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Planning A Trip And Enjoying Your Holiday: A Travel Check List

Common wisdom tells us that a death of a loved one and moving house are the two most stressful events a person can go through in the modern world. Not being an estate agent or a funeral director, I cant really comment on either of these but I do feel qualified to discuss another stressful area planning a trip and preparing to go on holiday.

Its ironic that a period of the year designed to promote rest and relaxation can actually be the cause of the most stress and strain present for the entire year. Things are usually completed in a rush, there is a lot to organise and theres packing time to consider and thats not even taking into account the stress families will go through looking after the kids during all of this! For this reason, Ive written a useful holiday check list to ensure you dont miss any of the small things which have a tendency to turn into bigger problems while youre away.

Simply work through my holiday check list and travel with peace of mind:

Before you go (planning your trip)

Always make sure you have full travel insurance, fit for the purpose of your trip and if you have an annual policy – check that it is still valid. Sometimes people who have purchased annual travel insurance forget to renew it, and assume they are covered whenever they wish to leave the country. Checking your travel insurance is right for the task can save you a lot of stress and tears in the long run, should the worst happen. It is also essential that you make your travel insurance company aware of any pre existing medical condition you have before you travel although it may increase your costs in the short term, you may find yourself without cover if you later need to claim on such an illness without having warned them of it!

If youre traveling within the European economic region, or in Switzerland, you should get a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Its a common misconception that this is as good as travel insurance for giving you free health care, but it can entitle you to reduced costs, meaning you are not left out of pocket while you wait to be reimbursed on your policy.

When planning a trip, make sure the vaccinations for both you and your family are up to date especially if youre travelling outside of Europe. Your health care provider can advise you of any additional vaccinations youll need depending on where youre going.

Fill in the contact details at the back of your passport for the next of kin, or the details of someone who can be contacted in case of an emergency.

Make sure you are aware of the immigration and custom laws of the country you are traveling to when planning a trip. A visa may take a little time to come through, so be prepared and allow enough time to complete this procedure. Also you should note that in many countries your passport needs to be valid for at least six months after the date you travel, so check this in advance.

Tell someone where you are going and when they should expect you back. Try to leave an itinerary and details of where you may be able to be contacted during your time abroad, in case of emergency.

If you are planning on driving in foreign climes, take your full driving license with you. Make sure you are aware of the driving laws, license requirements and driving conditions of your destination before you set off.

When you are there

Be aware of security and take sensible precautions. If an area is advised against travelling to, the chances are theres a good reason for it!

Keep a note of the local embassy, high commission or consulate number. Although the chances are you will not need it, its always worth holding on to in the case of emergency.

Stay in regular contact with your family and friends, especially if you are travelling alone. This will ensure theyre always aware of where you are and should be, and can ensure they can contact you in the case of emergency.

Respect local customs and behave and dress appropriately. Although unlikely to cause disastrous problems, as a guest in a foreign culture, its only polite to try and fit in.

On return

Inform family and friends of your safe return, to end their worries and ensure no bogus emergency calls are made.

If you need to make any claims against your travel insurance make sure this is done at the earliest opportunity, for maximum chance of getting a positive result.

I hope this travel check list has been helpful. Although planning a trip in this much detail may seem like a lot of hassle, dotting all the Is and crossing all the Ts, it really is worth doing. In the end, following this holiday check list to the letter will ensure you are more relaxed and prepared to enjoy your holiday, and should the worst happen youll be well equipped to deal with it.

Reported by new study, Stoke Newington in North London is the largest hotspot for home insurance claims. Findings by MoneySupermarket.com show that homeowners in the district are the most likely to claim for theft or burglary on their property insurance policy than other places in England. The research, which involved 3 million home insurance estimates being evaluated, discovered that 34 people for each 1000 located in Stoke Newington, had developed a theft-related claim.

The area, which includes the N16 postcode in England, surpassed 20 different UK postcodes to the number one hotspot for home insurance claims. The investigation indicated that areas which are the least likely to submit a claim are Bodelwyddan in Denbighshire in Wales; Elgin in Moray in Scotland; Peterlee in County Durham, and Helston in Cornwall.

In addition, the UK-wide burglary hotspots study said that in Apperley Bridge in Bradford, and West Bromwich in the West Midlands, closely followed Stoke Newington with 32 claims made per 1,000 enquiries.

It was London and Yorkshire that showed the greatest proportion of burglary claims, particularly the capital areas Streatham, Wood Green and Mill Hill; as well as Leeds, Doncaster and Sheffield. The study found out that approximately 30 claims were made in Wood Green in London whilst 20 were made in Bramley, Rodley and Swinnow in Leeds in Yorkshire.

The figures were obtained between 1st December 2010 and 30th November 2011. Living in a ‘high risk’ area can affect the price of your home insurance policy and it can ultimately affect whether or not your fire, flood or burglary claim is accepted or not. MoneySupermarket recommends Brits to deter thieves by installing security lighting and fixing old locks. In contrast, Salmon Assessors advises homeowners to get in touch with them to find out the important difference between loss assessors and adjusters to see how they can help fight for your claim should one occur.

Platinum credit cards are considered as the most reputed credit cards and to get a platinum card, one requires proving his or her credentials. They are generally offered to those individuals with good credit ratings and an income of around 20,000 per annum or more.

Beyond the sex-appeal of the card itself, a platinum card often has a much higher credit limit than your run-of-the-mill card and obtaining one isnt always as easy as obtaining the lower level credit cards. Most companies require applicants to have a good credit score to receive the platinum credit card since platinum credit cards offer benefits above that of other credit cards. The credit score requirement is related to the amount of credit the card issuer gives with the platinum credit card. Since the credit limit on a platinum credit card is higher than most cards, the card issuer must have some assurance that the cardholder will pay the balance in a timely manner. Platinum credit cards have far more benefits and features compared to a standard or gold credit card and platinum credit cards usually have a lower interest rate than regular and even gold credit cards. Once you have shown credit card companies that you have the ability to pay your bills and you’re not a risk, they just might offer you a platinum credit card. As long as you pay the bills on time and build your credit then you may be offered a platinum card in as little as three months. Platinum cardholders work their way up the ranks by paying and establishing better credit for themselves.

So what makes a platinum credit card different from others? When you use a platinum credit card for shopping or any other transaction, you are awarded reward points depending on the amount of the transaction. Generally, one gets a reward point for each dollar spent through the use of credit card. Unlike the regular credit cards, platinum credit card offers you a fixed rate. The other advantages of for the platinum credit card holder include rental car insurance, travel accident insurance etc. Some of the great advantages that may be associated with platinum credit cards are: as mentioned before, lower interest rates, plus higher credit limits, more frequent credit limit increases, no annual fee, more benefits, savings and rewards, including: fraud protection service, cash back programs, and frequent flier miles. These credit cards offer such great rewards because credit issuers are trying to cater to people with excellent credit.

Platinum credit cards are usually advertised through television or newspapers, direct mail or telephone solicitations. The rules for offering platinum credit card vary from company to company. If a credit card company sees that you have outstanding credit, they are going to want to keep your business, which is why so many companies offer platinum credit cards, to set you apart from the people with just good credit. Being offered a platinum credit card is a company’s way of rewarding you for having great credit, while at the same time trying to attract, or maintain your business. In nearly all cases, platinum credit cards are offered to those consumers who use their credit card to make a relatively large amount of purchases. A platinum credit card can be a good choice if you frequently use your credit card for your routine and high purchases and pay back the whole debt at the month end. The low interest rate is a reward to platinum customers for the amount of purchases they make using the platinum credit card. One of the best ways to get the platinum credit is to search for it on the internet. Students usually don’t have platinum credit cards because they do not have excellent credit, nor do they often own homes or other larger assets with which credit might be built.

A platinum card can be a wonderful financial tool for managing you daily spending. With low interest rates, great benefits and high credit limits, the appeal of platinum cards make them very desirable to the vast majority of credit card holders. You may or may not currently have a platinum card, if you do not, consider getting one. If you do have a platinum card, maybe you should select another one or two.

There are few things more satisfying than waking up in a bed in a foreign hotel room, stretching out and thinking, “Where on Earth Am I?”

Ok, if I am being honest then the real fun usually starts after the initial jet lag and disorientation wear off. However, in my mind being free and easy in a foreign city is an exhilarating experience. The more exotic the better as far as I am concerned, although this does bring with it some risks which you need to get a travel insurance policy to cover.

More Risks of Accidents and Illnesses

It is hard to be really specific about this point but I just feel there are a number of reasons why you run a bit more of a risk while abroad on a self catering  holiday. If I consider my life at home then I have a routine which doesn’t vary all that much, so the chances of something untoward happening to me aren’t all that high really. When I am in a foreign city though I will spend all day out sightseeing, eating strange food, travelling on different types of transport and wandering into areas I don’t know at all. So far the worst things that have happened to me have been getting a bag stolen and bring scratched by a cat, which seems a pretty decent return to date.

Fear of the Dreaded Delays or Cancellations

Is there anyone on the face of the Earth who can relax in an airport? I always find myself nervously pacing up and down, and I must look at the departures board every 20 or 30 seconds. So far now of my trips have been ruined because of delays but I know that it is definitely something which could happen one of these days. In fact, I once sat for a couple of hours with someone who had been stranded in Heathrow for almost 24 hours and was close to tears. I didn’t think I would hold up as bravely as he did in that situation if I am being honest.

Disasters and Problems

It seems these days that every day there is talk of a cloud of volcanic ash somewhere, another place being flooded and somewhere else suffering from a freak heat wave or something. When you book a holiday you probably already have a fair idea of how risky it is going to be in terms of natural disasters. However, we can’t afford to take anything for granted anymore and having a decent travel insurance policy will mean that you can travel in a relaxed frame of mind and look forward to a great break. Up until now I have skirted natural disasters in my holidays but I certainly won’t be tempting fate in the future.