Spain has lots to offer to holidaymakers throughout the year. Even in the winter, much of Spain will still have some milder weather and will have plenty for tourists to see and do. If you are travelling to Spain this year, here is some advice to follow:

Learn the language. It is easy to pick up a few phrases in Spanish. Many Spanish people speak good English, but even if this is the case, they will appreciate you at least trying to speak their language.

Be mindful of the political situation in Barcelona. It is perfectly safe to travel to Barcelona. Just keep an eye on the news the check it stays this way.

Get away from the tourists. If you want to see the real Spain, pick a more remote destination. You might want to go inland a little to escape touristy beach resorts.

Consider hiring a car. This is an easy way to get around and you will be able to see more of Spain.

Packing can be stressful and for some people, it can even ruin the beginning of a holiday. There are, however, many ways you can minimise the stress to make sure you have an organised and relaxing start to your trip away. Here are our top packing tips to save yourself a holiday headache:

• Make a list. Lists are such an essential part of your packing regime. They will help you to be organised and to keep track of where you have got to.
• Pack as early as you can. This will help to take the pressure off right before you jet off on holiday.
• Make sure all your holiday clothes are washed. This will avoid the last-minute outfit panic.
• Don’t take too much with you. It will be so stressful trying to pack it all into your suitcase.
• Lay everything out before you pack it and tick it off your list. This will help you to avoid the thoughts going around and around in your head – do you have your bikini, your passport, your sun cream? etc.

When you travel many times a year because your business demands it, reducing travel costs, personal safety concerns, stress and other travel related issues is important, as you might save yourself many uncomfortable situations that might affect your business directly.

If you are a frequent traveller, you should be keeping track of all your frequent flyer miles and points in one secure place to track different awards program and take advantage of any tour packages that can be redeemed for all accumulated points because of business travel. Be aware that some programs also offer to follow up points for hotels and rental cars so you can take advantage of all kinds of opportunities. (more…)

Preparing for overseas business travel is not the same as planning for a trip in your country. This is because there are a couple of things you need to take care of to make sure your trip is successful without any major hitches. For instance, you need to make sure that all the travel documents are in check at least 2-3 months before you travel especially in cases where you need updated passports, visas and vaccinations depending on the country you will be visiting. Other things you need to check include:

Have a well planned itinerary 

An itinerary that has been well thought off reflects what you and your company want to accomplish at the end of the trip. Take into consideration relative priorities and goals before you write one down to get the one that works best for you. Make sure that your schedule is flexible enough so that you do not have to rush through things and you can also deal with unexpected problems without causing a storm. Leave a copy of this with someone you trust so that they can know where you are at all times in. You should also leave your planner with an emergency contact list.

Research on culture 

When visiting a foreign country, it is essential to do extensive research on the people and culture here. This will help you when it comes to brushing up on differences in negotiating styles, gift giving styles, attitudes towards punctuality and the proper use of tiles and names which comes in handy as you are conducting business.

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If you are thinking of booking a holiday to Australia then you should read this first to ensure you know what you will need to arrange before you go and how to do it.

Over 585,000 British Nationals visit Australia every year and it is a relatively safe place to go.  To enter the country you will need a Visa and this can take up to 10 working days to get if you have a valid passport. You can obtain a visa from the Department of Immigration & Border Protection website. You also need to remember about travel / medical insurance and any immunisations you may need before you go. Forgetting any of these can prove to be costly or can even stop you from being able to go on holiday so it is imperative that you get them in place as soon as possible. Once these are in place you may want to visit the gov.uk website to read through the guide to going to Australia for further information about the country and policies and procedures whilst holidaying there.