5 Things to Check You Definitely Have Before Going on Holiday Abroad*

On Friday Little Miss will FINALLY break up for summer, yay! I’m sure she’s not the only one! That means for the next 6 weeks the UK airports are going to be filled with comings and goings. As of right now, we don’t have any plans to go abroad over the summer sadly but we are hoping to have a few days. But since a lot of you are going abroad I thought it would be a great idea to a post together of things to double check you have before heading out of the country.

The night before going on holiday I turn into a total basket case. I start panicking something will happen that stops us getting away. Especially if it’s a big holiday I’m really looking forward to and I’ve spent so long saving for. So now I make a check list of the things I must remember to take, everything else is just extra.

Passport/ID
If you’re going abroad you cannot forget your passport, without it you won’t get anywhere. They’re also expensive to replace so make sure you always have it in a safe place. I lost mine once and it was such a faff to replace. Make sure you keep it on your person or close to you at all times including while travelling. Make sure once you’re on holiday you keep it in the safe in your room. It’s your most valuable possession while you’re abroad. However, Kirsty wrote a great post about what to do if you lose your passport while you’re already on holiday.

Money
Well, you’re not going to get very far without it, I mean unless you have booked all inclusive. Whether it be in cash or card form, make sure you have some kind of money on you, not just for food, but extra expenses and in case of emergencies! Like your passport, money is something else you should always store in a safe place, especially if you’re travelling in cities where you may come across pickpockets. I know it may seem lame but a money belt or bumbag is the bets way to keep your money on you at all times. I love Silly Girl Club’s retro bumbags, they make retro look cool!

Travel Documents
These days we seem to keep everything on our phone, but I’ve found when travelling it’s best to have a hard copy of your travel documents in case your technology fails. I like to have my booking printed, a copy of my flights, transport tickets and any visas all to hand. In the past i’ve had issues with hotels claiming I don’t have a reservation but when I produce my booking in paper form them can’t really argue. It may seem like wasted paper but I’m always of the opinion it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Insurance
Before I became a parent I never got travel insurance. Ever. But then again I never had life insurance, or pet insurance, or any insurance if I’m honest. Becoming a parent definitely made me more responsible so now I’m never without travel insurance. Medical Travel Insurance can get you covered before you leave which is so important while abroad because although at home we have the trusty NHS, if you take ill or hurt yourself while abroad you could incur astronomical medical expenses if you aren’t covered. Definitely worth taking out before you ever leave the house.

Medication
In the same vein, make sure you have packed any medication you need. If you require medication that you need to function, ensure it’s packed along side all your other important items as purchasing it abroad will eat into your spending money big time. Even something like birth control can cost a whole lot more abroad. I make sure I have a full first aid kit these days because even pain killers aren’t as easy to come by in some countries.

Getting ready to go on holiday can be stressful, especially as a parent, and it can even take some of the fun out of the build up but as long as you have the important things, just roll with it (well, maybe bring some clothes and clean underwear!)