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This is a collaborative post.
With all the excitement of heading on holiday, it’s far too easy for us to forget about the finer and more important details, which can lead to complications and stress further down the line. Whilst it’s a lot of fun thinking about everything you are going to get up to when you’re finally at your destination and booking things to do, if you don’t plan everything properly before you get to the airport, then you may find yourself not going!
Although completing the booking of flights, transfers and accommodation may signal the end of the holiday planning requirements, it’s actually only the beginning of the many things which you need to do before you even reach the airport.
With billions of people travelling each year and the increased security levels at airports, planning your holiday involves far more than swiping your credit card, breezing through the airport with your bags, and getting on the plane! If you stick to this list of five simple tasks, though, you will find that your holiday will go ahead without a hitch.
1 Properly Research Your Trip
Before you go to an unknown country, make sure you do plenty of research and take a guidebook with you, or download a travel app onto your phone. Familiarising yourself somewhat with your final destination is the only way to make sure that you will run into as few problems as possible when you are there, and that you are both mentally and physically ready for your destination.
For example, do you know how to get from the airport to your hotel or resort? What’s the local currency? If you are flying on a budget airline, are you going to the main airport or one far away? If you don’t have the answers to these questions, then you haven’t done enough research.
2 Have Your Documents Ready
Although your passport is key, there are far more documents you’ll need to take with you. Make sure that your passport is valid for at least six months or you may have some problems at the airport, and check whether or not you’ll need a traveller’s visa for the country you’re heading to.
It also doesn’t hurt to take out travel insurance – and this is encouraged. This will cover everything from lost luggage to medical expenses. Don’t only rely on your phone – take physical printed copies with you.
3 Book Airport Parking
If you are going to be driving to the airport, then you are going to need somewhere to safely store your car whilst you are away. Car Park 5 Birmingham Airport is the airport’s official, secure and trusted car park, and you can pre-book and leave your car there for the entirety of your jaunt abroad.
You can find Birmingham Airport Parking here, and we suggest that you pre-book it in-order to avoid the possibility of turning up and finding that there’s no space available. If you don’t plan on parking at the airport you can save money by pre booking an airport transfer rather than using a taxi on the day.
4 Get Yourself Immunised
In some parts of the world, having immunisations done prior to travel is necessary to avoid catching certain diseases and illnesses. Proof of having said immunisations done is required before you will be allowed to enter some countries, so it’s a good idea to schedule an appointment with your GP with plenty of time before your holiday.
Some immunisations require multiple appointments and injections, and some need to be started weeks in advance of your planned holiday, so this really is not something which you can leave until the last minute. There is lots of information available online, which you can look at before you travel.
5 Sort Out Medication
Nothing will stop a trip dead in its tracks quite like being ill or injured or forgetting your medication, prescription, and any documentation (such as a letter from your GP explaining why you need the medication).
In the days leading up to your flight, make sure that you have gone and refilled your prescriptions and have got any documentation together that you may need to prove what the medication is and why you need it. You should also take your prescription abroad with you too because you may need to refill it whilst you are there. It’s always a good idea to take slightly more than you think you may need because of this, as your medicine may not be widely available at your destination.
When you’ve planned a trip, the months and weeks leading up to it are exciting, and it’s far too easy for you to forget about some of the more important niceties and obligations which can quickly apply the brakes to your holiday. There is so much you need to do before you even reach the airport, and giving yourself plenty of time to get it all sorted will mean your trip goes ahead as planned.