Jetting off for a holiday abroad is something that many people look forward to, whether they are able to do so a couple of times per year or as a treat every once in a while. From short city breaks to tropical beach holidays, and from relaxing retreats to action packed adventures, there is something for everyone and it’s no wonder that so many of us block off a week or two in our busy calendars for a much needed break.
If there is one thing that is sure to ruin any holiday, it’s a lack of planning and allowing the finer details to slip through the cracks. There are few things worse than reaching your destination only to realise you’ve forgotten to pack something extremely important, or worse, you’ve gotten to the airport and forgotten to pre-book your parking space, only to find the car park is full and you can’t find a space.
These are all surprisingly common occurrences when it comes to international travel, and something I’ve certainly experienced in the past. On my last trip to Spain, I completely forgot to pack my swimwear and jeans, and had to spend half of the first day shopping for clothes when all I really wanted to do was sip a cold beer on the beach! There are a few things you can do to help you avoid situations like this, and one of them is to use our last minute checklist to ensure you have everything you need in place for a relaxing and stress free holiday.
One month before your holiday
One month before your holiday, you have probably already booked your flights and accommodation, and this is the perfect time for you to review your booking and remind yourself of your flight times and dates, and make sure your accommodation is booked for the correct dates. You can’t do your online check in yet, but you can usually print your boarding passes and other pre-booked tickets at this point.
If you want to save yourself some money at this stage and know you will be travelling to the airport by car, you can start looking for deals on airport parking. Most airport car parks, such as Manchester Airport, Heathrow Airport and Stansted Airport car park have ample parking spaces, but these can still fill up during peak times such as school holidays. A month before your flights, look into booking your parking space so you’re not having to stress about it at the last minute.
Two weeks before your holiday
At the two week mark you will want to start making sure you have the right clothing to pack. Check the weather forecast for your destination and check what you have in your wardrobe, and make a plan to go shopping for anything you’re missing. At this stage you may also want to start making sure everything you want to pack is freshly laundered and ready to go, especially if you are travelling as a family with kids. It is best to give yourself plenty of time for this so you’re not worrying about getting things cleaned and dry at the last minute.
It’s a good idea to look into getting your travel insurance sorted at this stage if you’ve not already done so. There are loads of benefits to buying travel insurance, the main ones being it will potentially save you thousands of pounds should you or any other family member suffer an accident or illness while you’re travelling. It’s not unheard of for people to end up getting something relatively common like food poisoning and seek treatment locally, only to find the consultation and medication have totalled hundreds if not thousands of pounds.
The week before you travel
This week you will need to double check your transport is all booked and correct, that your flights are going ahead as planned, and that you have packed everything you need for a safe and comfortable trip. Double check you have printed off all the necessary documents, and check when you can do your online check in with your airline. This can usually be done as early as 48 hours before you fly, to as late as two hours beforehand, so make sure you have planned to get this done. This is also a good time to think about what you will eat before the flight, whether you will get food at the airport or will take a packed lunch with you.