I’m a travel expert – here are my 4 ways to avoid holiday chaos this summer
I’m a travel expert – here are my 4 ways to avoid holiday chaos this summer
IF you are going on holiday this summer, it is likely that you will run into a few problems along the way.
On my last two trips abroad, I experienced both cancelled flights and missed connections due to delays.
However, there are some ways to make sure you are prepared for anything to go wrong by risk-proofing your well-deserve break.
Here are the four things I make sure to do before travelling to give my holiday the best chance of running smoothly – and you should too.
1. Ensure your passport is in date
One of the biggest mistakes catching travellers out right now is passports, which has seen families lose thousands after being unable to board their flight.
There are two new rules Brits have to be aware of.
The first is that passports can be no longer than 10 years old – previous rules allowed Brits to an additional nine months from their previous document.
An example of this, would be if my passport has a start date of July 15, 2012, but an expiry date of April 15, 2023, it would be out of date, as it is 10 years from the start date.
The second rule is that since leaving the EU, travellers must have at least three months left on their passport to visit countries in Europe such as Spain and Portugal.
If you were going on holiday tomorrow, you would need the expiry date to be at least October 2023.
2. Check the airport advice before travelling
Depending on the airport you are travelling to, different advice is being given about how early to arrive.
Most UK airports are advising holidaymakers to arrive three hours before check in.
However, last-minute problems such as baggage delays are causing issues too – some airports are letting travellers drop their suitcases the night before to avoid the early morning queues.
You should also check how you are getting to the airport, after a number of rail strikes – and consider getting an airport hotel the night before.
3. Travel with just hand luggage
If you can avoid checking your luggage, this can also make you holiday much easier if you can abide by the liquid rules.
This means you can go straight to security if you have printed out your boarding pass online.
It also means, if you have any connections, it is less likely to get lost somewhere between flights.
Just make sure you are at the front of the queue for your flight if you do, as some airlines have limited space in the overhead lockers.
Here are some of our top tips for travelling with hand luggage only.
4. Make sure your travel insurance covers you
While Brits have their GHIC or EHIC cards, it is vital to have travel insurance as well, even if only going to Europe.
Travel insurance is needed for a number of issues out of your control such as being stranded if your flight is cancelled or your airline loses your luggage.
Not only that, but any large medical bills won’t be covered unless you have travel insurance, as long as the policy includes it.