Are you considering booking a well-earned holiday? Whether that’s in the UK or abroad, it’s a fantastic opportunity to get away and spend quality time with family and friends.
To help you plan the perfect holiday that meets your needs and budget, we as providers of travel insurance have put together these 5 holiday planning tips.
1. What type of holiday would you like to go on?
Whether that’s relaxing by a pool under the Mediterranean sun and reading a good book or going on excursions to visit historical sites. Perhaps you might want a super active holiday or somewhere family-friendly to take your children to. Or maybe you’re undecided on what type of holiday but you just know that you want a break somewhere.
To help you decide here are some of the different types of holidays’ you could consider:
- Camping
- Ski and snowboarding
- Cruises
- Tours
- Activities and adventures
- Beach holiday
- City break
- Walking
If you’re looking to stay in the UK, then check out our fantastic free Campsite Finder for ideas on where you could look to stay including the key facilities and activities in that area.
2. When would you like to go?
This’ll mainly depend on your circumstances. From getting the time off work to whether the travel agent has the availability to book for your desired location. You might want to go in the peak summer time during the school holidays or perhaps you’d prefer to visit when places are a little quieter. It’s fair to say, the further in advance you plan and book your holiday, the better your chances of getting your preferred choice.
3. How much do you want to spend?
It’s important to work out how much you can afford to spend on your holiday in total. Then you could go on various holiday comparison sites to tailor the holiday to meet your needs’ thus giving a clear idea of what the booking cost will be.
You’ll need to factor in these following costs too:
- Food
- Toiletries
- Leisure activities
- Money spare for miscellaneous costs e.g. batteries, ice cream
- Duty-free purchases
- Drink
Once you know your holiday spending budget, divide this by the number of days that you’re planning to stay to give you a clear idea of how much money you can spend each day.
If you’re planning on going abroad, don’t forget to compare the different exchange rates to ensure you’re getting the best value for your hard-earned money.
4. Write a packing checklist
Britons spend £96m every year having to purchase items that they’ve forgotten to pack for their holiday. This is an incredible amount of money that could be reduced significantly if a checklist was written before packing.
Here’s some tips on what you could include on your checklist:
- Money
- Phone charger
- Sun cream
- Day and evening footwear
- Swimwear
- First aid kit/medication
- Toothbrush
- Passport
5. Make photocopies of your passport
Lastly, make two photocopies of your passport ID page, this includes your photo and details like your date of birth. So, if you misplace your passport, you can go to the nearest embassy and have the document reissued much more quickly. As the copy of your passport will contain your passport number, this’ll also make it easier to prove who you are. Make sure you keep one photocopy with you and that you store it in a safe but different place than your actual passport. Pass the other photocopy to a family member or friend just in case you need to contact them whilst you’re away to obtain this information if both your original passport and the photocopy are lost.
Do you know any additional holiday planning tips? Let us know on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
