I have itchy feet. I feel the need to travel again. I think it is the summer that is starting to get me in the mood, not that it takes much. I was in Rome in November, then in Amsterdam in February, and am going to be in Ireland in September. So between my last holiday and my next, I feel I need to go away again. It’s not going to happen, I know that, so maybe get a weekend away if I can, but restlessness is really taking hold.
I booked this evening my trip to Ireland, and first booked flights, car hire etc., then after reading all the BS with the car hire and having to pay an extra £60 for insurance to cover the excess. After reading the very small print, the hire company would take a deposit from my card of £1,000.00, and would not pay it back for some time till they were happy that the car was in perfect condition. This did make we wonder why I paid for excess insurance in the first place, so, I read their terms and any part of the £1,000 to £3,000 excess that the hire company took they would pay back to me within 28 days. The chance of me being charged would be near zero, but I did not like the idea of this chance of being taken for a ride and losing money by something going wrong, or a small print that excludes something. You know that little voice in the back of your head that starts talking to you, telling you that this sounds wrong. I tried to ignore it, and it persisted and went on and on, eventually, the alarm bells rang in my head.
With this, I hit the cancellation buttons on the flights, car hire, and insurance. Needless to say, I lost money, only £40, which I can live with, and booked the ferry. It is a bloody long journey of 8 hours sailing time, but in the end, it worked out close to £150 cheaper, taking into account airport parking £60, flights £110, baggage £25, seat costs £8, car hire £160, excess insurance £60. I get to use my own car, which is a big-ass SUV. If I wanted to hire the same car as mine for the week I was there it would cost me in the region of £600, so that was never going to happen.
I only have to wait 95 days now (and counting). I will miss my dogs like mad, but the kennels we use are great, the people are lovely, and my girls seem to enjoy being there, almost like home from home.
I will have to start looking at a weekend or two away, for now, although we do have house guests in August, so that shortens the time frame, but I am sure I will manage something.
Mr Knitter 