Travel alot and travel often. The best way to do this is to keep it as cheap as possible. flights will always be the best part of any long distance travel. But shopping around will serve you well. Places to go paddling around the world are pretty much any where. Plan where you wany to go how you are going to get there. What you will need when you get there and how much of that stuff you can bring with you. What will the rest cost you. Then run your plan past someone whose been there before and if possible convince them to go with you!!
Quick Travel-Links & Guide
This is a quick list of useful links we have compiled on travelling with your kayak. There is helpful information on what to look out for on the web pages and what the pit falls are. Read the tips first before doing any booking.
FYI: Irish Adventure Sport Insurance Company
As state on the security page, FYI is the company I have use over the last couple for my travel insurance. The FYI:3 policy covers everything a kayakers need for going on his/her holidays. Including hospital fee, air lift, transport home, lost luggage, delay to trip etc etc. Luckily we have never had to make a claim. But should you have trouble getting your bags back of anything they are the people to call. If there is any delay in your trip for what ever reason make sure to get written proof of the event, you will always need this to make claims once you get home. And if your intitled to money make sure you claim it. On the same note insurance fraud doesnt help any one, so no trying to pull a fast one.
Ryanair.com
Ryanair remain the cheapest possible option at the moment in most cases for getting outside of the country with your kayak. Their website is however full of pot holes and traps to scam you in to spending money you dont need to spend. When completing your booking, first thing they try to get you for is insurance. As stated above FYI cover is the best youll prob get so dont waste your money on Ryanair insurance(currently €15) which doesnt covering anything FYI doesnt and it is no good for adventure sports, as there is no air lift cover or emergency transport home etc. Secondly checked luggage: if your not checking any bag (note checking your kayaks is seperate, in sporting equipment below) if you are not checking in any bags, they Automatically put you down for priority boarding, which there is no point in getting because the plane is not going to take off till your on so git at the gate till everyone else is on then stroll onto the plane stress free. If travelling with your kayak you will always need to select airport check-in because your kayak need to be tagged. Tick the box for sport equipment. On the next page they will ask you what equipment you are bringing - "Canoe" is what youll want to hit here (dont get into a conversation with the check in lady about kayaks v's canoes its not worth your while, just say canoe, please). The charge for a canoe is currently €60, which isnt bad considering it cost golfers the same for their club or fisher men the same for their feather weight poles! You can pack some gear in your kayak just try to keep it down as much as you can. and wrap the boat well in a made bag (sporthouse in waterford do canoe bags, just ring and ask for Niamh. Niamh will want the full length of your boat and then the circumference every 20cm for making the bag, mine cost me €60 a few years ago. It might be handy to get a bag made for your creeker which will also fit your playboat, just an idea.) or silage wrap is very good cheap and relatively easy to locate a half roll lying around your local friendly farmers yard. Ryanair consider paddles as part of the package with your kayak, so wrap them well and stick them to your boat with heavy duty duck tape. Always turn up to the airprt in plenty of time and smile and be nice to airport check in staff, it always helps.
Finding an Airport with Google Maps
Usefull for finding an airport close to where you going with ryanair. They dont always fly close to where you want to go, but you can find out just how close by doing a search on goolge maps and they search for flights with ryanair. For instance in heading to the French Alps, ryanair fly to Lyon and Grenoble, Grenoble is prob closer to where you want to go. For the italien alps they fly Milan and Turin, but there are generally more flights to turin than milan and they are usually cheaper.
Aerlingus.com
Probably the best service and best location for connecting with flights to other destinations. They also carry sporting goods. But canoes are not listed. Surfboards are however and a wrapped canoe or kayak looks suspiciously like four of five surf boards. Max weight is 15kgs so keep the kayak empty and check your paddles and other gear through seperately. As we said above, always turn up to the airprt in plenty of time and smile and be nice to airport check in staff, it always helps. Aerlingus also try to get you with insurance now so be careful and dont bother with it. In some ways their website almost makes you think you cant travel with them without it, but thats not true just remove it.
Expedia.com
Expedia is the best place to find out the connecting flights between places. Search for where you want to go then make a note of the flight numbers then go to the actual airlines sites and book the flights there. Expedia add on their own charge for booking through them so that why you dont want to go that route also youll have you kayak which you can book on expedia and trying to add it through the airline later will prob cost you extra bucks!!!!!.
thezambezi.com
The website for info and stuff on travel in Zambia. Peter (sven) Bolton, is the man at the helm of thezambezi.com, he will look after all your transfers to and from the river airport etc and if you need anything else while your there he is your man.
kayakthenile.com
Jamie Simpson and his guys at kayakthenile.com, are the gus to hook up with for your information of getting to the White Nile in Uganda. Loads of links and information on the website on the current progress of works on dams etc in uganda.
(Always read the small print on travel websites)