Helpful Hints And Tips For Safer Travel

Hints and tips for travel:

Is your Passport Valid and in date?

Passport office:  0870 521 0410

Foreign office:     0845 850 2829


Vaccinations: Make sure you have the right vaccinations for the country you are visiting. required vaccinations



Hints and Tips For Travel

At The Check In

Check ins can be a nightmare. Some airlines now offer the facility that enables you to check in online at home. Once you have done this, all you then need to do is hand your luggage over at an express check in desk at the airport. It is worth finding out if the airline you are flying with offers such a facility.
Look out for the self check in machines. These are becoming more popular with airlines. These machines look like a cash machine and they allow you to enter your details and then print out your tickets and luggage labels. You then just hand over your luggage at the desk.

Exceeding your baggage allowance. Some airlines seem to be a lot stricter than others when it comes to weight. The fact is, they aren’t being awkward, it is that the aircrafts fuel intake is determined by the weight onboard. Each person is allowed a certain weight allowance, if you go over this allowance you may be liable to pay an excess baggage fee. However, a good way to overcome this is, if there is more than 1 of you traveling, ask to check all the baggage in as one party. This will then give you so much more leeway for example:

If the baggage allowance is 20 per person and there are 4 people traveling, one person might have 27 and the other only have 10so it will balance itself out!

Get There Early! If you like a little leg space such as the emergency exits, get there early. You will have a better chance of attaining these seats and not be stuck in a long queue.

Some airlines now allow you to pre book your seats online, guaranteeing you the seat of your choice. Some will charge you for the privilege, so check first.

Home made insect repellent: Butter and sugar mixed together makes a great insect repellent. Use 10 to 1 ratio.

Photocopy your passport: Just in case you lose it and keep the photocopy separate.

Email yourself: Send yourself an email before you go listing all your details and information such as: passport numbers, driving licence numbers, flight reference numbers and booking forms, telephone numbers of insurance companies and relatives, E11 ( EHIC ) etc. This will then be a back up in case you loose or have your personal handbag or wallet stolen, as you will be able to access your email account from anywhere in the world. If you don’t have an email address that you can access worldwide why not set one up FREE today:

Leaks: How annoying is it, to get to your destination only to find that your sun cream, toothpaste, hair gel has leaked. Simply buy a box of resealable sandwich bags and place all your potential leakage item in separate bags.

Lost Photos: A photo is a moment in time that cannot be replaced. A good tip for making sure you receive lost photos is: write you address on a piece of paper and then take a photo of it on the first frame of your film. Even if you are using a digital camera, if an honest person finds your camera, they know who to contact.

Give the pick pockets an unpleasant surprise: If you travel with a rucksack, the outside pockets are always an easy target for pickpockets. Don’t put valuables or your documents in the outer pockets pack them securely inside the main body of your rucksack. Leave the outer pockets for your dirty laundry and give the thieves an unwanted gift.

Keep Hydrated on your flight: Be sensible and make sure you keep hydrated whilst in flight. Alcohol is much stronger at altitude. Take a bottle of water in your hand luggage and that way you won’t feel the need to keep asking cabin crew for a drink. A must on long haul flights.

Keep cool in hot countries: Take a small battery operated fan which you can pick up in any of the £1 stores. Another idea is to take a small spray applicator bottle normally used for hairspray etc( or use an empty sun lotion spray bottle ). Fill this with water and leave overnight in the fridge. Put it in your bag and then spray on your face, arms to keep cool. Great for on coach journeys!

Bites: When bitten by mosquitoes apply lemon, lime juice or alcohol as they are a natural antiseptic and will take away itching and burning. Eating garlic will keep the mozzies away!

Cold drinks all day: Put your drinks in the freezer overnight and then when you go to the beach you will have cool drinks for most of the day.

No plug! Slice a lemon in half and put it over the hole.

Bottled water: Check the seals on bottled water, turn it upside down and if it leaks don’t buy it.

No Padlock: If you don’t have a padlock available, thread a key ring through the holes of the zip ends.

No Iron: Hang clothes in the bathroom whilst the hot tap or shower is running, the steam will get rid of creases.

Keep passport, money and credit cards separate just in case you loose them.

Be Safe Abroad

Remember, you are in a different country. Different laws and regulations apply. As a tourist in a foreign country, more often that not you will stick out like a sore thumb. This alone leaves you exposed to crime.

Free support that you receive and take for granted in the UK may cost you a fortune in your chosen destination.

Familiarise yourself with the local surroundings and take a little time to learn about the laws and regulations. Do your research and become aware of the any dangers that may arise.

Ask questions about crime and places to avoid. Find out if there are any scams operating in the area you are staying in, if there is, be sensible, use your common sense and try to minimise the risk of falling foul of them.

In today’s climate and ever changing world, there are so many different situations you need to be prepared for and try to safe guard yourself and family against.

Natural Disasters
Political Unrest
Terrorism
Demonstrations
Epidemics

If you are unsure or concerned about a certain destination you are traveling to or wish to travel to, a quick call to the Foreign Office should give you the answers to your questions. They can be contacted on:

0845 850 2829

Insurance:


Always make sure you have full travel insurance. It’s frightening to hear how many people travel with no insurance. Today you can pick up some great priced travel insurance and when you think how much people spend on their holiday yet won’t pay a few pounds extra to cover themselves and their family for the unexpected, seems crazy.

What if you or a family member has an accident or falls ill?
What if your valuables are stolen?
What if your luggage is lost or damaged?
What if your flight is delayed or canceled?
What if a family member needs to fly out to join you?

Considering that to fly you back to the UK from America if you had an accident could cost up to £30,000 or to fly you back from Europe could cost several thousand. Paying a few pounds for travel insurance seems a drop in the ocean.

If you are traveling within the European economic area you can apply for the ‘European Health Insurance Card’ ( EHIC ). Having this card will entitle you to some reduced medical costs and even some FREE medical care.

To read more about and apply for the EHIC card online Please click here: www.dh.gov.uk/travelers
You can also apply by phone: 0845 606 2030 or at the Post Office.

Please note: This card is NOT insurance cover. You will still need full travel insurance.

Always check your policy. If you intend to do certain activities on your holiday, check that your policy covers you for those activities. If you are not covered, then buy additional cover.

A couple of examples may be:

Scuba diving
Skiing/Snowboarding

Another thing that is over looked is, items in your luggage. If you have a valuable item in your luggage, make sure you have the right cover.

Check your personal injury cover for terrorist activities, any legal costs you may incur and check the ‘exemptions’ i.e. alcohol related accidents.

Make sure that you inform your insurance company of any illness you may think will effect your policy.

Remember: Insurance companies will use any excuse not to pay out for a claim, don’t give them ammunition to make your claim void!

A good policy will include:

• Coverage for the full duration of your holiday.
• Dangerous activities ( if you intend doing any )
• A policy with a minimum medical cover of £1million for Europe and £2million for the rest of the world.
• Personal liability – this is if you injure a third party or their property
• Cancellation or curtailment – should you need to cancel or cut short your holiday for reason beyond your control.
• Your personal belongings

Annual Insurance

Due to the accessibility and how cheap travel is today, more and more people are going on holiday several times a year. A great way for you to save on insurance and also a great way to make sure you don’t forget to book insurance every time you travel is to buy an annual insurance policy.

One of the leaders in annual insurance is Columbus Travel (add link). They were one of the first companies to provide this kind of policy and offer very competitive prices.

Once you have booked your insurance, read through it and make sure it is adequate for your travel requirements. If not, call your broker and make any amendments.

24 hour number



Child Safety:

• Make you’re your children aware. Familiarise them with their new surroundings:
• At the airport: Airports can be very busy places and with so much going on, it can be easy for children to get excited and wander. Also, you yourself can be otherwise engaged and take your eye off them.
• Arrange a meeting place, should you get separated
• If you have a mobile phone, give them a piece of paper with your number on it and tell them to keep it with them at all times. They can then present it to a member of staff if you become separated. This can also be kept with them throughout their holiday.
• Take a recent photo of your children with you. If you do become separated, it is much easier and quicker to show a photo to someone than try to describe what your child looks like, especially in a foreign country.
• At the beach, make them aware of the tides, what certain flags mean, point out where the lifeguard and first aid posts are, show them where buoyancy rings are. If they want to play, arranged for them to report back to you at specific times such as every 45 minutes.
• The hotel can have many hidden dangers. Make your children aware of the rules, check if the hotel has hazards such as water, major roads or cliffs nearby, take a stroll around the pool area, ask if it has a lifeguard. Swimming pools abroad can be an easy place to pick up infections, do a little research.
• Legislation varies from country to country but most of the big tour operators will employ staff that have a recognised qualification for looking after children. However, this is not set in stone and should be checked out before leaving your children in the care of others. Ask a few questions like: What qualifications do the children’s reps have, what first aid training do they have, do they have access to a doctor and does the doctor speak English, what is the ratio of supervision between staff and children, is the play area secure, can the staff be contacted at all times and can they contact you, will there be any additional charges.
• Don’t have ice in your drinks and be careful with fruit.
• If you are in a foreign country where they drive on the opposite side of the road than the UK, point this out.
• Does your room have a balcony, check the height and width. Make your children aware of the evacuation procedures and fire exits. Check the electric sockets in your room and utensils.
• Check for open stairwells and any doors leading to open balconies or rooftops.
• If your children cannot swim and they are around the pool area, make sure they have a buoyancy device on them at all times.
• Make them aware of the depths of the swimming pool and point out the dangers of diving into shallow water, especially in the sea.
• Make sure your children are constantly covered with sun block and high factor sun cream, one application in the morning is NOT sufficient and keep their heads covered. Keep babies in the shade.
• Pack a first aid bag, don’t rely on the hotel to provide one.

Have fun but keep safe.

Packing check list:


☼ Passport
☼ Money
☼ Tickets
☼ Credit card and any other bank cards you may require
☼ Driving licence
☼ Travel insurance documents
☼ E111 form or card
☼ Padlock and keys for padlock
☼ Phone and phone card
☼ Address book and pen
☼ Sun creams and after sun lotion
☼ Toiletries
☼ First aid pack, plasters, anti septic cream & wipes, pain killers
☼ Any prescribed medicine you will need, tablets, inhalers etc
☼ Beach towels
☼ Swimwear
☼ Shorts
☼ Sarong
☼ Socks, DVT socks for flight,tights, stockings, bra, knickers, underpants
☼ Shirts, T shirts, blouses, cardigan
☼ Shoes, trainers, flip flops, sandals
☼ Jeans, trousers, skirts, dresses, tracksuit
☼ Handbag, beach bag
☼ Alarm clock

Skiing

☼ Base layer
☼ Ski/boarding socks
☼ Sallopettes
☼ Fleece
☼ Jacket
☼ Goggles, sunglasses
☼ Scarf, themal face mask
☼ Gloves
☼ Boots
☼ Ski’s or board ( have you had them serviced? )
☼ Protective clothing such as padded underpants, knee pads, wrist guards, helmet etc.

Sun:

The sun provides vitamin D an essential vitamin we need for the intake of calcium. It helps strengthen our bones and releases happy endorthins making our mood so much happier.

From 10am – 3pm is said to be the hottest part of the day. This is when the baddies UVB rays are out, these rays will make you look like a lobster. UVA rays are stronger and are out all year round and are the cause of skin damage.

Rays can still penetrate clouds and water up to several metres so you still need protection.


Being sensible in the sun:

Although vitamin D is an essential vitamin, too much sun can harm your skin. Always make sure your skin is protected. Use high factor sun cream and apply regularly. High factor is always recommended. People believe that by using a low factor they will get a quicker tan but the question is very simple:

Quick short lasting tan and long lasting skin damage?

Or

Longer lasting tan and no skin damage?

What do the factors mean?

The factors are a guide line. They are worked out on the length of time you can be exposed to direct sunlight. For example:

If you were exposed to direct sunlight without protection, how long it would take until your skin was burnt.

Lets imagine 20 minutes.

If you applied a factor 5 your exposure time would be increased to 100 minutes

Factor 10 = 200 minutes etc

Re applying does not increase the exposure time but simply maintains it. Do not think that one application of factor 25 will be sufficient for the whole day, make sure you re apply at regular interval.
Each person skin is different and these are only guide line. Too much is better than too little.

Don’t forget those auckward parts: ears, bikini line, back of the feet, calfs, kneck and backs of the knees.


Waterproof And Water Resistent

Yes, there is a difference.

Waterproof allows you to play in the water for a longer period of time and will give protection for this period of time. It is advisable to re apply once you have been in the water, do not assume that you will still be protected.

Water resistant generally means that it will stand a dosing of water but will lose a percentage of it original factor strength usually up to half. Don’t go for a long dip and think you will be protected, if you do go for a dip make it short and re apply on leaving the water.


Summary

Be sensible
Don’t sit out in the peak times
Use high factors
If you like swimming, use water proof lotion but re apply after swimming
Don’t forget auckward parts
Don’t be cheat more is better
Apply, re apply and re apply at least every hour
Buy a lotion that protect against both UVB and UVA