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 a travel insurance you must ensure you do declare all your medication and medical conditions as failure to do so could result in a claim being turned down.
Plan what you are going to take on holiday, and check with your airline the weight and size limits for hand and check-in luggage, stay within these limits or your could be charged for excess baggage, which can be quite expensive and would easily take a big chuck out of your holiday spending money.
When packing hand luggage remember to put liquids in clear re-sealable plastic bags, and 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 which have any potential to be used as a weapon -for obvious reasons -and 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, especially as 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 given the 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 as 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, even if it’s a domestic flight.
