When my Wife and I have planned our trips overseas or even within Australia, we usually start with a list of things to do, the time frame to do it in and also the important part “Where are we going and how long are we going for?”, so here is a list of travel tips for planning a holiday overseas, I hope you enjoy it as I add to it over time.
Here is a brain dump of points we look at in the planning of our trips, I’ll elaborate and write about each one as I go, you can use this as a kind of check list if you want to.
And no doubt I’ll be adding to this list as more situations and things come to mind or as I remember what we did in certain situations, like the time we lost a suitcase or 3 months after returning from a Holiday our credit card was charged from the Rental Car Company, but this gives you a basic outline of where to start if you are looking at travelling overseas on a Holiday.
Remember we also have kids, so this changes things and the way you plan also, I’m sure my Wife will think differently to me in this regard also and put her two cents in here and there too.
Planning your Holiday Trip – First steps of Planning
- Where we travelling to, what’s our destination
- How much do we want to spend and do we have enough money
- What do I want to get out of my holiday
- Is it kid friendly
- Is it a safe Country for us and the kids
- How long are we going for
- When are we going
- Do we need a rental car
- Do we have enough Holiday time saved up
- Apply for holiday dates from work
- Can I get time off work during that period
- Saving money travelling with kids
Book your Holiday – Who do I book with or do I do it myself?
- Book holiday through travel agent
- Book online ourselves
- Book events on the holiday online, travel agent or when you are there
- Booking your rental car
Accommodation – Where will we stay?
- Where will we stay while away
- How much do we want to spend
- Is the location central to all we want to do in that destination
- Book online for accommodation ourselves
- Book accommodation with a travel agent
- Enough beds in the room
- Does it cost extra for kids to stay
Passports and Visa’s – Current or Out of Date?
- Do we need passports
- Are our passports current
- Do we have enough time left on our passports to get into the Countries we are going to
- Are visa’s needed in the Country we are going to
Travel Insurance – Do I need it?
- Do I need travel insurance
- What is travel insurance
- Who do I purchase travel insurance through
- Claiming travel insurance
Luggage – What am I taking on Holiday
- What do I need to pack in my suitcase
- Weight limits on suitcases for travelling overseas
Health – Are you up to it?
- Can I travel
- What is the weather like at my destination
- What am I doing on my holiday, do I need to prepare for it
Foreign Currency and Money – What, When and How?
- What is the currency at my destination
- When is the best time to change money over to a new currency
- Can I use my credit cards while I’m away
- Can I withdraw money while I’m away
- Cash or travelers cheques
- Let your Bank know you are travelling
- Do I have enough money in my travel account
- Do I have spare money for “Just in case”
- How do I carry my money around
- Where do I put my money at the Hotel
Household things to think about before you leave – Don’t forget your Pet’s!
- Can we get somebody to look after the pets
- Can someone check our mail
- Security of our house while we are away
- Water our gardens
- Light timers in place
- Does our house look lived in
- Bills to pay
- Are your rubbish bins out
- Insects and other household rodents
- Have you locked up your house
- Do I need all my electrical appliances on while I’m away
So lots of points to go through if you are planning on travelling by yourself or with your family, I hope you enjoy having all these travel tips in one place!