If you are heading off on holiday anytime soon then you will need to make sure you’re well prepared. You have worked hard all year round to earn some precious time off with your loved ones, so leave nothing to chance and make sure you’re all set for the trip of a lifetime.
We have all heard the horror stories of people turning up to the airport, forgetting passports of missing their flights – it’s not exactly the relaxed start to a holiday! I always thought ‘well it won’t happen to me’ but it did, so now I stick to a strict checklist to make sure that everyone, including myself, is ready and prepared.
Here are some of the key things you need to check and prepare before you leave the house.
Passport
You should check that everyone travelling has at least 6 months left before their passport expires. This doesn’t mean 6 months from the day you check but 6 months minimum from the date of departure.
Visa
It is essential that you check and double check to see if you need a visa. Remember that not everyone travelling in your group may have the same passport – so be sure to call the embassy to check their requirements. If you do have to apply for a visa then you will need to leave yourself enough time and also fill in a lot of paperwork. A visa reservation service can help you get all of the documents together in only a matter of hours.
Transport to the airport
Don’t leave it until the last minute to plan how you will get to the airport. If you live quite far from the airport and will drive, make sure that you have your parking booked in advance. If you’ll catch the train then have the taxi to the station booked and the tickets already paid for. On your day of travel you need everything to go smoothly and it starts here.
Transport to the hotel
Ok, so you’ve arrived at the destination. But how do you get to the hotel? You don’t want to be hanging around with taxi drivers bothering you. So either pre book a taxi or organise a hotel pick up. If for any reason you haven’t organised transport then head to the official taxi counter to organise a taxi.