Heading away on holiday soon? Lucky you! Stress-free holidays are the best kinds of holiday. By getting some pre-holiday admin organised in advance, you can start relaxing as soon as you get on the plane. Here's five helpful tips to get ready to fly and start your holiday the right way.
When trips go wrong, it’s usually because someone forgot to organise travel documents ahead of time. Many countries require special documentation to visit them, so it’s best to get these done early so you can plan the rest of your stay.
Make sure your passport is up to date and won’t expire within six months of your intended trip (some countries won’t let you visit if your passport is expiring soon). If you’re travelling with others, double-check their passports too.
You’ll also need to research any travel visas required before you go away. Safe Travel is a great site to visit to learn more about visas and passports, or you can contact the embassy of the country you’re visiting and ask directly.
It’s no one’s favourite part of travelling but depending on where you’re off to vaccinations are something to consider.
Different parts of the world are exposed to different diseases, and staying on top of the jabs you need could be lifesaving. Talk to your GP about vaccinations and check The World Health Organization’s official site for updates on worldwide disease information.
It’s also a good idea to take out travel insurance before going away to help keep you covered from expensive, unwanted medical bills if things go wrong. Even if you don’t end up needing it, when you’re far away from home a little peace of mind goes a long way. By locking in travel insurance when you lock in your flights, you may also be covered for extra costs if your airline makes unexpected changes to your flight schedule – bonus!
If you’re going away for an extended period, set up a few safeguards for your home. Tell trusted neighbours that you’re off on holiday so they can keep an eye on your place and collect your mail while you’re not there.
If you’ve got pets at home, check them into a kennel or even leave them with a caring family member so you know they’ll be looked after properly.
Also, think about reviewing your home insurance policy and remind yourself how things work if your home is left vacant. If you’re with AMI, our Home Insurance automatically covers your home for up to 60 consecutive days while you’re not there.
However, if you’re planning on being away for longer, get in touch with us so that cover for your home won’t be restricted. If we don’t hear from you, your cover will be limited after 60 days.
The less you bring with you, the less chance you have of something important going missing. One way of packing lighter is to lay everything out on your bed that you’d like to take, then halve it.
Anything valuable you’re taking should be safely stored in your hand luggage so it’s with you for the whole journey. Make sure all your luggage is clearly labelled, locked if possible, and easy to spot.
Finally, weigh your luggage carefully before you leave for the airport to make sure it meets your airline’s weight restrictions. Checking ahead of time might save you excess fees and means you won’t have to dump any of your belongings on the spot before your flight.
To make flying with kids easier, some preparation before the trip can help make the journey as stress-free as possible for everyone.
Most airlines let you pre-arrange seating if you book well in advance, so if you’re travelling with the whole family consider what works best for all of you. Sitting near the back of the plane normally means easy access to bathrooms, but the very first row of the plane offers more legroom.
Long flights can get boring for young children, so make sure everything they might need immediately (like toys, nappies, colouring books or snacks) is easy to get to. If you’re travelling with more than one adult, you could even have a designated ‘kid’s bag’ as part of your hand luggage.
For overnight flights, a favourite blanket or soft toy may help kids settle into sleep so you can enjoy some well-deserved quiet time too.
Find out more about AMI Travel Insurance.
