These five simple tips will help to make planning your next holiday as relaxing and stress-free as possible!
Are you planning to travel overseas this year? It’s finally time to check that your passport is still in date and go shopping for swimwear and aftersun. Of course, there’s some work involved in planning an overseas holiday and we’re all a bit out of practice.
You might be feeling a little stressed about where to begin, but don’t worry. We’re here to help with some simple tips for making holiday planning as easy as possible.
Set a holiday budget
Making a budget isn’t fun, but neither is discovering that you’ve run out of money while you’re away from home. So before you start booking anything, set a budget so that you know exactly how much you can spend.
You need to consider the big upfront costs like flights and accommodation as well as meals and transport costs. And don’t forget to include things like tips in restaurants and any excursions or attractions that you want to visit.
Make lists
Once you’ve decided how much you can afford to spend on your holiday, it’s time to start booking things.
Writing everything down that you need to do makes it easy to see the jobs that need to be prioritised. There are plenty of ways to lay out all the tasks buzzing around your head. You could use a list-making app which you can access on the go or keep things old-school with a pen and paper.
Ticking jobs off your list will help you to know for sure what still needs to be done. And just think how good it will feel once you know everything’s been taken care of!
Book the essentials in advance
Seasoned travellers might be happy to wing it when it comes to holiday planning. But most people are likely to feel more relaxed if they have the big items booked in advance.
Of course this includes flights and accommodation, and booking ahead is a great way to find a bargain on these. And that means that you can free up some of your budget for spending on other holiday essentials or luxuries.
Don’t forget to book car parking at the airport, and any extras like fast track security or access to the airport lounge.
And it’s a good idea to book your airport transfers ahead of your holiday. That way you don’t need to worry about how you’ll get to your hotel once you’ve landed.
Make sure you’re fully covered
No, not with sunscreen – although you need to make sure you pack that as well.
But it’s really important to make sure that you have good insurance cover. You can either buy single trip insurance or go for multi-trip cover if you’re planning to go away more than once this year.
And don’t forget to check that your travel insurance policy covers you for all the activities on your holiday. A basic policy is fine if you’re not planning to do anything more energetic than walking to the poolside bar. But if you’re thinking of hiring mountain bikes to explore the area or fancy trying out something like kite-surfing, you may need extra cover.
Time to get packing
When did you last look at your holiday wardrobe? If it’s been a while, you might want to see if anything needs replacing or treat yourself to some new clothes.
As well as sorting your clothes out, you’ll also need to pack toiletries, sun cream, swimwear and other essentials. Don’t forget that you could need travel adaptors when you get to your destination. And it’s also worth packing a power bank so you can charge your phone if you get delayed at the airport.
Check your list and pack everything as early as you can. Even if you only start a week before you fly, this gives you time to buy any last minute items like sunglasses or spare flip-flops. This will save you having to buy holiday essentials at airport prices and allow you to enjoy a stress-free trip.