Whether you’re travelling alone or with the entire brood, going on holiday is a flurry of activity. From organising your itinerary to takeoff, there’s an endless list of things to do and pack. Amid all that excitement it’s natural to forget about a few travel essentials. But, the forgetfulness that comes with pre-holiday excitement could be costing you extra money you hadn’t anticipated. Here are some of the most common things you might forget – and have to fork out for – to help your taxi to takeoff be that little bit smoother.
Currency
Over a million travellers every year leave exchanging their currency until they get to the airport. After all, it’s convenient, and what else are you going to do as you wile away the hours in the departure lounge? This convenience comes with a price tag, though. Exchange rates at airport kiosks are notoriously poor, but recent news revealed that you can lose up to £20 for every £100 converted into Euros at some airports.
To make sure you get the best deal, shop around online to compare rates and exchange your currency before you travel. With most foreign exchange bureaus, you can choose to order online and collect face to face, or have it delivered to you at home.
If you’d rather go cashless, then you may want to consider a pre-paid card, or opening an account with an online bank like Monzo. Monzo allow you to manage your account wholly through their smartphone app, which is handy when you’re on the move. You’ll have a physical card to make payments with, too. Simply pay into your account in sterling, and when you spend on the card abroad it’ll automatically convert into the local currency, with no fees, and at the Mastercard exchange rate (which tends to be among the best). You can withdraw cash for free, too, up to the equivalent of £200 each month. After that, a 3% fee applies. In many cases this is still a better deal than using your regular debit or credit card abroad! As an added bonus, anything you don’t spend will still be there in sterling when you come home.
Travel adapters
Adapters for foreign sockets are, without a doubt, among the most commonly forgotten travel essentials. But, while you can get discounts on many things at the airport, unfortunately this doesn’t seem to extend to travel adapters. In fact, the airport is one of the most expensive places to buy them! Online, you can currently get a pack of five for just £6.79. Meanwhile, at the airport, you’d be looking at this price, if not more, for just one adapter!
If you do still forget, though, fear not. As much as travel adapters are frequently forgotten before a trip, they’re also frequently left behind. So, if you do forget yours, speak to your hotel when you arrive. They may well have a selection you can borrow for the duration of your stay that have been left by other guests. If not, they’ll be able to tell you where you can buy them at a good price locally, and may even be able to help you get some delivered when you buy them online.
Sun cream
Many people opt to buy their sun cream at the airport rather than ahead of time. However, like travel adapters, picking it up in the departure lounge is one of the most expensive options. “3 for 2” and BOGOF deals you can get on the high street might not always apply in airport stores. You may also be faced with limited choice, especially during peak season when everyone else has the same idea and stock runs low.
However, if you’re travelling with just carry-on luggage, what are you to do? One option, especially with Boots stores where you can click and collect, is to order your sun cream online, and collect it from an airside store at the airport you’re travelling from. This means you’ll pick it up after security, so won’t face the issues that come with carrying too much liquid. You’ll also guarantee you get the best prices and deals, and the brand, factor and size you want. Simply order about a week before you travel, and collect in store on your way to the plane!
On an only loosely related note, this click and collect option is also a great idea if you’re travelling with an infant. Security rules can’t be bent for infants to allow for their milk, but you can order it to be delivered to the airside store to collect from the departure lounge.
The alternative is to buy sun cream once you reach your destination. Hotel shops will ramp up the price, so head out and about to a local pharmacy or convenience store. Many stock a number of well-known brands at prices cheaper, or comparable to here in the UK!
Other travel essentials to organise before your trip
Travel Insurance
Insurance is one of the most important travel essentials that many people forget, or choose to go without. After all, what’s the worst that can happen? Quite a few things, as it turns out.
The thing most people immediately associate with travel insurance is covering you in case you fall ill, or get injured, while on holiday. It’s unlikely for most of us, and unlucky regardless, but unfortunately it can and does still happen. If you travel in Europe and carry an EHIC card, you may think you don’t need extra insurance. However, an EHIC only guarantees you’ll get the same level of state-provided care as a local, not that it’ll be free. It also doesn’t cover any extended accommodation or additional transport you need if you do take poorly. You’ll need travel insurance for that.
Travel insurance also covers you in case of other mishaps on your journey, too. For example, if your flight is severely delayed or cancelled, you may be able to claim on your travel insurance for this. Likewise, if you’re unlucky enough that your luggage goes missing, your insurance should cover an allowance make sure you’re not without clean undies until your suitcase arrives.
Medication
Before you travel, make sure you have sufficient supplies of any regular prescribed medication you take to last your trip, and that you carry a copy of your prescriptions. If you run out while you’re away, then of course you can visit a pharmacy to get more. But, this could be expensive solution and, depending on local rules, you may have to see a doctor to get your prescription refilled. It’s also sensible to pack a travel essentials kit that includes first aid supplies, paracetamol, allergy medicine and motion sickness pills, if you need them. All of these things are easy to buy abroad, but if you’re feeling unwell, it’s handy to have them prepared!
Transfers to your destination
Heading straight to the airport taxi rank may seem like the easiest option when you land on foreign soil, but it’s also the most unpredictable and likely the most expensive. When a whole flight – or more – of tourists have the same idea, queue times can build up and the price is whatever you can negotiate with your driver. If you’re a good haggler then you could get a bargain journey. But, after a long trip and when all you want to do is face plant a sun lounger, we wouldn’t blame you for not being at the top of your haggling game!
By organising your transfer before you travel, you can save yourself quite a bit of money and stress when you arrive. If you’ve booked a package holiday, your tour operator should offer inclusive transfers of some description. This could be a coach that does the resort rounds, or a private taxi depending on where you’re staying. Alternatively, you can pre-book a taxi with a company like holidaytaxis.com. They’ll pick you up from the airport, and you pay a fixed cost when you book to save haggling! Pre-booked taxis will also track your flights, so if you’re delayed you don’t need to worry about letting them know.
And, of course, there’s Uber. Uber operate in 400 cities, and growing, around the world. So, if you’re heading somewhere fairly metropolitan there’s a good chance you’ll be able to Uber your way around. The familiarity of the app is extremely helpful in otherwise unfamiliar surroundings, and when potentially faced with a language barrier. I personally found it very helpful recently when in Italy, and not sure what to do about public transport to get to various locations a little off the beaten track!
Bon voyage! Wherever you’re travelling this summer, we hope you have a wonderful break!
