Panic over renewing your passport, costly travel cover and currency deals, penalties for going over your baggage limit...going on holiday can feel more of a trial than a treat - unless you plan ahead. Even if summer seems a long way off, it pays to prepare now. The Mail on Sunday guides you through the must-do list. Many families' holiday plans were thrown into chaos last summer due to a backlog of half a million passport applications that took months to sort out.
'I buy excess insurance online and it covers me if I lock the car keys in the boot': Don't let the car hire fees scupper your skiing break
Car hire excess insurance is the bugbear of many holidaymakers, who are often forced into buying the policy at the rental desk through fear of facing a high bill following an accident. Excess charges have been rising steadily over the past few years. Drivers hiring in Turin, for example, can expect to pay up to £1,800 towards the bill if they do not have insurance to cover it. Mark Bower has claimed twice for accidentally locking his keys in his hire car boot on a ski trip, something not covered automatically by most car hire firms' basic excess policies.
'Insurers treat us like old fogies who might drop off the twig at any moment': Growing numbers of pensioners grounded by travel cover costs that DOUBLE
Since Pat and John Lynam retired six years ago they have been spending the British winters in South Africa. But, every October, the break becomes ever more expensive because of the startling rises in their travel insurance. Pat, 66, and John, 68, have seen the cost of their policy increase by 50 per cent this year to £313 through specialist insurer Rias, which is owned by Ageas. Yet the only thing that has changed since their last visit is that they are both one year older. ...read
After some affordable winter sun? North African destinations are offering the cheapest holiday spends...
Holiday-makers looking for a bargain this winter should head to North Africa while those with more cash to splash should stick to the South of France, according to figures published today. A meal for two in Tunisia comes out at £10.32, while a glass of Coca Cola is just 39p. One 30-minute taxi ride only costs £1.72. In comparison, Transport for London estimates that the average cost of a 16 to 30 minute taxi ride in London will cost anything from £15 to £22.
How much is too much booze? How travel insurers are rejecting claims from holidaymakers who have had 'a drink or two'
Insurers appear to be using alcohol consumption as a reason not to pay out even when there is little evidence that inebriation contributed to the accident. There are also cases where insurers jump to conclusions about what happened - for example they assume that a customer was drunk because of their age or because they were staying at a resort known for its party culture.
How to avoid a gap-year disaster: How to prepare you kids for their travels
The prospect of your teenager travelling the globe will naturally fill many parents with fear. This is Money has come up with some top tips to pass on to your adventure hunters to help avoid any gap-year disasters from setting a budget they can stick to to ensuring they call home. ...read
TOP CARDS FOR USE ABROAD
NO FEES ON FOREIGN PURCHASES
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TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
- Why a three-hour flight delay could now get you £500: How to claim compensation
- Currency exchange: Latest tourist rates Tourist rates updated daily, with predictions on where next for the pound. Cheap currency is also available.
- Going on holiday? Best debit and credit cards to help you avoid overseas fees
- Free currency exchange card Readers can get a FREE FairFX card, accessing better excha<x>nge rates and dodging expensive bank ch<x>arges abroad
- This is Money's top tools to keep your holiday costs low Sick of getting lost in foreign cities or overspending while abroad? Six of the best holiday apps
- Travel insurance: How to get the cheapest cover Our tables list THE best deals on travel insurance and allow you compare the small print
- How to get travel insurance if you're suffering from a serious illness ...and why you musn't just rely on EHIC
Latest from Holidays
- Thousands of parents risk missing out on air tax rebate for their children as one in three 'can't be bothered' to claim
- Thousands left stranded as one of Europe's last car train services closes down
- Going away? Don't tell your Facebook friends or risk having your insurance claims rejected
- Panicking over passport renewals, pricey cover and currencies? How to make your holiday go without a hitch
- Lost bags? Flight delayed? Major airlines to set up new independent complaints service - but it probably won't be free
- Dream of moving to sunnier climes? The top destinations for emigrating Britons revealed (and Spain is only number three...)
- Where can you have a weekend city break for £100 all in? The cheapest European destinations revealed...
- Airlines STILL refuse to pay up for delays caused by technical faults despite landmark £3.89billion compensation ruling
- Would you let strangers holiday in YOUR home if it meant you could take a break in theirs for free?
Poll
Will the cheaper euro influence where you go on holiday this year?
- Yes 44 votes
- No 32 votes
Now share your opinion
GUIDES & TOOLS TO HELP YOU SAVE ON HOLIDAYS
ESSENTIAL HOLIDAY GUIDES
- Airline and holiday failure: Your rights
- Five tips to save money during the holidays and still have a great time
- How to get cheap flights
- Best debit and credit cards to help you avoid overseas fees
- Top tips and apps to avoid a data roaming bill headache
- Six of the best apps to save you money on holiday
- How to stay safe and legal while abroad
- Found a cheaper flight? How to get your airline to pay YOU the difference
- How to apply for the free EHIC card and avoid scams which make you pay
HOLIDAYS: TOP TIPS
HOLIDAY ESSENTIALS
How to avoid the over-65s travel insurance trap and get the best cover at the right cost
Hunting down travel cover can be both difficult and expensive with older travellers typically paying more for insurance because they are judged more likely to claim.On top of inflated prices, those over 65 also have to contend with age caps which can mean they are turned away by standard providers when they reach certain age brackets. ...read
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