Travel Checklist: Top Five Things To Do Before You Travel
13 February 2023
You’ve just booked an unforgettable coach holiday, that electric ‘I’m going away soon’ sense of anticipation has kicked in and the countdown is officially on! So, what’s next?
We have already made most of the arrangements for you; from your return coach travel and hotel accommodation right down to your free excursions and tickets to any events included in your break, so while there is not much left for you to do but kick back, relax and let us whisk you away, we’ve put together this handy travel checklist of pre-holiday essentials.
Check Your Luggage Allowance
Before you endeavour to empty your entire wardrobe into a suitcase, keep in mind the luggage allowance. For our coach holidays, your luggage is restricted to no more than 18 kilograms (40 pounds) and we cannot carry any additional luggage items. For our holidays by air, the luggage allowance will vary between airlines and will be advised at the time of booking.
Packing Tips
What you pack will depend on your destination of choice. For summer seaside breaks we advise you to pack light (more room to bring home souvenirs)! Think swimwear, sandals and a beach towel, along with dresses or shorts and t-shirts. Don’t forget your sunglasses, sunhat, beach bag and sun cream; yes, even for British coach breaks!
For city breaks or getaways with lots of excursions, we recommend packing your comfiest shoes (we know it’s tempting to pack a brand new pair that you’ve purchased for best but you’ll thank us later after a full day of exploring)! A waterproof jacket is essential, plus a handbag or small backpack so you can keep your valuables safe. These days, packing your camera and/or phone goes without saying so you can capture some lovely photographs for you to look back on when you get home.
Top tip: always check the weather forecast before you start packing as it may change your ideas about what to take.
Check Your Pickup Point and Time
If we have an email address against your booking, then your final confirmation (with your pickup time and other booking details) will be sent by email approximately 3 weeks prior to departure, with some exceptions. If we do not hold an email address, your paperwork will be sent by post (with a £2 surcharge) and will be with you approx. five days prior to departure.
Don’t forget, any event or show tickets will be emailed to you where possible. When this is not possible, they will be with your coach driver for safekeeping; we will not send these by post, unless specifically requested and a posted confirmation has been paid for.
Plan For The Journey
Snacks: this is the fun part! Travel snacks are one of the best things about a coach journey. It’s what gives us that nostalgic school trip feeling. We personally think that boiled sweets are truly the champion of road trip snacks. We’re talking lemon sherbets, pear drops, rhubarb and custard and even the humble mint humbug. Homemade baked goods or biscuits definitely come a close second for us. They’re the perfect treat to tuck into after you’ve grabbed a takeaway hot drink during one of our comfort stops. The question is; to dunk or not to dunk?
Entertainment: a phone well-stocked with music, podcasts or audio-books, a tablet full of your favourite films (be sure to download them in advance and make sure your devices are fully charged for the journey) or why not bring along a book to pass the time? Alternatively, you might like to sit back and gaze out at the glorious passing scenery while getting to know your fellow travellers and making new friends. This definitely beats driving (or being the navigator)!
Don’t Forget About Holiday Insurance!
Here at Just Go! Holidays we recommend getting holiday insurance ‘ASAB: As Soon As You Book’. That way you won’t just be protected should anything happen while you’re on holiday, but also if you need to cancel your trip before you go! Many people forget that half the point of buying holiday insurance is to protect you in case something happens that stops you going on holiday.
As Martin Lewis, well-known money saving guru, puts it ‘travel insurance shouldn’t be an afterthought. By putting it off, you may find yourself in a position where you can’t go on your holiday and could lose any money you’ve already spent.’
We are committed to ensuring you are taken care of every step of the way, from the day you book, through to the last day of your holiday. Therefore, it is a condition of booking a holiday with us that you take out a travel insurance policy that includes sufficient medical cover for your needs as well as personal injury and repatriation cover to get you home should you not be fit to return as scheduled on our itinerary.
We hope you’ve found our pre-holiday checklist useful. We’re looking forward to welcoming you aboard for your next adventure soon!