A Guide To Choosing A Suitable Travel Cot For Your ‘Staycation’

With the UK continuing to gradually move out of recessionary times, many parents will be starting to estimate whether they will have the money to spend on travel during their summer holidays.  Going abroad with a young child on a budget can often be considerably more strenuous than travelling on your own in the same situation, so for many young families booking a ‘staycation’ in and around England, Scotland or Wales may be the most logical plan for the summer months.

For any family planning on travelling with their baby, a travel cot is a very sensible investment.  Yet, for those staying in the UK for summer, they can be more than worthwhile especially if you plan on being away from home for longer than you might have been if you had gone abroad.  So where does one start when it comes to choosing the right travel cot?

Although travel cots vary significantly in price, their basic design often consists of the same key attributes, including: lightweight frame, carry bag and soft side panels often made from mesh.

 However, despite the key benefit of purchasing a travel cot being that it is easy to carry around, the actual weight of some models can vary quite significantly with mid-range models weighing in at around the 13-15kg mark, and those that are as light as 8kg being available at a slightly higher cost.

Weight may not be the only thing to consider when browsing available travel cots.  Although cheaper models are satisfyingly practical and simple, those that cost upwards of £70 typically boast a number of extras that might tempt the travelling parent.  Many can act as both a play pen and travel cot, while others include a cot top changer, saving you the need to take a changing mat with you. 

Yet to truly travel in style, and to increase the chances that you’ll be able to get a peaceful night’s sleep yourself – an increasing number are hitting the market with in-built night-lights and music-playing mobiles to lull your baby asleep, and to ensure that ‘staycation’ was really worth the money.

Gower: UK holiday destination for 2009?

With research recently published by Post Office® warning of the costs of ‘must have’ items for UK holidaymakers, it might be that ‘staycationers’ will need to save money on other areas of their holidays. Travel is likely to be a big cost to some, but the Gower Peninsula in Wales is conveniently located to get to efficiently and cheaply from many parts of the UK, yet is far enough away to offer a uniquely new experience – and it is beautiful to boot.

The research published by travel insurance specialists, Post Office®, shows that in order to keep summer car journeys peaceful and stress-free, parents are set to spend hundreds of pounds on travel toys, neck pillows and iPods – leaving little money left over for the travel itself. However it is fair to say that the journey to the Gower Peninsula is anything but boring. If the kids aren’t awe-struck by the three-mile long Second Severn Crossing, then they may well be impressed by the impressive southern Welsh countryside and the hard-to-pronounce town names.

Internet Endangers Travel Agencies

Independent travel information website, Travel-bite, recently published a tips article with a rather doom-mongering tone in regards to traditional high street travel agents last month.

It stated that the rise of Buy-It-Yourself holiday packages were replacing the work that agencies would carry out in the past. But how exactly is the internet changing how we plan our holidays? And how is it set to change further?

Companies such as travel-bite offer a similar range to each other, varying from hotels and flights as well as transport; which give the consumer the opportunity to shop around quickly and simply - and at their own discretion. These online travel agents have no doubt grown in popularity but if you are looking for an even cheaper deal, it is probably best to go to a specialist airline tickets seller online - to get that lucky last minute deal.

However, when it comes to cheap travel insurance, travel-bite.co.uk goes into little depth other than the importance to shop around, or to consider your local post office.

Interestingly, many companies have jumped onto the cheap travel insurance bandwagon on the web with an immediate ten per cent discount if you purchase online, and a range of travel insurance offers including annual, single trip and additional cover for holidaymakers hoping to hit the piste.

So is the internet really killing off the high street travel agent? A few years ago, The Independent published an article denying that there was a risk to travel agents, arguing that consumers were still willing to plan their holiday, and to pay a little bit more, if they are going to be able to sort it quicker or discuss it with someone face to face.

This was certainly a fair point then, yet with these financially tough times upon us (and its knock on affect on the appeal of some destinations) it might now seem that the pull of finding a good deal on the internet is getting ever stronger. And with more choice on the net, and an improving web-presence of trusted household names, it should only increase the service satisfaction of customers booking their holidays this way during the following winter months.