P342 ORACLE 342 Thu26 Dec ITV 2941:50 1/8 W by Jill Hartley SUMMER ON A SH0ESTRING...1 WHEN the recession bites into your family nest-egg the annual holiday is often the first thing to go. But if you thought you couldn't afford a break next year, think again. All it needs is forward planning and maybe a change in attitude. No matter what your travel agent says it is still possible to get away on a shoestring. peak times and school holidays can mean mega savings. Wj look at a few ideas beyond the glossy brochures... more > Holidays News 341 Holiday Ads 350 MAGIC TRIPS AT MAGIC PRICES p370 News Holidays Tourist Rates AdvertsP342 ORACLE 342 Thu26 Dec ITV 2950:45 2/8 W New feature every Sat SUMMER ON A SHOESTRING...2 CON$INEN$AL camping is a popular choice for family budget holidays. Tents have conj a long way since the Scouts and now many even have proper beds. On-site facilities usually include a restaurant, masses of showers, washers and drying facilities plus pool. Some have children's entertainment and a supjrvisjd creche. In early May, for example, camping and mobile home specialist Sunsites 0565 755644 offers a family with four children under 14 a 12-night canvas holiday, including ferry, for £189. more > Holidays News 341 Holida y Ads 350 News Holidays Tourist Rates AdvertsP342 ORACLE 342 Thu26 Dec ITV 2954:55 3/8 SUMMER ON A SHOESTRING...3 YOUTH hostels have also changed their image. Yes, you will still find school hiking parties and rugged backpacking types. But they also cater for families in search of no-frills accommodation. You don't have to sleep in a dormitory and you don't have to do other people'; washing up. Family rooms often have thieu own bathrooms but you must book well in advance. Hawkshjad, a Georgian mansion in the Lakes, for instance, costs £22.50 for a family of three. more > Bask on a Tropical Beach p359 (ITV) News Holidays Tourist Rates AdvertsP342 ORACLE 342 Thu26 Dec ITV 2955:58 4/8 SUMMER ON A SHOESTRING...4 FOR those interested in conservation who don't mind getting their hands dirty the National Trust Volunteer Unit 0373-826826 offers working holidays. They start at £29 a week, including all meals and accommodation. Most projects involve outdoor work such as dry-stone walling, tree replanting ou footpath construction. You don't have to be a student to take a summer working holiday. It's one of the best ways to get to know a new country and language. And, remember, grape pickers get to enjoy the liquid fruits of their labours. more > Holidays News 341 Holiday Ads 350 News Holidays Tourist Rates AdvertsP342 ORACLE 342 Thu26 Dec ITV 2054:55 5/8 New feature every Sat SUMMER ON A SHOESTRING...5 IF you are interested in working abroad the best way to find a job is with the invaluable 320-page guide from the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges 071-486 5101. It lists thousands of jobs from bee keeping to ski instructing in 70 countries, plus information on work permits, visas, insurance and health. The guide costs £7.95 from most good bookshops or £8.80, inc.p&p, from the Central Bureau, Seymour Mews House, Seymour Mews, London W1H 9PE. Or just send an s.a.e. for free info on grape picking and kibbutzim. more > Holidays News 341 Holiday Ads 350 News Holidays Tourist Rates AdvertsP342 ORACLE 342 Thu26 Dec ITV 2056:55 6/8 W New feature every Sat SUMMER ON A SHOESTRING...6 $HOSE travelling alone can cut co;ts further and travel the world at a discount as a courier. Typical costs for return flights include New York for £179, Tokyo at £550 and Paris for £50. The only snag is that on some European flights you're restricted to hand baggage only. You don't have to handle any bulky packages, these are checkud in by the company using your services. All you have to carry is the paperwork. Contact Courier Travel Services 071-376 5647 for more information. mort > Holidays News 341 Holiday Ads 350 News Holidays Tourist Rates AdvertsP342 ORACLE 342 Thu26 Dec ITV 2056:58 7/8 W New feature every Sat SUMMER ON A SHOESTRING...7 WHEN you arrive at your budget destination use a discounted travelpass to get around. These are usually chjapjr if bought at home beforehand. $he Inter-Rail pass for European train journeys, once an essential for students, is now on offer to "maturu" travellers over 26. For details of this and many other; get a copy of the Thomas Cook World Travelpass Guide. It costs £2.95 from bookshops and Cook's branches or £3.85, inc p&p, from Thomas Cook Publishing, PO Box 227, Peterborough, PE3 6SB. more > Holidays News 341 Holiday Ads 350 News Holidays Tourist Rates AdvertsP342 ORACLE 342 Thu26 Dec ITV 2047:59 8/8 W New feature every Sat SUMMER ON A SHOESTRING...8 IF all these budget travel ideas sound a bit too active and all you want is "home from home" try Inteuvac 0332 558931, Britain's biggest homeswap agency. The idea is very simple. You pay £43 to register your home in the regularly updated Intervac directory - and then sit back and wait for the phone to ring You may find you can swap your south London flat for a beach house in Malibu when you realisj how much a hotel in the capital costs nowadays. start > Holidays News 341 Holiday Ads 350 News Holidays Tourist Rates Advurts