How to Organise Group Holidays in Italy

Organising a group holiday is no mean feat. Pull it off and you will be admired by your family, friends or colleagues, with your trip looked back on as the holiday of a lifetime. But get it wrong and you will have A LOT of explaining to do to. Italy is the perfect destination for group holidays because it offers something for everyone. Whether you are planning a stag or hen do in party capital Rome, a family wedding in stunning Lake Garda, or a wine tasting holiday with colleagues in Chianti, Florence, there are lots of different types of group holidays in Italy.

Here are our top tips planning group holidays in Italy:

Do not know where to start? Brainstorm with your fellow holidaymakers. If the visit has a particular purpose (like a stag do), you will probably have a vague idea of what people will expect (eg. good nightlife). But if you are planning a trip without a single aim then you will need to look for something which most of you have in common. It could be as simple as wanting good food or wine, or it could be a love of history, adventure or relaxing days on the beach. Maybe not everybody will share a single interest, but aim for a destination which will please those with that common interest, with nearby attractions to please everyone else. For example, if most of you enjoy visiting historic sites, while other members of the party are devoted, try Rome, which offers both infamous ancient sites and amazing restaurants and plazas for enjoying a glass of fine wine. The city of Rome is a good starting point for pleasing everyone on group holidays in Italy because it is home to world famous sights like the colosseum, the Vatican and the Trevi Fountain, alongside museums, galleries, top restaurants and lavish hotels. Multi-centre group holidays in Italy are another simple way to offer something to please everybody, and the range of destinations can be personalised to your group.

Look at hotels, restaurants or attractions you would like to visit on TripAdvisor or other review sites. Remember that some reviewers have ulterior motives so take no notice of particularly suspicious reviews, but these websites are a great way to get a rough idea of which hotels or activities are worth the money and which are not worth bothering with. It is particularly important to read reviews before travelling if staying for a week or less, or if you have a limited budget, when you will not have much time or money to explore lots of sights. Relay your ideas back and forth with the group of travellers, making sure that everyone is happy with the accommodation and itinerary.

While deciding on destinations for group holidays in Italy you will need to keep a rough budget in mind; a figure which everyone can afford. Don’t forget that the cost of group holidays in Italy is not all you will need to pay for; you will also need insurance, transport to the airport, flights and transfers if not included, and spending money. It is advisable to look for booking agents which offer group holidays in Italy discounts for large parties. Choose someone who will be responsible for collecting money and booking the holiday in their name, and make a rule that everyone should pay that person before they book it, by a set date. Make sure every member of your group has an up-to-date passport before booking, and print off details of where you are staying and where you will visit. It is also helpful to buy a cheap map for everybody in the group, which will come in useful if anybody gets lost.

Protect Against Malaria with Mosquito Nets

If you are travelling in a malarial zone, a mosquito net is vital. It is said that mosquitoes have killed more people than war. Literally bloodthirsty, they may be, but the real danger of mosquitoes lies in the infections and diseases they can pass between people. Rift Valley fever, epidemic polyarthritis, encephalitis (including the West Nile Virus) and malaria can be transmitted by mosquitoes. Every year, at least 2 million people die as as result of such mosquito-born infections. Most of these deaths are children.

It is important to make sure you have the right size mosquito net for your bed. A variety of styles are available for single and double beds. Those mosuqito nets which require hanging (be it from a hook, wall or clothes lines) come with the necessary kit.

Portable, freestanding mosquito nets are perfect for use with tents. If you are off camping or are else in a situation where a traditional net cannot be hung, then these provide the answer.

Those who are moving around and/or don’t necessarily know where they will be sleeping, compact mosquito nets are ideal. Whilst products large enough to cover even double beds are available, their design means they can be collapsed down small enough to be stored in a compression bag. They are small enough to be carried in backpacks or hand luggage; the perfect choice for those off travelling the globe or trekking around Asia.

It is the recommendation of the World Health Organisation that all those travelling within malarial zones take with them a mosuqito net impregnated with a strong insecticide. Long Lasting Impregnation (LLI) kills mosquitoes as soon as they land on the net. The LLI lasts for 2 years, after which it can be reimpregnated with commercially available anti-mosquito treatments. You simply mix a solution of the anti-mosquito treatment to the right level of concentration and then draw the net through. Once dry, the net will be reimpregnated with LLI.

Mosquitoes are active between dusk and dawn; hence the importance of mosquito nets. As well as a net, it’s important to keep yourself covered if you are out and about at night, during the early morning or evening. You may be up and moving, but that won’t stop them trying to bite. Head nets are made of a fine mesh that offers you clear vision while also keeping the mosquitoes off your face.

Of course, mosquitoes can be a pest even if they are not carrying dangerous diseases. For that reason, some mosquito nets are available in non LLI versions which are suitable for using in the UK and other non malarial areas.

When travelling in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia or the Americas, it’s vital you take a mosquito net with you. Whether you’re staying in a double bed in a single hotel or hiking through the foothills, sleeping beneath the stars every night, there is a net suitable for your requirements. Malaria is a horrible problem, but there are straightforward steps you can take to avoid the worst of it.

Proper Network Cabling is the Secret to Faster Internet Speeds

Always having those annoying technological problems with your phone system or internet? Is swearing at your laptop a daily occurence? Well, things get better. Data cabling equpiment and services can speed up your connection and reduce hitches.

The Internet is no longer the wonder it once was. People have grown used to having the sum of human knowledge at their fingertips. People expect their Internet to be fast. Most online consultants will tell you that a website that takes longer than a second to load is going to get ignored. Fibre Optic Cabling is one of the most recent and vast becoming popular, must have choice for internet users, due to its far faster connection speeds and carrying capacity rather than twisted pair conductors, DSL or coaxial cable. Fibre optics data cabling is actually glass thread. It improves your network cabling system by carrying information at higher speeds and with reduced data loss. Fibre optic cables come in two different types to suit your internet needs, single mode and multi mode. A multi mode cable can transmit data up to lengths of 300m at 1000 mega bites per second and single mode cables can be used when even larger distances are needed!

If you don’t buy the right network cabling when setting up Internet access then your connectoin will inevitably suffer. It can, however, be difficult to know which is the right one, as the range of Ethernet cables continues to increase. Most of us don’t need a cable longer than 350m, so can make do with either a CAT5 or CAT5e. If you’re going to need something above that, then you’d be better advised to invest in a CAT6 (up to 550m) or CAT7 (up to 1000m).

Most people will opt for BT when setting up a new phone linebecause they are the most familiar. It’s understandable; there are enough headaches when you are moving house or office and the fewer you make for yourself the better. However, did you know there are dozens of service providers all with offers, such as free installation, free call outs and often even cheaper rates? The types of phone systems businesses can choose from include the simple analogue/PSTN, a simple phone or fax line designed for receiving just one call at a time, ISDN2 – similar to the basic analogue line, only this can receive two calls as opposed to one. Alternatively there is the option of the ISDN30; often used for slightly larger businesses this system has a minimum of 8 channels and a maximum of 30. There are also a wide range of handsets to choose from. For instance, the new Toshiba Strata CIX40 is perfect for smaller or start up companies, featuring a state of the art voice mail system, with 360 mailboxes and 40 hours worth of storage, allowing businesses to present a highly professional image towards their clients, no matter what their size.

Choosing a Curtain Pole for your Home

A good curtain pole will change the way your curtains hang, improving the look of your room. Buying a curtain pole may not be as straightforward as you first thought; they can vary from straight plastic poles with rings to a curtain track with automatic opening and closing on a light sensor.

Curtain poles can be both manually operated and cord-operated, poles with rings or gliders, or even electronically operated for home protection and ease of use. Curtain rails are available in different materials and colours to complement a room; either coloured plastic, or wood or metal with a different finish (paint or varnish). Whichever material you use for your track or pole, it is essential that it will support the weight of the curtains which will hang from them; it might be better to splash out on a high quality pole which will last for years.

Corded tracks work differently to simple poles with rings as they allow the opening or closing of the curtains by pulling a nylon cord which works on a system of gliders and pulleys. This avoids you needing to handle the curtain, which will protect fragile fabrics from damage. Pull-cord openings are also useful if the curtains are particularly tall and difficult to manage. Investing in a spray-lubricant will make sure that the tracks work as efficiently as poles with rings.

Electronically operated curtains are an alternative to manually operated poles with rings or cord-operated curtains, but are more expensive. They offer similar advantages as corded tracks, but can be remotely controlled by a controller, light sensor or timer. The latter two enable the opening and closing of the curtains when nobody is in the house, adding to home security.

Whichever style of curtain pole you choose it is important to make sure the shape and size are right. Curtain rails come in different sizes, so measuring the window is essential. Measure the recess width of the window with a metal tape measure, and note the number down. Also decide on the number of centimetres you will need either side of the window for when your curtains are open, you will need this so the curtains do not restrict daylight once open. The number is usually around 15cm to 20cm on each side, but should be more for wider or thicker curtains. Add twice this width (once for each side) to the width of the actual window to get a total. This will give you the length required for your new curtain rail. Extra wide windows will need multiple rails joined together by a joiner or good curtain rail retailer. Bay windows are all different shapes and sizes, meaning that measuring is more difficult. You will need to add the depth of your bay to the total length of the rail, but it is very likely that the rail will need to be adjusted to measure by the retailer, or, if you are handy, bent and cut at home.

You can give poles with rings a number of unique features to add to the appearance of the room. Finials and midials can be found in different materials and effects to finish the look of your window, as can curtain ties or hold-backs.

Time to upgrade your car stereo system! Does your car stereo system have the correct accessories?

A person’s car is often viewed as their pride and joy, something which supplies a person freedom and essentially gets them from A to B. Many people nowadays spend more time in the car than in front of the Television set consequently, there’s no surprise we all want the latest accessories and gadgets installed into our cars. We have all endured those uncomfortable, far from enjoyable journeys to and from work and upgrading your car stereo may not seem like a basic need, but if it makes those tiresome trips faced each day more pleasant, it’s well worth investing in a new device for your pride and joy.Selecting your new car stereo system may not be the straightforward and simple process you assume it is. With all the current music gadgets on offer these days, you’ll want to choose a stereo system that meets your requirements. For instance, were you aware that some in car stereos now additionally have the availability to also play DVDs, access your music via a USB stick or have voice activated controls? If you’re the owner of an IPod, MP3 player or have a phone with these gadgets integrated, you will need to make sure the stereo you decide on has an AUX socket, enabling you to connect and listen to your MP3’s with the use of an AUX lead.

Whether you want a fancy loud based stereo system to pump out your much-loved tunes or just a bog standard radio/CD player, it’s important you’re aware of what equipment your car requires to install your new device to prevent yourself from getting ripped off by the company or garage installing your new device. All cars require what is known as a fascia panel in order to fit an in car stereo; this is the casing that will hold your new device securely in the dashboard and can be obtained at a affordable price from all good car accessory suppliers, most stores will sell these panels for all make and model cars and will additionally stock different colours to match your car interior and stereo. Purchasing a fascia panel will mean that despite owning a fancy looking stereo, your car will still retain its original appearance, an important factor to remember if you’re ever planning to sell your car.

After you’ve purchased your car stereo system and accessories, it’s now time to set up your new equipment. In order to save money, there are several comprehensive video manuals online that instruct you in installing your stereo. However, providing you select a reputable, premium quality supplier to purchase your equipment from, they will often offer to install your device for a small supplement or occasionally free of charge.

Escape the worst of the Winter in a Fabulous Red Sea Resort

Why don’t you escape the dreary winter weather in the exotic red sea destination of Sharm El Sheikh? Winter temperatures along the red sea can reach highs of 25 degrees, much more tempting than the minus temperatures and chilly conditions of wind, snow and rain that we’re expected here in the UK this winter. Sharm El Sheikh, located along the red sea coast of Egypt has something for everyone on offer. Kick back and relax beside the fantastic pools and white sandy beaches or for the more daring type, enjoy the array of thrilling water sporting activities and desert trips offered.The Savoy Hotel Sham El Sheikh, located on White Knight Beach, is the ideal choice for your red sea winter break. The luxury Five star, all inclusive resort is situated in a wonderful, tropical location, complete with its own private beach and based just a short transfer from the main airport. The Savoy is the perfect option for both couples and families, with the Scooby-Doo kids club and extensive vicinity, displaying its own square full of bars and restaurants!

You’ll be spoilt for choice with the Savoy’s wide variety of bars and dining places, including 8 al la carte styled restaurants, each specialising in providing diverse types of food from all over the world, it’s not surprising this hotel is renowned for its fine cuisine!When relishing the amazing red sea winter sunshine, The Savoy has 3 main swimming pools, two of which can be heated, along with two additional children’s pools. The outdoor area also features a tropical styled pathway full of waterfalls leading right down to the hotel’s own private beach. For those after a more productive break, The Savoy has several water sport activities on supply from para-sailing, water skiing, wind surfing, canoeing and snorkelling within the nearby reef. The resort also has its own diving centre, since the red sea is distinguished as being one the best place to scuba dive, due to the beautiful colours of coral reef and marine wildlife, its well worth having a go.

Within the hotel itself there are 406 exceptional rooms, from single, double and family room selections, most available with pool and sea views, or why don’t you select a royal suite, for those who really want to holiday in style. The hotel also has a state of the art gym, Jacuzzi, sauna and health spa, offering a free treatment for every guest during their holiday.

You can forget desperate and cheesy entertainment during your holiday at The Savoy, the hotel features an extraordinary disco area, designed in the style of an ancient roman arena. If your stay includes Christmas or New Years Eve, the hotel is also providing a special gala evening, so your traditional winter holidays won’t be overlooked.

Training for Manual Handling

All businesses should make sure their employees undertake manual handling training. And it’s not just because you don’t want to be taken down the court by a disgruntled employee who has crushed his toe under a heavy box. Over a third of all injuries which result in someone being off work for more than one day are the result of poor manual handling. That’s a lot of sick pay and a lot of work to cover.

Manual handling at work programs offer you not just instruction, but context. The presentations begin by explaining how your back works, so you can better understand how and why poor manual handling injures it. Explanation is combined with testimonials from spine experts and those that have injured their spines through weak manual handling.

Before doing anything else, you need to assess the problem and the solution. You will be taught what you need to check, what you need to think about and which questions you need to be asking yourself before you carry out any form of manual handling. Each and every step of manual handling is explained to you, so that hopefully there are no gaps left in your knowledge.

Manual handling at work takes a number of forms. The training gives suggestions and shows the particular issues of each . Should you be lifting a whopping container down from height then you’ve to ensure that you don’t drop it and possibly crush yourself, whilst also being sure taking the strain of the weight does not lead to problems for your back. Other forms of manual handling which are covered include lifting from floor, waist and shoulder height, team lifts, pushing and pulling.

Each part of the course is accompanied by a short test. A certificate can be printed off as proof that each person has successfully completed their manual handling course.

Whether at home, work or play, it’s important to understand proper manual handling. It’s not just at work that we move things. Plenty of day-to-day activities can be fraught with the danger of back injury if carried out incorrectly. Clearing out the garage, emptying the wardrobe, pushing a car to get it started. They all carry the same risks associated with manual handling.

The manual handling at work course only takes thirty minutes and can be done on the internet or on CD-ROM. A free trial is offered without any necessity for credit card details; which means you have the freedom simply to walk away if it’s not for you. Before you do, just think about the time, money and backs which can be saved if a little time is committed to guaranteeing you know what you are doing.

Travel on a Healthy Stomach

What are the best methods for treating drinking water abroad? This is a very common question amongst travellers who may not have access to clean drinking or bottled water. Boiling water is a great method, but not always practical. Here we look at alternatives to boiling water.

Chlorine dioxide tablets are among the safest and most effective chemical water disinfectants around. They kill bacteria, viruses and cysts in water (including giardia and cryptosporidium). As well as drinking water, it is important to treat any water which may enter your body, e.g. water used for brushing your teeth or preparing food. There’s no need for additional neutralising tablets as chlorine dioxide tablets don’t have any taste. The tablets can be used to treat up to 30 litres of water and are safe for long term use.

Until recently, iodine was the most commonly known and commonly employed water purification treatments. However, iodine is not being supported under the EU Biocides Directive and so most manufacturers have discontinued supplying iodine products since 2009. We now recommend using chlorine dioxide tablets; a great alternative.

If you are not limited with space, try the handy Aquapure Traveller portable water purifier bottle. It utilises new M.A.D. (Mechanically Advanced Disinfection) Technology, a chemical free system that not only does a better job than the original product, but also has a faster flow rate: all without chemicals. The bottle is designed to provide safe drinking water that tastes fantastic. Its filter cap will purify an average of 350 litres during its lifetime, and is the sole portable water purifier endorsed by the Hospital of Tropical Diseases London. It is eco-friendly; by using the Aquapure Traveller, you are helping the environment by not disposing of 700 plastic bottles per filter. It is simple to use. There aren’t any chemicals or complicated produces; you just fill it and drink. Aquapure Traveller removes bacteria and viruses such as E. Coli, polio, hepatitis A and others. It removes waterborne pathogens, such as giardia, cryptosporidium, etc. It removes toxic chemicals and heavy metals, as well as bad tastes, odours and sediment. It’s the perfect solution for holiday makers, backpackers, trekkers, business travellers and, , anyone who requires access to pure, fresh water anywhere in the world. Replacement filters can be bought and can be replaced by simply taking off the old cap and screwing on a brand new one.

Bimuno Travelaid helps keep your tummy healthy while overseas. This truly exceptional patented formula has been specifically developed for travellers by global specialists in digestive health. Research show that the unique second generation prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharide formulation of Bimuno Travelaid helps to encourage and sustain a normal level of your gut’s “good” bacteria (bifidobacteria) helping to prevent “bad bacteria” from becoming established. Furthermore, unlike other prebiotics, or indeed probiotics, it also has unique anti-adhesive properties, which help your body to drive out “bad” bacteria you might have consumed. By this combined effect of maintaining a favourable balance of “good” bacteria and preventing bad bacteria from finding a home you can help to keep your tummy healthy. Since the protective benefits of Travelaid build over time, it is recommended that you take the product for seven days before your departure and each day whilst you are on your travels. Because of its effectiveness, Travelaid is recommended by a large number of travel clinicians and Bimuno is an approved travel industry partner of ABTA. I hope you found this article about chlorine tablets for water purification interesting and informative.

Keeping You Surfing in a Crisis

It seems odd to think that just ten or fifteen years ago, most of us didn’t have regular Internet access. Those who did have it had to put up with load times that often extended into the minutes and as for downloading audio or visual files, well… you might as well have driven to the server. Barely more than a decade later, things couldn’t be any more different. There isn’t a business or event in the country that doesn’t rely on the exchange of information online in order to work efficiently. It can therefore cause a lot of problems if, for some reason, you don’t have access to the Internet. Help is, however, at hand. There are a number of companies out there which can provide you with temporary internet access with a variety of different options so you get the connection that matches your needs and budget.

Maybe the internet has gone down in your office. For many businesses it’s the modern equivalent of the phone lines going down or the company fleet getting snowed in; no option but for everyone to down tools and wait until it all blows over. But with new times come new solutions. Specialist IT companies can now have a 7mbps connection set up in as little as 2 hours or, if it is a longer term problem, 20 mbps in just 2 days. With such a quick turnaround, the impact on your business is minimised and the fiscal impact hopefully minimal.

Temporary internet access can also serve as a stop gap if your company or organisation is relocating. Sorting out an internet landline can be an infamous headache. Again, for every minute that isn’t sorted out, your business is losing money and being frustrated. Temporary internet access fills that gap, keeping you supplied with an internet connection that is perfectly capable of keeping up with the demands of a busy office.

The users of temporary internet access are not just corporate. In these days of Wi-Fi hotspots and 3G mobile reception, people are used to the idea of being able to access the internet whenever and wherever they are. In busy metropolitan areas such as London, this isn’t really a problem, but out in the countryside even reception can be weak or entirely absent. Temporary internet access is therefore a popular solution amongst those organising events in rural areas, e.g. literary or music festivals. At such events, the inability of attendees to check their emails, Facebook or news pages for an entire weekend might be seen as a major disadvantage. However, internet access is also useful for those running the events as social media is an increasingly popular way for event organisers to interact with their attendees. Temporary internet access can be used to supplement existing 3G and Wi-Fi signals with a bandwidth that is sufficient for your customers’ requirements.

The internet is a vitally important part of the modern world. Yes, we once did without it, but the digital revolution has changed the way our society works: and changed it for the better. Whether it’s an emergency job that needs doing with only two hours notice or a major event with two or three months’ lead-in, there are specialist IT companies out there who can help.

Infestation Problems in Autumn Weather

It’s getting later in the year, it’s cool out in the open and we’re trying to hide inside for warmth. But we’re certainly not the only ones. Bugs and unwanted pests are much more readily associated with the warmer weather of summer, but it’s when it gets cold that lots of the problems start. Mice, rats and even some insects need to stay warm and your nice, cosy, centrally heated house is just the sort of place to find it.

Rodent infestations increase dramatically over the the fall and winter months, and contrary to popular belief they can occur in both towns and the countryside. Rats and mice are attracted to sources of food as much as heat and the tremendous quantities of garbage present in towns such as London mean there is plenty on offer for them there. So, a simple strategy to lower the probability of infestation is to make certain your rubbish isn’t left out for days on end or otherwise is placed in a secure container. If not, the rats will discover it, start breeding and you might quickly find a rodent infestation on your hands.

Mice and rats possess a sense of smell many times as strong as a human being’s. Like many mammals, scents are vital to their survival, since they use their urine to mark out territory, objects and pathways. One can therefore deter rodents by laying down strong smells. Mothballs are a common and effective option, however the powerful scent might also be unpleasant for we human beings as well.As a result it’s a method more suitable to out-of-the way places which are liable to infestation, such as attics, cellars and sheds as well as caravans and campers which might end up being left uninhabited during the winter months.

Wasps are ordinarily a summer problem, but the recent warm weather means some wasps are staying active much later than is normal. Those nests which remain out in the open will be unlikely to survive the first frost, but those inside – hidden away in attics, sheds or barns – can make it through into late October and early November. The new queen will normally have left the nest at the end of the summer, but those wasps left behind will continue to look for food. Like most of us, they can get somewhat tipsy as Christmas draws near, as often the only food available is fruit which has fallen from a tree and has begun to ferment. Unfortunately, many wasps will also be at their most dangerous at this time of year; since the search for food gets increasingly difficult, the insects will become more and more aggressive. Much like mice and rats you can reduce the chances of you attracting wasps by not leaving food out for longer than is necessary. If there are only a couple of wasps about, a trap can be sufficient to take care of them, but the best tactic is to simply wait for them to fly away.

Winter brings its very own problems when it comes to unwanted pests, but to be informed is to be prepared. There are numerous small, preventative steps you can take to prevent pest infestations, but don’t forget that tackling an established colony head on is a problem best left to the professionals. And remember, it might not just be you who’s keeping warm in your home this winter.

Expert, friendly and effective mice infestation for mice infestations can be supplied by the London-based firm Terminex, a fully certified member of the British Pest Control Association. They provide numerous commercial and household services for dealing with unwanted infestations all year long.