5 mistakes everyone makes before a holiday

The holidays are hard to beat. They can be fun and frivolous, adventurous and exciting, and wonderfully relaxing and restful. But although we all share a love of holidays, we also have something else in common when it comes to our trips away. Let’s face it, we all make mistakes before we’ve even set off to the airport. They can be small and trivial, such as forgetting that new swimming suit you bought last week or they can be big and disruptive, such as forgetting a passport as you dash for the airport.

Let’s hope that’s not you! Anyway, here are 5 mistakes everyone makes before a holiday.

Not knowing how much you are allowed to take in hand luggage

If you can avoid checking your luggage in, you should. It guarantees you get to your destination with all your stuff and means you don’t have the stress and worry of lost luggage, which can take days to get back.

But very few of us are sure how much we can take in our bags before we set off. The standard case size on most airlines is 56cm x 45cm x 25cm but they may have their own rules on the weight you are allowed to carry. Air New Zealand, for instance, let you take two bags on board. One can be a small bag and the other can be 7kg. The key is to check what your airline’s rules are and pack accordingly. If you can get away with just taking hand luggage it could save you being without your stuff for the first few days of your holiday.

Taking too much with you

Deep down we know we don’t need twelve pairs of shorts, ten dresses, seven pairs of shoes and four bathing suits for a long weekend, but somehow it all ends up in our case. The key with packing is to be ruthless if you think you might not wear it, leave it behind. And don’t leave your packing until the night before. If you do, you’re guaranteed to overcompensate for the fear of getting there and having nothing to wear. Take your time. Start putting this to one side a week before you go and aim to have made your packing decisions in plenty of time.

Planning an itinerary that doesn’t contain downtime

Of course, it is tempting to want to do and see everything when you reach your destination, but sometimes that type of holiday can feel like more of a chore than an experience to cherish. So, when you are planning your sightseeing, remember that less is more. Pick three top sites to see and leave the rest of the time to go with the flow.

Forgetting to book travel insurance

Sometimes it can seem like a good way to save money – skip the travel insurance, we might not need it anyway! Don’t be this person. You might be planning a trip to beautiful Fiji for instance, but if you fall ill there all your medical bills, medicine and even medical evacuation will be on your tab. And that bill could total £50,000. Book online, it’s simple and will only take 20 minutes. Then you can sleep easy.

Not leaving enough time to enjoy the airport experience

We have all been there. Dashing through the airport, sweat pouring down our back, stress coursing through our veins. It isn’t pleasant – you end up blaming each other and it is not the way anyone wants to begin a holiday. So, leave plenty of time and aim to arrive three hours before your flight.