Travel Insurance Guides: April 2015

Wednesday, 29 April 2015

Trip Cancellation and/or Interruption Insurance

Our thoughts and prayers are with those who suffer from the erthquake in Nepal.

One of the things we can do as an insurance broker is to improve people's awareness of travel insurance.

"Trip Cancellation and/or Interruption Insurance" cover many new and unforeseen risks, such as traveler's health issue, legal duty and external events including natural disasters. Insured risks are different in each plan. Please read policy's benefits and exclusions. Any questions? Contact us info@biis.ca.

Finally, before taking out any insurance, please make sure to register with "Canadians Abroad". This is a free service offered by Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada(DFATD) that keeps you connected to Canada in case of an emergency. The service is intended for Canadian citizens. If you're not Canadian citizen, please contact your country's nearest consular office to check if they have a similar registration system.

Saturday, 25 April 2015

Cardigan Castle - A Restored Piece Of History

This Month one of our oldest castles will be re-opened to the public after a huge restoration programme.

Built in the early 12th Century, it hosted the first ever Eisteddfod of Welsh literature and music in 1176 but was closed in the late 1990's and the future looked grim.

Overlooking The Teifi, the 900 year old castle is an imposing sight and after its £12 million pound restoration it's set to be a "high end heritage attraction" according to Cris Tomos, director of the Castle.

It now has several restored gardens, an orchard, a space for live music and shows and the ubiquitous Visitor Centre. There is also a B&B and Self-Catering Cottage if you want to stay really close by and savour the "feel" of this wonderful medieval castle, but if you're near by, it's definitely worth taking a trip and walk into living history - you'll love it....

Friday, 24 April 2015

Travel Information for Canadians

Have you booked your summer vacation yet? Here are some links for trouble-free travel. Bon voyage!

Advice about Travel Insurance

Source: Bridges International Insurance Services(BIIS)
http://www.biis.ca/
info@biis.ca

Saturday, 18 April 2015

Lisbon

I was fortunate enough to find myself in the pretty City of Lisbon last December. A full moon, a mild, quiet evening and music and Christmas everywhere, we only spent a few hours in the City, but were so impressed we would recommend it to anyone.

Why go?

For the simple charm and maritime magic of a vintage-era Southern European capital.

In the summer months, Lisbon swelters under a cerulean blue dome. ‘A praia’ (to the beach) sings out from the city’s sun-kissed, begonia blossomed streets as surf boards are stacked on top of cars and everyone makes for the beachy ‘burbs of Cascais and Estoril – 20 minutes drive from the city-centre. The aim being to cool off in the frosty Atlantic, get some sand between their toes, and tuck into the seaside classic of a plate of garlicky ameijoas (clams) washed down with a tumbler of brain-freeze cold lager.

Set against the ever-present backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean, this dainty sun-kissed city lives in a Latin fairytale of timeworn manners and traditions.

Just check out the century-old wooden trams and iron funiculars that still lurch and rumble their way among the seven steep hills over which this city lies. Or witness the best of this bygone heritage by wandering through the Baixa district, where age-old herbalists, haberdashers and tailors rub shoulders in the baroque streets of the ornate city centre.

Meander up one of Lisbon’s loftiest hills to the Moorish Alfama neighbourhood, where sunset-amber walls and dusty lanes orbit the Arabic-cum-medieval castle that looms, omnipresent, over the terracotta rooftops of the city below. At the imperial Belém waterfront, Portugal’s “Age of Discoveries” is celebrated in the form of a lavish monastery and dazzling river-facing statues, built with the coin of one of the most ostentatious colonial empires in history.

For Lisboetas (natives of Lisbon) today, excess is largely channelled into nocturnal activities, making the city a libertine’s dream. A night on the (azulejo) tiles always starts in the bar-filled cobbled lanes of boho Bairro Alto. It inevitably peaks to the dawn chorus of Euro house on the sundeck of one of the city’s immense river-facing warehouse clubs. Should sore heads make sightseeing a chore, skip it and laze away the day on the nearby Atlantic-battered beaches. Just 30 minutes drive from the city centre, wild stretches such as Guincho, Adraga and Grande curl out around the surrounding coast, making Lisbon one of the best city/beach-combo destinations in Europe.

When to go

Rarely too hot or cold, Lisbon is a year-round destination. The first buds of spring usually appear around late February while the last puffs of the Sahara-warmed winds keep the mercury high well into November. Much of the city shuts down in August, when many restaurants and bars close and locals escape the steamy city for the cooler Atlantic shores.

Know before you go

Essential contacts

British Embassy: 00 351 21 392 4000; Rua de São Bernardo 33. Open Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm and 2.30pm-5.30pm

Emergency services: dial 112

Lisbon Tourist Office: 00 351 21 031 2819; visitlisboa.com, Praça do Comércio.

In the summer months, everyone makes for the beachy ‘burbs of Cascais and Estoril.

The basics

Currency: Euro.

Telephone code: dial 00 351 for Portugal, then 21 for Lisbon, when telephoning from the UK

Time difference: None.
Flight time: London to Lisbon is just over two hours.

Local laws and etiquette

If driving, you must have a fluorescent bib in the car. It’s to be put on should you break down on a busy road and need to be visible to other motorists – and it’s a legal requirement.

For Travel Insurance quotes click HERE

Saturday, 11 April 2015

Best Places To Visit In England - Part One

As the Summer Holidays approach, we advocate the pleasures of staying in the UK and so post in a few parts the recent piece from The Telegraph - there are so many places to visit....

Visitors flock to Yorkshire because there is no place on earth like God’s Own County. It considers its food and drink reputation as now the best in Britain. Yorkshire boasts more Michelin-starred restaurants than anywhere else in the country (apart from the clogged streets of London and who wants to go there?). The sheer beauty of the county, sometimes as unexpected as a dilapidated mill chimney stabbing up through a leaden sky, has inspired generations of painters: from John Atkinson Grimshaw’s moonscapes to the Victorian artists of the Staithes Group to David Hockney’s Yorkshire Wolds.

The only downside for visitors is the secret is out. Some 40 million visitors now travel here every year for heritage-related tourism alone. Good job its grand old cities and sweeping moors and Dales are large enough to soak them all up.

^{Yorkshire's landscapes have inspired generations of painters.}

Bath

With sweeping, honey-stone Georgian crescents and terraces spread over a green and hilly bowl, Bath is a strong contender for England’s most beautiful small city. It has a fascinating and easily accessible history, from the Roman Baths to the life and times of one-time resident Jane Austen. Interesting, digestible galleries and museums – including the recently revamped Holburne and One Royal Crescent – are many and varied, while shopping is also a major draw. Bath’s Achilles heel used to be used to be a surprising dearth of good, affordable places to eat. But that is no longer the case. The foodie transformation of a number of the city’s pubs over the past decade has been the most significant improvement.

^{Bath is a strong contender for England's most beautiful small city.}

Cotswolds

The glorious, honey-coloured towns and villages of the Cotswolds look as if they have strayed into the 21st century from another era. The area is characterised by gentle dynamism, with lively galleries, vibrant festivals and a liberal endowment of intriguing museums. Covering nearly 800 square miles across five counties (Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire), this region of “wolds”, or rolling hills, is the biggest of the 38 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in England and Wales.

Every season has intrinsic appeal. Crowd-free winters are ideal for bracing walks, fire-side pub sessions – and lower hotel prices.Come in spring to see lambs and wild daffodils. Visit in summer (inevitably with many others) for magical light, particularly in the long evenings. Or make an autumn excursion for a quieter atmosphere and wonderful leaf colour, especially at the two great arboreta, Westonbirt and Batsford.

^{The Cotswolds covers nearly 800 square miles across five counties.}

Saturday, 4 April 2015

The Cheapest European Breaks

Vilnius

The Lithuanian capital came top in Post Office Travel Money’s City Costs Barometer, which covers 26 European cities. The average cost of a weekend break here totalled just £100.04 – less than half the calculated cost of a stay in Paris (£262.39) or Rome (£276.83).

The most expensive Eurozone city was Amsterdam at £288.66, while Stockholm was found to be the continent’s most expensive city overall, with an average cost of £311.01.

The Barometer based its findings on the price of two nights’ three-star accommodation, airport transfers, a three-course evening meal for two with wine, drinks, sightseeing, and transport in the city.

Six of the 10 cheapest destinations were in Eastern Europe, with Riga offering the cheapest accommodation, at £36, coming third for overall cost. The most expensive, in Amsterdam, was £174.

The most expensive Eurozone city was Amsterdam at £288.66, while Stockholm was found to be the continent’s most expensive city overall, with an average cost of £311.01.

Six of the 10 cheapest destinations were in Eastern Europe, with Riga offering the cheapest accommodation, at £36, coming third for overall cost. The most expensive, in Amsterdam, was £174

Prague, in seventh place overall, remains cheapest for dining out. Visitors can expect to pay £23.94 for a three-course meal for two with wine.

UK cities surveyed ranked towards the more expensive end of the scale, though they were among the best value for sightseeing as entry is free to major museums and galleries.

1. Vilnius, Lithuania: £100.04

2. Budapest, Hungary: £119.77

3. Riga, Latvia: £120.39

4. Tallinn, Estonia: £131.28

5. Athens, Greece: £131.35

6. Dubrovnik, Croatia: £139.83

7. Prague, Czech Republic: £141.24

8. Lisbon, Portugal: £141.37

9. Krakow, Poland: £144.96

10. Strasbourg, France: £169.60

11. Madrid, Spain: £179.94

12. Berlin, Germany: £179.95

13. Istanbul, Turkey: £182.91

14. Vienna, Austria: £184.84

15. Brussels, Belgium: £193.14

16. Belfast, Northern Ireland: £198.10

17. Edinburgh, Scotland: £210.75

18. Dublin, Ireland: £238.99

19. Venice, Italy: £240.51

20. Barcelona, Spain: £242.97

21. Paris, France: £261.39

22. London, England: £266.65

23. Copenhagen, Denmark: £269.78

24. Rome, Italy: £276.83

25. Amsterdam, Netherlands: £288.66

26. Stockholm, Sweden: £311.01