Bulgaria 'best value for skiers'

Skiers should head to Bulgaria if they want a bargain break, a survey suggests

Bulgaria is best for bargain-hunting UK skiers, according to a winter sports price comparison table.

But British skiers should shun Switzerland, which has the highest prices among the European resorts surveyed by the Post Office's travel money section.

The survey showed that, based on ski prices and the cost of living in ski resorts, the best-value break was in Bansko, Bulgaria.

Lift passes, equipment hire and instruction on a six-day trip to Bansko totalled £974, while the cost of basic items such as a cup of coffee, a family meal and drinks came to £28.

This overall total of £1,002 was less than half that for Wengen in Switzerland (£2,015) and very much less than the most expensive resort in the survey - Winter Park in Colorado, USA, where the total cost was £2,639.

Overall, ski resort prices in Europe and North America have risen by 15% since last year, the Post Office said.

After Bansko, the next-best bargain resort was Kranjska Gora in Slovenia (£1,101), followed by Ellmau in Austria (£1,378).

Almost as expensive as Winter Park was Fernie in British Colombia, Canada (£2,329).

Post Office travel money head Sarah Munro said: "Families who want to save money should look hard at exchange rates before booking their skiing trip. Sterling's weakness will make Swiss ski trips an expensive choice this year, compared with its main competitors, France, Austria and Italy, where the euro's value has dipped."

She went on: "Although resort prices have risen across the board this year, there is still good value to be found if parents plan trips carefully. Resort-switching to cheaper options like Bansko or Kranjska Gora, which have benefited from heavy investment in ski facilities, can have a massively beneficial impact on the family purse."

Terminal opens at Dublin Airport

A member of the public walks through Dublin Airport's new Terminal 2

Passengers have passed through Dublin Airport's Terminal 2 as the new 600 million euro (£513m) project was officially opened.

Aer Lingus operated the inaugural flight from Manchester as Taoiseach Brian Cowen formally unveiled the new three-storey facility.

Mr Cowen said: "T2 was designed and built not just for this year or the next, but for many decades into the future. To view it through the prism of the current downturn would be short-sighted in the extreme.

"By investing prudently in improved facilities, we are laying the foundations for future growth and prosperity; not just for Dublin Airport, but also for the wider Irish economy."

Construction on the new building began in October 2007 and, at its peak, employed up to 2,600 workers on site, with 1,000 new jobs created with the building's opening.

T2 will be home to Aer Lingus, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Etihad Airways and US Airways. It will open on a phased basis.

Aer Lingus will have transferred all its services to the new facility by January and has asked all passengers to come to Terminal 1 for advice on where to go. Etihad will start operating its services from Tuesday.

T2 will also house a new US pre-clearance facility allowing passengers on US-bound flights to clear all customs, immigration, agriculture and security checks before leaving Ireland. US carriers will transfer when the pre-clearance facility opens in the New Year.

Online travel agency GoHop.ie said people were confused over the new travel arrangements.

Founder Stephen McKenna said: "The situation in relation to US customs and immigration needs to be clarified further and implemented as soon as possible before people can enjoy the real benefits of this new terminal."

New strike vote for rail staff

Workers at Merseyrail are to be balloted for strikes in a row over pay

Workers at a second rail company are to be balloted for strikes in another row over pay.

The Rail Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said its members at Merseyrail, excluding guards and drivers, will be urged to support industrial action in the vote, which ends on November 30.

The union said lengthy pay negotiations with Merseyrail had ended with two "derisory" offers being rejected by RMT members.

General-secretary Bob Crow said: "It is crystal-clear to us from the failure of the negotiations that what drives Merseyrail is not a wish to reward the hard work and loyalty to the staff but an escalating desire for bigger profits to line the pockets of the shareholders.

"RMT is sending out a clear message today that this situation can no longer be tolerated. Without the hard work of our members, there would be no company profits and it's high time that Merseyrail recognised that.

"We are calling on our members for an overwhelming Yes vote for industrial action, and industrial action short of a strike that will force Merseyrail management to get back round the table and put forward a decent pay rise that properly rewards their staff."

The RMT is also balloting its members at Arriva Trains Wales for industrial action, while the train drivers' union Aslef has announced that its members at the Welsh firm will walk out on November 19, 26 and 27, with other dates for action to be announced later, also over pay.

Tougher fines for uninsured urged

Motorists want to see a four-fold increase in fines for those caught driving uninsured, a survey suggests

Fed-up UK motorists want to see a four-fold increase in fines for those caught driving uninsured, according to a survey.

The current fine for getting behind the wheel without insurance is around £200.

But the 2,000 people polled by insurance company Direct Line came out with an average figure of £900 for the fine they would like to see imposed.

In addition, 34% wanted those caught to have to take their driving test again, while 28% would support life driving bans for offenders.

Also, 77% would like an uninsured drivers' hotline or website where they could "shop" someone they knew was driving while uninsured.

Direct Line motor underwriting director Andy Goldby said: "We fully support what the UK's fed-up motorists want.

"Those responsible drivers who insure their cars have had enough of the additional £30 on their premiums that these uninsured drivers cost them.

"They want harsher penalties, larger fines and a hotline to give information on those driving uninsured, though most of all they want decisive action."

Road safety minister Mike Penning said: "Uninsured driving is a serious offence, which is why the courts are able to fine offenders up to £5,000 as well as ban them from driving.

"In addition, uninsured drivers face having their car seized. More than 400 uninsured vehicles are taken off the roads every day."