2015, here we come…

Yes, we’re twelve days into 2015 and if the news/opinion/conjecture is anything to go by, it could be a good year for travelling.

Will the exchange rate (pound v euro for example) stay favourable?

Will air fares come down thanks to the price of oil and changes to APD charges?

Will George bite the bullet on Budget Day and drop APD charges as a sweetener in the run-up to the election in May?

Will more people head off to foreign shores as a result?

Or will they stay at home in the UK and take advantage of the current lower fuel prices?

And lower food prices if self catering thanks to supermarket wars?

Will travellers cut down on tech and talk to real people in hostels and destinations rather than immersing themselves in what’s onscreen on their smartphones, tablets or laptops?

Or realise that you can travel on hand luggage only, even if it’s a three-six month trip?

(I suspect that the lady Caroline and I were talking to in Tavira may have cut down on her bag sizes after seeing our Osprey packs. A few Brits staying in the same hotel were similarly gobsmacked when they saw us checking out on our last day there…)

Or realise that by flying hand luggage only, you can cut out hold luggage and bag in the cab boot charges – more money for nights on the town, a better meal or sightseeing…

Or realise that staying in one, two or three places rather than five, six, seven or more can be a more worthwhile experience as you can see more, pay less, relax and linger over breakfast rather than rushing out for a train to get to the next port of call…

(Best example of this is the American guy I met who had arrived in Bergen that morning, had joined the Norway In A Nutshell tour and was heading to Oslo from Myrdal then onwards to Stockholm and then to Helsinki – Scandinavia ticked off in 24 hours! D’oh…)

Our trip list for 2015 has been discussed, but there’s a couple of late suggestions going into the melting pot.

One is a visit to Northern Ireland to visit Bushmills, Giant’s Causeway and the Armoy motor cycle road races.

The other is to visit a place that’s been mentioned a few times, but has come to the fore once more thanks to the book I’ve just finished reading, watching Casablanca last week and news stories over the last few days.

I’ve walked in the Jura and in Provence, but we’ve never been to Paris.

Yet…