Top 5 Easter Hot Spots

Closer to home…

1 – Easter Corrie, Scotland

Traveller’s cheques and currency convertors are not needed in this little Scottish gem, situated near the Cairngorms National Park in the county of Glenlivet. Bird watching and hill walking will ensure that your holiday money goes that much further in this little hamlet dating back to the early 18th century.

2 – Whitstable, Kent

Tired of travelling? Not a problem when your destination is less than a 2 hour drive from London. This little seaside village has a lot to offer, from fresh oysters to seashore antique shops, knowing what the best exchange rates are will be the furthest thought from your mind as you take in the seaside air and charm.

3 – Bockhampton, Dorset

A time old Easter tradition was to roll colourful hard boiled eggs down a hill, apply the modern twist and you get a trend fast sweeping the UK, Zorbing! Experience the thrill of tumbling down a 200m hill while you splash around in an orb, which is generally made of transparent plastic so nothing on your trip down will be missed.

If you are ready to brave the currency exchange rates, there are other options further afield…

4 – Rome, Italy

If you are planning to buy Euros’ then consider Rome. Easter is a big event in Italy, so a trip to Vatican City could either be a great chance to experience the Easter Vigil and Easter Holy Mass, or a good reason to avoid it and experience the city’s bars, parks, museums and more with most visitors heading to St Peter’s Basilica.

5 – Lucerne, Switzerland

If you have some travel money and would prefer a vacation rather than a staycation, then just an hour’s drive from Zurich, Lucerne in central Switzerland is a cultural hotspot set among the natural beauty of the Swiss mountains and Lake Lucerne. An annual three-day festival takes place during the Easter weekend but if you miss it there will also be many other concerts taking place in April, from brass bands to international jazz groups. In contrast to the modern culture centre, holidaymakers can see Lucerne’s historical side in the old town, with the rebuilt Kapellbrucke bridge, another top attraction.

Consider your Easter holiday options and the foreign exchange rate before you decide to stay close to home or bunny hop to the continent. If you do decide to venture overseas, don’t rush to convert currency before you have compared providers to find the best exchange rates available.

With the pound not stretching as far as it used to, plastic savvy consumers are switching to prepaid currency cards to help make their travel money go further. Offered by foreign exchange providers including ICE plc and MyTravelCash, these cards often offer the best exchange rates, even compared to cash, keep your money safe and are more cost effective than your UK plastic. As the exchange rate is fixed on loading, and free transactions and free or low cost ATM withdrawals are offered, you know exactly how much you are spending throughout your trip unlike with your credit or debit card. Also, if your balance runs low most providers let you top-up on-line or via text allowing you to exchange Euros or dollars anywhere in the world. Best of all, they are powered by Visa or MasterCard so you can use them wherever you are in the world!

Wherever you go, Happy Easter!

A Passport ID Card Can Make Border Crossing a Simple Process

A passport ID can be used to replace worn passport books, which makes for frequent border crossing easy and convenient. The wallet-sized passport card is for easy wallet-sized transport and can be used by people crossing borders to Mexico, the Caribbean, Bermuda or Canada. The only drawback, however, is that the card is invalid for people who travel internationally using air travel.

This slim line passport device is a great alternative to standard passports for people who live on or near the Mexican or Canadian border and travel back and forth to the United States. The cards have a radio frequency ID chip, otherwise known as an RFID, installed in the card. Border patrol agents are specially trained to read information on the chip that is connected to a database that contains the cardholder’s passport information.

The RFID chip does no have any of the cardholder’s personal data on it, just information that pertains to the person’s passport.. Only authorized personnel can access the information and properly read the card using the database. The card comes with a protective blocking sleeve that protects the information from unnecessary and unwanted scanning.

These passport cards are made available to any citizen of the United States, even if they never had a passport before. Applicants must complete the necessary passport application, a DS-11 and send it in with accompanying identification and pictures. Someone who already has a passport can apply for an upgraded card and receive a discount on the price of the passport card.

Fees for passport cards are very economical compared with the cost of a regular passport. A standard card for a first-time adult purchase is $45.00 and children under 16 pay only $35.00. The passport book is more than twice the price at $100.00 for adults buying a passport for the first time. Individuals who want to switch from a paper book to a passport card only have to pay a modest fee of $20.00.

Passport ID cards last the same amount of time as a standard passport book. The adult card is valid for 10 years from the date of purchase and a child’s card can be used for five years using the same criteria. The cards don’t need to be renewed before the time period is up, so makes them very convenient to use.

While the cards can be purchased by mail, an overnight method won’t be of value due to the limited delivery options. The passport card is only returned to the applicant using the traditional first class mail delivery method. If an individual needs to get the card as soon as possible, they should look into another way of getting the card.

Teachers and Tour Escorts – A Working Relationship Can Produce Fun and Educational Student Trips

When planning and executing student trips to Washington D.C., New York City, Orlando, FL or other U.S. destinations one of the primary components for a smooth and fun trip is good communication between a tour escort (also known as a tour director) and the teacher who is sponsoring the class trip.

Some student trips can be quite large, with groups ranging from 100 to 150 students, while other class trips may number between 40-60 students. No matter how large or small the group and how many busses are needed, a trained tour director is a necessary part of the journey and can make the difference in whether the student trip is well managed or not.

An educational tour company with experience in taking school groups on tour will always provide a tour escort as part of the overall cost of the trip. The tour escort is the representative from the educational travel company whose main task is to keep an open dialogue with the teacher when schedule changes or deviations in the itinerary are suggested or needed, among other things.

A tour director is not in charge of the trip. The teacher is the person who fulfills this role and takes ultimate responsibility for making decisions on behalf of the student group. The tour escort’s role is to assist the teacher when a decision needs to be made, and to inform him or her about any potential charges which may be incurred for making decisions that do not coincide with the planned itinerary.

Here is a breakdown of the role a tour director will play on a class trip and the responsibilities of the teacher or school group leader:

Tour Escort

• Introduces him or her self to the teacher before the trip via a personal telephone call.

• Uses the itinerary as a guide for the entire class trip.

• Keeps the group on schedule and manages any issues that may arise that will affect timeliness in attending scheduled events, destinations, eateries, etc.

• Acts as a liaison between the attractions, hotels, restaurants, bus driver, and other stops on tour.

• When requested by the teacher or group leader the tour director may assume more control of the group. For example, a teacher may be away on a personal phone call, trip to the restroom, or overseeing a problem with a student or group of students. The tour director will act as a temporary group leader when the teacher’s attention is elsewhere.

Teacher

• He or she is the group leader of the class trip and maintains control of the students.

• The educator dialogues with the tour escort and makes final decisions on adjustments to the itinerary or schedule.

• A teacher will consult with the tour escort on any potential or actual financial changes that may occur due to modifications of the itinerary.

• When disciplinary problems arise with a student or group of students, the teacher takes the lead role in intervening and correcting the problem.

• If there is a problem with the venue or schedule, the teacher is informed by the tour escort how the issue will be resolved and makes final decisions on the outcome of the situation.

The teacher and tour escort relationship is always more effective when both individuals keep the lines of communication open. An adept tour escort is a proficient communicator. An educator has to have excellent speaking skills to manage a classroom on a regular basis. When both of these key roles are working in unison, a student trip to any destination is a quality educational experience remembered fondly by all.