Archive for the ‘France’ Category

Last week we gave you tips on packing for your break, so this week we thought it only logical to look at the next step: getting to where you need to be! Whether that’s the airport or your holiday destination itself, if you’re taking the car then it’s a good idea to make sure your drive is as safe and stress-free as possible.

These suggestions are just a few gathered from the easycottages.com office. Got some more? Feel free to leave a message in the comments section below.

Safety:

Check tyre pressure before you set off (your car’s correct pressure should be in the manual). Also check tread depth, which should be 1.6 millimetres, across the central ¾ of the tread around the complete circumference of the tyre. Oil, coolant and screen wash levels should also be checked and filled to the correct levels, wherever necessary.

Navigation:

What did we do before Sat-Navs? We read maps upside down, got lost and then argued. None of which added much to a stress-free environment. Take a Sat Nav, however and you’ll more often than not be taken down the most direct route. And they don’t answer back (at least not yet!)

Entertainment:

Nothing can turn the tide of a pleasurable drive faster than a bored child. Bring magazines and books for them to read, making sure you release them over the duration of your journey. Likewise audio books can make the hours disappear and that way you can reserve ‘I Spy’ for punishment!

Efficieny:

There are several ways to drive more efficiently, according to Directgov. Obeying the speed limit decreases fuel consumption, as well as having obvious safety benefits. Likewise changing gears at the correct time will do the same (2,500 revs per minute for petrol cars and 2,000 rpm for diesel cars). Also make sure you don’t leave the engine running any longer than you need to.

Essentials:

Boiled sweets or mints not only keep the more vocal members of your party quiet but they can also help to stave off travel sickness. Also, baby wipes are a good idea to help clean hands, remove food from the unlikeliest of locations and keep yourself feeling fresh!

The only thing worse than packing for your holiday is unpacking when you return. Well here at easycottages.com we’ve come up with a helpful packing checklist of items that we’d  consider essential for a successful self-catering holiday break. We can’t guarantee that it’ll make packing any less of a chore but it should hopefully make it less stressful.

When it comes to packing, everyone’s got their own opinions on what they simply can’t do without, and we’re sure you’re no different, so why not leave your packing tips, tricks and suggestions in the comments section below.

Food

Even if you’re going on a self-catering break what you don’t want to do is fill your case with food. For one, we’ve found that clothes make for far more appropriate holiday wear, and with all the bumps that your luggage is going to go through do you really want to see what the ingredients have created when you arrive at your holiday destination?

But that’s not to say that there aren’t items that will make holiday dining that much more enjoyable. A straw poll in the easycottages.com office led to the following suggestions:

Salt and pepper – A bit of both is perfect for seasoning dishes on a self-catering break. Plus it stops you playing a game of ‘what shall we do with this massive bag of salt’ at the end of your break.

Stock cubes – Not always easy to get on the continent, a stock cube’s ability to turn an average dish into a great one should not be underestimated! Useful if you have a chef who’s keen but not too clever.

Tea bags – Again, tea isn’t always easy to get abroad and let’s face it, there’s nothing like a cuppa to help you relax when you arrive at your destination.

Electronics

Phone charger – Is there anything worse than your phone running out of battery when you really need it? Well, yes, probably, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying. Remember to only use your phone when abroad in an emergency. And remember, telling someone at home how hot it is, is not an emergency.

Plug adaptors – Again, there are far worse things than forgetting an adaptor when on holiday abroad, but try telling that to the person who needs their hair straightening 5 MINUTES AGO!!!

Clothing

Coats – If you think that the fact you’re on holiday is going to affect nature’s plans you may be in for a shock. But don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Take a light fold-up waterproof for the warmer months. You won’t even notice that you’re carrying it. Unless it’s raining of course…

Long sleeved tops & trousers, a hat – When you’ve had too much sun, you can cover yourself up. When it’s too cold, you can cover yourself up. Simple but effective!

Miscellaneous

String – A ball of string is high up on the list of things you often need but never have. Well we’re hoping to fix that right now. String is useful for creating emergency washing lines, fixing things and, er, tying things together. And if all else fails at least you’ll keep the local feline population happy.

Tin / bottle opener – Most self-catering properties will already have these, but since you can get a bottle opener on a key-ring and tin opener doesn’t exactly take up loads of packing space, you’d do well to carry both with you on your travels.

Bottle stopper – Keep liquids in and unwelcome things out by plugging up open bottles when not required. Actually, we’re struggling to think of a holiday when an open bottle was not required. Can’t think why!

We’re looking at a couple of new travel apps for the iPhone in today’s post, one that promises to keep you entertained and the other that could maybe save your life!

The SAS Survival Guide contains all the content that you’ll find in the incredibly popular print version, just in a more accessible and portable way.

Unless you’re holidaying in a warzone, or flying with an economy airline, you may well be wondering what use this app has for you. Well alongside such classic SAS staples such as the best way to go to the toilet in the jungle (don’t would be our best advice!) it also contains useful tools like a compass, a Morse Code generator and several helpful tips to help you avoid problems on active break.

If you’re aiming to spend your break lounging around the pool, unfortunately there isn’t a section where former SAS man John “Lofty” Wiseman shares his advice on the best way to reserve a sun lounger, or how to stop ice from melting in your glass but it still provides a highly entertaining read. And if you’re sat around the dinner table in the South of France and the conversation turns to ‘What part of a dog shouldn’t you eat’ you’ll have the answer!

You’ll have to purchase the app to find out. At £3.99 we think it’s well worth it.

If you’re anything like us (or one of the 100 million other people who’ve already download it for their phone), you’ll have already spent a significant part of your life heroically putting blocks together on puzzle classic Tetris, and will be delighted to hear that it’s now available for only £1.19 on the app store.

Once you load it up those memories come flooding back (though thankfully without the insanely catchy music) and before long the minutes of assembling coloured blocks will have turned into hours. Tetris is so addictive that you may want to question whether you want to spend your entire holiday staring at walls of coloured bricks and dreaming of tumbling blocks.

We realise that the answer is probably ‘yes’ from a significant percentage of the 100 million people who have already downloaded it, so we’ll leave that decision up to you.

Check back soon for more travel app reviews.