If you have ever seen the film Home Alone (who hasn’t!?) picture the scene when Kevin’s mother realises that she’s forgotten her son. It might be a dramatic example, it's a good reason why it’s so important to do a lot of planning and checking before you head for the airport! Whilst the prospect of leaving your child behind is quite far-fetched, if you aren’t prepared for your holiday then the stresses can make you forget even the most obvious things. So, if you are heading off abroad soon, to help you out, we have put together this short list of holiday essentials to make sure that you have everything ready for when it’s time to go to the airport. All you need to worry about when you have gone through this list is what you are going to do when you arrive - head straight for the beach or explore the local area.
#1: Check Your Passport
This might sound very simple but there’s nothing that can put the brakes on a potential holiday more than realising that you can’t find your passport or that it’s out of date (or about to be) because you will need to get a new one, and this takes time. Checking your passport a few months in advance and keeping it somewhere safe is something everybody should do. It’s imperative that you do because your holiday may be over before it has even begun. Your passport will need to be in date by six months to avoid the possibility of there being any problems when you reach the airport. For example, the UAE, Kenya, and Turkey are all countries which won’t let you in without a passport in date for six months.
#2: Find Out What Documents You’ll Need
Boarding passes, your driving licence, visas, and travel insurance are all things which you may need depending on where you are going. Get organised early, make copies of all the documents, and keep them safe in a plastic folder away from the originals. It’s always useful to do this as it’ll cover your back if you lose anything. You may not need a visa depending on where you are going, but having your boarding passes is always a requirement, travel insurance should be taken out always, even if in the EU, and your driving licence may come in useful to use as ID, as it’s not recommended that you take your passport around with you.
#3: Book Airport Parking
If you are driving to the airport then you will need a safe and secure location to park your car, and there’s no better place than the airport’s official parking or their trusted partners. It’s always going to be cheaper and safer than putting your car in a pay and display for a few weeks, especially when you book in advance. Car Park 7 Birmingham Airport is a safe and secure car park and you can navigate for birminghamparking.com for more information. If you pre-book in advance, you don’t only secure a place - it will work out much cheaper too.
#4: Check Your Luggage Allowance
Over-packing and exceeding your luggage allowance can mean you end up stuck at the check-in desk, which will get your holiday off on the wrong foot. This is particularly an issue on budget airlines who religiously stick to the luggage allowance and will charge you a massive fee if you go over it. Before you go, make sure you have weighed your luggage - you can buy cheap scales online - so that you avoid the situation of either having to pay extra money or fit it into your hand luggage to counteract the weight.
#5: Sort Out Travel Money
Travel money cards or currency cards are really useful for spending abroad as they allow for instant withdrawal and can hold multiple currencies at once. This can be helpful if you're backpacking where you're going to different countries - These cards save you from having to carry multiple currencies at once. That being said, it’s always a good idea to have some local currency too as not all countries widely accept cards. If you are heading outside of Europe to the likes of Thailand, India or any other Asian country, cash will always be more widely accepted.
When you are heading on holiday, taking some time long before your trip to get everything organised and sorted out can save you massive headaches further down the line. In the excitement leading up to your jaunt abroad, it is far too easy to forget about some of the more important aspects of going away, and some of these can easily stop your holiday in its tracks.
