5 things to do before travelling aboard

We may have only just recently got back from our caravan break however we are already starting to save for next year.  We already know that we want to go abroad and got an idea how much we need to save up. With the summer holidays coming up in thought it would be a good idea to share with you 5 important things you will need to do if you are planning on travelling abroad this summer or next year like us.




Check your passport
You won't be able to go anywhere without a passport. You must check that all of your passports are in date. Children's ones last 5 years and adults 10 years. You need to check that your passport has enough time if you are planning to travel long haul. If you do need new passports its important to give yourself enough time to get one sorted. Summer months tend to busy so you may end up having to pay for a premium turn around.  We tend to get passports sorted months in advance and ideally  before we book to go away. You need to also bear in mind that some countries want three or six months valid on your passport at the time of your entry to the county otherwise they will not let you travel. Stuart needs a new passport before we go away next year so it's one of the top things we need to sort out.




Travel Documents
Depending on where you are traveling you may need a visa. It's a good idea to look online as you maybe able to apply that way. You may also be able to check details with your tour oporator if you have already booked. When we went to Cape Verde in 2016 we had to fill in an online form that we were sent from our tour oporator and it had to be done by a certain date so that it would be sorted in time.

Other documents you will need are Travel insurance as this will provide you with cover for if you loose your luggage, your flight is cancelled or if you become ill when away. If you get insurance straight away when you book you may also be covered for illness and accidents before you go.


Get yaoirselves a European Health Insurance Card too that is issued free of charge and allows anyone who part of the EEA countries and Switzerland to receive medical treatment in another member state free or at a reduced cost, if that treatment becomes necessary during your  visit. Make sure you pack this with you when you go as no card, means you have no proof.



Getting around

Before travelling its worthwhile knowing how you plan on getting about. For example as we don't drive we made sure that our package holidays include transfers and if we want to explore the place we are visiting than we look into excursions and public transport options. If you do drive you may want to look into booking a car hire in advance. We also look into how we plan to get to the airport for us its mainly by train so we have to look up timings etc so we aren't late for check in.


Know what you are getting
When booking make sure you know what you are getting for your money. Do your research, read the small print, read reviews on where you will be staying and what the hotel is like. Just remember that a 5 star hotel is going to have a different service from a 3 star hotel.


Packing
When it comes to packing I like to be organised with a list, as packing is a time consuming task. Having a list and purchasing your holiday essentials in advance really help for stress free packing. Make sure that you know your weight limit so that you don't have to pay a hefty fee at the airport. Check what goes where for example we had water for Blake when we went to Cape Verde in the hand luggage and we had to drink a bit from it before hand so they knew it was safe. We also kept our tablet devices in the hand luggage which had to be taken out and  scanned once we got to security. Othed items such as liquids went into the hold luggage.

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