My Travel Tips

The summer is the time where the majority of us like to go on holiday and it can be both an exciting but also stressful time especially if you're not prepared in advance. I thought I'd share my top tips so when it comes the day you travel, you're prepared and be less stressful for you. 

1. Check all the booking details

My biggest tip would be to check all the booking details because even the smallest detail missing or incorrect could be a huge setback. Check the dates of your flights and hotel all match up. Check all the passenger details are correct and if you're going abroad make sure the passports are all up to date with correct details and more importantly not expired. Also print out two copies of all the details. I know everything is on digital but we all know that the minute technology goes down then it could be a disaster. A perfect example would be if your phone died and that was the only one with all the details. Having a physical copy can help you out in this situation and it's a physical confirmation of your booking. I also suggest making two copies as you can give it to another person you're travelling with just to be on the safe side. I also recommend photocopying your passports as well as another extra layer of security for yourself. Making sure all the details are correct will give you a peace of mind when it comes to the day you travel. I'm just imagining those airport videos you see where people have arrived either a day late or early for their flight. You don't want to be one of those people.

2. Remember to set up arrangements before and after you go

What I mean by this is how are you getting to the airport e.g. car, bus, train, taxi. Do you need to pay for parking? Do you need to book anything in advance? Do you need to stay overnight at a nearby hotel because your flight is super early in the morning? When you arrive at your destination will there be transportation to your hotel? Another thing is when you come back from your holiday. Do you need to book a hotel overnight because it's a late flight? It's really important to double check these things as you don't want to be worrying about it last minute. The earlier you do it the cheaper it will be but also it will put your mind at rest knowing your transportation to and from the airport is all sorted as well as whether or not you need to stay in a hotel before you travel or for when you come home. Honestly, it may seem like so many things you need to think about before you travel but it's better to get it all sorted before you go then stress about it on the day you travel. 

3. Try not to overpack

It may be the most tempting thing to do especially if you have a big suitcase and 15kg checked luggage allowance. However, in the long run it's not the best idea to overpack because the majority of the time when you overpack, half the stuff you might not even use. Plus the last thing you want to happen is be over the weight limit and have to pay an extra fee. Later on this month, I will do a whole post on my packing tips but my biggest tip right now would be to take a smaller suitcase or pack a small suitcase then move it into a bigger suitcase that way you know you're not over the limit but also you have some space if you want to buy anything while you're abroad. It can be tempting to bring everything with you on holiday but in the long run, it's not worth it especially if there's an extra fee you have to pay because you're over the weight limit. 

4. Arrive three hours early

Do you remember the days when you were younger and your parents woke you up at a ridiculous hour because you were going away and your flight was in six hours? It's now stuck with me that I should always arrive at the airport two to three hours before the flight because otherwise any later then I will miss it. It's a struggle but at the same time I wouldn't want to take any chances and I'd rather be three hours early because it gives me enough time to get checked in and through security in plenty of time. Airports are one of the busiest places as there's a thousand flights per day departing and arriving at the airport which means there will be lots of people. Even before check in has opened there's already a queue for it and then after that there's security which is always super busy. Sometimes you get lucky and it goes pretty quickly but on those days where it's super busy and you have to wait in the queue then you'll be glad that you arrived early. I don't know if you've ever watched those Airline UK episodes where there are passengers always missing check in. It always baffles me how they miss check in and how they don't understand that check in is closed because they've already started boarding the flight and are close to finishing the boarding. I can't stress this enough that even though you may have to get up at a ridiculous hour in order to go to the airport, arrive at least between two or three hours before your flight because the last thing you want to do before your holiday even starts is miss your flight. You'll thank yourself later and plus if you're worried about what you're going to do before you have to board then there's plenty to do in the airport from duty free to having a meal before your flight. I'd rather be the early bird when it comes to the airport then leave it to the last minute. It's a less stressful time. 

5. Invest in some decent luggage

Honestly, having a decent suitcase and hand luggage for your holiday is a must. It makes walking through the airport so much easier when you have four wheels on your suitcase and then having the right hand luggage can make all the difference whether it's a backpack or a crossbody bag can really make it easier on you. My main priorities when it comes to hand luggage is can it fit a book in it and then I work my way around there. Another big tip is if your suitcase is black or even any colour really, add some ribbon or stickers to your case because if you can easily identify it in a crowd of suitcases then it makes it so much easier in baggage claim plus should stop other people from mistaking it as theirs. I tend to tie a bandana on the handle and have a bright luggage tag on it as well. When it comes to the luggage tag, I would recommend writing on the card your personal info on the bits where it tells you then on the blank bit write your initials/name on it then slide the card in the tag so on the bit that shows has just your name and initials then your personal details like your address is on the bit of that card that they can't see unless you pull it out. That way it gives you a bit of extra security so when someone does look at your luggage tag it just has your name/initials on show and your address is hidden on the back of it. Would highly recommend doing that the next time you travel anywhere.

There we have it. Those are all my travel tips I have for you. Let me know if you have any extra travel tips in the comments below so we can really help each other out when it comes to travelling. Later on this month, there will be a packing tips post so that can really help you out when it comes time to travel. 

Thank you for reading my blog and I'll be back tomorrow with another post for you.

See you then.

Megan x 

*This is not a sponsored post* 

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