fancy A holiday

So you have booked your tickets to go on holiday but have you done a checklist of what you will need to buy and book. To help you plan your holiday, these are the most common things that holiday makers forget when they go on holiday. By planning ahead it’ll save you time and hassle and any last minute problems that arise.

Holiday checklist

Transfers – So the holiday has been booked but do you know how you are getting to the airport in the UK? If you are booking a private taxi do it at least a month before travel and confirm again the day before you are due to travel.

Airport parking – by booking at least 24 hours in advance you can save over 50% on the gate price. So the earlier you book the cheaper it can be.

Accommodation – double check travel details a week before travelling to make sure name and duration are as they should be to avoid problems when checking in.

Flights – check airport information a day before travel to check of any delays or changes to terminal concerning your flight. You may also have the option to check in online prior to departure saving you valuable time to go and buy products and last minute items from Duty Free.

Insurance - as we all know it’s very important to have travel insurance but did you know that by purchasing annual travel insurance you could make bigger savings. Of course if you only travel once a year it’s not really worth it but if you plan to travel a few times a year it will be cheaper than paying travel insurance for each holiday. Make sure you have insurance when travelling and if you are travelling in Europe don’t forget to apply for your (EHIC) European Health Insurance Card entitling you to treatment for free or sometimes at a smaller fee.

Food – if you are going on a self catering holiday you could save a lot of money by buying a lot of the food you will need before travelling. Food like canned goods, pasta, tea bags and sugar can be put into the suitcase that will be going into the hold.

As well as the above, you will need to make a list of items such as sun cream, moisturiser, contact lenses, and snorkelling equipment and so on. This comes in very handy if you have a large family as it gets quite hectic and confusing when you have so many people to pack for and organise items for taking on holiday.

One of the headaches of going on holiday is deciding how to get to the airport. If you’re lucky enough to have good friends and family, you may get a lift to the airport and back. If not, you could just pre-book a taxi. Depending where you live and which airport you are travelling from, the taxi fare can be quite hefty. If you have a big enough car, it may be cheaper to just park at the airport.

There are a few different types of airport parking and while some are reasonably priced, others could leave a dent in your wallet.

Off airport parking – usually within a few miles or more from the airport and the cheapest option for parking at the airport. Pre booking will save you some money if done at least 24 hours in advance. The keys are handed in upon arrival and the car will then be parked in a secure car park until arrival. Upon arrival your car will have been moved closer to the exit saving you time having to find it in the car park. A shuttle bus is provided to take you to the flight terminal and the same goes for when you return although waiting times vary with some due every 20 minutes.

Meet and greet parking – all you have to do is arrive at the terminal at an agreed time (some advise you to phone 20 minutes prior to arrival for a driver to meet you) and a uniformed driver with a clipboard will be waiting for you. You can then check in for your holiday quicker whilst the driver will then drive it away and park it securely in a nearby car park.

On airport parking – this is usually what most people opt for as you don’t have to hand over your keys and you park your car yourself. Cost for on airport parking can cost as much as £9 a day but by pre-booking you can get it at nearly half that. Shuttle buses are quick and transfer times can be as little as 4 minutes.

Read the small print when it comes to airport parking as you might find that some car parks state that when they have an influx of customers they may move your car to another secure car park up to 15 miles away. Some customers even report dents, scuffs and damages to their car. If you do use a car park where you have to hand over the keys, make sure you inspect the car thoroughly before driving away otherwise it’s harder to get the damages paid for.

When it comes to going on holiday, not many people will admit that they know much about the country that they are visiting. By planning ahead you can fit in so many different and wonderful experiences. When people go on holiday, most of them choose a package holiday as they will then also have a holiday representative who will visit the resort regularly. When you first meet the rep they will tell you about the excursions they have on offer and when they take place.

If you know a bit about the country you are visiting, you can then plan what you want to see and where you want to go. You will be very surprised how a little bit of research whether on the Internet or asking friends and family can make your holiday more pleasant. Here are a few examples of what you didn’t know about some of our well loved destinations: Sharm El Sheikh is well known for diving and snorkelling due to its crystal clear waters and extensive and protected coral reefs. Hawaii is known for water sports and surfing. As well as Kenya, India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia also have wildlife safaris.

How to book excursions?
When you go on holiday with a tour operator, you have the services of a rep who can tell you about all the local attractions and things to do and see. What people don’t do is venture out and explore for themselves. Holiday reps charge double to see local attractions and specialist excursions but did you know that if you leave the hotel and wander down the road a few metres away, you could find a local tour guide who will charge you 50% less. Most well known holiday destinations have local tour operators that have booths along the beach or somewhere near the resort and by just having a look you’re not obliged to book an excursion.

If you are not so confident about being able to find reasonably priced excursions whilst on holiday, then you can always pre-book your excursions before travelling. By booking with a local tour operator in the country you are going, you will be definitely getting a better deal than going with the holiday company.

Another reason why pre-booking excursions is a good idea is because people tend to overspend when they go on holiday so by doing this beforehand you should have no excuse to overspend and can manage your money better.

We all want to go on holidays but unfortunately due to limited annual leave, a mediocre salary and family commitments, most people can only afford to go away twice if not only once a year. If you plan ahead and have a holiday timetable, it will help a lot when it comes to managing finances and annual leave and other family commitments.

Creating a holiday timetable

Here are a few things you can do to write your timetable:

• First sit down and make a list of all holiday destinations you would like to visit
• Then go online and find out when these places are in season
• Then write in order of month what countries you would like to visit if it is in season
• If you have children you will be limited to go on holidays only during half term breaks, start looking early for good deals
• All the common places like Spain, Portugal and other places in Europe always appeal to families but by venturing further out like the Caribbean or Egypt, it can work out cheaper sometimes

Try and have a variety of different holidays a year or you will find that you always go on beach holidays and children can get bored of seeing the same thing all the time. Consider skiing, safaris and touring holidays and throw in a multi centre holiday in there too, it will save time. If you want to visit a few places in the same region for example Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand then why not visit them all at the same time? Keep an eye out for travel programs and they might give you some inspiration for your next holiday. There are so many countries which are really beautiful and you should take advantage and visit them and learn about different cultures and traditions. Try not to go to the same places year after year especially with children as the best memories they will ever have will be about holidays.

Remember that there are some countries that require a visa, so take this into consideration when planning holidays as some may take months to process the application.