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travel tips
tips and advice for long and short term travel

> flight tips

> telecoms abroad

> travel money

> guidebooks

> travel insurance

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flights

• Use a flight search engine. www.charterflights.co.uk has some fantastic savings to package holiday destinations. www.cheapflights.co.uk , www.applefares.com , www.opodo.co.uk , www.traveljungle.co.uk and www.travelsupermarket.com are all good for international flights.
• Your one-stop shop for European flights is www.skyscanner.net which searches all the UK airlines and will draw you a graph to show the cheapest.
• For flights from Hong Kong, see the links page.

telecoms

• For longer-term travel, buy a sim card for your (unlocked) mobile in your destination country – you can buy one beforehand from www.0044.co.uk but you will save if you buy one there.
• A new sim will mean a new number, but if you want your old UK number re-directed to it, check out www.uk2abroad.com – There is a charge, but it is still cheaper than using your regular mobile tariff straight off (which will charge up to 50p per/min for you to receive calls and even voicemails).
• Every country in the world has internet cafes nowadays, more developed areas will have Skype and a webcam installed on each terminal.

money

• The cheapest way to get cash is with your ATM card – pretty much all cities have machines, as do all airports. Take out as much as you can with each withdrawal as you will often be charged a small gratuity by your bank back home.
• The only banks offering free international withdrawals is Nationwide (I have an account with them which I use just for travel) and HSBC. Unlike other methods, there is no commission with ATMs and the rate is based on the standard interbank rate of the day.

guidebooks

• Different guides are better for different places - though most travelers probably prefer Lonely Planet. However, Brandt are said to be better for Africa, Footprint is certainly the best bet for South America and Rough Guide is meant to be better for Hong Kong.
• Compare reviews on www.amazon.co.uk for the specific country you're going to, check out when each guide was published and then go to www.bookbrain.co.uk to see which online store offers the best price.

travel insurance

• For free European health cover, make sure you carry your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
• Don't rely on your bank or credit card health cover; check it before you leave as it often only covers accidents.
• The potential savings here can be huge but deals change often, so go to www.moneysavingexpert.com for the latest advice and confused.com to compare the market.