Something To Declare: Nepal; Boulogne; British breaks
Where to go, how to save, what to avoid
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Your support makes all the difference.Warning of the week: Nepal
The Foreign Office has issued a prescription for travellers in the Himalayan nation: Register with the British Embassy, either online (at www.fco.gov.uk) or in person on arrival in Kathmandu.
Carry your passport with you at all times.
Leave a photocopy of your passport and your itinerary with a contact in the UK.
Do not enter 'Restricted' areas. Check with a reputable trekking company.
Altitude can kill. To avoid acute mountain sickness ascend slowly and acclimatise fully.
Island of the week: Menorca
Check with today's Independent for a special glossy guide to this fine Balearic island. "Britishness is in the very bones of the island's history", writes Gerard Gilbert. In the capital, Maó, he walks the streets paved by the first British Governor of the island – Richard Kane, who also imported bow windows and the sash technology to go with them to create a dash of Regency Brighton in the Med. Maó, the closest Menorca has to a city, also boasts the second deepest natural port in the world after Pearl Harbor.
Destination of the week: Boulogne
In recent years, Boulogne has been marginalised by the growth of ferry services at Dunkirk and Calais. But the city is becoming more accessible, making it easier to reach the lovely nearby resort of Wimereux (pictured).
"SpeedFerries is now taking foot passengers on some of its Dover-Boulogne services," says the new edition of the Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable. SpeedFerries is currently the only operator across the Channel to Boulogne, and until this summer had insisted that travellers turn up in a car. This scheme is experimental. You can book on 0870 220 0570 or at >www.speedferries.com.
Even better news for travellers from next year: French operator LD Lines (0844 576 8836; www.ldlines.co.uk) will introduce a Dover-Boulogne ferry service on 1 July. It will be the first service to use a new roll-on, roll-off terminal at Boulogne. The Norman Spirit will make four crossings a day, with a sailing time of less than two hours.
LD Lines also sails to Le Havre from both Portsmouth and Newhaven – though the latter route is seasonal and will end on 3 September, not 27 September as planned.
Bargain of the week: British breaks
Big hotel groups are busy selling their empty rooms in UK properties this summer. Holiday Inn (0870 400 9132; www.holidayinn.co.uk/rooms) is offering two-night stays, including dinner on one night, at deeply discounted rates. In Norwich, the price for two is £118; in York (pictured), £168; and at the Chester Crowne Plaza, £199.
The offer is mainly for weekends, though some properties offer the deal throughout the week. If you book by phone, quote "Dinner Rate".
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