Planning a holiday is one of my absolute favourite things to do and right now I’m planning what I hope will be the holiday of a lifetime. I’m very lucky to be able to say, we do go away quite often. It’s not always for very long or even very far, but a few times a year we get away as a family. This year we have been away to Blackpool, Chichester, London and Paris. Later this month we’re going to Jersey for a week as well. Last year we managed France twice, Scarborough, Chichester and London – while the year before we had an amazing trip to Florida.
Packing is pretty much my least favourite part of the holiday. I love the planning; where, when, how aspects and even writing a list of what we need to take, what we need to buy before going etc. but the actual packing I just find a bane. That said, the unpacking when you get home is even worse so I suppose packing is at least better than that. As a mum of two girls, it’s important to always be prepared. We try to pack light but at the same time, I like to know we have everything we might need. Throwing in clothes is the basics, but remembering a hat and suntan lotion, or raincoats and umbrellas, those are the things I try to remember.
Before heading off on holiday, we of course take out holiday insurance. Touch wood, I have never had anything bad happen on a holiday before but I always like to make sure I’m covered. After that I think it’s important to remember you can get a free EHIC card for when travelling in Europe but you need to remember to apply at least a week or so in advance to allow time for it to arrive. After that, there is a lot of common sense involved – what things can you take from home that you might appreciate when on holiday – Capol for kids, paracetamol or ibuprofen for adults, plasters, tweezers, antiseptic wipes and cream etc. Other holiday essentials include sun hats, suncream and glasses for hot weather and warm clothes for cold (and of course the anticipation of it being the opposite to what you expect).
If you travel abroad on an airplane, its important to stay hydrated as high altitudes can make the air very dry. Unfortunately can’t help being trapped in the small space, with everyones bugs and germs, but keeping yourself hydrated can help fend off colds and flu. Walking around will also keep your blood circulated and hopefully avoid deep vein thrombosis.
Hand sanitiser and wipes are also great for holidays. You can wipe down places that you think may be more likely to carry germs and of course also for your own hands.
Eating well and also sensibly is important. For a start, drinking bottled water is always advisable while abroad. Also be careful of any food you wouldn’t normally eat and any food known to be highly likely to cause food poisoning when cooked or prepared wrong.
It goes without saying to make sure you wear a hat, sunscreen, glasses etc. when out in the heat. This will avoid sunstroke, sunburn and so on. When we were in Florida, my youngest daughter had her whole face swell up for the first few days and after that we were much more careful in the sun than we had been to begin with. Getting too hot can also lead to headaches and overheating so always be sensible with the sun. Being careful with alcohol consumption, especially in the sun, is also something to be advised. This can lead to dehydration.
Of course there are many more things you can do, but these are some of the main points. That said, you can’t always prepare for everything that might happen and sometimes you do end up ill or having an accident on holiday. At this point you should look into holiday claims by Your Legal Friend as they can help you claim for all sorts of aspects that may have ruined your holiday.
Planning well is always the best idea for a good holiday and I’m still hoping that my holidays continue to go smoothly. I can’t wait to start booking my next holiday and then of course, everything else that goes with it to make it the perfect holiday.