Posts Tagged ‘UK’
Air travel is constantly on the increase and an astonishing number of us would like to fly with our animals. For years families have chosen to take their family pet on vacations while leaving them at home when traveling abroad or when taking a flight. As air travel becomes cheaper the thought of taking our pet with us seems a affordable option. The following discusses Air Travel, Pets, focusing on traveling in England, Scotland and Wales.
Pet Air Travel and the Airline Rules & Regulations
One of the most important points to keep in mind in relation to air travel and pets are the rules and regulations. In the United Kingdom there are a number of laws which are applicable, such as the “Safe Air Travel for Animals Act” (2000). Recently there has been an increase in security and where you once may have been allowed to carry small pets with you on a flight this may no longer be the case. It is, obviously, crucial that you check things with the airline before booking your flight. Virtually all airlines now stipulate clearly that all pets should be transported in suitable containers in the cargo hold. This is obviously much safer than taking the risk of a pet becoming distressed and causing a problem.
Even though all small animals or pets are now restricted to the cargo hold some caring airlines will permit you to witness the pet being transferred to and from the aeroplane. However it is incredibly important that, purchasing your tickets you seek further advice about it from the airline.
Other Important Factors
1. The Pet Container
It is also most incredibly important that you choose a pet carrier of the correct size, weight and type for the animal that will be living in it for the duration of the flight. There should always be sufficient excess space for the pet to be able to move about easilyat all times. The longer the duration of the flight the more increased the amount of surplus room required.
2. Security & Safety Measures And Traveling With Pets
At every moment your pet carrier should be clearly visible to the airline staff to avoid loss, which is always possible with any air travel. All pet containers should be marked clearly with both the destination and a home address and full contact details. Furthermore it is strongly advised that you include the details of another person in case of emergencies where you are unable be contacted. As well as fixing labels on the exterior also think about the addition some to the interior. Also take measure to make sure that your pet has a collar that is close fitting with an identification tag or similar. The risk of loss is least during continuous flights.
If it is affordable it also well worth considering having your creature fitted with an electronic tag which is injected beneath the skin by a vetinary surgeon. As soon as you know when and the destination you will be taking a flight to book an appointment with your vet (or at least call) as he will be able to give important advice on what the requirements are when traveling to another area or country. Your pet may require inoculations and there may be other precautions or restrictions to consider.
Prior planning is always the wisest idea and the very fact that you are reading this article is a clever decision. By making sure you consider the pet air travel tips & hints in this article and by searching for further information online and from your vet, you can make sure that you pet travels securely and safely while suffering the smallest amount of disturbance.
Blackpool is an incredibly popular seaside resort sited on the English North West coast, which remains amazingly popular with visitors arriving from the close by cities which include Liverpool, Manchester, Warrington and more. The resort is also deeply popular with Scottish folk who often turn up in large numbers in a similar way to the groups of factory workers of old on their works vacation. Occasionally it appears as though the seaside resort is awash with accommodation and entertainments and even though there is a great deal of Blackpool bed and breakfasts it is better to book early to avoid upset. Accommodation varies from the cheap and chearful to 5 star. Many are situated on the sea front but, if you would rather stay somewhere less rawcous you will find a few further away.
In the eighteenth century Blackpool began to see its first tourists who had traveled to enjoy the new practice of sea bathing. When the railway arrived, from 1846, the resort witnessed increasing numbers of tourists to “take the cure” as it was called. Nowadays visitors can get to Blackpool by air, rail or road arriving there much faster than the early Victorian visitors who would travel for up to 48 hrs from as close by as Manchester.
The Blackpool Pleasure Beach
The most popular attraction in Blackpool, in Lancashire in the north west of England, which gets approximately 7 million visitors a year, is Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach is a funfair of enormous proportions with mind blowing big rides, just a few are Grand National, Valhalla, the Pepsi Max Big One, Ice Blast, Zipper Dipper and Wild Mouse, as well as even more food booths, sideshows, thrill rides, entertainments, children’s rides, games and sidestalls. The latest addition is Infusion, the first ever to be a suspended looping type of coaster all of it over water.
Please note: If you are visiting Blackpool as a group of folk you can make savings by buying a wristband for unlimited rides especially if you will going on every ride because the individual cost of each ride soon amounts to serious cash.
Getting To Blackpool And Bed & Breakfast
As mentioned earlier in this article, Blackpool is very easy to get to these days as you can get to the town by air, train or car. If traveling by you are railway you will, most probably, be using the main railway station in Blackpool, which is called Blackpool North found on Talbot Road. Not too fat away, just a little further down the road is Blackpool National Express Coach Station, Blackpool’s main bus station. The other rail station, Blackpool South, is at Waterloo Road, South Promenade, which is better for those wanting the Pleasure Beach. Blackpool International Airport is found approximately 2 miles south of the centre of town and was called, Blackpool Squires Gate Airport, One of the oldest airports in Great Britain.
Blackpool bed and breakfast accommodation is generally priced fairly low. Rooms are much cheaper out of season but not very cheap at weekends. Hotels in Blackpool are most expensive while the Illuminations are on, which is really the seaside town’s peak season.
Please remember: Some guest houses can be very busy and rather noisy especially those between North and Central Pier. If you rather stay somewhere not so busy try booking accommodation past the North Pier.
This article was contributed by Emma Harris of Seattle.
We’ve just returned from a visit to the UK, our second trip to that area in recent years and I thought that I’d mention a few of the amazing uk hotels that we stayed in during our latest trip. The cities of the British Isles offer so much to the visitor, each of them offers tradition and history going back centuries. Add to that the fact that they speak a language similar to our own and that an art gallery or museum can be enjoyed whatever the weather and you have found a recipe for a truly awesome holiday. We’re certain that you will enjoy a visit to the British Isles, but would always suggest that U.S. citizens check with the U.S. Department of State Advice to Travelers website before undertaking international travel.
Edinburgh, Scotland
You can be confident of a warm welcome in the historic city of Edinburgh. This friendly east coast city is made up of the Old Town including the Royal Mile and the New Town, with the two halves separated by the line of Princes Street. The University of Edinburgh dates back to 1582 and its colleges, museums and galleries are distributed throughout the entire city. The university has many exhibits open to the general public, check their web site for opening times.
During the Summer Edinburgh opens its doors to thousands of visitors to its festivals. The Edinburgh International Festival runs for 4 weeks and features music, theatre, opera and dance. Running at the same time is the famous “Fringe”, which typically offers over 25,000 performances in over 250 different venues all over the city. With over 1,800 different shows to choose from (with a very high percentage of world premieres) including theatre, comedy, ballet, shows for the children and many musical concerts there is something for everybody. Edinburgh is also host to the Literary Festival, the Blues & Jazz Festival and the Edinburgh International Film Festival that take place throughout the summer season.
Because we were only in Edinburgh for a couple of days we decided to be a trifle extravagant and stay in one of Scotland’s most famous hotels, The Edinburgh Scotsman Hotel. This wonderful old hotel is situated plumb in the middle of many of Edinburgh’s finest attractions and venues such as The Royal Mile, Holyrood House, Edinburgh Castle and the Scottish National Gallery are all within walking distance. As previously mentioned the decision had been made to spoil ourselves by staying at this amazing hotel and everything that we could have expected became reality.
Birmingham, England
One of the main highlights of our latest visit to Britain was a planned visit to the Crufts Dog Show which is held in the NEC Arena in Birmingham. Spread over four days, it’s the world’s leading dog show. Last Year 143,000 enthusiasts witnessed competition between a total of over 25,000 dogs from 26 countries in the show rings. A further attraction at the show is the Discover Dogs section where the owners of 190 different breeds are there with their dog, willing to answer questions from prospective new owners. Since we were only visiting the dog show, rather than going into the city of Birmingham we decided to book a hotel near to the NEC, Birmingham. On this occasion we weren’t searching for unashamed luxury, but rather a place to get a good night’s sleep after an exhausting day walking around that vast complex admiring dogs of all shapes and sizes. We booked into the Crowne Plaza which is situated within the grounds of the National Exhibition Centre. The hotel was exactly what you’d expect, bright, clean and totally impersonal. There was nothing to complain about and we’d happily use it again when visiting concerts or exhibitions at the NEC.
London, England
Our final venue on this trip was London. If you’ve never been there you really do need to appreciate the immense size of the place. It has spread out in all directions over the years and it’s important that you decide precisely what you want to visit during your trip otherwise you will be spending all of your time sitting on underground trains and buses and I can tell you, that’s not something to look forward to. Our itinerary for this final few days of our trip was to get in some retail therapy i.e. shopping. To that end we resolved to stay in the Knightsbridge area with its vast array of chic, world famous stores such as Harrods. We booked into the Knightsbridge Sheraton Park Tower in ultra-stylish Knightsbridge. The Sheraton Park Tower is one of the capital’s most famous hotels, famed for its “One-O-One” restaurant, London’s best fish restaurant. The Sheraton Park Tower offers tremendous views over the London skyline with many rooms overlooking Hyde Park Local attractions besides the the shopping include Hyde Park and many of the city’s acclaimed museums and landmarks.
Sources close to the incoming president Barrack Obama have disclosed that he intends to play down Britain’s importance. It has been said that he considers the UK as just ‘one of the crowd’ of countries with which America has a special relationship.
The tight political, military and economic links, formed between Britain and America under George W.Bush, are set to be weakened as Barrack Obama endeavours to build and develop closer relations with a wider range of countries. Britain needs to be prepared for change as the new president establishes relations with world leaders previously shunned or ignored by president bush.
It is anticipated that president Obama’s first overseas visit is likely to be to a Muslim country as he embarks upon bridge-building with countries in Asia and the Middle east. In Europe he is expected to focus upon building stronger ties with France and Germany.
The UK prime minister, Gordon Brown, has said that the Barrack Obama presidency is expected to further strengthen the special relationship between the UK and the US. He has said the Obama “shares the values of liberty, democracy and fairness” and that “the special relationship will be one so strong, no power on earth can ever drive us apart.”
Although the UK is keen for Obama to pay a visit it is looking like he will not make it until the G20 economic summit scheduled for April. His secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, is expected to visit before that time when she embarks on an international tour intended to re-build relationships with nations previously cut off by the Bush administration.
One major issue has been the widely criticised Guantanamo Bay detention camp. It is expected that Obama will address the issue and close this facility soon after taking office.
While there is some pessimism about the future of the UK’s special relationship with the US many are optimistic. President Obama is reported to be far more open to hearing conflicting views than George W.Bush ever was and many people, either side of the Atlantic, hope that this will set the stage for open and frank debate.
For parking at London City Airport it is recommended that you compare airport parking charges and book online with Gosimply.com.