There are many things which go into planning a holiday and it can take a lot of time and stress to remember to do everything. We are very good about booking flights and hotels and making sure someone will swing by to feed the cat, but that only scratches the surface of what needs to be done. Here is a quick guide to some of the little things that everyone forgets before going on holiday, just in the hopes that it reminds one person!
Check Your Passports are in Date
If you are leaving the country for your holiday, you need to make sure that your passport is in date for the entire time you intend to be away for. This is incredibly important as it means that you will be able to re-enter your home country when you return. It can be very difficult to do this on an expired passport. Many countries will not even allow you to enter if your passport will expire within a certain time limit, even if you intend to leave again long before the passport will expire.
Some countries also require a number of pages to be free before they issue visas. If you are wanting to visit a country which requires a visa, you need to make sure that you have enough space in your passport for it. Visa processes also take quite a long time. If you are applying for one, you need to make sure you renew your passport well in advance of starting the visa applications.
Pay Your Bills
Check to see if you have any bills due when you will be away on your holiday. You don’t want to land yourself in any trouble with the issuer as they will definitely not accept you being on holiday as an excuse as to why the bill was late. Instead, you need to make sure that you have a way of paying no matter where you happen to be.
The easiest way to do this is to make sure that your bills are paid by direct debit. If you don’t want to do this permanently, you can just set it up for a single month and then go back to your usual system when you are home. Try to make a list of everything you have to pay. You don’t want to get caught out by something important like your TV licence because you have forgotten that it renews in the month while you are away. You should also check when your car tax and MOT are due; being away over these renewal dates can prove to be extremely problematic when you return.
Easy Parking
If you are planning on driving to the airport, you will have to face the terror that is parking. Trying to find somewhere to go can be extremely difficult, especially if you are flying from an extremely busy airport like Heathrow. Luckily, there are plenty of official Heathrow airport parking solutions for you to use. When you use Purple Parking at Heathrow airport, you can book a guaranteed parking space for the length of time you need. All you need to do on the day is turn up and drive into the space you have picked. It is that easy!
This is a brilliant option for anyone who doesn’t like to waste time at the airport. If you want to be able to get from the doors of the departure terminal to your gate with the least amount of stress and fuss, this can be one of the things which helps you achieve this goal. Want to know more about this service? You can find more information here.
Another solution is finding good parking rentals Pyrmont (or in your location) around the airport to save the hassle of finding one on the day of your departure. By doing this beforehand, you won’t have the additional stress of trying to find a free parking space. The closer the rental is to the airport, the more hassle-free your trip will be. It would also be secured so you don’t need to worry about the safety of your car.
Packing
It is the one thing one everyone’s mind when they are getting ready to go away and yet we somehow manage to leave things behind. Instead of putting things directly into your suitcase, lay out everything you want to take home with you. You can then see exactly what you have and what you need to add to the pile so it is not forgotten.
People generally remember clothes quite well. It is easy to remember that you will need swimwear if there is going to be a pool for you to jump in. Likewise, you should be able to remember sturdy shoes if you are going to be walking around city streets or going for hikes. Make smart choices and try to perfect the capsule wardrobe strategy if you can so you can make multiple beautiful outfits out of just a few garments.
What people tend to forget are the smaller things. From chargers to medication, there are many things you need to make sure you have when you go away. Don’t forget things like contact lens solution too if you need them; it can be incredibly difficult for you to get your hands on some of your most used items depending on where you are going. If you know you are going to need it at some point, make sure you take it with you.
Research the Destination
You would be shocked by the number of people who go away with doing some basic research about the place they are going to be visiting. They might look at local attractions and how to get to them but there is a strong chance that local research won’t be done.
Make sure you know where a few key things are. First of all, you should know where your country’s nearest embassy is and its contact information. These are useful things to know in case you end up needing help. You should also look up how far the nearest shop is from your hotel. You might think that you won’t ever have to go there but it can be surprising what can cause you to swing by. Whether you want a snack and don’t want to pay for room service, or you simply just need to pick up something small knowing the location of your nearest convenience store might prove to be extremely useful.
Preparation is Key
It can be extremely easy to forget something when you are trying to go on holiday but you have to avoid this if at all possible. One of the first things you should do is sit down and work out everything that would usually happen in the time that you are away. Once you have this list, you can see if there is anything that needs to be addressed. Trying to arrange a holiday is a stressful time and the more you can do to mitigate it, the better.
Don’t be afraid to share the burden of planning with someone if you feel like it would make it easier on you. If you want to completely take charge of packing, ask your partner to organise the accommodation and activities for you to do. Splitting tasks between the two of you can help to ensure that nothing is forgotten and everything has been prepared.
Going on holiday soon? Make a list of everything you need to do before you go away and try to include everything you need, no matter how small. It might be just the thing you need to stop you forgetting something.
