PAPERWORK

If you've ever travelled before, you'll know that there is a whole raft of paperwork that you will need to have completed and have to hand before you can depart.

This article lays out all those key documents and bits of paper that you'll need if you want to ensure you get a little further than the airport!

• Passports: Make sure that both your passports are valid. Some countries require that they are valid for 6 months following the start of your vacation so it is important to check out the local rules with your travel agent before jetting off. Of course you will need to ensure that the passports have the correct details on them, in particular that they show the correct surnames. See the Passport, Visa & Health Advice article for more info.

• Insurance: Valid travel insurance is a must, regardless of whether you are hiring a cottage in the Lakes or white-water rafting in New Zealand. Annual passes may be more expensive initially but if you are planning on travelling again within 12 months they could well save you in the long run. Make sure that the terms and conditions of the insurance are suitable enough to cover you in any eventuality for where you’re going and what you’re doing.

• Travel Documentation: Tickets, confirmation slips, printouts etc. Keep them all together in a secure place and make sure that you have somewhere safe yet easily accessible to store them when you are travelling.

• Driving License: If you plan to drive a hire car whilst you are away this is a must. Remember that you may (or probably will in fact) need to take both the credit card and paper version.

• Visas: Not necessary for every location, but if you’re heading off the beaten track then there’s a likelihood one may be needed. See the Passport, Visa & Health Advice article for more info.

• Key Contact List: Always handy, sometimes essential (especially if you have created the holiday ‘package’ yourself), is a list of key contacts. Hotels, airports, taxi companies, airlines/ferry companies/train companies etc. are key numbers that you may want to include – also tack on any key numbers for people at home too (doctors, parents mobile numbers, cattery/kennels etc.). It may be wise at this stage to also leave an itinerary for you honeymoon with parents/friends.

• An EHIC (European Health Insurance Card): This is free and entitles you to reduced-cost (sometimes free) medical treatment while you’re visiting a country within the European Economic Area (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Holland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden) or Switzerland. This replaced the old E111 form and if you are heading to one of the countries mentioned above, you would be foolish not to apply via a form available at your local Post Office or online at the Department of Health Website.. 

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