Before You Go
There was a time when all the preparation you needed for a
holiday was to tick off the three-pronged check list: tickets, money, passport.
Those days are long gone and with slaving away in the office to tie up any
loose ends before you go, there doesn't always seem to be time to do any more
groundwork. Hell, a holiday is meant to be your time off, right? But if you've
just picked up a cheap flight to Kenya in the hope of doing a spot of sand
surfing, or booked a last-minute romantic weekend in Vilnius, here's a guide
list to some preparations you need to carry out before you jump on the plane.
You can read it on your lunch break and ensuring everything is in place before
you go means you can really sit back and enjoy the break.
Tickets
- Most airlines, for example Ryanair and easyJet, do not
issue paper tickets. The good news is, you don't get to the airport and
realise you've forgotten to pick them up from your bedside table, but
don't forget to take along your booking reference when you go.
Money
- Traveller's cheques still remain the safest way to carry
money as they will be replaced if they are lost or stolen.
- If you choose instead to carry cash for ease, make sure
that it is not all kept in one place. Even the safest seeming Western
cities suffer from pickpockets.
- Getting hold of money abroad has become much easier as ATM
machines will issue money to foreign cards, but there will almost always
be a charge for this. Check with your bank before you go.
- You can always exchange
money at the airport. It is sensible, though, to make sure when
possible, to have a bit of the local currency before you arrive in a
country, especially if arriving at night. Enough cold hard cash to pay for
a taxi fare, supper and the first night's accommodation should do the
trick.
- However, it is illegal to export the currency of certain
countries. In which case, carry some US dollars, as well as sterling, as
they are often popular and easy to exchange.
- And if you've only booked a one-way flight, please, make
sure you've enough money in the bank to get a return when you need to.
Passport
- Search out your passport a bit sooner than the night
before you want to leave.
- If you're planning on travelling in stamp-happy countries
such as those in Africa, make sure that at least half of the pages in your
passport are blank and that it doesn't expire within six months.
- If you need to apply for a new passport, you can send your
application to the passport office by post or apply online. It will
normally take up to three weeks to return to you, but don't panic if
you've left it too late. For an extra fee, you can make a personal
application at one of the passport offices. They are normally able to process
your application on the same day. For more information see the United
Kingdom Passport website.
Visas
- If you're travelling far overseas check whether you will
need a visa for your trip. Call the Embassy of the country you are
visiting or have a look on their website for details. There will be a form
and a fee and you will be expected to provide a passport photo. Some
countries will require you to have an interview with consulate staff,
others may ask for an invitation from the country.
- Be warned though, visa applications can take weeks or
months to process depending on your destination, and you will need to send
them your passport as well. If you need to get both renewed at once, you
could be in for a long wait.
Insurance
- It can seem tempting not to take out insurance, especially
if you're only popping to France for a long weekend. What could really go
wrong? However, it's probably best not to find out, especially when both
single trip and annual insurances can be picked up fairly cheaply. See the
travel
insurance listings for more information or read our insurance
travel tip.
- Remember to take your European Health Insurance Card for
medical insurance within European countries.
Make copies
- Carry copies of all important documents in a separate
place to the originals just in case they get stolen. To be extra safe
leave photocopies behind at home with somebody you can get in touch with
in an emergency.
Jabs
- Okay, they're horrible, we all hate them, especially the
ones that they ruthlessly stick into your bum. But, and you already know
this, five minutes of pain and embarrassment are much better than catching
rabies.
- Every doctor's surgery has guidelines of which
vaccinations you need to take for which part of the world you are
travelling to. Some are merely advisable, but proof of immunisation
against certain diseases is actually a requirement before entering some
countries. There is a charge for almost all jabs except the ones that are
obligatory at home and which you might have let lapse.
Accommodation
- Yes, we know it's great fun to arrive in a country with a
rucksack on your back and no idea of where you are going to stay that
night. But check ahead, just in case. If your flight gets in late at
night, the idea of walking round the town in the dark looking for
somewhere to stay soon loses its appeal. And if you arrive in town just as
the national cheese-eating annual conference is taking place you might
find that there's simply no room at the inn.
Packing
- Pack appropriately. You may be a hardened backpacker, but
if you're going off to see the opera in Milan, you're going to feel a bit
out of place in flip-flops and a string vest. Equally, a ball gown and
stilettoes won’t work on a beach in Thailand.
- Don't forget that, unless you're very lucky, you're going
to have to carry your own bag. It may be nice to have an outfit for every
occasion, but if you have to have to take a quick nap after the exertion
of carrying your suitcase up one flight of stairs at the hotel, you're not
going to get a chance to wear them all anyway.
- If you're going backpacking you could do worse than to
follow the time-honoured advice: pack your bag, then take everything out,
leave half of the clothes on your bedroom floor, and pack it again. And
don't forget the wet wipes.
One stop shop
- The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has been running a
Know Before You Go campaign since 2001, which advises travellers of all
the details they need before making a trip. Wherever you are going you
should check the FCO website at www.fco.gov.uk/travel or contact them on 0845 850 2829
for extra information. If you are travelling to areas where there may be
conflict, wars or violence, it might just save your life.
Updated February 2008
|
|
