Travel Tips and Advice

Is there anything more exciting than going on holiday? We have a range of Travel Tips and Advice to help your holiday go without a hitch, take a look below!

Let’s start with everything you need to consider before setting off for your holiday as advised by the FCDO… including essential Travel Insurance tips.

Passport and Visas

• Make sure you’ve got correct visas for the country you are visiting and that your passport is valid.
• For certain countries your passport must be valid for 6 months after the date you travel — check the entry requirements before you go
• Make a note of the passport number and consider taking a photocopy with you
• Make sure you fill in the emergency contact details in your passport. This will make it much easier for us to contact someone if necessary

Travel Insurance

• Don’t travel without Travel Insurance — make sure it covers you for any activities you are likely to undertake such as extreme or water sports
• Check the FCDO travel advice pages for the country you are visiting. You will not be covered under your Travel Insurance if you travel to a country, they have advised against all but essential travel to. Sign up for email alerts and you’ll get the latest updates for that country

Money

• Make sure you have enough money to cover emergencies
• Find out if travellers cheques are appropriate for your destination and keep a separate record of their numbers

Health & Safety

• Travelling within the EU – Get a free Global Health Insurance Card for free or reduced emergency care – you still need full travel insurance though! Also remember, you can call 112 to contact the emergency services in any EU country.
• Check with your doctor as soon as possible to find out if you need any vaccinations before you travel
• Tell family and friends where you are going and leave them your contact details, travel insurance policy details and your itinerary and/or store them online using a secure data storage
• Find out where the nearest embassy will be — check their website to find out what services they offer and their opening times
• At Just Travel Cover we’re specialist in providing Travel Insurance for those with pre-existing medical conditions. You can find a range of advice in our Medical Advice Hub as well as a range of FAQs in our pre-existing medical conditions pages.

 Driving abroad

• Make sure your licence is current and valid. Make sure you are aware of the driving laws in the country you are visiting

Other

• Invest in a good travel guide to help you plan your trip
• Check HM Revenue & Customs Travel website for information on duty-free allowances, banned goods etc.

Let’s recap and break it down…

Know Before You Go

• Always check the FCDO Travel Advice page for the destination you’re visiting. This has all the latest travel advice about travelling abroad from the UK including entry requirements, travel warnings and safety and security. You can even sign up for email alerts to receive the latest updates.
• Make sure you have an adequate Travel Insurance policy, find out what this means with our handy Travel Insurance checklist here.
• Do not travel to any country where the FCDO have advised against all or all but essential travel. This will invalidate your Travel Insurance policy.
• Know where your nearest embassy is located in your destination
• Check your passport is valid for travel. Since the UK’s departure from the EU passport requirements have changed, we explain the new rules here. We recommended checking the FCDO Travel Advice page under entry requirements. Don’t forget to factor in passport wait times, in case you need to renew!
• Fill in the emergency contact details in your passport and inform your family and friends of your itinerary.

Whilst on Holiday

• Think about what you are doing at all times and trust your instincts – don’t take risks that you wouldn’t at home!
• Don’t openly display valuables such as mobile phones or digital cameras and consider using a padlock on suitcases or backpacks
• Find out about local customs and dress code, behave accordingly and obey local laws – there may be serious penalties for breaking a law that might seem trivial at home
• Be careful when taking photographs, videos or using binoculars. Such activities may be misunderstood, especially near military installations
• Consider taking your mobile with you or renting one whilst you’re away. Store useful numbers such as the local police, the nearest Embassy or Consulate and the emergency contact number for your travel insurance
• Check with your service provider to make sure your phone works abroad
• Check whether it’s safe to drink local tap water- if not, stick to bottled water and avoid salads, non-peeling fruit and ice in drinks
• Use your judgement when buying and eating food you’ve not prepared yourself
• Respect the environment — don’t buy wildlife souvenirs, conserve resources like water and don’t drop litter
• Check import regulations for food and plants before you attempt to bring them back to the UK
• Don’t accidentally invalidate your Travel Insurance – check your policy wording as accidents that happen under the influence of alcohol and theft from a hotel room where valuables are not stored in a safe are excluded by some insurers.