As a travel blog we feel we should update our readers on the basic travel advice relevant to the recent outbreak of swine flu. You’ll find much of our advice is delivered via links to credible information sources. This is because the story is constantly updating meaning advice on where to find what you need to know should be much more useful than just a round–up of the current status.

Firstly, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office has now advised against all non-essential travel to Mexico, read the full Mexico travel advice page here. Routine Consular and all Visa services at the British Embassy in Mexico City are suspended until further notice. In light of this many holidays to Mexico have been or will be cancelled. If you have something booked then do contact your travel agent or flight provider urgently.

Secondly, if you are planning travel anywhere else then you may want to check out this useful site: Healthmap. It tracks the outbreak visually showing markers in each country colour coded to show the seriousness of swine flu in each location. It is developed using third-party publicly accessible information but is as reliable as other news forms and a useful overview tool – especially if you are planning a trip. Healthmap is also on Twitter, sign up here for regular updates.

Thirdly, for medical updates and advice try the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) website where you will find both travel advice and frequently asked questions. Whilst the WHO does not currently advice against travel in general they do suggest the following:

• Delay international travel if you are unwell
• Seek medical advice if you are unwell following international travel
• Practise cough etiquette – maintain your distance and cover nose and mouth during coughs and sneezes
• Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly especially after contact with ill people

Fourthly, the NHS direct is a vital resource within the UK. Unsurprisingly they have recently experienced a vast increase in the number of calls which is good news really as more people asking for advice by phone reduces the risk of infection at doctor’s surgeries. Visit the NHS Direct online here, you’ll find plenty of up to date information on swine flu, or use the freephone number: 0845 4647.

Last but not least, let’s not panic. The news is we can still travel, not all cases of the disease are fatal by a long shot, and the UK has been preparing for pandemic for years so we are not in a state of disarray.

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SJ Baker was absolutely correct in guessing that the building illustrated in last week’s quiz was Trinity College, so well done to you – and I’m sure you’re not alone in finding Irish pubs a little too tempting… Here’s the last of our Ireland-themed questions, so do give it a shot.

Ireland is a mix of old-world charm and unspoilt natural beauty, combined with all the conveniences of modern life. Driving can be the best way to find hidden beaches, remote country pubs and spectacular scenery down quiet winding roads. Add to that the fact that petrol in Ireland is cheaper at the moment than in many other countries, and it’s a very tempting option.

The best routes include the Burren in County Clare, the Beara Peninsula and the beautiful Sally Gap drive County Wicklow. There are many more to choose from, but how many counties are there in total in the Republic of Ireland? If you think you know, post your answer in the comments box below.

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Have you ever read ‘Around Ireland with a Fridge’ by Tony Hawks? For those who haven’t I’ll summarise: Tony Hawks was drinking with a friend one night when he found himself making a bet that he could hitchhike around the circumference of Ireland, with a fridge, in just one month. Certainly a mad bet but Tony was, and is, convinced that Ireland is a magical place where people are more than usually friendly and helpful. What’s more, he did it! Where else could that happen?

The book is funny and heart-warming just like Ireland itself. A small country with a big history, Ireland sits west of mainland UK across the Irish Sea. The population is relatively small, just around 4 million, but what a population it is. As the Lonely Planet says “Someone will stop and help you find your way when you’re standing on a corner gawking at a map; you will strike up a conversation if you’re sitting alone in a pub; and there is a very good chance that if you’re stuck somewhere a local will volunteer a lift to wherever you need to go.”

That’s one of the reasons why we love Ireland. And another, on a more practical note, is that it is a very short hop from England making it a great weekend break destination. Choose from one of the five international airports, or travel across by sea, and then get yourself onto the open road to catch beautiful views and magical moments. Just don’t forget your brolly and sunglasses as Ireland is also famed for its ever changing weather and experiencing four seasons within one day is quite usual.

What’s on in Ireland is a big question as you can catch international events such as the world famous Volvo Ocean Race or participate in local life. The fact that this small country boasts ten Nobel prize winners, four of which are for literature, is testament to its rich culture and the annual calendar is awash with high calibre local literary and musical festivals for you to enjoy.

So, if you haven’t been our only question is what are you waiting for?

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What a wonderful morning and drive to work! Every Friday I post my Ultimate Driving Songs for different journeys that I do. Last Week I had my Ultimate Driving in the Sunset Songs, and it created a great buzz in the office. This week, I have decided to look at Driving to Work Songs.

I had the best morning, the sun was rising, it was getting warm and best of all, there was hardly any traffic! Cruising to work with my Ultimate Driving Songs was a treat!

Driving to Work Songs:

1. Rainbow – Since You’ve Been Gone
2. The Killers – Somebody Told Me
3. MGMT – Time To Pretend
4. Robert Palmer – Addicted To Love
5. Boston – More Than A Feeling
6. The Who – My Generation
7. Lionel Richie – All Night Long
8. The Knack – My Sharona
9. Blur – Song 2
10. Newton Faulkner – Gone in the Morning

Have you all had a great morning like I have sometime when you have been driving to work? What songs do you decide to play first thing in the morning to give you a wake up call? Let us know and have a wonderful Friday!

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Alistair Darling’s Budget has been released today for the Budget of 2009. Following on from the previous blog about the car scrappage scheme at the beginning of April, the scheme is set to go ahead.

According to the Financial Times it is due to be implemented next month following the success in some European countries such as Germany and Italy in which it will pay buyers of new cars £2000 if they disposed of their used cars that are more than 10 years old. This will run until March 2010.

Also The Independent have stated that fuel duty is due to increase 2p a litre in September and that there will be further rises of 1p a litre for the next four Aprils.

The AA President has said “ What this means is that the scrappage scheme will be paid for in a year by motorists at the pumps.”

So it looks like good news and not so good news for us motorists. What do you think of the Budget that has been released today?

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We are no strangers to Ryan Air, everyone’s favourite ‘love to hate’ airline, here at Auto Europe. We recently ran a post regarding their manners ‘Ryan Air Lets Rip’ and generally keep an eye on their publicity antics, the latest of which has caused me to put finger to keyboard again.

In essence Ryan Air has recently been running a poll of customers to see what the most popular new ancillary charges would be. Possibly unsurprisingly there is strong support for a so-called ‘fat tax’ which would charge higher fares to overweight passengers. Another supposedly popular suggestion is a €3 charge to smoke on board in a specially modified toilet cubicle. Other suggestions include an annual subscription fee to access the Ryan Air website, a €2 ‘corkage’ charge to passengers who bring their own food on board or (my favourite or least favourite I can’t decide) a €1 charge for toilet paper featuring O’Leary’s face!

As you would expect the media has had a lot to say about the poll and quite rightly ascertained that this is a clever stunt to introduce higher fares for heavier passengers as a measure which passengers have asked for. It’s certainly clever but why does it not alienate customers I wonder? I guess cheaper flights will always win the day and it’s no skin off the nose of an ordinarily weighted person.

My key concern is why do we need to fare system to be even more complex? Could Ryan Air not start to charge us fair fares that include the basic passenger requirements? To my mind the basics are carrying luggage, water, use of the toilets and safety equipment as required. Is there anyone else out there like me that would prefer an easy to understand price which includes what you need and is unlikely to rise if I am overweight, need the loo or wish to bring luggage in the hold?

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Congratulations to Donny C who correctly guessed that legend says kissing the Blarney Stone gives the gift of the gab. We had the answer down as “more eloquent speech” but actually the gift of the gab is a much better phrase!

This week we have another tricky teaser for you from the Emerald Isle. Namely, in contrast to Ireland’s many quaint and quiet villages, Dublin is a busy, bustling and highly cosmopolitan city. Crowds of young Europeans looking for fun are drawn there every year.

But there’s so much more to Dublin than lively bars. From the exhibitions at its National Museums and Gallery, to tours of Kilmainham Gaol or the Guinness Storehouse and the world’s largest enclosed municipal park, it’s simply packed with attractions. I’d recommend staying more than a weekend if you don’t want to miss anything.

The magnificent building pictured below can be found in the heart of Dublin’s city centre. Visitors flock to it for a glimpse of the ‘Book of Kells’. Can you name it?

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According to the Times Online many A-roads in the UK will soon be reduced to 50mph in a bid to save lives. Drivers will also face 20mph limits in residential zones as well as random breath tests and tougher fixed penalties for many offences such as passing too close to a cyclist.

These proposals for the ten year safety targets are to be published later today. This will be the first time the Government have set specific targets for cutting road deaths by at least 1,000 from the current 3,000 a year.

Councils will have to justify keeping the higher speed limit of 60mph on A-roads. It would be much easier to reduce the limit rather than trying to keep it at 60mph. Councils will also have to justify keeping limits at 30mph in residential areas and will also be put under pressure to cut the limit to 20mph outside schools.

The Home Office will approve cameras that do an average speed check in all entry and exit points in residential areas and the fixed penalty for driving 15mph over the limit will double to six points on your license. Also, the fine for failing to wear a seatbelt would double to £60 and eventually be given 3 point’s on their license.

Police will no longer need reason to stop you and take a breath test, as this will be primary evidence in court. Drivers will also lose the right to demand a blood test. These aims are to make traffic policing more efficient, reducing paperwork and giving officers the chance to deal with offenders quickly.

The driving test will also become more difficult with candidates required to follow road signs to a destination rather than take instruction from the examiner and also prove that they followed a curriculum before taking the practical test. This will normally take about a year, which in turn will raise the driving age to 18.

Personally I feel these measures are a little drastic. I understand the need for them and do think it will work in the long run, but I still feel that generally it is drivers who do not pay attention, drive dangerously and do not follow road law that is causing this action. Tell us how you feel about this new system soon to be implemented.

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It’s that day again. Friday Drivetime is our new weekly feature where every week I will list my top ten ultimate driving songs for different journeys. Last week I posted my Ultimate Driving Home From Work Songs, and this week we are going to take you out of the rain from your drive to work this morning and put you into a warm tropical motorway where you will be driving into the sunset with your sunglasses on, top pulled down with the Ultimate Driving in the Sunset Songs.

Driving in the Sunset:

1. Bill Withers Lovely Day
2. Morcheeba – The Sea
3. Air – Kelly Watch the Stars
4. Deepest Blue – Deepest Blue
5. Jean Jacques Smoothie – 2 People
6. MGMT – Electric Feel
7. Tilman Uhrmacher – On The Run
8. Kings Of Leon – Manhattan
9. Mylo – In My Arms
10. DJ Sammy – Boys of Summer

Take a moment to put yourself in that beautiful place, let’s face it, no one wants to be in the UK rain right now, and tell me what your Ultimate Driving in the Sunset Songs are.

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If the dodgy Easter weekend weather made a summer ‘staycation’ seem that bit less appealing, here’s some news to cheer you up. A new study just published by Thomas Cook has revealed that, despite the falling pound, the credit crunch and the cost of flights, it might still be a better idea to travel abroad for your 2009 holiday.

As reported by TravelMole and the Mail Online, prices in many overseas resorts are still significantly cheaper than staying in the UK. The ‘holiday cost of living’ study compares prices in 16 popular destinations. Goa comes out lowest – where a cup of coffee costs a whopping ten times less than it does in the UK. Other long or medium haul destinations, like Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco and Turkey also get glowing reports for their bargain status.

That’s no huge surprise. After all, we’ve been hearing for a while now that you could find a bargain break by travelling further afield this year. But the study also states that many Eurozone countries are also better than Britain for tight budgets – with flights for most short-haul destinations actually costing less than UK rail travel. Spain (where you can get a three-course meal for around £11.50) and Cyprus are the cheapest European places to visit, and a beer in Bulgaria only costs £1.20.

See below the ‘Top Ten Value Destinations’, as chosen by Thomas Cook, and the average cost per day in each (for comparative purposes):

UK – £48.51
Goa – £14.10
Cuba – £30.75
Tunisia – £33.05
Turkey – £33.74
Egypt – £34.0
Bulgaria – £34.60
Mainland Spain – £34.66
Morocco – £36.17
Majorca – £42.50
Cyprus – £45.38

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