Holidays, weekend trips and far-away excursions are all hugely exciting, but before you rush off to the airport have you considered these 14 important things?
While travelling to somewhere hot and beautiful we often let our minds wander to the dreamy beach/town/adventure/what to wear scenarios and over-look some of the travel planning essentials that will likely save a lot of time and energy later on – what you really need here is an important holiday checklist as well as a packing one.
Your most important holiday checklist
Do you have passport copies? Is your insurance valid? Do you need a visa? After travelling frequently for so many years, most of these questions have become second nature, but if you’re an occasional traveller or need a bit of help with organization then this list will be invaluable!
Here are my tried and tested 14 important things you should never forget before a trip, that I follow religiously for a better travel experience!
14 BEST TIPS FOR TRAVELLING
For solo travellers, it’s especially important to be prepared, you only have yourself to rely on for all of these essential pre-departure checks!
Here’s 14 of my best tips for travelling to get ahead on your next big adventure.
1. FIND OUT IF YOU NEED A VISA
One of the most vital things of all is to find out if you need a visa to enter the country you’re travelling to, whether that’s for a long stay or a transit – and apply for it in advance. You definitely don’t want to leave it until the last week as there can be paperwork delays and nobody wants the extra stress right before they travel.
Know before you go!
It’s also worth checking the number of days you’re allowed to enter without a Visa, for example, in Thailand and Bali thirty days are automatically granted on arrival and did you know that you need an ESTA for the USA?
TIP! If you’re unsure ask a reputable Visa agency or check the UK Governement website foreign travel advice.
2. CHECK THE WEATHER
Hopefully you have already done some research into this one and figured out the best time of year to visit your chosen holiday destination i.e. not hurricane season!
I strongly recommend checking the temperature and the expected rainfall for the week or month ahead of your travels. Knowing this info will allow you to pick the best dates for excursions (you wouldn’t want to do anything in a 40 degree heatwave), pack appropriate clothing and possibly change dates! Let’s just say I didn’t foresee that I would need a rain coat and jumper at the end of August in Hallstatt Austria one time.
3. CHARGE YOUR TECHNOLOGY
Everything is attached to apps and smart phones these days so it makes sense to thoroughly charge phones, laptops, iPad, kindles, portable chargers and whatever else you might have before setting off to the airport.
As we know, not all airports have convenient plug outlets or charging stations and with all that time to kill your battery will drain pretty fast, even before you get to the gate! If you have a long transit invest in a quality portable charger, I carry this one wherever I go!
4. FIND OUT YOUR LUGGAGE ALLOWANCE
Airlines work in mysterious ways, but it pays to read the details! Know beforehand the luggage allowance weight, extra bag costs (for those longer multi trips) and if you’re travelling with hand luggage only, thoroughly check the dimensions.
Budget airlines have very strict policies and usually advertise flight prices without luggage or anything at all! So to avoid hefty fees later on, in my experience you are best off purchasing ANYTHING you might need at the same time as your flight, it’s always cheaper and less hassle!
Read: The Essential Carry-on Checklist for Long Haul Travel
5. CHECK IN FOR YOUR FLIGHT IN ADVANCE
Take advantage of the online self-check-in facility 24 hours beforehand, it saves you from standing in long queues! Head straight over to the bag drop on your arrival and with a bit of luck you might even be assigned a better seat.
Some budget airlines, in addition to everything else now also charge for the privilege of being checked in with an agent at the airport, so there’s another incentive to download that app and avoid the extra fees.
6. DOWN LOAD THE APPS YOU’LL NEED
It’s always useful to have apps like your airline and boarding passes, bank account, local taxi – whether that’s Uber or My Taxi already downloaded on to your phone – it will make travel a lot simpler!
You can also have the Google Maps app ready to use aswell, this will likely be one of the first things you’ll need while at the arrivals (it works off-line too).
TIP! Be careful about roaming charges, you might want to speak to your provider about the options.
7. MAKE COPIES OF IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
Print and take photos of all your important document and store them in one super handy labelled folder within your email account – just something simple like Portugal important docs, you could even leave a set with someone trustworthy back home, you really never know when a Wi-Fi or phone glitch may occur.
Make copies of your passport, insurance policy, itinerary, emergency numbers and tour confirmations.
Psst. Your passport is in date isn’t it?
8. SORT OUT YOUR SPENDS
Ensure you have multiple cards to access your funds, I always travel with two cards, whether that’s a debit and a credit card or a travel reward card. You don’t want to rely on just one or be in a situation where you’re having to contact your bank overseas to resolve issues further down the line, that’s no fun at all.
Also I recommend purchasing at least £100 of the local currency in advance, you might not get the very best exchange rate, but it’s a small amount, as long as you don’t wait until your actually in the airport – that’s a big no. You will need it as soon as you arrive for things like transport, buying drink/food, tipping – learn from my dreadful experience when I was stuck in Bangkok with only one faulty debit card to hand!
9. PLAN YOUR AIRPORT JOURNEY
If you’re travelling to the airport either by bus, boat, train or taxi ensure that you reserve and arrive early to minimize any hitches! Also think about arranging a travel pick-up service at the other side to take the stress out of landing in a new destination.
Driving and parking? Plan your route, know your terminal and make allowances for road works and possible delays such as bank holidays – take a photo of your parking space, numbers and signage – you never know what a week in the sun might do to your memory!
TIP! For early flights, I almost always book a nearby hotel the night before and in some cases a hotel IN the airport Raddison Blu at Manchester Airport is my favourite!
Book airport hotels, lounges and secure parking with Holiday Extras
10. KEEP YOUR LUGGAGE SAFE
Whether you’re going away for a week or a month checked-in luggage will always be a slight cause for concern. One obvious way to keep everything secure and safe is to put all expensive items into your carry-on this includes laptops, phones, money, cameras – even jewelry, depending on your trip.
Good travel insurance should cover personal items and luggage including breakages, valuable items and always put a secure colourful name and address tag on it! A luggage tag on the handle sets your suitcase apart – from all the other similar suitcases on the conveyor belt!
11. DOUBLE CHECK THE TIME
Look at the times, dates and connections of all flights carefully, you wouldn’t want to arrive 24 hours late like I once did, departures just past midnight can be easily confused!
Also if have a stop make sure that it’s a sensible one – those cheap 40 minute connection flights at busy airports are never worth it, equally do not get caught out with a crazy long 12 hour lay-over (mostly via the Middle East)- did you see 7am or 7pm on the booking platform?
TIP! Download the airline’s app and connect via text so you can be notified of changes.
12. DO YOUR RESEARCH
Familiarise yourself with the destination! Read up on the best places to see, where to eat, how to get around, day trips and exchange rates etc. this way you will spend more time exploring and less time in your room looking things up each morning.
What are your must-see’s on this trip? How do you get there?
Make a list, take screenshots, look them up on google maps etc. I suggest highlighting the must-see’s so you don’t miss out on the things that might elevate your trip!
Read: 12 Best Things to do on a Solo Trip Anywhere in the World
13. BUY YOUR INFLIGHT ESSENTIALS
When prepping carry-on bags, I also look ahead and pack everything I’ll need on board the aircraft to make the flight more bearable – and comfortable.
Long haul flights can be very drying for your skin, so I would add a few hydrating and lightweight mini’s; gel eye masks, serums and a silk eye mask are my staples. To stay healthy and entertained I throw in a few natural snacks along with compression flight socks, noise cancelling headphones and maybe some entertainment?
Read my full list of carry-on essentials HERE
14. PLAN YOUR FIRST DAY
Lastly make a plan for your first day – you can be spontaneous once you’ve settled in and delt with the jetlag, but when you have luggage in tow and a brand new destination all you really need to do is check in, unpack, freshen up and start exploring!
Tip! Book that airport pick-up!
Happy travels!
So there you go, two lists are better than one! Dive deeper into my essential travel advice and find out how I avoid jetlag on long haul flights HERE.
Which of these important tips for travelling are you going to practice?
READ MORE ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR TRAVELLING
- THE ESSENTIAL CARRY-ON CHECKLIST
- HOW TO AVOID JETLAG
- HOW TO STAY HEALTHY ON HOLIDAY
- TRAVEL BEAUTY ESSENTIALS
PIN FOR LATER
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