Posts for traveling

Why Not Learn to Fly when Traveling to Britain?

Europe, Travel Blog - Ross French - October 30, 2016

Flying lessons UK” is an increasingly common term that when entered into any search engine reveals a wealth of flying opportunities that exist throughout the whole of Britain. It’s not surprising given the country’s great history of taking to the skies, yet many people who love the idea of learning to fly never realise that there are so many opportunities available.

Many British based private flying companies based in airfields and small independent airports all over Britain offer a wide choice of flying experiences. These can range from a simple half hour ride in a small private plane where you get to take control of the plane in mid air under the watchful eye of a flying instructor to professional tuition over a lengthy period, leading to a pilot’s licence.

Flying an aeroplane isn’t the only opportunity you can take advantage of. You can also learn to fly a glider or a microlight aircraft. Alternatively, can also learn to parachute and skydive, too. Tandem skydiving is an especially popular activity. You dive out of the plane while securely strapped to a professional skydiver. All that you have to do is enjoy the ride, or fall to be more exact, and experience the exhilaration of freefall for a whole minute before the parachute opens and you descend gracefully and safely to earth.

There’s no shortage of airfields where you can find a range of recreational flying activities being offered to the public. While you can usually find an airfield hosting amateur flying lessons close to where you live, keep in mind that the scenery is an important part of the flying experience. That may involve a bit more travel, so why not consider a weekend trip where you can devote two or three days to learning your new aviation skills over interesting scenery?

For example, if you want to enjoy flying over the green rolling fields and farmland of Wiltshire, Old Sarum Airfield, a former military pilot training centre during the first world war, is a particularly popular location. It now proudly plays host to a wide range of recreational flying opportunities. Strathaven Airfield in west central Scotland is another popular location that hosting a range of recreational aviation activities that can involve flying over moorland, the west coast of Ayrshire or over towns dotted along the Firth of Clyde, while further north, there are recreational flying opportunities available at Inverness Airport, where a flight takes you over the magnificent scenery of Loch Ness and the tallest mountains in Britain.

Wherever you choose to take flying lessons, rest assured that safety is given the utmost importance and all recreational aviation activities are fully in compliance with the Civil Aviation Authority’s strict requirements.

Even if flying is not your thing, you almost certainly know several people who would love the idea of having a flying experience with professional guidance That’s why flying lesson gift vouchers have become so popular. You can pre-book a flying, parachuting or skydiving experience for someone else. It could be as simple as a short afternoon plane ride, or it could be a full course of lessons leading to a professional aviation qualification.

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Traveling by Home Exchange

Travel Tips - Ross French - March 20, 2011

family_home_exchange The Home Exchange Family

Milan from Travel By Home Exchange and her family of six have saved over $14,000 vacationing by home exchange over the last 5 years. I found this really interesting and asked her to guest post on what a home exchange was and how it works. You can follow Milan on twitter at @HomeExchangeMom for tips on how to find house swaps.

family_home_exchange

The Home Exchange Family

Traveling by Home Exchange

There are many ways to travel, hotel, cruise, safari, RV, and hostels to name a few. One method of travel you may not have heard of is house swapping.  A house swap is where you and your family stay at someone else’s home, while that family stays at your home. Exchanging homes is a great way to save money while traveling, or extend your travel experiences by using your travel budget on other things like airfare or activities.

Benefits of Traveling By Home Exchange

No Accommodation Expenses – Obviously this is the largest benefit. Trading homes means you have no hotel or hostel expenses, which can save you thousands a week.

Larger Accommodations – If you are used to staying in hotels or hostels, having an entire house or apartment can seem almost decadent. I can tell you from our experiences we almost hate to travel any other way now. Traveling with a family and having your own bedrooms for adults and children can really impact your vacation, in a good way.

Cooking Your Own Meals – When you are staying in someone’s home you have access to a full kitchen so you can shop for your own groceries and avoid eating out. While it’s nice to sample the local cuisine, it can get expensive so having the ability to buy local produce and prepare your own meals can extend your travel budget, and even help your digestion.

Disadvantages to House Swaps

Privacy – Always one of the biggest fears of exchanging homes, you do have to come to grips with the fact that virtual strangers are staying in your home and have access to your private areas. You can take measures to store your valuables, but they will be using your daily items like sleeping in your bed and using your shower. Frankly I don’t think this is any worse than staying in a hotel where thousands of strangers have slept in the bed. It’s just a mental block you need to get over in order to enjoy your vacation.

Taking Care of The Home You are Visiting – Almost as nerve wracking, is making sure you don’t harm the home you are staying in, especially if you have children. When you stay in a hotel you can disassociate the experience because the room doesn’t belong to a ‘real person,’ but when you are staying at someone’s home you are always on guard to make sure you are careful. While most of us are careful no matter where we are, spilling a drink on a hotel room rug is a different experience from spilling it on a family heirloom rug that means something to someone.

If you are open to the experience, weighing the pros and cons of exchanging homes can open up a whole new world of travel. One of the best parts of house swaps is being able to really live like locals by having a connection to the community through your exchange partners. You’ll be living right in the community with access and information about restaurants and activities that residents love.

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