SKI-er or Sk-ater. We know how to enjoy ourselves

donny-gal

pollypenny wrote: »

I considered I was allowing a margin of two days! Thoroughly fed up with HSBC!

Switch to their online First Direct version, which has very good reports, and I have used and you get £100 for switching. Always UK call centres and down to earth none screen replies. If I recommend you I get £50 too. DG

pollypenny

We are moving to Santander. Have already opened a current account and two direct debits, fed by a £500 standing order from our HSBC account. When we return from holiday, we will transfer remaining DDs.

When OHs travel insurance comes up for renewal in February, we will open a Nationwide account. I've really had enough of HSBC, having been with them since I was 17.

donny-gal

Yes I still have a FD account, but the Santander Zero (now closed to new customers) gives me a credit card for overseas with a good exchange rate, and I could use the debit card as well with no charge to get money out. Now gone onto 123 for currently as I can still use my Debit Card for Euros at a Santander machine, again at a good rate. The FD one with the monthly fee gives good travel insurance and debit card overseas. None of the the bank travel insurances covers me for 60 days, so no benefit.

I have no allegiance any more, just go where is best for me.
DG

pollypenny

Likewise!

We have HSBC Premier, with free insurance up to 70, so OH has had to pay. We use a Saga card for expenditure abroad, that usually means shopping for the family, before OH cooks, in the USA.

I think we will probably get a Santander 123 credit card when we close the HSBC account. Cash back will be better than a few vouchers.

Savvy_Sue

The trouble I've found with the 'free' travel insurance through the banks is that most don't want to cover DH's multiple health problems without an extra charge - they are minor and don't affect day to day life, but the list seems to go on and on!

I did some more ringing around the other day, because we're currently with Smile but they're putting their prices up in July (and don't offer it to new customers any more): they don't charge extra so they're still showing as the cheapest for us. Just wondering how much longer they will offer it though.

pollypenny

HSBC Premier did cover OH with no extra charge until he was 70 , but now it's £267.

Nationwide Flex Plus added £90, so we decided to stay with HSBC until he has to renew. Then with the £10 a month, plus extra we'd still be better off. Mobile insurance and breakdown too.

margaretclare

We're leaving here very early Sunday morning to drive to Switzerland. Stop for breakfast at Maidstone services then catch the Eurotunnel train at Folkestone. We have an overnight stop in France near Verdun then staying a few days at a golf hotel on the shores of Thunersee (Lake Thun) near Interlaken.

I was last in Switzerland on a school trip 61 years ago, stayed at Thun, came back to London to see the Coronation. Didn't see a thing, got rained on all day, stood for 12 hours waiting. The atmosphere was fantastic, though.

DH has been to Switzerland on business, so it's another of those places we each visited but not together. Making memories.

DH is meant to be taking some very powerful antibiotics because of the possibility of recurrence of that septicaemia which nearly killed him in the autumn of 2008. He was in hospital early May for 8 days on IV antibiotics. Unfortunately they make him very dizzy and unsteady on his feet. Yesterday he fell over twice in the garden, attempted to move a tree-root with his head. He's decided not to take any more. I can't argue with him. He knows how he feels. This possibility of septicaemia is like a time-bomb ticking away below the surface. He sees his consultant at the end of June when we get back and will argue the toss with him. It's really between the 2 of them - the registrar can't decide and I can't say anything either. It's miserable feeling ill and not even being able to walk in the garden without toppling over. So, we are going to live while we can.

One place we want to go in Switzerland is Berne. The old city is a World Heritage Site and there's also a newly-established park for the famous bears of Berne. Did anyone read the series of children's books 'Mary Plain' as a child? The bears used to be kept in pits in the ground and that was what the books were about, the bear family in the bear-pits in Berne. I'm glad they have a proper park now. European brown bears. And we want to go up into the mountains, see the Jungfrau, go on the lake, eat Swiss food (not too much!) and practise speaking German.

Going to Switzerland is more SKI-ing than MSE. DH says the Swiss would charge you for breathing if they could!

NAR

margaretclare wrote: »

Going to Switzerland is more SKI-ing than MSE. DH says the Swiss would charge you for breathing if they could!

Was speaking to a couple in Crete two weeks ago, she Swiss and husband from Dublin. They live in Zurich and would certainly agree with OH's comment! :eek:

MC hope you both have a lovely trip, which leaves you with many happy memories.

iris

margaretclare wrote: »

Going to Switzerland is more SKI-ing than MSE. DH says the Swiss would charge you for breathing if they could!

Hope you both have a lovely holiday.


Iris

pollypenny

Switzerland sounds wonderful, MC. Long drive, though.

We are just back from our Montenegro trip. Loved the place and its mountains.