Author: Don

One of the most stressful things about a holiday can be the packing. If you are going as a family then it may be that not only do you need to pack for yourself but also for your children. If you are going abroad often packing is even more stressful as you may not be able to buy what you need in shops over there and have to worry about weight restrictions etc on the flights.

If you are going in the UK and driving to your destination then you will need to pack all of your items you want to take in to a car. This can be a nightmare, especially if you are camping as you will need to find room for a tent, bedding, possibly food and all the extras such as cookers, bbq’s etc.

Once you have everything packed in to cases put it all in one room. Start by loading the heavy large items in to the car first. Any item that is loaded in first may be hard to get to on the journey so be sure there is nothing that you are likely to need until you get there.

A tent is probably the thing you want access to first, so ensure that is easy to get too. Bedding items may be able to go in with your passengers, especially if they are children as they often like to have their quilt at hand in the car.

Barcelona is the regional capital of Catalonia, a region that lies in north east Spain. It is a vibrant, buzzing city that welcomes droves of tourists every year. People love the architecture, the gorgeous parks and the beach. However, with the current political situation and Catalonia’s desire to become independent from Spain, Barcelona has seen a lot of political action and tension.

Many of the demonstrations that have been held regarding the independence discussions have been in Barcelona. However, these have mostly been peaceful and actually, the only explicit violence has occurred at the hands of the Spanish police, who were instructed to intervene during the illegal referendum. Many experts think that this will not happen again, as it was too damaging for Spain’s international reputation.

Barcelona is still very much considered safe. You should just watch out for demonstrations that could become dangerous and keep a close eye on the political situation whilst on holiday.

Going on holiday or on a longer travelling adventure with a group of friends can be an amazing experience. However, it isn’t right for everybody. You need to have friends with similar interests and tastes, making it easier for you to travel together.

Talk to your friends in depth about how they would choose to travel and what they would like to do. Of course, there will always be some difference of opinion. However, if one of you wants to go and volunteer with animals in Africa and one of you wants to go and work in beach bars in Australia, you could be in trouble.

Sometimes, travelling alone is the right thing to do. It gives you a sense of freedom that few other things in life can. You will learn to be independent, pick up new life skills and create amazing experiences, every single day. Give it some serious thought for your next trip or adventure.

The sun is one of the main reasons why people go on holiday. The idea of spending a week or even 10 days lying on a sunbed whilst it is cold and rainy at home is incredibly appealing. You need to make sure you stay safe in the sun though, as it can be one of the biggest dangers when travelling abroad. Sunburn could ruin your holiday, so here are some sun safety tips:

• Stay out of the sun at the hottest point during the day. This is usually classed as between midday and 3pm. Find some shade during this time.
• Always use sun cream. Even if you are only in the sun for a short amount of time and do not burn, the sun can still cause damage. Reapply cream after swimming.
• Cover up. Put something over delicate areas like your shoulders and chest if the sun is very strong.