Smart screens at Heathrow compare transfer options

SCREENS have been installed at Heathrow Terminal 2 showing passengers live price and journey time comparisons between taxis and the airport's train service to central London.

The screens – a world first – combine real-time traffic, weather, and Heathrow Express train service information into one data feed, or 'journey comparison generator,' at the terminal's baggage reclaim zone.

Fraser Brown, Heathrow Express director, said: ‘The aim of the journey comparison generator is to enable Heathrow passengers to get into London as speedily, easily, and cheaply as possible. Research shows Heathrow Express trains are three times faster than taxis and a quarter of the price. These screens show how that comparison varies minute to minute depending on traffic, weather, and time of day.’

This summer, information on the screens at each baggage carousel will be translated to the main language of people on the arriving flight. They will be installed at Terminals 3 and 5 later in the year.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Europcar brings ToMyCar app to rental market

THE ToMyCar app is a new service from Europcar. With it, customers can book, unlock,
and drive their hire car using their smartphone, eliminating the need to visit the counter.

The service is being launched first in the UK from four key locations – London Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh airports, and the Europcar Mobility Centre at ExCeL London.

Customers will be able to return their hire car at any of these key locations.

‘ToMyCar harnesses the latest mobile technology to put our customers in control of the car hire process,’ said Ken McCall, managing director, Europcar UK Group. ‘They can locate and unlock their hire car with their smartphone, eliminating the need for picking up the keys at the desk and returning them after the hire.’

The app provides a map, highlighting the pick-up location of the vehicle, allowing customers to go straight to their hire car. They are then able to access their vehicle using their downloaded key via their smartphone.

Any vehicle damage can be recorded by the customer and reported via the app, before they open the doors and begin their journey.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

To Italy by train …

TRAIN travel search and booking engine Loco2 now includes the full range of Trenitalia tickets, making booking rail journeys to and around Italy easier.

Its website - https://loco2.com/italian-rail - has 24 guides about taking the train to Italy, featuring - 

popular destinations, 

recommended routes, and 

tips for finding the cheapest tickets. 

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: "Tende viaduct and Italian train 1" by Smiley.toerist (Own work)  via Wikimedia Commons

Italy online

THERE are more than a thousand cultural events all over Italy between May and October; from north to south, in big cities and small villages, there will be exhibitions, concerts, shows, festivals, theatre, and traditional celebrations.

To find out what’s happening, where, and when, go to www.verybello.it , created by the Italian Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: GoHoliday via Wikimedia Commons.

Ryanair launches US website

Thousands of American customers explore Europe every year on Ryanair’s low fares, with London, Dublin, Barcelona, Rome, and Paris the top five destinations, and with most passengers coming from California, New York, Texas, Florida, and New Jersey.

The US site includes Ryanair’s “Fare Finder” feature, where customers can search and book the lowest fares by price point, route, and travel period, and US customers can now pay for tickets dollars.

www.ryanair.com/us

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Your partner, or your phone?

MEN AND WOMEN in the UK are often fonder of their mobile phones than their partners, according to European research by Swiss International Air Lines.

Forty percent of Britons surveyed admitted they are often fighting a losing battle when it comes to partners paying more attention to their gadgets. 

Even more (84%) think people don't connect like they used to when they are face-to-face because of the pull of the internet and easy access communications on-the-go.

Other findings show:

*Germans are the most worried that digital media has led to more superficial relationships. They are also the most upset when it comes to being ignored in favour of a mobile phone.

*The Spanish are the worst when it comes to ignoring their partners often in favour of their phones. More than half of Spaniards think nothing of checking their phone while in conversation with others.

*French are the least concerned about eye contact during a conversation.


Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: Go Holiday BLOG via Wikimedia Commons

Expanding your luxury self catering options..

LUXURY COTSWOLD RENTALS has gone international with the launch of a sister website, Luxury Retreat Rentals which initially features a Provence townhouse, an American ski lodge, and a chalet French Alps.  They’ll soon be joined by Caribbean properties.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Ryanair cockpits go paperless

RYANAIR has introduced Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) for pilots across its fleet of 300 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. It means pilots using iPads instead of traditional flight manuals.

The airline plans to remove paper from the flight deck, eliminating 33lbs of manuals from each cockpit. With 550,000 flights annually, that will eliminate more than 10 million pages of paper documentation.

Ryanair’s Group Director of Operations, Michael Hickey said: ‘With a rapidly growing operation across 71 European bases, the logistical challenges of delivering information to crew are instantly simplified with the introduction of the iPad as an EFB.’

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

App for airport parking

AN INTERNET publisher has created an airport parking comparison app for iOS and Android devices. 

Users of smartphones and tablets can compare real-time prices and availability of airport parking at Britain’s leading airports using the Airport Parking Shop app.

The app allows users to find the right price and preferred transfer time, and it filters results for on-airport, off-airport and meet-and-greet parking.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Top choices …

THE most searched destinations worldwide in Q3 were the US, Spain, Britain, France, Turkey, China, Russia, Germany, Italy, and Greece, according to the Global Travel Insights Report published by Sojern, a data-driven traveller engagement platform.

Perennial hotspots Malaysia and Thailand saw a decline in inbound tourism, possibly due to recent political problems.

The most popular European destinations were London, Paris, Barcelona, and Majorca.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

How to find that Xmas market

'www.Christmasmarkets.com' has held its No. 1 spot in search engine rankings for the eighth year in a row. 

People looking for Christmas markets (or related searches) will find the site at the top of the list. 

The site offers advance information about more than 450 Christmas markets in Britain, 

Europe and North America.

The Top Ten Xmas markets, according to the website [www.christmasmarkets.com], are:

1. Manchester (England)

2. Belfast (Northern Ireland)

3. Bath (England)

4. Baden-Badener (Germany)

5. Winchester (England)

6. Graz (Austria)

7. Portsmouth (England)

8. Basel (Switzerland)

9. Düsseldorf (Germany)

10. Skipton (England)

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: From Top -  'Bath, England - Christmas market scene' - GoHoliday; 'Christmas Tree' by By Lotus Head from Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa via Wikimedia Commons

Get flight info via Twitter

RYANAIR has launched a customer Twitter account – @RyanairFlights – which provides instant real time information for every one of its 1,600 daily flights.

Twitter users who follow @RyanairFlights send their Ryanair flight number by direct message and will receive an instant update on the status of the flight by Tweet, using three simple steps:

1. Follow @RyanairFlights

2. Send the flight number (eg FR102) by direct message

3. And receive an instant flight update

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Where to tip … and where not to

TIPPING while travelling can be confusing, differs by country and doesn't always depend on service quality. Wego, a travel search website in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions, has published a guide to tipping protocols.

‘Knowing which countries where you should leave a tip is just as important as knowing which countries not to,’ says Joachim Holte, chief marketing officer at Wego.

‘In Argentina for example, tipping is actually illegal, but waiters often expect to be tipped by foreigners. So if you were to tip, discretion is advised. 

In the US, low wage earners in the service industry are reliant on tipping to balance out their income, yet in Romania, tips are often declined and in Japan, tipping is considered offensive.

‘As a general rule, tips as a sign of appreciation are expected in restaurants in Austria, Brazil, Chile, Ireland, The Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, and Turkey. 

However in Fiji, Malaysia, and South Korea restaurant tips are not required. 

Checking whether there’s a service charge added to your bill is also a good way to tell whether a tip is applicable or not, and then you have the choice to leave a small amount on top if the service was particularly impressive.

‘In the UK, tipping for food in restaurants is OK, although unexpected as service charges are generally included. Yet, tipping for drinks at a bar is just not cricket!’

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: GoHoliday Blog via Wikimedia Commons

How not to get away from it all …

MORE than half (51%) of people are unable to get through a holiday without gadgets while a similar proportion say their break is enhanced by technology and keeping connected to those back home.

A poll by Royal Caribbean International found that every day on holiday a family will send an average of:

• four texts,
• two personal e-mails,
• two work e-mails,
• two Snapchats, 
• four Instagrams,
• three tweets,
• four images on Pinterest,
• four Facebook updates.

Some of the 2,000 respondents admitted to sending more than 15 tweets and Facebook updates a day.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Accessible Britain

NEW ONLINE … The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain ... features reviews of accessible attractions and recommended scenic drive routes such as:

 ~ An Artistic Drive through East Anglia, 

 ~ Head to Constable Country and 

 ~ Take in the views at Stour Valley and Dedham Vale, 

 ~ The Lake District has some of the UK’s finest scenery and the 47-mile route takes in the pretty village of Buttermere, the wild and dramatic views from Honnister Pass and the classic Lakeland vistas at Borrowdale Valley. 

 ~ Alternatively, an 86-mile route through the Scottish Highlands and across the Isle of Skye offers incredible views of mountains, glens, and lochs. 

The guide – The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain - developed in association with Motability, the car scheme for disabled people – features more than 200 reviews and ideas for days out across the UK including reviews of some of the country’s most beautiful and accessible town.


Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Mobile check-in: which airline offers it?

AIRPORT PARKING AND HOTELS has compiled a guide to airlines currently offering contactless technology to passengers. The guide is available in the Know Before You Go section at www.aph.com/electronicpasses.

The research compares the mobile services available from 25 major airlines.

Of the 25 airlines researched, only four were found not allowing passengers the option to check-in on their mobiles: Atlantic Airways, BMI, Flybe, and Ryanair. But BMI, Flybe, and Ryanair do allow customers the option to download their boarding pass to their phone.

Passengers should also be aware that some airlines offer mobile check-in only at selected airports and on particular routes.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

First elephants! and now planes...........

I’m on the plane!

AIRLINE passengers will be able to use their mobile phones throughout flights after the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ruled that they do not pose a risk to aircraft safety, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Currently, passengers must switch their mobile phones to “airplane mode” during take-off and landing, which switches off all transmitters and receivers, effectively making them nothing more than a handheld computer and unable to make phone calls, send text messages, or transmit data.

The EASA has now published guidance which allows airlines to change their own rules and allow mobile phones to be used “throughout the flight”. It will be up to airlines to decide whether or not to allow the use of phones on board, and each company will have to go through its own assessment process to ensure that their aircraft systems are not affected by the transmission signals.

Once airlines have completed this safety assessment they will have to install additional equipment in order to provide customers with a signal because mobile phone transmitters cannot be reached from the high cruising altitudes that airliners reach.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: 'The elephant, the driver and the cellular phone' by Dinkum (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons