Summer is here once again and that means it’s time to plan a holiday!

Can you ever really be prepared for a holiday? We’re not just talking about long-term planning like booking your flight, hotel or caravan and working out what you’re going to do each day. We mean the little things. We mean the little details. How are you going to pack? What are you going to pack? And what do you need to buy before your holiday? Are the kids going to be with you or are you looking after them yourself? Is your partner going to come with you? Have you prepared for the journey? Have you got everything you need?

There is so much to prepare for a holiday that one would easily think that it is like moving house. So how do we avoid all the stresses and lesson them? How do we become organised and make the occasion plain sailing?

Holiday is a popular time to go away and relax. This is why so many people travel and it also means that you can take time out and have fun. To break up the long days and to entertain themselves, they go and visit some of the best attractions. Of course, they don’t come just for the sunshine though. They are all worried about family getting sick, getting bored or to be bored so they go somewhere to relax and have fun. So, when you are planning to travel, you need to think about what to do to relax in order to make your time away from home even more enjoyable.

It’s essential you prepare months in advance. The earlier you prepare, the more organised you will be. Remember, prior preparation always prevents a poor performance. Here’s some pointers for preparation. Of course you probably already know most of these pointers yourself.

• Before booking your holiday, it is always best to determine what your budget is going to be, how much you are willing to spend and afford. Set your budget then plan your vacation finances, how much the cost of the travel will be whether its by plane, train or car, how much the accommodation is and how long you can stay for. Also work out how much spending money you will need.

• Have a holiday fund. Set aside some money each month for your holiday. The sooner you start this, the bigger your spending money will be.

• Sort out anything that involves booking your flight, hotel, caravan well in advance. With most places, you have to drop a deposit to cement your booking.

• Sort out any travel insurance, especially if it is abroad. If you are travelling by car, ensure you have adequate breakdown cover and that your car has been serviced and maintained well in advance. Make sure your car has all the necessary tools for replacing flat tyres, replacing bulbs or spark plugs.

• Create a list of all the clothes, toiletries, cosmetics etc and get them at least two months in advance before your holiday. Go through your list and tick off any item you have. I always find it helpful to have bags for your toiletries, and a personal bag for things like tablets, phones and any other gadgets. Don’t forget the suncream and beach towels.

• If you are travelling to a hot or exotic location that requires you to be vaccinated, or take a course of tablets to protect you against things like Malaria, make sure you talk to your doctor and arrange it at least two months before you go.

• Always take a first aid box (complete with everything inside like plasters, bandages etc) the appropriate medicines with you. The basic medication should be painkillers, antacid tablets for indigestion, diarrhoea tablets, sachets for replacing lost fluids due to every bout of diarrhoea, insect bite cream, insect repellent, antihistamine tablets for allergies, eye drops, upset stomach relief (the kind of tablets that dissolve in water). And any other medicine that your doctor has prescribed to you.

• If your holiday is a self catering one, then it would help to plan your meals for each day, whether you will be having breakfast and lunch at your caravan, apartment and them eating out at dinner. Make a shopping list of all the groceries you need and do it a few months/weeks in advance.

• Research the area you are going to, whether its abroad or in your own country. Get to know the place you will be staying at, the attractions that are nearby. What is the currency if its another country you are travelling to? If its a caravan park, what shops are on the site? Are there any leisure facilities there? Knowing this in advance would help give you a better idea of what to expect and how to plan your stay accordingly.

• Ensure you got all your travel documents at hand. If you are travelling abroad, it will be passports, plane tickets for travelling to the country and back, travel insurance and anything else that is deemed important like a visa. If you are staying at a hotel or self catering in a apartment or caravan, you will need the right documents or letters to confirm your booking. Have all those important phone numbers handy when you need them. Also, with this pandemic, it does help to have proof you’ve been tested or had the appropriate vaccination.

• Very important this one. Ensure your phone has been set up for international roaming if you are going abroad and that you can text, call and even access the Internet. Carry with you an external power supply for all your gadgets, like a power bank for your phone so you don’t run out of power.

Planning and carrying out your holiday are crucial steps to making it a success. These actions can ensure you will have an enjoyable time regardless of what the weather does. Below are some basic steps you should take before you go out to the parks, beaches or skiing or abroad.
1. Set out some food that you are prepared to eat if you are lucky enough to have a meal plan. Prepare lunches for yourself and/or take the planning from the younger ones in the family. If you are in a hotel, ask the catering staff to prepare you a packed lunch before your day out. If you are self catering, you make it yourself.
2. Have a rough idea of the distances that you will have to walk or travel each day. This way you can organise your time during the day accordingly. Make sure you got a map of the area or better still, use a sat nav or your phone.
3. Make sure you check the weather forecast. Knowing whether it will rain or shine on a particular day will help plan your excursions out accordingly. If it rains on say Tuesday, maybe its better visiting an attraction that is indoors, or spending time at an indoor pool or leisure centre. If it’s sunny Wednesday, then it would be perfect for sunbathing on the beach. These are just examples.
4. Make sure you got the right amount of money for the day. I always set a budget plan for each day of how much money I am going to spend whether it is on souvenirs or eating out. Doing this will allow your money to go further. Without a budget plan you could get carried away spending more money and not have enough spend for the next day.
5. Nearly everyone speaks English. It is a universal language in all countries. But there are places where English is scarce. There are apps for smartphones that help with this problem should you need to ask a local for information. It’s always awkward when you find that they don’t speak a word of English. Make sure your phone has these apps on as they are a godsend. They are certainly better than trying to pronounce something out of a book that has the language of the country you are holidaying in.
6. Keep all your items secure, especially wallets, keys and phones.

When going on vacation, everyone has a hard time deciding on what to do to make sure they leave the family and friends wanting for more. I hope this article has been of help. Being organised and prepared can ensure  that you and the people you go on holiday with can enjoy the vacation thus  ensuring everyone is coming back wanting for more. Whether you’re a soccer mom or a busier work mom, your vacation should be planned out in such a way that you leave with unforgettable memories that will be cherished for the rest of your life. Enjoy your holiday.