Well we are now into the middle of May and many of you may already be thinking about your Summer Holidays. Door2Tour thought we’d lend a little helping hand with a mini checklist of things to think about and to organise before you head off on your travels. We’ve decided to give you a breakdown of what to do in certain timeframes, for example, 8 weeks to go, 4 weeks to go and 2 weeks to go. We will spread these out over the coming weeks so you can check back whenever you have a moment. Hopefully, we have managed to think of the most important things but if there’s anything we’ve left off the list that you think will help fellow travellers such as yourself, send your ideas through to us and we’ll add them to our list…
8 weeks to go
Passport still valid?
There’s nothing worse than booking a holiday then realising that your passport has expired! In theory, it is probably best to double-check the validity of your passport before you even consider booking that holiday. Most destinations require you to have at least 6 months left on your passport when travelling. Again, if you’re not 100% certain, have a chat with your booking agent or maybe check with the Passport Office. One things for sure, you must have a valid passport if you wish to travel out of the UK!
Book your holiday
Did you know that you can find some of the best deals now if you are willing to simply get up and go at a moment’s notice. On the other hand, some of you may need to budget throughout the year and pay your holiday off in instalments and if that’s the case, some bargains can also be found in the New Year Sales, so keep those eyes peeled.
Take out travel insurance
It’s always best to be covered for any eventuality so taking out travel insurance is recommended by many travel
companies. Most policies will cover you more or less from the moment that you book your holiday but always check the small print just in case. Also depending on your policy, your Travel Insurance should cover you if you need to go into hospital or if you sustain an injury and cannot get home on the specified return date of the holiday. An E111 card is ok should you just require basic treatment but it will not repatriate you and will not cover any additional costs incurred. If in doubt as to what cover you need, speak to your booking agent and they will be happy to advise on the best cause of action to take.
Start thinking about spending money
It’s best to start thinking about how much spending money you will need to take with you for your hols. Maybe set up a separate bank account and pay a bit in each week/month so you can begin to budget. Apparently, Brits this year will be taking around £47 spending money per person per day!
Get those jabs before you travel
Some of you may be lucky enough to holiday somewhere exotic, if that’s the case, check with your GP to make sure that you have had all the necessary jabs required before you travel to the destination. Some jabs are required to be taken a month or so before you are due to travel and if you don’t have them you could be opening yourself up to possible infections or catching something nasty whilst your on holiday and nobody wants that do they? If in doubt, check with your GP and they will be happy to advise what you should do.
Do you need visas for your holiday?
In most cases just a valid passport is ok but some destinations also require additional paperwork so it’s best that you check before you travel. Some countries will require you to have a visa but for places such as the USA, you are required to have ESTA before you enter the country. Again, if in doubt, check with your booking agent and if you need extra paperwork, get it sorted before you travel!
We hope this has helped you when planning your holiday. Our next instalment will cover the things you need to think about when there’s just 4 weeks to go before your holiday begins…