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How to organise your own holiday abroad

A good place to start would be to decide the type of holiday you would like and where you would like to go, also the date you would like to travel and how long for.

Destination

You can start by making a list of different places you would like to visit and the different types of things you would like to do on holiday, example, lounging on the beach, reading a book, water sports or an organised tour.

Research the holiday destinations you choose and taking into consideration things like, culture climate and the cost of food , drink and any activities you may be thinking of taking part in.

Decide what type of accommodation you are looking for, hotel, villa, resort or camping and also decide if you are going to use the full board, half board or self catering facilities. You may be thinking that you will be eating out every day in which case a full board deal would probably not work out to be economically viable.

Travel plans

For those people who have an employer, sometimes a early holiday form submission can be a good idea as it can often be the case that a lot of employees will want to have there holiday at around the same time of year.

Determine what transport you will need for your entire holiday for example, flights, car hire, train, coach or ferry. More so for those traveling by air further consideration for transport too and from the airport when traveling between home and the resort. There are plenty of places that offer airport transfers by taxi or coach.

Budget

Create yourself a budget ( and saving plan) which includes all the costs of all travel tickets, food and drink ( including in the airport) Any documentation which maybe required when traveling ie passports and visa' s, and do not forget your travel insurance if you need it.

Money

Some people love credit cards some people hate them but this can often be the best way to spend money abroad. Most credit cards add around 3% on top of the exchange rate that they get themselves but there are card s available which don’t do this and these are the ones you are looking for. The best deal will depend on which credit or debit card you are thinking of using, so the bets thing to do will be to check the rates and extra charges that may be applied and then apply for the best card you can find accordingly.

Mobile Phone

A mobile phone could be a very large cost in your holiday if not managed properly as providers can charge extra for receiving services whilst abroad. you may turn off your phone when you get to your holiday destination to prevent incoming calls but any voice mails and text messages are then held in the data base abroad even if you decide not to collect your messages until you come back home you will still get charge extra for this service and this can amount to a lot of money. If you feel the need to take your mobile then either switch it off before you leave the country and do not switch it on until you come back or another option is to obtain a sim card from a service provider where you are visiting and give your friends and family your temporary holiday phone number. A good deciding factor can be to check the charges that will be applied with your current mobile telecommunications provider.

Luggage

Check all the luggage restrictions for the holiday of your choice and try to keep the size, weight and quantities with in your allowance. Make sure you pack the right clothing and footwear for the destination, climate and activities that you will be partaking in. Label all your holiday luggage with name tags make sure you know what is in all your luggage ( pack your own suitcase) And never leave your luggage unattended anywhere, or put anything in your luggage for anybody else.

Things to do at home

Make sure that all details of your home like are catered for particularly if you are holidaying for more than just a couple of days, organise suitable care for any children animals or plants you may have, also make sure that anyone caring for any of these have the correct information with regards your child’s phone numbers, the telephone number for your pets veterinary surgery and how many times a week your plants need watering.

Pay any bills which maybe due whilst you are on holiday, make sure that things like the milk man are canceled and you have made arrangements for any deliveries you maybe receiving during that time.

Don’t post on Facebook or other social networking sites that you are away on holiday as this gives people the perfect opportunity to come round and burgle your house.