Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
15 November 2012 09:12
High tides have flooded Venice, leading Venetians and tourists to don high boots and use wooden walkways to cross St. Mark's Square
Freak weather conditions and industrial action in Europe have combined this week to highlight what can go wrong on holiday. Firstly, in Venice, heavy rain and seas whipped up by strong winds have flooded the famous Italian tourist city. Sunday's high tide mark of 59.06 inches (150cm) was its sixth-highest level since records began in 1872, according to the Ansa News agency.
Elsewhere in Northern and central Italy, the same weather system that put 70% of central Venice under water this week, was also wreaking havoc, with hard-hit Tuscany seeing 200 people evacuated from their homes. Although flooding is common in Venice at this time of year, the need for securing adequate travel insurance is perfectly illustrated by these stories of weather conditions across the Italian regions that aren't always predicted or adequately researched before travel.
Other issues affecting European travel this week have occurred in Belgium, where rail unions have called a second 24-hour strike in six weeks. Train traffic throughout the country and the high-speed service between London and Paris are expected to be seriously hampered on Wednesday. Warnings of disruptions have come from both the national railway company and the Thalys European high-speed service. Industrial action also paralysed train traffic six weeks ago, when both the Thalys lines from Paris and the Eurostar from London had to interrupt their services.
15 August 2018
A simple blood test could help GPs detect a rare form of bone marrow cancer much earlier, a new study suggests.
[more...]
14 August 2018
Passengers arriving at Heathrow Airport last month faced queues of over two and a half hours at passport control, new figures have revealed.
11 August 2018
Hundreds of Ryanair flights will not take off as planned on Friday due to pilot strikes in five countries.
10 August 2018
Fad diets that cut out carbs while increasing fat consumption could lead to an increased risk of diabetes, according to new research.
09 August 2018
HIV testing has become even more accessible after a self-testing kit was made available from a High Street retailer.
08 August 2018
Women patients are more likely to survive a heart attack if they are treated by a female doctor, a new US study has revealed.
07 August 2018
The head of British Airways has branded two-hour queues facing travellers at Heathrow's passport control as a "border farce."
04 August 2018
Simple factors such as gender and body mass can help doctors to personalise care for patients with type 2 diabetes and avoid harmful side effects, according to a study.
03 August 2018
Gatwick Express must no longer claim it runs "non-stop to Victoria station in half an hour" and "in just 30 minutes" unless it can achieve the time in most cases, a watchdog has ruled.
02 August 2018
A charity is calling for greater access to respite support after it emerged that 72% of Britain's 700,000 young carers feel lonely and isolated during the summer holidays.
01 August 2018
A plan to build new rail links with Heathrow Airport and connect Windsor's two train stations have been submitted to the Government.
31 July 2018
The head of International Airlines Group (IAG), the company that owns British Airways, is 'optimistic' about a legal challenge to end crippling strikes.