Flying Directly

Great news - the direct Manchester to La Palma flights with Thomsons are back on again!

After a summer with Thomsons offering direct flights to La Palma from only Gatwick, with some jubilation I see the Manchester ones have made a come back.  And it looks like it wasn't just me that  was pleased to see them as it certainly created a flurry of enquiries from people looking for accommodation on La Palma - and I'm not surprised with the prices they are offering.

For example for one week from the 25th November to the 2nd December, the price is £114.00 return.  That is a brilliant price!  Great to team it up with a week in the rural north of La Palma in a traditional Canarian house or bag a beach break with a self-catering apartment overlooking the sea in Tazacorte. 

On behalf of owners, we've got some fabulous apartments for rent on La Palma at the Puerto de Tazacorte. You can check them out here.

And if the Thomson itinerary doesn't suit, you can of course find flights to La Palma via Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Madrid, Germany, Holland or Belgium seven days a week. 

Happy Holidays!

Insured to go

When it comes down to it, I don't think too many of us are averse to cheap flights these days.  Even the more expensive flights seem to have cut down on providing an in-flight meal or even film to while away the hours.
So how about cheap accommodation?  I'm certainly not averse to booking a hotel room on-line at two-thirds of the normal price - although I have discovered you can't expect the best room in the hotel!
And then what about cheap travel insurance? There was a time when it was obligatory to take out travel insurance when booking a holiday either at the travel agents or at least tick a box confirming that travel insurance had been taken out.  With time however, it seems to have become more of an optional extra and this is when I hit upon the great idea for savings in this direction - just don't bother!
So that begs the question - is travel insurance compulsory?  And the answer to that is very simple - yes!  Yes that is unless you are happy to pay for an air ambulance should you need to be flown back after a serious accident or illness, yes if you have to get home quickly due to an emergency which means booking new flights and yes unless you don't mind losing all your money and valuables while on holiday.
Having decided that travel insurance is probably the only option then it's time to decide on which company to take the policy out with.
On my last travelling expedition, I took out cover with World Nomads, a company apparently among thousands who are offering travel insurance.  However, what swung me towards them is the fact that they are recommend by Lonely Planet and - even more so - they go that bit further to add value to your holiday with a host of extras such as a travel forum, travel articles and information, photo uploader, travel journal and the facility to 'add a little back' by donating to a chosen project. 
If you or one of your young ones are setting off travelling or on a gap year then a rock-solid travel insurance is vital.  But then even short holidays are precious too and for the relatively few pounds or euros involved, taking out travel insurance for any holiday has got to be a must. 
Have a peek into our new holiday shop where travel insurance is top of the list.
Happy holidays and we hope to see you on holiday in La Palma one day.

TAXI !

Whether or not to hire a car for your holiday on La Palma can be a tricky decision.  Doubtless a car gives you independance and freedom of movement to explore the very many nooks and crannies of La Palma.  But not everyone fancies driving themselves around the bend - in the very nicest possible way of course.

That leaves the bus, taxi and Shank's pony (this is weird English-speak for 'on foot.').  

Well, the excellent bus service got a mention in the last post and walking on La Palma has its very own blog at www.gr130-lapalma.blogspot.com so I won't tread on my own toes there.

But the ocassional taxi can be a great option.  No parking.  No driving. No worries!  Just sit back and enjoy the ride.

And don't worry, even if the taxi 'office' in rural Garafia is reminiscent of glorious days gone by, the taxis are rather more modern.
I'll give you an idea of some costs, all prices being current as of the date of this post and starting from the airport -

To the capital, Santa Cruz de la Palma - 9 km, cost 11.19 euros

To Puerto Naos - 42km, cost 46.17 euros

to Los Cancajos - 5 km, cost 6.95 euros

So, as you can see, it works out at just over one euro per kilometre although there is a small surcharge between 22.00hrs and 06.00 hrs, public holidays and weekends. 

You can have a look for yourself on taxis La Palma

 It's a great website with lots of ideas for walking tours on La Palma (in a group or otherwise), cycling tours, tours direct from the cruise liners, private tours of La Palma - for example to the Roque de Muchachos, Los Tilos laurasilva forest, La Tosca, the volcanoes, see tobacco being hand-made ... and more.  

 In fact, even if you have no intention of taking a taxi on La Palma, the website is still worth looking at as it has some lovely photos and lots of information.  And you might just feel inspired to call out 'TAXI !'