Euro 2016: late-booking fans face hotel rates only a footballer could afford

WITH #Euro2016 kicking off on Friday 10 June, British fans looking to get their hands on a last-minute ticket could be paying through the roof for a room, as local hotels hike prices by up to 165%.

According to research by travel money specialists No.1 Currency, hotel rooms are now few and far between for most of the games in the group stages of Euro 2016, that involve England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Those rooms that are still available are being sold at highly inflated prices.

Wales’ opener against Slovakia on June 11 will be their first match in a major championship in nearly 60 years. Welsh fans hoping to pick up a last-minute ticket for the match will have to pay on average £153 for a 3-star hotel on the day of the match. That’s a 135% hike on normal season rates.

In Marseille, where England play their first match against Russia on June 11, 94% of all hotel rooms are already booked. Of those 3-star hotels that still have availability, the average price for a double room on that day is £127. That compares with average 3-star rates of £74 a night for a typical Saturday stay in the summer in Marseille – a mark-up of 72%.

It’s the same in Lens, where England take on Wales in the crunch match of the group. Again, 94% of all hotel rooms have already been filled, and the last remaining 3-star hotels with availability have inflated their prices by an average of 125%. Expect to pay £176 a night – more than double the normal room rate of £85.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Where they’re coining it!

THE ROYAL MINT in South #Wales has opened its the doors to visitors, allowing them to discover the wonder of coins and find out how they make their way into pockets and purses around the world. 

The #RoyalMint Experience at Llantrisant, Glamorgan, will give visitors first-hand knowledge of the manufacturing process, while static and interactive exhibitions will bring the 1,000-year-old organization’s heritage to life.

Anne Jessopp, The Royal Mint’s director of Commemorative Coin, said: ‘We are looking forward to welcoming visitors to a unique behind-the-scenes experience, showcasing more than 1,000 years of coin-making history, and the craftsmanship and innovation for which The Royal Mint is known worldwide.’

The Royal Mint Experience is open daily (excluding December 25-26, and January 1) from 9.30am to 6.30pm. Tickets are available to pre-book at

www.royalmint.com



Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: www.royalmint.com

Sterling rise good news for long-haul travel

WHILE the sterling has slumped to a 22-month low against the euro, it has strengthened against #currencies for top long haul #destinations.

At a time when pundits are reporting a surge in demand for long haul packages because these now come close to matching the cost of European holidays, intelligence from the latest quarterly Post Office Travel Money Holiday Money Index supports the idea that UK holidaymakers plan to travel further afield.

Most notably, US dollar sales have surged by 14 percent for January-March 2016 compared with the same period a year ago. This is a significant increase because the dollar is the Post Office’s second bestselling currency and the double-digit percentage rise is more meaningful than for currencies where sales levels are lower. It also suggests holidaymakers are ignoring the fact that sterling is three percent weaker than a year ago against the US dollar, possibly because they believe the US will be good value once they get there.

Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money says: ‘Sales of long haul currencies are booming. This suggests a move towards holidays further afield – especially as it is being reported that long haul destinations are competing well on price with European ones, where package prices are rising. In the case of the US, we believe some people who would have visited Egypt have swapped Sharm el-Sheikh for Florida. Prices in Orlando remain very attractive for families on a strict budget.’

Thailand is one of the long haul destinations where demand for holiday packages is said to be surging. Post Office sales of the Thai baht have increased by 17 percent year-on-year, indicating an awareness of the good value available in both holiday packages and on the ground prices. Prices in Bali and Cape Town are even cheaper, which helps to explain why sales have surged by 23 percent for the Indonesian rupiah and by 20 per cent for the South Africa rand compared with January-March 2015. Another factor in the sales surge for South Africa is the fact that sterling has risen by 19.3 percent year-on-year against the rand.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Budget Brits prefer cash to credit when travelling

DESPITE the rise of credit and debit card payments in the UK, 69% of Brits choose cash as their preferred method of payment when travelling abroad, 

The research, conducted by International Currency Exchange (ICE), showed that both income and age played a significant role in making payment choices.

While 74% of people earning less than £10,000 would prefer to pay using cash while in a foreign country, that figure dropped to 58% for people earning more than £40,000. Eighty-four percent of those aged between 18 and 24 said they prefer to use cash over card, compared to 65% of 55 to 64-year-olds.

Koko Sarkari, CEO of ICE, says: ‘It’s interesting to look into the nation’s spending habits and look into what the norm is for us Brits when we go away. Using cash seems easier when it comes down to going abroad. This could be for many reasons. One of them is that it’s easy to manage and stay on top of our spending.’

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/18090920@N07/12696360474">Credit Cards and Cash</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

Where – and how – they coin it

THE ROYAL MINT’S visitor centre in South #Wales – opening to the public in May – will offer unprecedented access to the processes involved in producing the coins in our pockets.

Visitors will be able to meet mint’s experts, and there will be the opportunity for people to strike their own coins as a memento of the visit. The guided Factory Experience will enable visitors to gain first-hand knowledge of the manufacturing journey and a series of static and interactive experiences will bring the 1,000 year-old organization’s heritage to life.

 The interactive exhibition comprises six zones:

Zone 1: The Royal Mint and the community – visitors will be taken back 1,000 years to explore the origins of The Royal Mint, its link with the Tower of London, and its move to Wales.

Zone 2: The Royal Mint and the world – find out about the coins and medals The Royal Mint has produced for more than 100 countries worldwide.

Zone 3: Making money – learn about the detailed processes, design, and skill involved in producing a coin.

Zone 4: The other side of The Royal Mint – see military, sporting, and commemorative medals the mint has produced.

Zone 5: The meaning of coins – uncover the different roles that coins play in our everyday lives as symbols of luck and good fortune.

Zone 6: Coins and collecting – coin collecting as a hobby.  

Anne Jessopp, The mint’s director of Commemorative Coin, said: ‘We are looking forward to welcoming visitors to a unique behind-the-scenes experience, showcasing more than 1,000 years of coin-making history, and the craftsmanship and innovation for which The Royal Mint is known worldwide.’

The Royal Mint is in Llantrisant, Mid Glamorgan, and tickets are available to pre-book from April 4 from www.royalmint.com/the-royal-mint-visitor-centre.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK