It is officially summer! And people are looking forward to their summer holiday. With so much expectation tied up in the annual summer holiday it is well worth taking some extra time planning things so everything goes smoothly.
The first thing you should do after booking your holiday is take out travel insurance, if you are taking prescribed medication or if you have an ongoing medical condition look for travel insurance with medical conditions cover.
When buying travel insurance, you must ensure you declare all your medication and medical conditions. Failure to do so could result in a claim being turned down.
Plan what you are going to take on holiday. Check with your airline the weight and size limits for hand and check-in luggage. Stay within these limits or you could be charged for excess baggage. This can be quite expensive and could easily take a big chunk out of your holiday spending money.
When packing hand luggage, remember to put liquids in clear re-sealable plastic bags. Make sure no container is bigger than 100ml. If you have 100ml of liquid in a bigger container, this would be confiscated.
Other items likely to be confiscated from your hand luggage are knives and sharp items. These have the potential to be used as a weapon, for obvious reasons. This includes tweezers, nail scissors, razors and syringes, unless permitted for strict medical purposes. Matches, lighters, fireworks or any flammable liquids are strictly prohibited as a health and safety hazard.
Make sure any gifts or souvenirs you have wrapped in your luggage meet safety and security regulations. Customs or security have the right to unwrap and open anything they think is suspicious.
For those with medical conditions, taking medication with you on holiday can be difficult. There are strict security rules in place for liquids, inhalers, gels, creams and tablets. However, with the right permission and by declaring what you have, you should be fine. Most airlines allow essential medical items to be carried on-board.
Finally, make sure you arrive at your departure point in plenty of time. If you are travelling by air, you should be at the airport at least 2 hours before your flight. This applies even if it’s a domestic flight.
