A handy holiday checklist
If you are travelling abroad, it is important to make sure that you have everything in order before you go, so that you can enjoy a relaxing vacation without having to sort out any hassles while you are away. Here is a handy checklist of things to make sure that you have done before you go:
Have a look at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website to get the latest, up to date travel information for the country you are visiting. This will give you an idea of any areas or events that you might wish to steer clear of for safety reasons, as well as any new disease threats that you need to be aware of. You can also get up to date info sent directly to your email address in the run up to your holiday.
It might be a good idea to find out where the nearest British Embassy is going to be, and check their website to find out what they can do for you and when they are open.
It is a very good idea to take out travel insurance, as if anything should go wrong while you are abroad, it can be very expensive to set it right. Frequent travellers should investigate whether it might be cheaper to get an annual travel insurance policy, which also takes a lot of the paperwork out of insuring multiple foreign trips. Make sure that you will be covered for all your planned activities, and take out extra cover if necessary.
Tourists who are travelling within the European Union should get themselves a free EHIC(European Health Insurance Card), which can be obtained from any branch of the post office or directly from the EHIC website. This card entitles the bearer to free emergency medical treatment in any EU country, and can greatly expedite the admissions process in European hospitals. Remember that the emergency service number in most EU countries is 112, rather than 999, the number that is more familiar to UK residents.
Check in with your GP to find out whether you need any vaccinations for the places you intend to visit. Some vaccinations need to be administered six weeks before travel, so the sooner you do this the better.
Ensure that your passport is valid until after the end of the trip, and renew it if necessary. Some countries require a passport that is valid for six months after the date of travel, so check before you go.
First time passport applicants will need to attend an interview to verify their identity, and will have to wait up to six weeks for their application to be processed, so it is important not to leave this until the last minute.
Photocopy or scan your passport and any other important documents such as your visa and travel insurance policy, and keep these copies in a safe place or upload them to a secure data storage website.
People who are planning to drive either their own car or a hire car while abroad should make sure that their license is valid for the country you are visiting and fully up to date. You might also want to brush up on the road rules of the countries that you intend to drive in.
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