Monday 17 May 2010

Jolly Holidays & Travel Tips

The sun is shining and it’s coming to that time of year again where everyone is booking their holidays or dieting in preparation for holidays and the shops are full of glorious summer clothes that we are tempted to buy.

Now as you can imagine (given my OCD tendancies) one of the first things on my list is family travel insurance.  Did you know that airlines can stop you flying if you don’t have comprehensive enough travel insurance?    Only once have I gone abroad without insurance, to America of all places and can you guess what happened?  Chick got so sick that we ended up at the hospital with her and all the while I was on the phone frantically trying to get my insurance sorted out so that we were covered and not millions of pounds poorer!  The story ended ok though as we managed to get insured and Chick was absolutely fine!!!

Some other OCD things that I do before going away:

-          Leave spare keys with a neighbour and a friend along with emergency telephone numbers.

-          Make sure that the family has a list of our schedule and hotel names in case they desperately need to contact us (only in dire emergency though!!)

-          Take copies of plane tickets, passports and insurance policies and leave them with someone at home.  If you get into trouble/lost etc and end up at the British Embassy at least you will be able to provide passport number etc.

-          Label everything.  On a flight from Amsterdam my bag once ended up in the Middle East but I got it back because it was so clearly labelled.

-          Split up your cash into several places/bags and then if something is lost or stolen at least you haven’t lost everything.

-          Make sure I have enough to keep Chick entertained on the plane.  DS, iPod, books, crayons.....in a bag just for her with some inexpensive new treats in so that it take her longer to get bored!!!!

As I’m sure most of you will remember we’ve already had our main holiday this year and spent some of December and most of January in the land Down Under, so our Summer holiday will mainly be spent in Norfolk.  We had such a great time there last year that Chick is desperate to return again this year and we may even push the boat out and hire one of these:


It is my dream to own one of these but I’m still nowhere near able to afford one!  We’ll be taking lots of games, books and a bucket and spade and enjoying the high life in our little hut!!!

So what about you guys?  Do you have any great tips for things that you do to prepare for holiday?  Are you off somewhere exotic this year and want to make us all jealous, or will I be seeing you at your Norfolk holiday homes!???!  Feel free to tell me in the comment box as I love hearing about everyone’s travels!

Edited to add: Hello and a big thank you to everyone stopping by today from SITS!  I am away on holiday at the moment but promise to come and visit you all when I return!  Please bear with me as it may take me a few days xx

* This was a sponsored post

69 comments:

  1. Those are some great things to do! I've never thought of some of them but they make perfect sense! I will keep them in mind the next time I travel. Now if I can just figure out where to go... ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great advice, now the labeling thing? Might have done us some good when we went to vegas and our luggage was all mixed up!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Grandma Sharon18 May 2010 at 06:36

    I've never known anyone who travels as much as you do & I'm so blessed because of it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Volcanic ash allowing, Zante it is for us this year,(must remember to sort out travel insurance).Its the first time abroad with 2 teenagers, both boys, 14 and 13, hormones rampaging, hot sun,girls, oh my god, i can see trouble ahead.No really, they are very good lads who can both be trusted, so it will make it that bit easier.I am really in need of a holiday this year now, only trouble is my body wont resist food, which makes the whale shape i currently am not disappear, oh well take me as i am!
    The beach hut looks ace, my parents had one many years ago in Cornwall, many happy memories from that.
    Thanks for the holiday tips by the way.

    The Organ Grinder
    xxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  5. @uthostage....bet you never had me down as a sensible person ;-) England is great this time of year.....come visit me!!!

    @Sara.....Labelling is the way forward!!!

    @Grandma Sharon....We are very lucky. Wish we could afford to come to CA this year :-(

    @Organ Grinder.....Oohh Zante very nice. Good Luck with keeping those boys in line ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh my God - I need a bit of your OCD. We usually dash out of the house with half-packed cases, the passports still on the kitchen table and the backdoor left open...

    ReplyDelete
  7. great tips! stopping by from SITS!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Happy SITS Friday Potluck! Great travel tips! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great advice! Preparation is definitely the key to a great family holiday.

    Best wishes,
    Natasha.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great advice! We don't do international travel but I do a lot of these when we just go out for a day hike or weekend camping.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Happy SITS Friday Potluck! I find a portable DVD player works for my 5yr old. I also have a "standard" packing list (basics you always take) saved on my computer that I can customize based on where we're going, etc. Then I print it out & use it as a checklist when packing. It is broken down in catagories & per person. Otherwise, we will inevitably forget something important.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow you are super organised. Those are great tips. Another thing I would add (for the stroller set) is think about hiring one of those travel pushchairs - either a throwaway one, or one you can order via a company that will be there when you arrive. I've had two pushchairs broken in transit and BOY is that a pain. Love this blog by the way, first time here so nice to meet you! (via SITS)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm actually a backpacker who travels a lot. I like having an eye mask and earplugs. You never know when there's a club near by the hostel or hotel. I'm currently traveling through Europe for part of the summer. Then, back to Las Vegas. Maybe a trip to Washington DC and New York sometime. We're also going to Burning Man.. can't wait!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I forgot to say Happy SITS Friday Potluck!! Great travel tips!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Those are such great tips for travelling. Thanks for sharing them.
    Happy SITS Friday Potluck!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Very useful tips, also helps to put your cash in really secure places especially if you are travelling somewhere unrecognizable and you are carrying a huge backpack around. Whats your next trip?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Popping by from SITS Friday Potluck! Cool blog!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I do most of the things you recommend, and they truly do make my life easier when I travel. It's great advice!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Stopping by from SITS! I love traveling too. We haven't done it as much now that we have two daughters but we've managed to keep going places. I'm about to visit a new country (haven't had that opportunity in YEARS) so thanks for your advice. :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Great travel tips! Now I just need some tips on having enough time and money to actually travel!:)
    The last family trip we took was two summers ago. It was an 8 hour road trip to the mountains of Georgia.(It was wonderful) I do have a tip for riding in a car for 8 hours with two little boys (10 and 6). To keep them from fighting, I broke up the trip into half hour increments, on a sheet of paper. Every thirty minutes if no one argued(or beat the other one up) I put a tally mark next to his name. Each tally mark represented $.25. At the end of the trip they added up their money and were given that much to spend on a souvenir! Now that they are a little older I would probably up the amount to at least $1 a half hour:) It worked like a charm!
    Congrats on being featured on SITS!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Visiting from SITS, just in time...I'm traveling abroad in a few hours :) I'm glad to see I have most of the tips covered. Happy Friday!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Visiting from SITS

    Our family travels a lot, mainly to meet-up as we are spread all over the globe, so will definitely keep your tips in mind...have a great weekend

    ReplyDelete
  23. Dropping in from SITS. Well written. I have lived as an expat in Honduras for a few years now. Great advice. I must tell some of my visitors to drop by this blog before heading my way.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Those are good tips. Sadly, I won't be vacationing any time soon. Wait, I am going on a weekend away to Gaitineau, Quebec, Canada, for my cousin's wedding. But I don't think that is really a vacation so no need to be jealous.

    Happy Potluck Friday.

    LisaDay

    ReplyDelete
  25. great tips.....thank you. I will use them the next time I travel :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Stopping by from SITS. Enjoy your holiday!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Stopping by from SITS! Great tips!! I don't have a copy of my passport anywhere and it had never occurred to me to make one. I'm going to take your advice before my trip in July to Mexico. Enjoy your holiday!!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Great blog!!

    I'm a follower now :) Happy SIT

    Please join and register on my blog mommyreview.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. Well wow - awesome tips - I copied them down so I can remember them. Here's to your own HUT!!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Oh wow! Such great advice. Thanks for organizing it all so neatly in this post : )

    ReplyDelete
  31. these are great tips--thanks!!

    Happy SITS Day!!

    ReplyDelete
  32. You have some wonerful tips that I never would have thought of. Our adventures are never quite as far from home as yours but even if I'm not travelling over seas they are useful tips.

    Stopping by from SITS!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Good advice! Something I follow and always advise is to pack CAREFULLY. Every small thing increases the weight you have to carry, so make sure that everything is useful and likely to be used. Of course, take extra underwear and meds, etc, but no need to bring 2x the number of shirts/shoes you'll need just because you can't make up your mind. Also, take just the right amount of toiletries (I collect/save 1x/2x-use samples) so you bring nothing back with you, leaving room for souvenirs.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Thanks for the input. I'm a terrible traveler so these tips will come in handy!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Enjoy your holiday- these are some great traveling tips!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Stopping in from SITS! That sounds like some good advice for traveling. We haven't done overseas travel with the kids yet, it's mainly still car drives which I love because I don't need to worry about how badly my kids behave while we're in route!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Happy SITS Friday Potluck! Great advice...esp the travel insurance and leaving copies of paperwork with someone...I do the key, but never thought to copy the travel info! Enjoy your vacation!

    ReplyDelete
  38. such a useful post =) thanks for all the info! Happy Potluck Friday fro SITS!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  39. great suggestions. another one for folks who travel to third world countries where you can often get intestinal bugs even if you follow the most rigorous precautions--use pepto bismal as a preventative. lines the intestines and provides a minimal level of protection. i work/live all the time in 3rd countries--it's a godsend.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Stopping by from SITS. I wish I had the opportunity to travel abroad and put your advice to use!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Awesome tips! I've never even thought about travel insurance. We've only gone out of the country a handful of times though, mostly to Mexico and once to the Bahamas. I should look into that for our next trip.

    Have a great holiday!

    ReplyDelete
  42. Excellent travel tips! We don't travel too far away from home, but now I'll definitely keep these things in mind if and when we do venture off to some distant land. Thanks for sharing.

    SITS visiting & blog following. Peace. :)

    ReplyDelete
  43. Your post takes me back to my childhood. I was born in Manchester. We spent many rainy, windy days bundled in blankets behind windbreaks sipping hot tea at the "seaside" in Southport. My sister and I would run about on the beach. The sea was miles away. My parents and grandmother would cower behind the windbreak that was attached to the car we drove on the beach.

    I'm guessing Norfolk is much warmer than the north of England beaches.

    I moved from Withington, Manchester to New Jersey back to Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester back to New Jersey back to Wilmslow, Cheshire, all before the age of 10. In my teens we lived in Italy. I moved to Pennsylvania for college and now live in Maryland. Good to follow a fellow Brit on SITS!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Stopping over from SITS!
    Love the great tips. Have a great holiday!!

    ReplyDelete
  45. Stopping by from SITS. I haven't been anywhere since my honeymoon and now I have two babies so there's no trip in our near future. The tips you gave we used when going to Mexico. I was so scared of losing my bags or having something canceled. The biggest thing I think is the travel insurance, especially if you're traveling outside of the U.S.

    ReplyDelete
  46. I need to remember to leave my schedule with someone great tip! Stopping from SITS!

    ReplyDelete
  47. I'm stopping by from SITS. Good tips for sure, I hope you are enjoying yourselves.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Hahaha you sound exactly like my mom whenever we used to go on all those family vacations back in the day! Stopping by from SITS. Have a great wknd!

    ReplyDelete
  49. I'm visiting you from SITS, too, and I'm so glad I did.

    This summer I'm traveling to South America and you've mentioned some tips I hadn't even thought of.

    (I REALLY hope my bags don't end up on the wrong continent!)

    ReplyDelete
  50. That is a great tip about the insurance THANKS!

    ReplyDelete
  51. Stopping by from SITS. Very good tips. I love the international gift swap you have going too. How cool!

    ReplyDelete
  52. I love your OCD check list :)
    And that is so cool you got to go to Australia!!! My in laws just got back from there. I'm hoping we'll get to visit there some day.
    Congrats for getting featured today on SITS. I'm following you now, I look forward to connecting more.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Wow... labeling everything? I'm not sure I can muster up enough pre-holiday strength to do that! :P But it is a good idea though!

    My next trip's in August, to Malaysia. I am looking forward to relaaaaaxing! Hopefully I remember some of your very cool tips then! :)

    ReplyDelete
  54. Good advice. My travel tip would be to take your medication in it's original container, and if you have indictable medication or medication travel with a note from your doctor. If you have medicine that needs to be refrigerated, call the airline and ask them how they want to handle it. Stopping by from SITS.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Stopping by from SITS! Great advice I will love to put to use soon! One tip I will add is to tie a bright scarf or bandana to your suitcase handels, especially if you have a generic black suitcase! makes it much easier to spot on the carousel!

    ReplyDelete
  56. Stopping by to meet another FB from today. I am Tammy from Tammy's Two Cents! I was a little clueless about the potluck until I had emails pouring in. What a great surprise!! Enjoy your special day SITster! :) I am your newest follower!

    ReplyDelete
  57. Happy SITS day! You have a new follower! Come visit me at Mama's Little Chick when you get a chance.

    Mama Hen
    www.mamaslittlechick.com

    ReplyDelete
  58. Greetings from SITS-Great Tips. I'm the worst before a trip, and have to have a long check list or I forget the basics like underwear and Pj's. I'm more concerned about taking my books and art supplies. I think that basically I don't like to leave home, but once I'm at my destination, it's great! It looks like you have a fun blog.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Happy SITS Potluck Friday!

    I'm only planning to travel by car, about 1700 miles round trip. My travel tips are to load as much luggage, etc. in the trunk or cargo area where it's less likely to be seen. Laptop, purse, and small valuables get put on the back floor and covered to be concealed. I keep a bag or box with trip essentials on the back seat, with paper towels, snacks, etc. We carry very little cash and always plan to use our credit card for gas, food, and purchases, then pay it when the statement comes in. We don't use the debit card on the road either.

    Enjoy your trip!

    http://learning2hear.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
  60. Happy SITS Potluck Day from Helsinki, Finland where we're on holiday right now - back to Casablanca, Morocco next weekend...

    BLOGitse

    ReplyDelete
  61. P.S. I'm your newest follower! Stopping by from SITS potluck. Congrats on the feature!

    ReplyDelete
  62. This post could not have come at a better time. Hubby and I are in the midst of planning a trip with baby. We can't decide if we're going to Palm Springs or Hawaii. Decisions, decisions! I did fly with baby to California in April to visit my cousin, and my biggest tip is to "wear" baby in the airport. It makes security so easy and if you're lucky, the baby will sleep! Toddlers can also be worn, and this prevents any runaway children... ;)

    ReplyDelete
  63. Great tips, and boy am I envious! We won't get any holiday this year - and my husband and I have never really been on vacation together. Besides sometimes money issues, our families are spread out all over, so for years all of our holiday time was used visiting relatives.

    ReplyDelete
  64. Good to know! I don't travel much, yet, but maybe someday. For now, we do a lot of hiking in the National Parks that are around us...there are a lot and it is wonderful!

    I have a questions for you, can you tell me what that is in the last picture? Is it a cabin? I always see those on movies and pictures near a beach, but I never knew what they were. Can you tell I don't get out much from the SW US?

    Stopping by from SITS

    ReplyDelete
  65. Travelling incites in me crazy list making and organizational frenzies. It's nice to have a concise list of some important things!

    ReplyDelete
  66. Thanks for the travel tips! I travel a lot for work and will definitely use your tips. Stopping by from SITS!

    ReplyDelete
  67. Love to travel and love the travel tips, thank you! :) Happy belated SITS day!

    ReplyDelete
  68. Stopping by from SITS- these are some great tips.

    ReplyDelete