Choosing a holiday destination will be easier if you determine whether your goal is to relax and unwind, have new adventures, see famous or ancient sights, or provide your family with lifelong memories.
Giving yourself plenty of time to plan can be a fun way to build up excitement for your holiday. Be ready to enjoy your time off by planning your travel, accommodation, and activities ahead of time, to make it a fun and relaxing break from your everyday life.
Rehydration sachets are useful on holidays abroad: they help replace fluids and salts lost through diarrhoea, vomiting and too much sun. Include them in your travel first aid kit.
To get over jet lag quickly, adjust to your destination as soon as possible. Set your watch to the time at your destination as soon as you board the plane and try to eat and sleep according to appropriate times in your destination.
Prepare a kit of travel health essentials, including sunscreen, medications, painkillers, antiseptic, insect repellent and anti-diarrhoea pills.
Some travel vaccinations are free on the NHS, and you should get advice at least eight weeks before you’re due to travel, as some jabs need to be given well in advance. Speak to your GP for details.
If you’re planning to travel outside the UK, you may need to be vaccinated against some of the serious diseases found in other parts of the world including yellow fever, typhoid and hepatitis A.
When planning a holiday, you’ll also need to consider necessary vaccinations, how you’ll travel around whilst you’re there, travel insurance and who will look after your house, pets and plants.
When planning a holiday away, there’s lots of things to consider, including your budget, what type of holiday you want (e.g. relaxing or activities), and what you need to take with you.
You can collect your luggage much more quickly when travelling if you make it distinctive from everyone else’s. Tie a set of coloured ribbons on the handle so they’re always visible.