Mini Travel Guides

In the UK, many people were out shopping and enjoying the day after Christmas.  Since the Boxing Day holiday falls on a Sunday, many banks and other businesses will be closed on Monday.  In Ireland, it’s known as St Stephen’s Day.  However it is known, Boxing Day has a long history in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and other parts of the world.

While fox hunting was banned, it's still a big part of Boxing Day

Fox hunting in Keswick, 1962 (Flickr: Phillip C)

Boxing Day goes back to the times of Victorian England.  During those days, many rich and middle class gave servants and their families boxes of gifts and tips.  As part of their appreciation, the servants were also given the day off so they could visit their families.  Other Victorians celebrated Boxing Day by donating food and money in boxes to the poor in their areas.  Many of these donations would be placed in pots – the first piggy banks.

In 1871, legislation was passed to make it an official Bank holiday in the UK.  As an official holiday in the UK, most people have the day off and it’s known as a big shopping day filled with bargains and after Christmas sales.  For sports fans, it’s a huge day every year as the Premier League and Scottish Premier League have a full day of matches.  In year’s past, it was a day of rivalries as local teams would play many of their derbys.  For sporting fans, horse racing and fox hunting have also been a big part of Boxing Day.

This year, many have celebrated Boxing Day with lots of snow as winter weather has blanketed the UK.  For those that braved the elements, a number of shopping deals were available.

During the Christmas and holiday season, England and other parts of the UK are the home of many holiday traditions.  For those enjoying Boxing Day, know your history, be a little more charitable this year, and remember that it’s a day of giving and time with family – with a little shopping and football as well.

Celebrating the history of Boxing Day in the UK

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You don’t even need a sledge, snowboard or skis to have some fun speeding downhill on snow. If the snow is dry and especially if you’re wearing waterproof outer trousers, you can snowslide down a grassy slope. My husband Demetrius and our sons Simon and Gary had great fun snowsliding at the town walls in Berwick upon Tweed in north east England today.

You can see all my snowsliding photos on Flickr.

Snowsliding in Berwick upon Tweed on Boxing Day

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On Sunday 12 December 2010 the official launch of the Royal Border Bridge Illuminations in Berwick upon Tweed finally took place. There was a fantastic firework display.

The Royal Border Bridge Illuminations should be on every evening after the launch but I haven’t seen official confirmation of the hours of operation yet.

Videos taken with Sony NEX-5 camera.

Firework Display at Official Launch of Royal Border Bridge Illuminations

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Snow is lovely, isn’t it? Powdery, fun, pretty. Except if you want to get anywhere. And then it’s a nightmare. I can’t even imagine what it must be like at the airports at the moment. Chaos doesn’t quite cover it. Because if one flight is cancelled, it’s not like you can squish everyone onto the next flight over, is it?

And then there’s the trains. And they’ve been a nightmare. Despite the London underground and the DLR working pretty OK, the rest of London’s train services (and seemingly the UK) has come to a standstill leaving people stranded all over the place. Two hour journeys are taking almost an entire day, some people are getting stuck on tracks overnight.

So what have you done? Driven to your destination? Camped out at the airport? Braved the trains and decided to get to your destination no matter how long it takes and how many trains you have to get on? (I’m most impressed if you’ve done that!) When the unpredictable winter weather arrives, how do you make sure you get to where you want to go? Are you stubborn enough to stick it out, or are you ready to cancel everything you’ve planned for another time?

The worst thing about snow is that there’s nothing we can do about it. Whether we like the way our transport is run, it’s out of our hands unless we’ve got four wheels of our own (and they’re unlikely to get us somewhere sunny). This is the one time we don’t have other options. We can’t just jump on another flight, or pick another option. It’s unsurprising that so many people decide to stay at home.

You can see just how many people are being affected in the UK on Twitter using the hashtag #uksnow.

Which is what I’m doing. After a narrow escape to the Cotswolds last weekend, I think I’m set for snowy travelling. It started snowing badly the day after I returned, but what was an hour journey could have been much worse. I’ve decided unless I need to, I’m staying home. It’s far to icy outside for safe journeys.

Wherever you’re trying to get to in the snow, be safe. It’s dangerous out there and no journey is worth hurting yourself for.

How are you getting to your destination? Tell us in the comments!

Flickr image from roberthunt1987‘s photostream.

How has the UK snow affected your travel plans?

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We’ve had snow lying in Berwick upon Tweed for more than one week now.  My husband Demetrius published a post “Walking around Berwick upon Tweed on a wintry November Afternoon” earlier this week. The colours reflected in the snow and ice sheets lying on the River Tweed during our walk along the river bank today were so beautiful that I decided to feature them in a short blog post.

The blue sky reflected in the icy River Tweed

Pinky hues in the partially frozen River Tweed

You can see all our Berwick in the Snow photos and videos on Flickr.

Reflections in the Icy River Tweed

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We’ve had snow lying in Berwick upon Tweed for more than one week now.  My husband Demetrius published a post “Walking around Berwick upon Tweed on a wintry November Afternoon“. earlier this week  The colours reflected in the snow and ice sheets lying on the River Tweed during our walk along the river bank today were so beautiful that I decided to feature them in a short blog post.

The blue sky reflected in the icy River Tweed

Pinky hues in the partially frozen River Tweed

You can see all our Berwick in the Snow photos and videos on Flickr.

Reflections in the Icy River Tweed

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Winter has started early in Berwick upon Tweed in the north eastern corner of England. The first snow fell on the evening of Wednesday 24 November 2010. These photos were taken during a walk around Berwick on the afternoon of Sunday 27th November 2010.

Looking over Berwick Old Bridge

The lighthouse at the end of Berwick Pier

Looking back at Berwick from the Pier (full size panorama here)

Mist rising from the sea

The sound of the crashing waves could be heard more than a mile from the beach

One of the Berwick mute swans hoping for some titbits from passers by

The Royal Border Rail Bridge across the River Tweed in Berwick

The bad weather has delayed the official launch of the Royal Border Bridge Illuminations, due to take place on Saturday 27 November but cancelled due to the snow.

Photos taken with a Sony NEX-5 camera

Walking around Berwick upon Tweed on a Wintry November Afternoon

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On the 29th October 2010 Edinburgh Airport started charging £1 for passenger drop offs close to the terminal building.

Entrance to the new £1 drop off facility at Edinburgh Airport

There is a new free drop off facility at the long term car park with a free shuttle bus running every 10 minutes to the terminal.  That leaves passengers with a choice of either paying the £1 to be dropped off at the terminal or adding another 15-20 minutes to their total journey time from home to the airport, to allow additional time to get from the new drop off point to the terminal.

New Free Drop Off Area at Edinburgh Airport Long Stay Car Park

I’m not convinced that the bus shelter at the new free drop off area is adequate, as I can’t see more than about 12 people with luggage fitting in there. The shelter is also a pay station, so imagine someone who tries to get to the ticket machine when it’s full of people waiting for the transfer bus.

Bus Shelter at the new Free Drop Off Area at Edinburgh Airport

What annoyed me most was the previous free drop off area is now being used as a taxi drop off point and was almost deserted when I was there in early November 2010.

Deserted Former Free Drop Off Area outside Edinburgh Airport Terminal

In my opinion, Edinburgh Airport could have either left the former free drop off arrangements in place or allowed  a couple of minutes of free access at the new £1 drop off area.  I live in Berwick upon Tweed, 60 miles from Edinburgh Airport and if I have an early departure or late arrival, it’s just not possible for me to get to and/or back home from the airport by public transport.

It seems to me that UK fliers are viewed as cash cows; paying to be dropped off at the airport, paying ever increasing APD and being forced to buy expensive bottled water after they have come through airport security, as many airports either don’t have drinking water fountains or they are not clearly signed and hard to locate.

Edinburgh Airport £1 drop off charge: Another Snatch at the UK Fliers Purse

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From 1 November 2010 the UK based Nationwide building society will charge customers for overseas use of their debit cards. There will be a 2% charge for all  purchases and cash machine withdrawals, plus a £1 charge per cash machine withdrawal. These charge for using debit cards abroad are still lower than many of their competitors, e.g. Halifax Reward current account customers pay a fee of 2.75% plus a flat £1.50 fee for any foreign transactions or cash machine withdrawals.  I’ve been looking for a debit card for use abroad, with the lowest possible charges and fees, to replace my Nationwide debit card.

Spanish ATMs by cackhanded

FairFX Anywhere:  low overseas charges in any country (also avoids Ryanair admin fees)

I reckon that the FairFX Anywhere Mastercard prepaid debit card  is one of the best debit cards for use abroad, as it has a fairly low overseas usage charge of 1.5% on all purchases and cash machine withdrawals anywhere in the world.  You load the card in pounds sterling and conversion to the foreign currency takes place during your transaction, with no mark up on the exchange rate. As you have to pre-load the card before your trip, it can also be a good way to stick to your holiday spending budget. Europe a la Carte readers who are UK residents will have the usual £9.95 card application fee waived if they apply for the card using this referral link. You’ll need to select “Pounds Sterling Anywhere Card” in the left hand drop down box, then click the “New FairFX Card”. This will take you to another page, where you can change the amount you wish to load (pre-set at £100). You can read about this card’s fees and charges here.

An additional bonus is that the FairFX Anywhere card is also one of Europe a la Carte’s recommended cards to avoid the Ryanair £5 per person per flight admin fee. Therefore you’ll pay less in overseas charges than with most other debit cards and save £10 per person when booking return flights with Ryanair.

by f650biker

CaxtonFX Euro Card: Great for use in the Euro Zone

If you plan to use your debit card solely, or mainly, in Euro Zone countries, the CaxtonFX Euro Card can be a good deal.  You load the card (a Mastercard prepaid debit card) in Euro, at a competitive rate of exchange, with your cash locked in at the exchange rate prevailing at the time of purchase. There are no fees or charges for purchases or cash machine withdrawals made in Euro and no card purchase fee or monthly fees.  But, you’d don’t get the benefit of avoiding paying the £5 per person per flight Ryanair admin fee with the CaxtonFX Euro Card.

by shotbolts

Halifax Clarity: Great credit card for overseas use

I thought that the Halifax Clarity Credit Card was worth a mention, as it is a great option for use abroad. It has no fees for overseas purchases or cash machine withdrawals, but you’ll be charged interest on cash advances, which works out at around 1%, as long as you pay off your balance in full every month.  If you hold a Halifax current account and at least £1000 is paid into your account every month, you can apply for the Halifax Rewards Clarity credit card which offers a £5 cashback reward if you spend at least £300 a month on your card.   This £60 a year cashback should more than cover the interest you’ll pay on withdrawing some holiday cash when you’re abroad.

With a credit card, there’s always the temptation to spend more and if you don’t pay the balance off in full, you’ll end up paying a lot more in interest than you save in overseas usage charges.  However, not everyone will want to open a current account with the Halifax, or be able to fulfil the minimum monthly funding criteria in order to get the £60 a year cashback on the Halifax Rewards Clarity credit card. You’ll also need to get a Mastercard prepaid debit card if you want avoid the Ryanair admin fees.

Conclusion

I couldn’t find a way of using debit cards abroad that is free of all charges and totally flexible, as prepaid debit cards mean that you can be left with some load on the card, which will have a cost to either spend in the UK  or convert back into pound sterling. You could get a CaxtonFX Euro card for use in the Euro Zone and a FairFX Anywhere card (with the £9.95 application fee waived if you use this referral link) for use in the the rest of the world.

Although most of my travel is within Europe, I do visit countries outside the Euro Zone on average twice a year, so I decided that I’d prefer keep it simple, by just sticking with a FairFX Anywhere card, which I can also use to avoid the Ryanair admin fees. However, if you get at least one of the above debit cards for use abroad,  you’ll keep more of your holiday spending money for yourself.

If you already have a Halifax current account, or are happy to change banks and at least £1000 is paid into your account every month, then the you could even come up a few pounds ahead with the Halifax Rewards Clarity credit card, as long as you pay off your balance in full every month and make purchases worth at least £300 with your card every month.

Warning and Disclosure

Please read the terms and conditions very carefully before you sign up for a card. I spent hours researching these cards but it’s quite complex and there is a lot of small print. This post is based on my pers9onal research. I’ll receive a commission if you purchase a FairFX or CaxtonFX  prepaid debit card through the links in this blog post.

Best debit cards for use abroad (& even avoiding Ryanair admin fees)

Browse through our Europe travel tips to find the best places to visit in Europe. Content published on Europe a la Carte.

Fans of French Impressionist art travelling in Europe this winter are in for a treat. Not only are there the usual permanent collections in the museums and art galleries of various European cities, but there are also a number of spectacular temporary Impressionist exhibitions in Europe that bring together art works from institutions and private collections around the world.

The National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh.

Edinburgh and Madrid
Thanks to artists such as Monet and Pissarro, the Impressionists are known for their paintings of gardens. Surprisingly then, there has never thus far been an exhibition that explores the garden as a theme in its own right within French Impressionism. The National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh and the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid have joined forces and curated an amazing exhibition that explores the origins and significance of the Impressionist garden. The exhibition, which brings together over 90 paintings from around the world is on show in Edinburgh until 17 October, when it then moves to Madrid for 16 November 2010 until 14 February 2011.

There are many articles about Edinburgh on Europe a la Carte – just search for Edinburgh, where you will find all sorts of information including restaurant and hotel reviews as well as lots of information about other attractions. And Andy has some tips for Saving Money in Madrid.

Le Grand Palais

Paris
There is not one, but two exhibitions of Claude Monet’s work not to be missed in Paris this winter. The first, already open – and closing 24 January 2011, is a retrospective of Monet’s painting organised by the Musée d’Orsay at the Grand Palais on the Champs Elysées. Some 170 paintings have been brought together to show his painting changed over his lifetime, during which he is said to have made some 2500 paintings. Sadly, some of the more iconic paintings will not be included in this exhibition, for example the very painting that gave rise to the name Impressionism. This is because there is a bit of rivalry between the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée Marmottan Monet.

Not to be out done by the already very popular exhibition at the Grand Palais (tickets for the guided tours of the show have already sold out), the Marmottan has curated an exhibition of its own. Monet: his Museum, 7 October 2010 – 20 February 2011, has not only been designed to remind us which is the World’s leading Monet museum, but it also displays other artefacts of Monet’s related to his painting.

And don’t forget to read Karen’s Best of Paris Travel tips, a summary of all that is good about Paris on Europe a la Carte; or should that be all that is good on Europe a La Carte about Paris?

Martigny
When the exhibition at the Marmottan closes, much of their collection will head over to Switzerland and the Pierre Gianadda Foundation in Martigny for next summer. The Marmottan collection will be on show from 17 June – 20 November 2011 with the various Monet paintings in the various private and public collections held in Switzerland. This promises to be a great exhibition, with a number of private collections on show for the first time in ages.

London
Opening tomorrow and closing 16 January 2011 is Gauguin at the Tate Modern. This is said to be one of the most significant exhibition of the great artist’s work in over 50 years. Most people think of Gauguin as a post-Impressionist, but he did start out as an Impressionist having been trained by my favourite Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro. Gaugin is well known for his wonderful paintings of women in Tahiti.

The Tate Modern is located on London’s Southbank – read Heather’s list of free things to do on the Southbank.

Europe is Awash with Impressionist Exhibitions this Winter

Browse through our Europe travel tips to find the best places to visit in Europe. Content published on Europe a la Carte.