Bag a last-minute bargain as airlines scramble to fill empty seats!
What's The Story with such high hotel prices for Oasis gigs?
IS THERE anyone out there that doesn’t know we lurrve to travel? If you’d missed it, we do – and we mention it every Friday. So far, Chalkmarks has put out more than 300 posts – our social media algorithm is spiralling out of control this year. But, the real milestones are marked by where we have been. So here is a lil’ half-year round-up of 2024, part one. In February, Chalkmarks went to Bordeaux, France. We can’t recommend this Unesco city enough. This wine region is of universal acclaim and best of all it’s the gateway to hundreds of chateaux. A visit to Saint-Émilion is a must. Top tip: book with Wine Pilgrim run by Irish sommelier Caz. In spring we went to Montreal and Quebec. We arrived to deep snow and a tipping culture that was out of control in hotels, and cafes. That put us off. We won’t be back any time soon. In May we went to Oslo, Norway, which sits on a fjord with floating saunas and one of the world’s most scenic railway journeys. Then most recently we were in Riga – regularly voted one of the best value cities in Europe. And it’s true. We stayed in a five-star hotel, for four nights, in the Old Town for the price of one night in London. We also took a boat trip down the Daugava River to Jurmala and tried Black Balsam. File three out of these four under inspo. We know our Chalk from our cheese. Here’s to part two of 2024. Until then, let’s see what’s been going on in the papers. Here what to expect this month.
Very mindful, very demure!
Cheap deal: Wizz Air has come up with a £515 ticket that allows unlimited travel for a year across Europe, up to Iceland, across to Uzbekistan, and as far south as the Maldives. If that sounds too good to be true, well… there are lots of T&Cs! It’s only for standby flights, unsold seats, and a seat might not even be available. You can only book three days ahead, and you pay another £9 per flight plus more if you want baggage. The “all you can fly deal” starts on 25th September. Travel hero Simon Calder explains how it works.
Rail against the planes: If you’ve ever wondered which is cheaper, the train or the plane, we have an answer. At last! Trains are the silver bullet in the UK on price… on speed and on climate. This is all on the good authority of the bosses at the Rail Delivery Group. It has ruled on one of travel’s hottest debates. By taking a train, you can just rock and roll, and arrive closer to a city centre than any airport can take you, which is generally on the edge of a city. They also argue that when adding in the extra time to get to an airport (often via a train) to get through security and wait at the gate (yawn), means you could have arrived already. Also, they say trains are 70 per cent cheaper than flying the same route because they don’t charge add-ons for seating, taking luggage or to board early. On the popular London-to-Glasgow route, the train costs £171 compared to £248 for the plane, and from Manchester-to-London the price was £91 by train and £341 to fly. They go on to say trains are quicker on four out of six routes: London-to-Glasgow is 15 minutes quicker by train. Unfortunately there’s no link cos’ they didn’t X it. Chalkmarks recommends getting the party boat – board the ferry to Spain, much better than the plane… it’s much more expensive and will take longer but hey, Olé, you’re on your hols!
No medals: Wizz Air has been voted the worst airline for customer service by Which? magazine. The mood among 1,000 passengers was less than satisfactory, according to their latest survey. Ryanair wasn’t far behind in the ratings. According to Sky News Wizz Air picked up a +13 score and Ryanair +28 and British Airways +46. Scoring big was Jet2 with +81. Wizz Air said: “We do not accept the findings of this report, which are inaccurate, unrepresentative and misleading.” And a Ryanair spokesperson said: “This is another fake Which? survey using a tiny sample…” Which? btw recommends emailing the CEO if your messages go unanswered.
New directions: Mauritius, East Africa, and Mexico? Long-haul hols are back on the bucket list. Two years after the end of the pandemic, Thomas Cook reports UK travellers are finally feeling “adventurous” and ready to get out of Europe. They say demand for long-haul is growing faster than short-haul, with the US as their most popular destination. Kuoni echoed the sentiment, saying it was seeing a spike in interest for Mauritius and Thailand. Another one from PA Media.
Doing the right thing: All UK airports have improved accessibility for wheelchair users, the Civil Aviation Authority said this week. No airport was rated “poor” for the first time since 2020 in its annual report. There were five – Bristol, London Gatwick, Cardiff Wales, Liverpool and Norwich – that were told they “needed improvement”. Twelve were rated “good” and eleven were rated “very good”, including Newcastle, Belfast City, East Midlands, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, and London Stansted. The BBC has more.
Don’t look back in anger: It was just week that Oasis announced their long-awaited comeback with a reunion Live 25 tour. At first, no one quite believed that Liam and Noel had really buried the hatchet having fallen out in 2009. But, last Tuesday at 8am they announced gigs in Cardiff, Manchester, Dublin, Edinburgh and London next July and August. Within hours hotel prices shot through the roof as fans scrambled to book rooms despite concert tickets not going on sale just yesterday (Saturday 31st August). For the shows in Murrayfield rooms in Edinburgh have already reached £1,000. And the dates run the same time as the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe. In Manchester, the Maldron Hotels were accused of cancelling pre-existing bookings so they could resell rooms at a higher price. It denied this, blaming a “technical error with our booking system”. PA Media went mad for it! Anything else? Yes, all tickets start from around £70!
Bad for business: Qantas has upset 300 customers after they bought first-class tickets from Oz to the US for a few thousands pounds by mistake – 85 per cent less than what they should have been. The tickets should have cost at least £10k. Due to yet another computer glitch tickets were sold cheaper than they should have been. The airline said it will offer passengers refunds or will downgrade them to business class, which means they won’t get champagne, a la carte food a memory foam mattress or a pillow menu. The BBC has more.
HAVE SUITCASE, WILL TRAVEL!
More rock’n’roll: A row has kicked off after the boss of Ryanair called for a two-drink ban at airports after seeing passenger behaviour deteriorate over the years. Michael O’Leary said the worst routes were to party islands such as Ibiza and Mallorca, and from the UK regional airports Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. He said: “It’s not that easy for airlines to identify people who are inebriated. As long as they can stand up, they’ll get through. Then, when the plane takes off, we see the misbehaviour.” On Wednesday, Wetherspoon boss Sir Tim Martin, who has pubs at most UK airports, dismissed the idea, saying: “We have had no complaints about our pubs from the airport authorities or airlines, that I’m aware of, in recent years.” LBC has the story.
Sterling news: The pound is doing awesomely well against the US dollar. £1 now buys a whopping $1.32 (it was $1.27)! This is the highest it’s been this year. Bank some currency – cash in some quids for bucks today is Chalkmarks’ advice. That means we can buy lots more ice cream when away. Reuters broke the news.
As we voyage on: Earlier this year Royal Caribbean launched the largest ship ever – the $2 billion Icon of the Seas – which can carry almost 8,000 people. It not only hit a maritime milestone, it set a new hotel benchmark. And this week, the cruise company announced their fourth Icon of the Seas ship will be built and ready for 2027. For everything cruises, it’s time to talk to an expert, Kathy Taylor.
More fun with nana and gdad: Almost half of Britons will take a multi-generational trip this year, according to a poll by John Lewis – with 51 per cent already having taken a trip with grandparents in tow. The main benefits are threefold. It cuts costs – plus it seems grandparents often fork out a bit more – there’s free babysitting, and it’s good for creating memories. Boom – it’s the recipe for a happy holiday. MailOnline has more.
Feastern Europe: Slovenia may be one of the smallest countries in the world but it ticks all the holiday boxes. It’s mountainous, covered in forest with lots of protected landscapes and Unesco-listed has stunning spas and castles. It touches the snowcapped Alps in the northwest and the shores of Adriatic Sea in the southwest. Ljubljana is its capital, Maribor is renowned for winemaking and Lake Bled in the Julian Alps is its number one tourist pull. Slovenia was named Europe’s culinary capital in 2021 – the first country, as opposed to region, to get the title. If you don’t know where to start, click here and here.
Albania: Grab your phone and head to TikTok—we’re off to Albania! Last summer, this hidden gem surprised everyone, including the locals. Tucked opposite Italy and Corfu, Albania was hiding in plain sight until a viral beach pic of Ksamil with the hashtag “Maldives of Europe” captured Gen-Z’s attention. So, we followed the hype and went. The journey wasn’t easy—no trains, just buses—but worth it. Sarandë’s beautiful beaches, have made it unforgettable. Albania’s laid-back vibe and cheap eats make it the best place you’ve never been. Here’s our top travel pics!
On planet Trump: Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, is planning a billion-dollar eco-hotel on uninhabited Sazan Island in Albania – just off the coast from Vlore. The island, which was once a Soviet military base, is now part of a protected marine park for birds and wildlife. Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, are in talks with the Albanian government to develop luxury resorts, with villas carved into the clifftops, likened to Hobbit homes. Watch this space. AFP has more. Here’s why Albania is the best place you’ve never been.
Never pack up: Celebrity traveller Michael Palin, 81, says he’ll keep on globetrotting for as long as he can. Reflecting on his long career, the TV great, who has been Around the World in 80 days, gone Pole to Pole, and written about the Himalayas and the Sahara, told Norfolk Magazine: “I don’t think I’m ever going to stop. I’m driven by curiosity, it’s the same thing that David Attenborough always says drives him. It keeps you healthy, making programmes is very good for you mentally. You have to learn about a different way of life in totally different surroundings, you also have to be physically strong to do it. I’ll do it until someone tells me to stop.”
From Amsterdam to Zante: A group of women, who met 30 years ago when they were new mums, have embarked on an epic alphabetical city trip, once a year to give themselves a two-day break. They started on a girlie break in Amsterdam in 1988, they then went to Barcelona – and it was there they decided to make it an annual event where they go away for a weekend and follow the alphabet. Calling themselves the Alphabetties, over 26 years they crossed off Champagne, Dublin, Edinburgh, Faro, Glasgow, a Health spa, the Iberian Peninsula, Jerez, Kinsale, took a Long boat, Malaga, Nice, Orleans, Palma, the Queen (in London), Rome, down South (to Cornwall), Tavira (Portugal), Udine (Italy), Valletta, Wales, X became the Cotswolds, Yugoslavia (Croatia) and Zante. To read all about it, they wrote The Alphabet Tour – The Early Years available on Amazon. They could start there next time!
Foodie escape: All hail fish and chips. It seems it’s the number one thing Britons want to do on a staycation – specifically in Padstow, Cornwall, according to a poll by webuyanycar. Second is enjoying a Devon cream tea, third, hopping along the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, and fourth, watching the stars in the Yorkshire Dales. MailOnline has the full rundown of our fave 30 activities. It also found that one in five of us is planning a last-minute getaway before autumn blows in.
Change the channel! It’s official… again! From November 2025, Britons will have to pay €7 (£6) for a visa waiver to enter the EU. Known as ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System), the visa will last three years, allowing travel from Andorra to Vatican City and everywhere in between. It will be available to buy online in May with a phased 6months grace period before they become mandatory. Oh, and don’t forget the small matter of the Entry/Exit System (EES), expected to come in on Tuesday 10th November. This is where Britons will have to have their photos and fingerprints taken to enter the EU. These are the latest dates as of this month… could change!
Port of call: This autumn, the extra post-Brexit border controls we’re all been promised are due to kick in. To ease disruption French border officials will operate at an expanded zone in Dover when the new EU passport rules come in for us Britons. This is when we have to have our photos and fingerprints taken to enter the eurozone. All predictions say it’ll be chaos, so the Home Office will allow French border control to operate this side of the Channel to speed up the inevitable tailbacks of cars, coaches and lorries! There’ll also be 24 kiosks for travellers to give up their biometric data. PA Media has more.
Border control: The Port of Dover, the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone and London’s St Pancras station will pick up part of £10.5 million as the government steps up plans for the new EU border rules expected to come in November. The money will pay for new facilities and technology as travellers will have their photos and fingerprints taken. The Department for Transport hope it will also help “reduce the risk of queuing and disruption”.
Have you seen our pictures: Our fantastic travel photos, which capture some of our favourite destinations around the world, are now available for sale on Alamy. Woohoo!
Let it be(d): Beatles fans can now book to stay at the Casbah Coffee Club – now listed on Airbnb. The property in Liverpool was the birthplace of the Fab Four and the house where Pete Best, the band’s first drummer, lived. In recent years it had become a tourist attraction but now it’s been converted into suites named after the band members. Mr Best said: “They can sleep where The Beatles slept, play where The Beatles played, party where The Beatles partied. And everything else that they want to do.” ITV News has the details.
#Aintnomountainhighenough! What goes up a mountain in flip-flops and posts pictures on Tik-Stagram or Insta-Tok? Social media riff-raff, that’s who. Bosses at the Welsh national park, the Brecon Beacons, now known as the Bannau Brycheiniog, have said not being prepared for the mountain is not a flex. They have warned visitors wanting to reach Pen Y Fan (the highest peak) and the waterfalls, it is a challenging hike. Another issue they are facing is that, since it was named as one of the world’s best places to visit in 2024, by the New York Times, thousands are turning up – up to 4 million a year. And so, bosses have also appealed for fewer walkers on the weekends. Helen Roderick, from the park, said: “Maybe visit in September and October or early in the morning or on a weekday if you’re visiting in August.” Evening Standard has more.
The pain in Spain: Meanwhile, the war against tourists goes on. Police in Malaga have been pictured confiscating unattended sunbeds, deckchairs, and umbrellas from the beaches. Sunseekers who may have popped away for lunch, or maybe even a swim, have to fork out more than £200 to get their belongings back. This latest move comes after holidaymakers were squirted with water in Barcelona and told to go home. There have also been protests on the island of Mallorca by locals fed up with drunken Britons. It was on MailOnline.
Have you seen our pictures: Our fantastic travel photos, which capture some of our favourite destinations around the world, are now available for sale on Alamy. Woohoo!
Cue the Indiana Jones theme tune: We’re riding through the Sinai desert on a quad bike. It’s like a scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark. There is the huge blue sky, the sun beating down and a dry wind with rough rocky hills and high mountains ahead. Far in the distance we can just make out the oasis that is Sharm El Sheikh on the Red Sea coast. A traditional cotton headdress covers much of our faces to protect us from the swirling sand. We feel like we’re on an epic journey. It’s a bouncy and bumpy ride but it’s worth it when we meet Bedouins – their camels a stark contrast to our shiny red quad bikes. Since ancient times, this group of nomadic people has lived outdoors in this harsh open desert. We felt privileged to be following in their footsteps – a group of people that might not be around come the next century. We stop for tea, and spend the afternoon talking about their way of life and herding camels. Head to Egypt for days in the desert and nights in the club.
Fire up the laptop: Simon says there are £16 flights to Spain and Croatia and £360 package holidays going in Marmaris, Turkey, and Lanzarote. Even better, travel hero Simon Calder says these prices include luggage, transfers and self-catering accommodation. This is peak summer-holiday season, what’s going on? Simon says customers have been unwilling to pay the sky-high flight prices, so bookings have dropped off – and in an attempt to get bums on seats travel companies have slashed fares in the hope of a last-minute dash. He’s been through the holiday supercomputer and found huge discounts on hundreds of package holidays here.
Makes sense now: A survey by TransPennine Express (TPE) found that 66 per cent of Britons can’t afford to go overseas this year with 25 per cent saying it was specifically because of high flight prices. For those opting to stay at home, they say the top destinations are the Lake District, York, Edinburgh, Scarborough, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Durham, and Cleethorpes. Obs getting in some PR, Kathryn O’Brien said TPE had some “affordable prices mean that holidaymakers can sit back, relax and make the most of getting together across the North and Scotland… So it’s no surprise to see people grabbing a £10.20 ticket to the Lake District for their summer holiday.” Surely that price depends on where you’re travelling from? Manchester Evening News had the report.
Grounded: British Airways has announced it is pausing its route from Heathrow to Beijing from October. The airline didn’t give a reason but presumably it’s due to lack of demand. Sky News had the breaking story. BA said: “We continue to operate daily flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong.”
Not all Brat summer: Older travellers are buying up teeth-whitening strips, fake tan, hair masks, pedicure tools and LED masks to get holiday-ready. According to Clearpay, stocking up for a summer hols has gone way beyond travel minis and sun cream. They found that men spend £129 for a glow-up and women £188. It’s a moment. Now men too have the fear. The art of looking good for Insta is real. No one wants to look like a horror! PA Media has the data.
Not a bad idea: Apparently some of us feel like we need a holiday… after our holiday. According to a poll by shop Muji, Britons struggle to get enough sleep when away because it’s too hot, noisy, and they don’t like the bed. Another reason is feeling that everything has to be perfect.
Baggage like this: Virgin has been told off for saying in a radio ad that it was the first airline to fly from Heathrow to New York JFK on 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel. Virgin said it had used the words from the Department for Transport after it won its aviation competition to “support industry to achieve the first net zero transatlantic flight on an aircraft using 100% sustainable aviation fuel within one year”. They said they didn’t think listeners would believe there was no environmental impact. The Advertising Standards Authority said the ad was misleading – and that people would think the flight had no environmental impact. Miles Lockwood, at the ASA, said: “Claiming that a product or service is sustainable creates an impression that it is not causing harm to the environment, and for that reason, we expect to see robust evidence that this is the case. In this case, while sustainable aviation fuel does emit less carbon emissions than regular aviation fuel, it nevertheless still generates significant carbon and non-carbon emissions in-flight and its production at scale can have wider environmental costs and trade-offs.”
Green hills, blue water, and dolphins: Welcome to Madeira, a volcanic Portuguese island in the Atlantic, near Africa. It’s Cristiano Ronaldo’s hometown, where winter days are 20C. Madeira isn’t just for retirees—it’s a blend of Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Bavaria. Here are ten reasons to visit: dolphins, year-round spring, unique banana pineapple fruit, Madeira wine with a twist, historic tours, waterfalls, mountain toboggan rides, swimmable rock pools, the scenic Pico a Pico trail, and vibrant street art in Funchal. Plus, cheap coffee, pastel de nata, and scenic airport landings. Madeira is your next adventure.
Have you seen our pictures: Our fantastic travel photos, which capture some of our favourite destinations around the world, are now available for sale on Alamy. Woohoo!
To the rescue: Say no to plastic inflatables this year, asks the Marine Conservation Society. It says they only end up as plastic waste, which ends up in the ocean and kills wildlife. Expect to see their dramatic billboards at City Airport, which show an orca, a dolphin and a turtle as dead deflated, inflatables on a beach.
This is your captain speaking: easyJet has announced it is looking to recruit cabin crew aged over 50. Taster sessions will take place at its training centre at Gatwick. Waiting in the wings, Michael Brown, director of cabin services (what a title), said: “If you’re passionate about working with people and want a job that’s different every day, then we would absolutely encourage you to apply and can’t wait to welcome you on board as part of the team.”
Shout out: Virgin Money asked 2,000 people what boosted their happiness while on holiday. Out on top were long sunny evenings, having good weather for a BBQ, and eating dinner outside. The list of 30 travel “wins” also included your suitcase arriving first, a free hotel upgrade, breezing through airport security, having a free seat next to you on the plane, and being bought an ice cream. Aww! Find the poll on Plymouth Live.
Feel at home: Malta is like being in the UK but with the heat turned up. Valletta, the capital, has proudly kept its red post boxes, everyone speaks English, they drive on the left, and best of all they use British plugs. No wonder hundreds of us visit each year. News of any of this had never reached us so it was like a welcome homecoming on a weekend city break – only with better food, weather and beaches. It might be just a tiny dot in the middle of the Mediterranean but for sightseeing and shopping it more than punches above its weight. Here’s where to start.
Scotland’s bog: Congratulations to peatland at Forsinard Flows, Sutherland, at the very tippy top of Scotland for making the Unesco heritage list. It’s the largest blanket bog in the world where the earth underneath is completely saturated 10 metres down – making it spongey underfoot. Yes, there are trails. It now joins the ranks of the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef. King Charles went along to celebrate. The Independent has more.
In other royal news: During last year’s flashy King’s coronation, 2.7million visitors turned out to snap selfies in the sprawling empire of royal palaces. This was more than the year before but less than the
3.2 million before pandemic. The monarch’s annual report also showed Charles made a whopping £84.3 million helped by commemorative coronation and late-Queen merch!
IN MEMORY OF MARTIN YELVERTON
