Hello and welcome to the stress buster part of our blog. We decided to put up this section because we know that actually preparing for a holiday can be pretty stressful – we have all been there! And if you have pre-existing medical conditions it means that you have even more to think about. So we have been trawling the blog, and speaking in the office, to come up with some tips that might help you in preparing for your holiday. Future blogs will focus in more detail on some of these points, but we thought this was a good ‘starter for 10’:
1. Check the formalities: Ensure your passport is up to date – it is best to make sure that it is valid for 6 months from the date of your entry into the country. To answer all your questions check out www.passport.gov.uk. If in any doubt, you should check with the relevant embassy if you need a visa.
2. Travel insurance: You should purchase your insurance as soon as possible after booking your holiday to ensure that you are covered in case the trip is cancelled; and certainly no later than 3 months before if you have pre-existing medical conditions. Make sure you are fully covered by declaring all your pre-existing medical conditions (link to AllClear FAQ), and that the policy is suitable for your needs. Also make sure your policy covers any specific activities such as winter sports. If you purchase an AllClear travel insurance policy, you automatically gain membership to AllClear Extras which entitles you to discounts when purchasing your holiday essentials – Less stress and less expense! If you would like to get an AllClear Travel Insurance quote click here. Remember to take the emergency contact details of your travel insurance provider with you.
3. European Health Insurance Card (EHIC): If you are travelling with the EU, then get a FREE European Health Insurance Card for free or reduced emergency care – you still need full travel insurance though!
4. Vaccinations: Check with your doctor as soon as possible to find out if you need any vaccinations before you travel. Information on the vaccinations for different countries can also be found here www.allclear4you.com.
5. Medication: Visit your doctor and make sure that you have adequate supplies (and additional supplies in case any is lost/damaged) of any medication that you might need for a pre-existing medical condition. Check out www.allclear4you.com for more info on travelling with specific medical conditions, and how you can prepare before you go.
6. Secure your house: It might be worth making arrangements to have your garden looked after – especially if you are away during the summer. Not only do overgrown lawns, beds and borders indicate that a house has been left unoccupied, but you don’t want your lovely patio plants to die! If you can, set automatic timers to turn household lights on and off at credible times, to create the illusion of an occupied house. Don’t just have these set up in the hallway! The best thing is if you can ask a neighbour or friend to keep an eye on your home while you are away. Try to arrange for someone to collect your post, draw the curtains etc to generally making the place look lived in.
7. Travel Games: If you are travelling with children, make sure that you take some paper, colouring pencils and colouring books with you to keep them occupied and avoid that cry of ‘Are we nearly there yet’.
8. Contact from home: Tell a friend or relative where you are going and for how long for – give them some idea of your itinerary if possible and an emergency contact number. Check before you leave whether your mobile phone will work abroad – you may need to contact your provider – and also check the roaming charges to avoid an unpleasant surprise when you get back
9. Money: Take enough money for your trip and some back-up funds in the form of travellers cheques. Travellers cheques are good because they can usually be replaced if lost or stolen (if the owner still has the note issued with the purchase of the cheque), but you do need to have somewhere to cash them. If possible, check that out before you go. Credit and debit cards can also be a convenient way to travel when abroad, but watch out for the hidden charges.
10. Travel Guide: Look for a good travel guide to help you plan your trip and ensure you visit all the places you want to. Find some FREE downloadable guides at www.allclear4you.com
11. Digital cameras: Make sure your camera pictures/video have been downloaded so that you don’t run out of space for your new holiday snaps. It might also be worth investing in an spare memory card so that you don’t need to worry about downloading pics while you are away, and don’t have to limit the number of pics that you take
12. Packing: Make sure that you do not need to pack last minute if at all possible, and try and make a list, at least of those essential items (go here for a checklist http://www.allclear4you.com/checklist.aspx). That way you can ensure you have everything you need e.g. medication, money, toiletries (remember things like insect repellent), plug adaptor etc.
And we haven’t finished yet! Here are some links to some other useful sites that you might want to take a look at them in more detail.
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/staying-safe/checklist. A useful checklist
You also might want to check out the FCO travel advice for the country you are visiting http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/
http://www.car-travel-games.co.uk/ – contains lots of fun travel games for kids
Please let us know if you have any more hints and tips or websites that you think would be useful to share.
fore your holiday, but there is now a new app that does most of the hard work for you. All you need to do is detail your destination and then the app lists all the vaccinations that you might ever need. The vaccinations are listed in a traffic light system with red being recommended, yellow being sometimes recommended and with orange, the requirement for vaccination varies. Remember to also check how long before your holiday you require any jabs. I’m afraid that you actually then need to go and have the injections yourself though! Still, the app is a really quick and easy way to help you get all prepared for your holiday.
