With many institutions in the country planning to charge up to £9000 per year, the opportunities for students to not only gain a degree at a more reasonable cost, but to explore other countries are appealing.

Leaving home for the first time is traumatic enough, but worrying about how you’ll get your worldly possessions to your chosen destination needn’t be an issue. Using a transport comparison website like DeliveryQuoteCompare.com can save all the hassle of finding international couriers or an international removals company.

The process is simple and it can all be done online. Simply enter the details of what you need moving, sit back and wait for the quotes to come in. It works like a reverse eBay, but you can pick whichever quote suits you the best. You may even find a company that will pack it all up for you too!

It’s been widely reported this week that Portugal is likely to head into recession after a whopping £70bn bail out.

It’s proximity to the UK and temperate climate has made it a popular destination for holiday and second homes. According to international estate agents Savills, Portugal, coupled with the US is the fourth most sought-after location for UK second homes abroad. In fact, almost a fifth (18%) of houses in Portugal are second homes.

So what will the financial troubles of the country mean for property there? Well, people have already started to target Spanish holiday homes after their recent economic issues and Portugal is likely to follow. Brits with a bit of nous and the money to spare have spotted the falling house prices in the area and are snapping up bargains.

A survey by Rightmove Overseas and foreign exchange firm Moneycorp found that one Spanish province saw a huge increase in searches for homes – up more than 166%.

It’s all good news for international removal companies, who’ll be needed to help the home buyers move to their new pads.

According to the AA the average cost of petrol in January increased at the highest ever rate – from 122.1p to 128.3p per litre. Diesel is within 1p of its highest ever price at 132.8p per litre. This is due in part to the fuel tax and VAT increases which came into effect at the beginning of January.

Adding insult to injury a further fuel duty tax increase is due in April, putting fuel costs up by another 1p per litre. FairFuelUk campaigners – who included TV presenter Quentin ­Willson – pulled a seven-ton truck to Whitehall earlier this week, in a protest to scrap the fuel duty.

Insurance is also a big issue for couriers, premiums are soaring due to inflation, which in turn is causing more people to drive uninsured, creating a vicious circle of increasing costs.  The AA found that the average price for comprehensive cover in 2010 was £962.18, an increase of 30% from 2009.

At a time when consumers are keeping a tight hold of the purse strings themselves couriers are finding it increasingly difficult to put a competitive price on jobs. Many independent couriers are relying on websites such as Delivery Quote Compare to fill back loads to ensure that costs are not squandered.

What many will be pleased to hear though is that it isn’t just courier owner drivers and small firms that are struggling.  Reports from across the pond suggest courier giant Fed Ex has been forced to lower its third quarter earning guidance due to the poor weather and rocketing fuel prices. The company is said to be feeling the effects of “higher-than-expected fuel prices” in both its domestic and international markets.

The Petrol Retailers’ Association (PRA) of Great Britain made the prediction based on analysis of fuel market trends and tax changes.

In its report, the PRA claims that British motorists could be paying a record 123 pence for a litre of unleaded fuel by the end of 2010.

The restoration of VAT rates to 17.5 per cent, as well as a host of confirmed and proposed tax increases, will also affect fuel prices this year.

The PRA report says: “With all of these duty and VAT factors considered, this will equate to a 5p per litre increase in fuel prices by the beginning of April 2010 with the possibility of up to a 10p per litre rise solely from UK taxation by the fourth quarter of 2010.”

The Government has stated that it will raise fuel duty by at least 1p per litre on 1^st April, while tax breaks for the production of biofuel are set to be withdrawn. It is also rumoured that VAT will increase to 20 per cent at some point in 2010, adding a further 2.5p per litre to the cost of unleaded petrol.

Paul Watters, head of public affairs at the AA, has played down these fears by branding the PRA report “pessimistic”, and partly based on speculation.

Daniel Parry of delivery price comparison site Delivery Quote Compare said: “These increasing fuel prices will put even more pressure on already tight margins. Hauliers and couriers will need to maximise their capacity, or else reduce their empty backloads in order to compensate for the higher price of fuel.

“Here at Delivery Quote Compare we search through hundreds of different delivery companies to give our customers the best deal to suit their needs. This gives hauliers the opportunity to obtain additional business, which would maximise their delivery capacity, meaning they get more value for money from their fuel consumption.”

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Delivery Quote Compare is designed for everyone who has better things to do than repeat the same information again and again when looking for delivery quotes. If you require a courier, shipping, haulage, removals, transporter, or air freight quote, simply complete our online form and start receiving quotes from 100’s of registered transport providers. Whatever you need to move deliveryquotecompare.com is the quick and easy way to receive competitive delivery quotes free of charge and without obligation.

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Since we launched last week we now have over 40 UK registered companies providing home removals, with the number increasing each day. If you’re planning on moving house in the near future then deliveryquotecompare.com is the place to start. Simply complete our easy to use quote request form and start receiving tailored removal quotes from some of the top professional specialists in the home removals market. No hassle & no obligation!