Archive for category Travel Advice
Travel Advice – Avoiding Ear Pain When Flying on a Plane
Posted by in Travel Advice on October 14, 2011
Everyone has experienced the pressure that builds up in their ears when they are flying. For some people it’s just a temporary thing that is more annoying than anything else. For others though, it can be quite painful.
The pain can be moderate to extremely painful and babies and young children tend to get the pain more than adults. You can help to prevent a lot of the pain caused by the pressure changes in the airplane by some of the things listed below.
One way to avoid the pain caused by the pressure changes in the airplane is getting and wearing specially designed earplugs that help to equalize the pressure in your ears. These earplugs come with filters that will slow down the rate air moves in an out of your ears. You can buy these online or at your local pharmacy.
You can also try to yawn often while you are taking off as well as when your plan lands. This will help to open up your ears and can help relieve the pain. If you have difficulty yawning on purpose you can try and harden your tongue at the back and this will force you to yawn.
You can also try plugging your nose by pinching your nostrils with your fingers and then start blowing very slowly and very gently. Make sure not to blow really hard or you could actually end up doing some damage to your eardrums and this is going to result in even more pain.
Make sure to have some gum or candy with you and chew either when you takeoff and land. This is going to also help to equalize pressure in your ears and cut down on the pain. You can also try drinking fluids by sipping them very slowing when you are taking off and landing.
Extra fluids will also help to keep your passages of your nose moist and helps to prevent you from getting dehydrated. If you have a baby with you, you should have him drink from his bottle during all takeoffs and landings.
Try and sit up as straight as you can during the flight and if at all possible try not to sleep when the airplane is in the middle of ascending or the middle of descending. When you sit up this will keep the sinuses from getting congested and it also help cut down on ear pain. Read the rest of this entry »
General Travel Tips and Advice For Holidays and Business Trips
Posted by in Travel Advice on August 5, 2011
Travelling can be a bit tricky if you have never really done it before, particularly in places like Europe and the UK. There are different regulations and laws to deal with and you may need to take information and items with you that you would not typically carry in your own country of residence.
Travelling By Car
For residents of the UK for example, driving in main land Europe means driving on the right hand side of the road and when hiring a car also means you have to get used to a left hand drive car as opposed to the right hand drive cars you will be more familiar with, of course this can happen in reverse if you take a vehicle from a left hand drive country to a right hand drive country.
If you are driving your own car through Europe or any other country besides your own, make sure that you take original documents and photocopies of:
* Driving license
* Vehicle registration document
* Motor insurance certificate
The vehicle should be fully legal and safe to drive, i.e. should meet the legal requirements of your country of residence for driving it and the country you plan to visit. You might have to look up the local laws of the destination country to make sure you do not break any legal requirements for driving there.
Most European countries for example have minimum equipment requirements for driving, these could include items like a warning triangle, high visibility vests or a first aid kit. So it is always worth getting a motoring kit to make sure you stay within the law and actually can operate more safely if you do have a problem.
It is also a good idea to arrange motor breakdown recovery insurance, getting your car back home after a breakdown could mean significant cost if you do not have it.
Carrying a decent sized map that is up to date and shows all the roads will be worth its weight in gold, especially if you get caught up in a traffic jam for example and need to find an alternative route. Using a sat nav with the road systems included for the region you are travelling in is another great way of finding your way around and for getting you safely to your destination.
Important Items
For mainland Europe you can travel across borders to the different countries without having to show any identity. But on first arrival from outside of mainland Europe or if you want to get into or out of the UK, you will need a passport. A passport is also considered to be the standard way to provide proof of identity wherever required, so worth carrying on your travels. There are still requirements for most countries for you to secure a visa to enter the country, usually dependent on where you originate from. This can sometimes be as simple as filling in a form on route or it may require prior arrangement, vetting and submitting an application. Make sure you know what the relationship is between your country and your chosen destination(s) so that you don’t have a wasted journey.
Many countries in Europe now use the Euro as the base currency, so if you are coming from a country that does not use the Euro then you will need to be sure you have a means of paying for the services or products you need. Most credit cards are accepted in Europe, although there are some countries, like Germany for example, where not everywhere will accept standard credit cards. So it is worth getting at least some of the local currency for those odd occasions where you will need it. Travellers cheques or a prepaid card can provide a cost effective means of exchanging currency and allow you to keep the actual cash you carry to a minimum. This advice stands true for the rest of the world as well, find out what the local currency is, how you can obtain some and what facilities are available once you get there. Read the rest of this entry »