle this in a separate consultation.

As consumer affairs minister Norman Lamb said: “Many people will have been ripped off at some point by hidden online charges while booking a holiday, premium rate helplines when returning a purchase or disproportionate and often unexpected charges for paying with credit or debit cards.

“The Consumer Rights Directive will put an end to certain bad business practices and help consumers make well-informed decisions when buying products or services.”

To have your say on the consultation, click here.

However, if you’re planning on flying to your destination, there are a number of points you need to be aware of.

First and foremost, always consult your midwife or GP as soon as possible and let them know all the details.

Flying when pregnant is largely safe but guidelines are general and do not take into account individual circumstances, so make sure you do.

The first trimester is not always the best time to fly, due to the increased general risk of miscarriage as well as the nausea and exhaustion many women feel during this period.

However, if you feel okand have got the all clear from a medical expert, you should be fine.

Bigger problems come towards the end of your pregnancy with many airlines refusing to take women from week 36, or week 32 if pregnant with twins or more.

Again, you must find out exactly what your airline’s policy is, especially since after week 28 most airlines require a letter from your midwife or GP confirming that you’re in good health and have a normal pregnancy as well as the expected delivery date.

Indeed, it is worth checking both with the airline and your travel insurance company before booking the flight.

At the same time do consider your destination, whether or not you will need any vaccinations and the implications they might have on your pregnancy.

Some airlines may require further information if your delivery date is less than four weeks after your departure date or if any complications are expected during the delivery.

Once on the flight the usual sensible advice for all travellers of drinking plenty of water, doing calf exercises, not sitting down for too long and wearing loose and comfortable clothing applies.

Do also make sure the seat belt when buckled sits comfortably beneath your bump, rather than over it.

Pregnant travellers facing a long-haul flight may also want to invest in a pair of fitted compression stockings from their local pharmacy which not only helps reduce the risk of blood clots but also reduces leg swelling.

Once you’ve arrived and before getting on with the serious business of relaxation, it is worth finding out how to access local healthcare should you require it as well as ensuring your maternity notes and European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) are safely stored but readily available.

But again, and we really cannot emphasise this enough, you must consult your GP or midwife before you go and it’s probably best to do so while you’re thinking about booking.

After all if you’re introducing the next generation to travel before they’re even born, you want them to have the best experience possible.