Well the summer holidays are almost upon us and here’s the first in a series of blogs to help you have an enjoyable and painless time! I have covered some main issues here and will come back in a week or so and cover some more of them in more detail. If you have any holiday problems you would like me to cover, or if you would like help with then please let me know.

Insurance

Before you buy holiday insurance check what cover you have with Bank Accounts, Credit Cards and Home Insurance. There’s no point paying twice. If you do need separate travel insurance buy it at the same time as you book your holiday. That way you are covered in case of cancellation for illness. And make sure you disclose any pre-existing conditions at the same time as you apply for your insurance, otherwise you could find that any claim you have to make later on is rejected for non-disclosure. And remember to check the excesses that you have to pay in the event of a claim. Some policies will charge toy for each person on the holiday as well as applying an excess to each leg of your travel if you have to take more than one flight for example. Make sure your cash and any valuables are covered.

Cheap Flights

Don’t spoil the benefit of cheap airlines by having to fork out extra money when you arrive at the airport to check in. Check out the small print when booking on line and remember to pay for extras like bags in the hold and speedy boarding before you get to the airport or it could cost you a whole lot more. And remember to book your golf clubs or other sports equipment or musical instruments in advance as well.

Travellers Cheques

Travellers cheques are safer than cash. You can but them before you leave the UK and as long as you keep a note of the numbers you can have them replaced if they are lost or stolen.  As with any cash you are exchanging remember that commission free doesn’t always make sense. You need to check the exchange rate as well as the commission you are paying

Holiday problems

Report any problems you have while you are still in the resort. Take photos and record as much detail as possible if your holiday differs from the one you thought you bought! And if food and accommodation are not up to scratch then report it to your tour rep as soon as you can – making sure you keep  a note of who you spoke to and when.  Remember if you pay for your holiday with your credit card you may be able to claim against the card company if things go wrong. And if you do have to complain when you get home (and we’ll cover this in more detail next time) remember to set out exactly what you expect the company to do for you – don’t just write to them and tell them that you want ‘compensation’!

Holiday money

Cash is still the easiest way to pay abroad but don’t carry any more than is covered by your holiday insurance. If you use credit or debit cards remember to check any extra fees that are added for overseas transactions. And remember that when you get back home some transactions may take time to appear on your statement so keep a note of what you spend.

admin Uncategorized