Avoid travel nightmares this Christmas with advice from www.aph.com

Winter's arrived...

It doesn’t matter where you’re going, what the season is, whether there’ll be snow and skis or sand and sea, there are certain basic rules it’s worth heeding. Along with the early skiers, many sunshine-starved families who opted for a UK ‘raincation’ during the summer will be heading for more reliable climates this Christmas break.

As a result, UK airports promise to be busy despite the economic woes. Airport Parking and Hotels (APH), the long-stay airport parking expert is offering travellers a selection of top tips to make sure they have a fuss-free, festive break.

The family-friendly top tips include the following:

• Check that your passports are still valid – for some countries it must be valid for six months after the date of travel, and remember, children’s passports do not last 10 years like adults.

• Make sure you have travel insurance and if travelling in the EU then obtain and take your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

• Make copies of important documents and take one copy and leave one copy with a close friend or relative, or subscribe to and load them onto the ‘APH Online Safe’ in case bags get stolen or lost.

• Shop around for the best rates on foreign currency or purchase a pre-paid currency card – don’t wait until you get to the airport to buy your currency.

• Heading for the sun at this time of year means you may be travelling to more exotic destinations so check which inoculations are necessary for that country.

• Pack a foreign plug adapter.

• Charge iPod and camera batteries the night before departing

• Check that suitcase weight and dimensions conform to your airline’s rules.

• Check-in online, 24 hours before flying to avoid check-in fees at the airport.

• Print out flight e-tickets.

• Reserve seats on the plane.

• Cancel the milk and papers and make sure your central heating is on the ‘frost protection’ setting.

• If you have a very early start, consider an airport hotel the night before. This year Hotel and Parking packages are even better value and offer great peace of mind.

• If not, set a back up alarm clock to make sure you wake up for early departures.

• Make sure your car is prepared for the journey to the airport – for example, check tyres, battery and screen washer fluid.

• Double check the booking if you have arranged a taxi to take you to the airport and be sure you have a contact number if they fail to show up at the agreed time.
  

  The Mediterranean is beautiful at any time of year - but don't forget to copy your travel documents

APH offers parking at all major UK airports, ports and Eurotunnel terminals plus airport hotels packaged with parking, airport lounges, travel insurance, car hire and holiday taxis. APH is also a carbon-balanced company and has, through the World Land Trust, helped purchase more than 1,000 acres of Belize rainforest.

© Stewart Andersen and Stewart Andersen’s Property Blog, 2009. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Stewart Andersen and Stewart Andersen’s Property Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Alpine properties from MGM

While UK house prices continued to drop in a near static market at the start of this year, the London office of leading French Alpine developer The MGM Group saw sales holding up. Although slightly down on last year’s figures, the group has surpassed its sales target for the five-month winter season.

MGM’s London-based sales consultant Richard Deans says the company achieved more than 200 off-plan sales of ski properties without having to reduce prices by more than five to ten per cent.

“Within eight weeks of announcing plans for 40 new ski-in, ski-out homes in Les Arcs, we had sold one-third of the properties to British and French investors,” he said. “At Bisanne 1500, half of the 12 apartments in our proposed new development Le Chalet Ameria also were sold off-plan. Such immediate interest remains typical, despite market conditions, with off-plan sales continuing to be achieved as much as a year ahead of the completion of new developments.”

When the company started the year by announcing that it is to build 12 new apartments at Les Saisies, buyers snapped up two of them immediately.

Investors in leaseback properties

Says Richard: “Buy-to-let investors are favouring leaseback purchases in residences de tourisme because they can offer guaranteed returns of five per cent – rather more than the interest being offered on bank deposits currently. Furthermore investors in leaseback properties can off-set their rental income against tax – a benefit not available when letting a property bought outright.

Richard Deans

“Buyer interest in property in the French Alps remains strong despite the poor exchange rates. They have had some effect on the market but the calibre of MGM’s schemes means that we have continued to sell properties throughout the downturn and we are confident about our long-term future.”

Richard says MGM is looking beyond the gloom of the current year and that is why, having sold off-plan more than half of the properties planned within its latest residential scheme in Annecy – the historic lakeside town in the foothills of the Alps – the company has brought forward the start date for building work on the site where 18 new homes are being constructed a few minutes walk from the town centre.

Four new developments

MGM's Les Fermes de Sainte-Foy

Buoyed by the success of sales and the progress on construction work which means that five of its brand new residences de tourisme will open for business prior to Christmas this year, MGM is preparing to announce plans for four more new developments which it expects to start building in the French Alps early next year. They will be in St Martin de Belleville, Bisanne and Alpe d’Huez. The company also will build what it describes as ‘a new generation of affordable ski properties’ in Val Cenis, a new region for MGM.

The five new residences opening in December include Les Chalets de Jouvence at Les Carroz d’Araches, Le Telemark at Tignes le Lac and Le Coeur d’Or in Bourg St Maurice. The others are La Reine des Pres in Samoens and Le Hameau du Rocher Blanc in Serre Chevalier.

An earlier MGM development in Les Carroz

A few properties are still available sale in each of these residences as well as MGM schemes currently under construction in:

Les Arcs where L’Iseran, a traditionally-styled chalet, will contain 40 spacious apartments ranging in size from studio flats to five-bedroom apartments. It is located 300 metres from the centre of Arcs 1800 which, with its spectacular panoramic views, is said the be ‘the most sought after area in the French Alps.’  Available for outright purchase at prices starting at €125,000, the apartments will have fitted kitchens and bathrooms, pine internal finishes and tiled and parquet floors. Each home comes with cellar storage, a ski locker and underground parking. An unusual feature for a ski property development for outright purchase is the inclusion of an indoor swimming pool for use by owners.

Bisanne 1500, a small hamlet six kilometres from the family-friendly resort of Les Saisies where Le Chalet Ameria comprises 12 apartments for outright purchase. Located next to the ski slopes and a five-minute walk from village shops and cafes, the properties range in size from two-bedroom apartments to a three-bedroom duplex. They have floor areas of between 42 and 88 sq metres. Off-plan prices start at €222,000. Standard facilities include secure cellar store and ski lockers.

Annecy where La Villa d’Artagnan is a contemporary-style development of 18 new homes less than one minute’s walk from the shore of Lake Annecy. They range in size from a one-bedroom apartment priced at €388,000 to a four-bedroom duplex property on sale at €1,211,000. Prices include under-floor heating, an underground garage and cellar storage space.

MGM’s UK office can be contacted on: 0207 4940706 or on-line at www.mgm-constructeur.com