Essential Pre-Holiday Checklist

Posted by Jackie Hewett on Fri 9th January 2009 at 01:16 AM, Filed in Travel Tips

This checklist is designed for use as soon as you are considering booking a holiday and is divided into timely sections

As Soon as Holiday Booked / When Considering Destination
• Check Passport(s) for valid-to dates (often you require the passport to be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of travel) – organise replacement if required
• Check visa requirements – organise if required
• Check immunisation requirements – organise if required
• Check travel insurance – organise if required.  Note – annual policies are usually far better value than tour operators / one-off holiday insurances.  Also check what cover your credit cards already give you.  If a UK citizen and traveling within EU you probably don’t need insurance depending upon the terms within your home contents cover.
• Organise house-sitter

1 Month Before Departure
• Have immunisations – some take time to become effective
• Book car in for service if taking on holiday (especially abroad)
• Check / organise car break-down insurance – especially if traveling abroad
• Order attraction tickets – such as theme park tickets
• Organise Discounted Car Hire
• Check luggage is up to the job & purchase new if necessary
• Book pets into cattery / kennel / other
• Check mobile phone for band use depending on country visiting and if contract covers overseas

2 Weeks Before Departure
• Order foreign currency / travelers cheques – Trip-Inspiration can recommend Tesco’s for generally some of the best currency rates
• Organise transport to airport if appropriate
• Organise airport parking if appropriate
• Buy Guide / Phrase Books
• Check have space on digital camera or camera film / DVD’s and if necessary purchase
• Check / buy spare batteries for camera camcorder
• Organise form E11 if traveling within Europe for each UK citizen

During Week Before Departure
• Collect Foreign Currency / travelers cheques & take a separate note of travelers cheque numbers
• Wash & Iron clothes you are planning to take
• Inform neighbors
• Ensure utility bills (especially credit cards) are paid up to date
• Cancel news paper / milk deliveries
• Start taking malaria tablets if required
• Inform credit card companies that traveling abroad (regarding their anti-fraud measures as most now monitor / look for and may stop un-usual foreign transactions if not informed beforehand)
• Mow lawn / tidy garden
• Take photocopies of important travel documents – passports, driving license
• Leave spare set of keys with someone you trust & ensure they know how to operate burglar alarm if appropriate and how to contact you
• Pack luggage – see Family Holiday Packing Checklist

Day Before Departure
• Empty Fridge of perishable goods
• Water House-plants
• Take pets to cattery / kennel / pet-sitter
• Pack / Check Hand-luggage
• Charge Phone / MP3 Player
• Charge digital camera / camcorder
• Secure valuables in non-obvious place (I often put jewelery & cash in the loft)
• Check car oil and windscreen wash levels & tyre pressure if taking car

Day of Departure
• A couple of hours before due to depart - check for delays – route to airport & flight delays
• Set Security Lights / Radios on timers & turn off other lights
• Ensure car locked and car keys are not left visible in ‘obvious’ places
• Set central heating to low
• Un-plug electrical good – especially televisions, pc’s etc
• Empty rubbish bin(s)
• Ensure all taps turned off
• Set burglar alarm
• Lock all windows and doors – including out-buildings, sheds
• Take travel sickness pills if required

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