A Checklist for Travellers & Holidaymakers

by Holiday Rental Centre Team
November 2007

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

• Check with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) about the latest travel advice and tips for holiday travellers. They can be found on the internet at: www.fco.gov.uk/travel or Tel: 0845 850 2829

• Obtain a good reference or guidebook about the area you intend visiting, and get to know your destination. Find out about local laws and customs and follow them on arrival.

• Tell your family and friends where you are going. Tell them the best ways of contacting you such as email or mobile phone and do contact them if trouble flares up. Leave copies of your passport, insurance policy and also a 24-hour emergency number, ticket details, your itinerary and contact details with family and friends.

INSURANCE

• Ensure you have adequate and comprehensive travel insurance and check that it covers all activities you plan to undertake. Be sure your policy provides cover for:

• An air ambulance, in case you need to be flown home

• All medical bills (which can be very expensive)

• Any pre-existing medical conditions

• Any potential hazardous sports activities

• Bringing the body home in the event of death

• Bringing your family home, in the event of your illness or injury

• Replacing and / or bringing your car home

HEALTH & WELFARE

• Check what vaccinations you need with your GP at least six weeks before you travel

• Check to see if you need any extra health precautions for the country you are visiting ( e.g. Malaria zones)

• Check if your medication is legal and that you are permitted to take it into the country you are visiting. Pack it in your hand luggage.

• If you are taking prescribed medication, take the prescription with you and a GP’s acknowledgement letter if possible.

• If you are travelling within the EEA (European Economic Area), get an EHIC from www.dh.gov.uk/travellers , ring 0845 606 2030 or get a form from the Post Office. But remember you still need travel insurance for each person travelling.

TRAVEL TICKETS

• Before you travel…   buy a return ticket
• When you have arrived… keep your tickets in a safe place 

PASSPORTS AND VISAS

Before you leave… 

• If you want to travel overseas, including journeys through the channel tunnel, you will need a passport

• Check that your passport is still valid for a minimum of six months at return date, that it is in good condition and make a note of its number, date and place of issue.

• Write the full details of your next of kin in your passport.

• Check if you will need a visa – Travel Agents can advise you about where visas are required.

• Children under 16 (including babies) not already included on a valid Passport or travelling to the USA, need their own individual passports. Children already included on their parents’ passports can continue to travel on these until they reach 16, or until the passport on which they are included expires.

• Take another means of identification (preferably with a photograph).

When you are away….

• Keep your passport in the hotel safe and carry a photocopy with you.

DRUGS

• Avoid any involvement with drugs – the penalties are severe and could include the death sentence.

• Don’t carry parcels or luggage through customs for other people.

• Don’t cross land borders with people you don’t know, e.g. hitch-hikers

MONEY

Before you leave…

• Make sure you have enough money with you to cover emergencies

• Take travellers cheques and keep a separate record of their numbers.

• Before you leave, find out how your travellers cheques and credit cards can be replaced if lost or stolen.

• Check the expiry date on your credit or debit card(s) and make a separate note of their numbers

When you are abroad…

• Carry only as much money as you need for each day - leave the rest in a hotel safe.

• If you need to carry a lot of money, ask your partner or a friend to carry some for you.

• Use a money belt or secure inside pocket

• Don’t carry all your cards with you – leave at least one in the hotel safe

• If your money, passport or anything else is stolen abroad, report it at once to the local police and obtain a statement about the loss as you will need to claim against your insurance. You will need to take steps to cancel any cards or travellers cheques.

CONSULAR ASSISTANCE

British Consular Officers are ready to help you, to help yourself. Make a note of the telephone number of the nearest British Consulate. Hotels, tour operators and Police should have this information. Working hours may vary and it is generally better to telephone first. Most British Consulates operate an answer-phone service outside office hours, giving their working hours and an emergency number for other times. For more detail on what support you can receive, consult www.fco.gov.uk