Travelling Abroad: A Checklist for Flying From the UK – do you need this?

It seems that about 10% of us forget to pack your passport when heading for the airport and you may also be surprised to discover that over half of us have no idea when our passport even expires.

One sure-fire way to get your trip off to a bad start is to forget to pack something vital like your passport, or something you will need at some point while you are away. Another frustration can be flight delays or cancellations, but at least you will have the opportunity to download a flight claim template letter to claim compensation, but forget your passport, and you won’t be getting on the flight anyway.

Not just about the packing

You obviously want to ensure that you pack the right type and amount clothes for your trip, whether it is the right swimwear for the beach or enough shirts to get you through the conference, depending on the purpose of your travel.

It is not just about the packing though, as you will need to make sure that you have all your required paperwork in order, like your passport and any valid visa. It is also highly advisable to do some research on your intended destination and learn about any local laws or customs that might be useful to know about.

Travel warnings and alerts are also vital information, especially when you consider how events can unfold so rapidly anywhere in the world.

 

Get covered

Another essential item on your checklist is travel insurance, which is not an aspect of travel that it is wise to ignore.

Some people might even consider that travel insurance is something that they won’t really need, especially if they have an EHIC card with them, which they might think will give them the cover needed if they suffer a medical emergency.

It can be an expensive lesson to find out that your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) only provides reduced emergency care and in any case, a comprehensive travel insurance policy will provide you with cover for things like lost or stolen luggage and should also cover you for most medical emergencies you might be unfortunate to suffer from.

 

Passport essentials

As already stated, you need to check that your passport is valid for the length of your travel and having established that, put it on your checklist so that you don’t leave home without it, like so many do.

It should be remembered that some countries require you to have a passport that has at least six months left on it before the expiry date, so it would be advisable to check whether your chosen destination has this stipulation, as you might be refused onward travel despite having a valid passport, if it expires within a six month period of your travel dates.

There are many things to try and remember when packing for a holiday or business trip, so it makes a lot of sense to create a failsafe checklist of everything you need, from clothes to paperwork.

 

Penny Dalton is a passionate writer/blogger who also enjoys exploring new places whether at home or abroad. She writes a mixture of journalistic pieces as well as light-hearted articles.