Being a family travel blog it does mean that we try and get away on holiday as much as we can. I have put together a list of five things to remember before you go on holiday.
Packing
I pack for myself and the kids. Mr W tends to throw a couple of t-shirts and shorts in the case ten minutes before leaving the house and can’t understand the fuss! Many years ago I made a list and saved it to my PC. Now I just use this list with perhaps some adaptations depending on destination and time of year (beach holiday versus skiing for example!). But, most of the time the basics are the same. Make your list early then try and add to it whenever you remember anything. Then, as you pack things into the suitcase tick it off as you go. You can’t remember everything and this makes life so much easier!
Get your Paperwork Together
Now, although Mr W is hopeless at packing, he is very good at making sure all our travel documentation is in place. Check that your passports are up to date well ahead of your trip. Check for Visa or Esta regulations and any jabs you may need. Buy currency ahead of time for the best rate. Again, make a list of the documents you need to take with you, for example – passports, flight tickets and boarding passes, train tickets, insurance details and car hire.
Home Security
You don’t want to be worrying about your home while you are away on holiday so plan for this too. There are some amazing smart home products you can invest in now. Consider a home alarm system that will inform the authorities if someone tried to break into your home. You can get cameras installed in your home that you can then access via your mobile phone for peace of mind. Moreover, conceal your home with a window privacy film as an empty house would attract thieves. Tell a neighbour that you trust that you will be away and they can also keep an eye on the place for you. Set up lighting systems like these from Lutron London that come on automatically as if someone is home.
Pet Sitting
Something else to consider when you are away is who will be looking after your furry friends. I know a friend of mine puts her dogs in kennels when she goes away. We have two cats and I have someone that comes to the house to feed them and make sure they are ok. They are very much outdoor cats and I think this suits them so much more than a cattery. The bonus of it is that the lady who comes to feed them also does a bit of cleaning for me while she is here – so it’s great all round! I am very lucky as she is a cleaner too so cleans for us while we are away. She used to work for cleaners Chicago but set up on her own since.
Research where you are going
It’s a lot easier, I find, if you research the area of where you are going while still at home, then you can buy or print out guides and decide where you would like to visit when you are there. You can also check the best deals in the area on websites like Dealsqueen. I also like to research restaurants to see which get the best reviews and also to look at the menu to see which one is going to suit us best. You can do this when you are on holiday of course as long as you have wi-fi but I do find it’s a lot easier to do before you go.