Far-flung destinations where even your pound goes further!
Welcome to your fact-packed, must-read travel round-up for April
TRAVEL has entered a new era! Expect to hear more of this in 2024 – and this is because of cruise ships. They are floating, resort hotels which are leaving land-based hotels languishing in the shallows. Most ships come with swimming pools, a nightclub, a gym, and a casino as standard. Many hotels do not offer these “basic” facilities, and quite a lot don’t even include breakfast anymore. But ships do, and they’ll offer you meals and snacks all day long – with vegetarian and vegan options too. And still, they’re going much farther. They have West End productions, high-octane activities, sunrise yoga, cabins fitted by award-winning furniture designers, all-day buffets, menus created by Michelin-starred chefs and celebrities flown in on helicopters to perform or give talks. On Celebrity Beyond, Captain Kate McCue is the on board superstar. When she heads down to the bar to greet passengers, she’s flanked with security because she gets mobbed like Taylor Swift on her Eras tour. You’ve never seen that happen to a hotel manager. To hear more here’s our interview with cruise expert Kathy Taylor. And here’s this week’s travel headlines.
WHERE’S THE BALLROOM?
Travel theme: The old days of paying one price is over – it now rises and falls depending on the day of the week, the month… the weather! It’s called surge pricing which fluctuates on demand. The owners of Thorpe Park, Legoland, Alton Towers and Madame Tussauds, announced they would be introducing surge pricing by the end of the year at its attractions. The boss of Merlin Entertainments, Scott O’Neil, explained to FT: “If it’s August peak holiday season, sunny and a Saturday, you would expect to pay more than if it was a rainy Tuesday in March.”
Mayday Mayday: Chalkmarks is late to this one, but in March it was reported that an Australian billionaire wants to rebuild a replica of the Titanic, ready to sail in 2027! Critics are very concerned that not only could passengers be put off because of the tragic ending of the liner in 1912 but by its design. Mining tycoon Clive Palmer wants to build Titanic II just like the original with the sweeping staircase and the ballroom – but also cabins that are the exact same size as the first class, second class and third class accommodation. Also, Titanic didn’t have enough lifeboats? Here, it was on Sky News. Crossing the Atlantic was our toughest ever challenge: Hell or high water: Atlantic crossing was my biggest test.
Your flight will be leaving from Birmingham: Guys easyJet has announced it will be based at Birmingham Airport. Yes, it’s already based at Stansted and so, the West Midlands base means passengers won’t have to travel down sarf to nip over to Tenerife or Malta. Actually they did already fly from Brum but now they will have three planes based there which will open up 16 new routes this summer.
Go nuts: Fancy a trip to Antalya, Turkey, Kos, Greece or, Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt – now you can fly from the UK’s second city. Yes please! easyJet boss Johan Lundgren said Birmingham had “much untapped potential” adding “it does give consumers a great opportunity to travel in a way that is not only for rich and privileged people. Our average fares across the network still sell for only £50.” It’s on Sky News.
The numbers are in: It’s not back to business in the museum and galleries game when it comes to visitor numbers. They’re still below pre-pandemic levels and not predicted to reach the heights of 2019 until the end of 2025! The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (AVLA) reported there were 146.6 million visits to museums and the like in 2023, down from 163.9 million in 2019. AVLA boss Bernard Donoghue said it’s cos’ some remain “out of the habit” and were still anxious. Although Chalkmarks thinks it could do with transport cost and museums generally being off trend. Remember though the British Museum and Tate Modern are freebies!
Loving it: The British Museum was the most popular tourist attraction in the UK last year with 5.8 million visitors. This was followed by the Natural History Museum, with 5.7 million and then Windsor Great Park, Berkshire, with 5.5 million visits. In Scotland, Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland was favourite clocking up 2.2 million visits. In Wales St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff came out top with 600,000 visits. And in Northern Ireland, Titanic Belfast saw 800,000 visitors. The Guardian has the story.
Magnet news: Buying fridge magnets on holiday is good for us. It helps our memory and triggers positive responses. Stay with us… if you can believe it, scientists were involved with this one. They asked people about their fridge magnet collections. It turns out there are lovers and haters. A man who clearly did not want to be named said: “Now I don’t tend to take a picture of anything… I’ll just get a fridge magnet at the end, and I can remember it all from that.” The science went on, people admitted they were reminded of a holiday when they opened the fridge door or when a magnet fell off. Others were snobs, and said they thought fridge magnets ruined the look of their kitchens. The unnamed team of scientists at the University of Liverpool said: “Central to our analysis has been a conceptualisation of fridge magnets as potentially powerful performative objects which can both enchant and disrupt the home long after the holiday is over.” Can someone translate? The Daily Mail says it means they’re not tat!
Animal friendly travel: easyJet has banned all animal attractions from its tours – including camel rides, performing sealions, trips to marine parks, zoos, animal performances, animal rides and any sporting events involving animals. Matt Callaghan, from easyJet holidays said: “We’re committed to being an industry leader when it comes to responsible travel. Our own research tells us that sustainable travel experiences are important to our customers, so we want to make it easy for them to holiday better.” The Independent has more.
Hot right now: Booking holidays when it’s wet and wintry. Travel-related spending has surged says Virgin Money – up 26 per cent on winter 2022/23. Plus, total holiday spending jumped by 82 per cent in January, compared with December 2023 – and it’s remained high in February as people booked new year deals – especially package holidays. The Independent also reported on this one.
More rainy days: We’re all penny pinching at the moment but Nationwide Building Society confirmed the trend above. If you haven’t yet booked a trip, you’re saving for one. Its research found more than a third (35 per cent) of savers are putting money aside for a holiday.
Over to the airports: In a few moments a plane will be landing on time at Gatwick. Or will it? Watchdog, the Civil Aviation Authority, found 64 per cent of flights departed or landed within 15minutes of the expected time in 2023. Gatwick had the worst punctuality with 63 per cent of its flights taking off or arriving on time. Edinburgh came second and, Heathrow third.
On the run(way): Eco mob Just Stop Oil is planning to disrupt flights this summer to prevent planes taking off. The Mail on Sunday has the scoop. The activists are planning to sit in terminals and even glue themselves to the runway. JSO co-founder Indigo Rumbelow said during a meeting: “We’re going to be saying to the Government: ‘If you’re not going to stop the oil, we’re going to be doing it for you.’ Hope to see you in the summer on the runway.”
Sorry for the inconvenience: Remember when National Air Traffic Service sparked out during the August Bank Holiday? A report out has found the chaos went on for so long because air traffic controllers were working from home – and took 90 minutes to press the reset button. A spokesperson for Nats: “We will study the panel’s interim report and look forward to their recommendations when they publish their final report.” The Guardian has the story. The “technical issue” affected 700,000 passengers with flights grounded for hours. Here Chalkmarks reported on the disruption as it unfolded.
Is that Concorde: It’s back… but on a barge! The supersonic jet that once flew London to New York in 3hrs30 hours (currently it takes 6hr30) is back but on display on Pier 86, in Manhattan, after a seven-month restoration. The aircraft that once reached a top speed of Mach 2.04 – that’s more than 1,500mph – has turned into a museum and will reopen to the public on Thursday 4th April. Reuters has the pix of it being pulled along the Hudson.
On the slopes: One in eight ski resorts around the world could be snow free by 2100 due to climate change. A study from the University of Bayreuth, Germany, found that if carbon emission are high, average annual snow cover would fall – with the Australian Alps, the Southern Alps and the Rocky Mountains getting the least. The MailOnline has an interactive map.
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!
New connections: Watch out for direct train services coming next year running between London, the Midlands, Shropshire, and North Wales by Alstom. It’ll be named Wrexham, Shropshire, and Midlands Railway (WSMR), with trains running five times daily. But why is the question being asked on X. A rail enthusiast responded: “No one in Wrexham wants to go to London and no one in London knows where Wrexham is”. The BBC has more.
Air fryer: The oil used in the English breakfasts served up at The Perfectionists’ Cafe at Heathrow’s Terminal 2 will get recycled into biofuels for planes. Tasty. It’s all part of a campaign to raise awareness of sustainable aviation fuel (saf), after a survey showed 14 per cent of us had never heard of it. The Fly Up costs £15.95 and the best part is the toast shaped as a plane. PA Media has the story.
Forget the March Budget: The pound is back! That means we can buy more ice cream when we’re on holiday. Post Office Travel Money says sterling is stronger than it was a year ago (although £1 is not up much against the euro at €1.16 or the US dollar at $1.27). But in many other places including Turkey, Kenya, Japan, Thailand, South Africa, Norway, Czech Republic and Vietnam it’s rising. Laura Plunkett, at the PO, said: “Most currencies have weakened against the pound in the past year, and many of these are for destinations that traditionally offer the cheapest prices for meals, drinks and other tourist staples.” Quids in! It’s on STV News.
Where’s hot right now: The East Caribbean and Barbados! The Post Office also revealed it’s been selling a lot East Caribbean dollars, which means Britons are travelling in the islands of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Also sales of Barbados dollars are up 64 per cent.
I’m on the plane: From April, British Airways will be offering passengers free wifi on board its flights. Flyers will have to sign up to the BA loyalty scheme for access, which will be restricted, to apps such as Whatsapp. Those wanting the full, on-the-ground internet, experience will have to pay for it, £4.99 or £21.99. It’s all part of BA’s £7 billion investment to upgrade the whole airline. The BA app will also offer support and provide up-to-date information when fights are cancelled. Unfortunately former C4 present Steph McGovern has already told bosses: “I’ll be honest with you, I hate the app.” ITV News had the story.
A look at the Olympics: The Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony on Friday 26 July has moved to Plan B due to security fears. The first ever Games to start outside a stadium will still go ahead but instead of the initial 600,000 tickets, this has been reduced to 326,000 (Chalkmarks also read 222,000) – with warnings it could be cut further. We also heard these tickets will no longer be available to tourists but offered to French residents so security is easier to manage. Taking place along the River Seine the event promises to be a spectacle, with athletes arriving on boats travelling a 3.7-mile route that passes the city’s most famous landmarks including the Louvre and Notre Dame, and ending at the Eiffel Tower with spectators cheering from the embankments. Sky News has the story.
BTW: Welcome to the live blog – the first time we’re doing this at Chalkmarks. Natalie will be updating every step she takes as she trains to become a tour guide as part of the Golden Key Academy course run by Open City. She’ll be bringing you the highlights and plenty of pictures over the next seven months. If you’re interested in learning what she’s learning about London you can follow in her footsteps. Get your coat! First, read our piece all about London – what you should know.
Newsflash: High flight prices are also shaping up to be another big travel story of the year. They’re high because many airlines are still running fewer flights than before the pandemic. This means they’re squeezing in more passengers on to fewer flights and that is pushing up the prices. Also there are delivery delays and safety issues.
Feastern Europe: Slovenia maybe 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 wine making 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.
Four days to go: Airbnb offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend the night in St Paul’s Cathedral, as part of World Book Day. The lucky winner got to stay in the secret library, which was concealed by architect Sir Christopher Wren more than 300 years ago. The Evening Standard has the story.
Last year it was King Charles: This year it’s Taylor Swift who is causing the price of hotels to soar across the country. When the pop princess lands in GB to play London, Edinburgh and Cardiff, later this year expect to see hotel prices surge 200 per cent – even budget options. MailOnline found that a Premier Inn close to Wembley Stadium usually costs around £74 a night but has risen to £313 on 15 August. And that’s if you’re lucky. Most rooms have sold out tbh. Get ready!
Destination MK: If you’re after a staycation location, look no further than Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire. The city hit the headlines this week after being portrayed in EastEnders as a slum. The MP Ben Everitt got very angry saying the soap was “completely out of order”. We Googled it, turns out if you sidestep the bins it’s a scenic gem. With a history going back to 1967, it’s got concrete cows and Willen Lake – the most popular park in MK. Don’t take our word for it, we’ve never been, that’s what the locals say. Here’s the row on the BBC.
High demand: Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said its prices could soar by as much as 10 per cent on last summer – and blamed a delay of new aircraft being delivered by Boeing, which he said was up against it with concerns about safety after a door blew out of an Alaska Airlines flight in January. He said: “Fares in summer 2024 are going to be up again on summer 2023. Our average air fares in summer 2023 rose 17%. We don’t think we’ll see that kind of double-digit fare increase this year. We’re doing our budgets based on a fare increase of 5-10%, which to me feels kind of reasonable. It could be higher than that, it could be lower than that, we don’t really know. If capacity was growing, I think fares would be falling. If we could get all 57 aircraft deliveries from Boeing in advance before the end of June we would make out like bandits all summer long because we have airports at the moment beating the door down to us.” PA Media has the story.
When is the right time to book: Travel whisperer Simon Calder was on the This Morning sofa answering questions about why flight prices are so high. He said it’s going to be “really, really tricky”. His advice was to book six months in advance. He said there is no such thing as a last minute deal when capacity is low. His best advice on how to bag bargain was to fly to or from a less popular airport, or to take a non-direct route and change.
Speaking of Which? Guys, we can copy and paste this one from last year after consumer champs Which? named Wizz Air the worst short-haul airline for delays and bad customer service once again. Also repeating from last year, Ryanair came second in its annual survey which analysed data from 10,000 flights. Third was Iberia, fourth, Vueling and fifth British Airways. Why is it when prices go up, standards come down?
In response: The Independent reported that Wizz Air was not happy with the Which? result, saying: “We conduct customer satisfaction surveys across our network and hundreds of thousands of passengers have said they are satisfied with the service we provide. Our results show our customer satisfaction has improved year-on-year and is significantly higher than this report suggests.”
High flyers: Jet2 came out top of the survey earning five-stars for customer service, followed by Icelandair, Norwegian, Turkish Airlines and Loganair.
Sky’s the limit: British Airways reported mega profits in 2023, making £2.3 billion. Boss Luis Gallegos said they’d be investing in 178 new planes until 2028. Chalkmarks didn’t see he mentioned improving customer service. The full report is in the Guardian.
A new love island: Thought One Day on Netflix was a romantic drama? Wrong, turns out it was a travel show because fans are already flocking to La Maison in Highbury in London, where Dexter opened his cafe, and they’re planning to meet up at Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh on Swithin’s Day, 15th July. And also, travel agents are predicting they will swamp the romantic Greek island of Paros where Dexter and Emma take a holiday. You can get there from Athens on the ferry which takes a few hours. It offers white sandy beaches, and blue sky and sea – everything the Greek flag promises. Follow the film here at the Daily Express.
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!
Bank of England museum: If you like money, you’ll love the new displays at the Bank on England with everything from a Roman gold bar to debit cards and even some good ol’cash. Its museum inside the famous 330 year old Threadneedle building in the City of London has opened a new exhibition called The Future of Money! And it’s free – maybe that’s the future! It’s also available to listen to for free online. But if you want to see the new bank notes with King Charles head before they enter circulation in June you’ll have to go… or take a peek on on AFP.
Two miles away: The National Gallery which marks its 200th birthday this year welcomed 3 million visitors through its doors in 2023 – this was 14 per cent up on 2022. More in the Evening Standard.
Plastic fantastic: The Barbie film may have been snubbed at the Oscars but this summer she’s back. The Design Musuem will open what it’s billing “one of the most eagerly awaited exhibitions of 2024”. They’ll be 180 Barbie dolls on display to mark her 65th birthday. Ken might be there too!
Next stop Glasgow: There’s already a train service from London to Glasgow but in 2025 there might be another, courtesy of Lumo. FirstGroup which runs Lumo is considering taking on Avanti West Coast and LNER by extending its service from London to Edinburgh and connecting through to Glasgow. What does Lumo offer over the others? Cheap seats! It’s in the Scotsman.
Excellent! Great ideas :D