Is there anything more exciting than booking a holiday? It’s certainly pretty high up on my list of favourite things to do. At the moment Ben and I are planning our Spanish adventures, so I’m busy looking into what we’ll need to get organised for our trip. Missing out something important from your holiday planning could make things really challenging. I’ve read a lot of horror stories about tourists traveling overseas who don’t take out insurance and wind up in hospital.

In the past I’ve accidentally booked flights in the wrong direction before and didn’t realise for a few weeks. Although planning a holiday isn’t particularly hard, there are a lot of things to keep in mind to ensure a successful holiday. Here’s my top 4 things you need to keep in mind when booking a holiday.

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1) You Need Travel Insurance

It’s just not an option. You need to ensure you have travel insurance for any medical issues or emergencies that crop up when you’re traveling. It’s a good safety net that ensures you will get any medical attention you need and your stuff will be replaced if they are lost or stolen (provided you have proof of purchase). There are a lot of different types of travel insurance such as Holiday Extras holiday insurance so make sure you do some research to find the best one for you. You need to also make sure you check what your policy doesn’t cover – such as if you came off a motorcycle in a foreign country and were unlicensed, your insurance company might not cover your medical bills.

2) The Season of the Place You’re Visiting

Have you ever accidentally booked a trip somewhere at a really bad time of year? I have! I spent Ramadan in Indonesia one year and again in Morocco – although nothing crazy happens, it’s not the most comfortable time to be a traveller as the locals aren’t eating during the day and many businesses close during this time. I’ve also been in Southern Spain when temperatures exceeding 50 degrees celsius, which was pretty unbearable. A little extra research will save you the hassle of being in a country at a time of year that’s not particularly sensible.

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3) Added Airline Costs

At the moment we’re trying to find our flights to Europe. The flight from New Zealand to Europe is quite long, especially as we’re flying to Madrid. We’re trying to break it up with a brief stop over in Singapore because it’s a really great city and Ben’s not been there before. We are tossing up between flying a budget airline and a more premium airline. The difference in fare is about 40%, but when you add up the extra costs on the budget airline including the baggage costs, it’s probably only 10-20% more expensive and includes meals and entertainment.

4) Double Check Everything

Avoid making silly mistakes by double checking all the flights, the hotel bookings, hostel bookings and so forth to ensure the dates all add up. I have made so many mistakes along the way, especially when trying to book something really fast. Spending a bit of time double checking everything will ensure that you don’t make any mistakes and wind up with airline tickets you can’t use or afford to change.

There are handy services you can use online, like this holiday planner to make planning your trip even easier.

Do you have any tips for planning a holiday? Let us know in the comments below

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