It’s been absent for a while, but The Travel Gauntlet is back, and it’s back with a vengeance. For those of you not familiar with The Travel Gauntlet (where have you been?), allow me to explain.

Each fortnight, we pit one of our Travel Experts against one of you wonderful travel lovers, asking each a set of five questions designed to test their travel knowledge, stories, and general bragging rights.

Fancy taking part and sharing your travel love with the world? Just drop us an email, and we’ll get right back to you with five questions of your very own.

So, without further ado, let’s meet this week’s brave contenders, who are prepared to shout about their travel love loud and proud…

Who’s Stepping up to The Gauntlet This Week?

In the Red Corner it’s…

Travel lover Stewart Plumridge! Stewart used to work in the travel industry, so has lots of stories and memories of a few freebie trips tucked under his belt. Here he is enjoying the view in Javea, Spain.

Stewart living la vida loca in Spain

Continue reading →

Today’s blog post comes from Flora Moffat, a Travel Expert in the STA Travel Goodge Street store, in London.

I remember the exact moment I found out that STA Travel were giving me the opportunity to go to Peru, I screamed the store down with excitement!

Peru had always been a country that I wanted to visit. A trip to Brazil earlier in the year really opened my eyes to South America, and how amazing and deep the culture is.

I began to research all the individual places and sites that we were going to see, and the reality of how beautiful and interesting Peru really was began to set it; and it was an easy 15-hour flight from London.

There were so many reasons I wanted to travel in Peru: it has so many natural and cultural treasures, and a deep history, as well as amazing food, handmade crafts, interesting cultures, and the yummy drinks.

Continue reading →

Welcome to our Spotlight series, where we shine a light on an individual STA Travel store, whether that’s within our familiar shores, of beyond, to the big wide world of the STA Travel family.

Today, we’re having a laugh with the crew from Bath, who have a thing or two to say about their own adventures, in and out of the store. Rumour has it, that these beautiful people have been in Bath so long, their fingers and toes are permanently wrinkled.

Store Manager, Joe Robinson (better known to long time blog readers as Joe King) heads a team of four Travel Experts: Sarah. Sophie, Nick, Louise, and new boy Rob (who isn’t involved in today’s interview as he was off travelling in wilds of Austria. Yes, Austria our distant European cousin.

Left to right: Sarah, Nick, Joe, Sophie, and Louise. Together, they are STA Travel Bath

Together, they’ve been quenching the people of Bath’s incredible thirst for travel for over six years, so they know a thing or two about sourcing the best deals on the market, to even the most obscure of destinations. Continue reading →

Mums are blooming great aren’t they? They’re a fountain of good advice, understanding and help when you need it, but, throw a big trip into the mix, and they inexplicably manage to out do themselves with amazingness (it’s a word!)

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, and to celebrate how ace Mums are, here are 15 things they do to help us make our travels as good as they possibly can be. Could we do it with out them? Probably. But it would be a hell of a lot harder.

You'll be sat on the beach and one and you'll come across a sneaky packet of fruit pastilles or similar tucked into your backpack.

Continue reading →

This week it’s the turn of the girls and guy (lucky Troy!) at our Bristol store to step into the spotlight and spill their answers to some fascinating travel questions, just so you can get to know them a little better. Well, they could be the one’s sending you off on the most amazing time of your life after all!

The store is looking particularly snazzy at the moment having re opened from a major face lift earlier this year – in fact it’s gone through such a transformation, it’s pretty much unrecognisable! If you’re in the area pop in say ‘hi’ to the team and let us know what you think of our new look.

Aaaaand while you’re there, feel free to take a pew and take advantage of the stores free WiFi, they won’t mind one bit – in fact they might even make you a cuppa if you’re cheeky enough to ask (but you didn’t hear that from me!)

So, let’s crack on and meet the lovely team and find out exactly what it is about travel that really gets them all a bit giddy and excited.

Continue reading →