Share Sounds. related to Travel & Holidays - Preparations

Adam Cox is joined by Mark Venables, Managing Director at megabus, to discuss new research which suggests 3 in 4 Brits are rethinking which modes of transport we use. They look at why bus companies may have experienced an increase in use due to the rail strikes and cost of living crisis, and how this is affecting Brit's travel plans. Low cost coach and train travel in the UK | megabus.com

Data has revealed half of UK women (48%) have found it harder to create or maintain friendships during and post the pandemic, and an astonishing 90% of UK women say they want to make more friends. With near to 1 in 2 women looking to get out of their comfort zone this year, notably by taking solo travel trips, it’s no surprise that our next guests suggest that demand for these adventures is already on the rise. Adam is joined by Zina Bencheikh from Intrepid Travel, and Claire Cohen, journalist, author of 'BFF - The Truth About Female Friendships' and expert on female friendship, to discuss this rise in solo-female travel and share tips & advice on how to make & maintain female friendships this year. https://www.intrepidtravel.com/

Adam Cox is joined by Tim Spicer, On Board Journey Planning Manager at Fred Olsen, to discuss new research which reveals the change in how Brits are holidaying. They look at why these changes are happening, and Tim gives advice on how to get the best holiday for the money and time spent. https://www.fredolsencruises.com/

Adam Cox is joined by tech and consumer expert Evelina Galli, from PriceRunner, to discuss how the cost-of-living crisis is affecting Brit's buying habits this Christmas. They discuss what products the public are buying more and less of this year, and Evelina gives her top tips for finding the best deals when Christmas shopping. https://www.pricerunner.com/

Adam Cox is joined by Alexa Polidoro, from Learn French with Alexa, to discuss new research from the brand which reveals some interesting trends about Brits learning another language. She explains the benefits of learning another language, why French is such a useful language to know and how the Learn French With Alexa courses run. www.learnfrenchwithalexa.com

This summer has seen travel demand rebound and for many, it could be their first overseas jaunt since before the pandemic. For that reason, there may be some rusty holidaymakers out there. But fear not, Lee Boyce, Helen Crane and Georgie Frost are at hand to help get you in the holiday mood (kind of). They talk about what you need to think about before a trip, from sorting out your passport with plenty of time to why it is imperative to have good quality insurance. It may not be sexy, but it is vital. Then, while you're away, what to think about in terms of spending money and little tips and tricks to save cash. We also ask if the days of cheap flights are over thanks to fuel price rises, whether chickenpox just before you go away means an automatic refund and more pearls of wisdom from decades of travel experience. Elsewhere, there are dire pension warnings linked to inflation. A new study believes that fewer than two in five households will be on course for a decent retirement due to the soaring cost of living. What can be done about it? And a large factor of that soaring cost of living is energy bills. Next month, we'll fully know just how high the price cap will head. Many are facing bill rises that they simply cannot afford. One part of the cost that is a real bugbear for many are standing charges. What are they and why can they not simply be cut?

Adam Cox is joined by Nick Hounsfield, Founder of inland surfing destination The Wave, and bodyboarder, Llewellyn Nicholls, ahead of International Surfing Day to discuss the benefits of surfing. Nick explains what The Wave is and how people can get into surfing, whilst Llewellyn talks about the challenge he is undertaking on the 21 June. www.thewave.com

Child benefit and state pension - It’s not the most obvious link. But if you are a parent who is looking after a child instead of working, you need to register for child benefit in order to build up your entitlement in retirement age. Austerity swept away the universal child benefit and those households where one parent earns more than £50,000 have to start giving it back until it is removed altogether above £60,000. Unsurprisingly, many who fall into this bracket simply opt not to take it and see no point in registering. Unfortunately, mums and dads who stopped work to look after children are now finding they’ve missed building up their state pension. It should be easy to fix, but HMRC and the government have been stalling parents affected. That’s why This is Money has started a campaign to get this mess fixed, before it gets any worse. On this week’s podcast, Simon Lambert, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost discuss how this all happened and why it matters to not just those affected. And finally, can you really have a weekend away in Europe, flights and a decent hotel for £57? Yes you can, thanks to a very clever new website we tracked down.

It's time to check-in with our friends over at Money Saving Expert. This week Georgie was joined by personal finance writer Sam Mc Faul. With the Easter holidays coming up they look at how to make sure booking your holiday runs smoothly as well as what to do if you've been affected by Virgin Money's recent glitch. Plus all the latest deals the team have come across this week.

Every year Travel Technology Europe comes to London's Kensington Olympia to showcase some of the leading companies and new start ups in the travel industry. With technology playing an increasingly vital role in how we plan and organise trips the show is an ideal place to see some of the suppliers leading this change. Our reporter Tom Hill visited the show to meet some of the 260 exhibitors helping shape the travel industry.