Not having the best of luck with Monarch companies.

Last year you may remember that I had an issue with my holiday accommodation booking where I was moved to a cheaper hotel by Somewhere2Stay who refused to acknowledge that the hotel was cheaper than the one I had booked and paid for, they also saw fit to wait several weeks until the day before travel to advise me of the change.

During the course of my complaint and attempt to obtain a refund of monies owed, I discovered that Somewhere2Stay is a subsidiary of Monarch Travel Group Ltd.

Initially I said that I would not be using any Monarch Travel Group company again, but I relented once I realised that I would have to travel to either Manchester or Luton to fly to Barcelona if I no longer flew Monarch, so I gave them another chance.

Four days ago I received an email telling me that whilst they carry out a review of their schedule certain flights would be covered by Jet-Time, a Danish company.  Apparently the planes used by Jet-Time are a different configuration to those belonging to Monarch so the extra legroom seat that I booked is not available, I have received a refund for the small amount that this cost me.

I have emailed Monarch with a few queries, to which I have yet to receive a response.

Although I have lost my extra leg room, do I still keep the pre-booked seat? (Paid for).

Can I still check in online? (Paid for).

Is the hold luggage the same, I have 23kgs, Jet-Time's website says that their limit is 20kgs. (Paid for).

Next year I think I will be travelling to Manchester for Vueling or Luton for Easyjet.

Do you keep a holiday washbag ready?

I was recently discussing holidays with a friend and the fact that we both hate packing came up.  We both said that we wished we had enough money so that we can buy all we need at our destination and then leave it all there when we return home (*note to self, possible business idea here).

We complained about the fact that every electrical device we take with us needs a different charger, I don't use my phone when abroad, it gets locked in the room safe, so that is one charge I don't need, but there is still my Kindle, iPod, iPad and camera.  Plus you have to remember the adaptor to change the plug to fit local sockets.

What did surprise me was that my friend did not keep a stocked holiday washbag, instead having to pack this after getting ready to leave regardless of the time of the flight.  In the past this was not such an issue as it could just go into the carry on bag, but now space has to be left in the case for it to be squeezed into.

I have had a travel ready wash bag for as long as I can remember, and certainly since I starting travelling alone, which is 25 years+.  It can also be used as emergency stock if I am at home and have run out of toothpaste or deodorant.

I treated myself to a new washbag this year, my last one have served its time well.  It is labelled as a man's, but it was half the price and twice the size of those labelled as women's, and the toiletries won't know.  It is massive so there is plenty of room to store my suncream and aftersun too, usually these are just stored in my beach bag in the suitcase pocket.

Do you have a travel ready washbag, or do you have to pack yours the day of travel?

St George's Day - 23rd April

Although it is frowned upon to celebrate our Saint's day in England other countries actively promote it.

In Catalonia, it is known as La Diada de Sant Jordi (Saint George's Day), El dia de la Rosa (The Day of the Rose) or El dia del Llibre (The Day of the Book).

Rather like St Valentine's Day (which we in England are allowed to celebrate), men give red roses to their sweethearts, women given books to theirs, although in more modern times, books are given by either sex.  Roses are now given in different colours which all have different meanings.

As well, as the better know red rose, the blue rose has also become popular, and it is usually given to friends since they symbolise trust. Pink roses are given to thank someone for an important favour.  Purple roses symbolise nobility, femininity and seduction, whilst white roses symbolise purity and innocence.  Yellow roses are a little less common, they symbolise joy and happiness, and so are usually given to teenagers.

All around Barcelona, book and flower stalls pop up overnight and by the end of the day, over 4 millions roses and almost 1 million books will have been sold and gifted onwards.

The national dance of Catalonia, the Sardana, is performed throughout the day in the Plaça Sant Jaume and book stores and cafes host readings by authors.

The atmosphere in Barcelona is always great, on this day it is fantastic.

How many bags make one?

A lot of airlines state that 'only one bag may be carried on board', but many passengers, and I hate to say it, but it is mostly women, seem unable to count to one.

People seem to think that ONE handbag or laptop bag, ONE carry on case and ONE Duty Free bag together count as their one piece of hand luggage.

I don't understand what the difficulty is.  If the rules state one piece, just take one piece instead of arguing with the airline staff and holding everyone up.

Liquids in carry on luggage seem to cause issues too.

Again, the instructions are clear.  Individual bottles no more than 100ml each, and all must fit into a 1 litre clear plastic bag which can be sealed closed.  There are some exceptions in the case of medication and baby milk.

These are not new, or hard to understand, rules, and yet I always seem to get stuck behind someone at Security screening who has chosen to ignore them.

Do you follow the rules, or do you try to bend them when travelling?

Another email offering a (not so) great deal.

This morning I received an email offering me a great deal on the perfect holiday for me from a major High Street travel agent.  I clicked on the link so that I could compare their prices with the holiday that I have already booked.

The first issue was that they don't fly from my chosen airport to my destination at the weekend, they only offer one flight per week on a Tuesday evening but as I only wanted to compare prices I let this slide.

The second issue was that they only offered one hotel in the whole resort, and this is a hotel that I will NEVER be staying at again, but again this was just a price comparison exercise.

The package price for two travellers was £493 per person for a week's half board in a 3 star hotel and included flights and transfers, this was for mid June.  Breaking this down, the flight was £198.98 per person, the hotel £276.50 per person and the remaining amount covers the costs of transfers and the rep at resort.

The third issue was that when I searched for 1 person travelling, as you know I always travel alone, the hotel was sold out. Change the search back to 2 people travelling, and the hotel was available again.

Booking separately, the flights work out at around the same price once hold luggage is added, however, the hotel can be booked much more cheaply.  Going to just one of the many comparison sites the same hotel can be booked for the same dates, the same board for £295 for two people, a saving of £258 on the original email offer.  With transfers costing around £20 return this is a good saving.  

You could possibly find even cheaper, this was just the first site I looked at, I usually look at a couple before I book anything.

I've talked before about shopping around, and this is another reason why.

My London Visit Wishlist

I would love another trip to London, in the past I have been for one night stays but would love to stay for longer.

The places that I really want to visit are (in no particular order):

1.  The Natural History Museum.  I really want to visit Dippy before he is moved to make way for the whale skeleton.  I have never been to the NHM so it is definitely on my wish list.

2.  The Science Museum.  The geek in me loves the Science Museum, it was the first museum I visited where you are encouraged to touch the exhibits.  After years of having to walk behind ropes, signs on everything telling you not to touch and attendants in every room to make sure you don't, this was fantastic.  I need to go when the schools are not on holiday so that I can get to the exhibits to play, I mean, investigate.

3.  The Churchill War Rooms.  When I was at school I hated anything to do with history, probably more to do with the teachers and the subjects we covered than anything, but in more recent years I have become more interested in what went on, so a visit here is a must.

4.  Bletchley Park.  Not technically London, but close enough.  Again this appeals to the geek in me.  The fact that people were able to break codes, generally in a foreign language, just boggles me.

5.  Madame Tussauds.  Another place I have never visited,  I've been to Louis Tussauds' in Blackpool, but I am hoping that this one would be better.

Is there anywhere else you think I should add to my list?

My favourite hotel in Calella de la Costa.

I have been asked which hotels I consider the best and worst in Calella.

Well, the best is easy, of all the hotels I have stayed in up to now, the Maritim wins hands down and I am reluctant to try any of the others on my wishlist in case I am disappointed!  Others on my wishlist include the Bernat II and the Hotel Mar Blau.

Whilst not wanting to call any hotels 'the worst' there are hotels I would not stay in now although they do have their uses. The Olympic, for example.  I have stayed in the Olympic a few times in the past when I could not afford any better. Working full time I was determined to have a week in Spain every year but it had to be cheap which meant coach travel and budget hotels.

Similarly with the Bon Repos and its sister hotel the Esplai, when they were all I could afford I was grateful for them.

One of the problems with the cheaper hotels is that they are used by the German holiday companies who specialise in coaching in hundreds of teenagers who run riot around the hotels and resort with no supervision at all.  

One year a group were running around the hotel banging on doors at 5.30 in the morning, I was so worried that I put a door under the doorknob and I do not scare easily.  This was in the Haromar.

Another year, every non German in the hotel (the Calella Palace, or Osiris as it was then), lined the terrace and clapped as the teenagers all trudged off to their coach dragging their cases for the journey home.

Another issue is the location of the single rooms in the cheaper hotels.  They are never the best located in any hotels, usually having views of the bins, but in the Olympic I was right next to the lifts, which were not quiet and were going all night.

I have stayed in the Amaika which was a good hotel, although the standards seem to have dropped in recent years.  This is a 4* hotel with the interior resembling the Titanic, why anyone would want to base their decor on a sunken ship I don't know.

The rooms in the Les Palmeres were fantastic, but the hotel is definitely geared towards the older traveller.

I enjoyed my stay in the Hotel Vila, it looked completely uninspiring from the outside but inside it was amazing.  But it is more a weekend break type hotel rather than for a full week.

Do you have a favourite hotel?