The journey from your home to the Airport can be the most stressful part of your holiday.  It is also surprising how much you can spend before you even board your flight (or ferry).  Think travel insurance, travel money, petrol, rail fares, airport parking, airport hotels, baggage fees….

Here are a few ways that you can reduce stress, and possibly costs, before your holiday begins.

Plan Your Trip to the Airport (or Ferry)

Private Airport Transfer

Travelling to the airport can be a bit of a drag.  Depending on your circumstances it can involve waiting for trains or coaches, a long journey, lugging heavy bags around, waiting for (sometimes packed) airport buses or transfers, queuing to check in…..

A taxi to take you from your home direct to the airport terminal can be much more convenient.  And depending on your distance from the airport, group size and holiday length, it may not be as expensive as you think.  You will save the cost of rail/bus fares or petrol and airport parking.

Taxi2Airport is a useful service.  On their site you just key in your location and the airport or ferry port you need to get to, dates and times, and number of people and number of cases.  They then find you the transfer options available, and you select the one that suits you best.  You can pay online with Paypal or a credit/debit card.  Then you just wait to be picked up at your house with your luggage, and dropped off right at the terminal entrance.

The service is available worldwide, and you can also use it for transfers from the destination airport to your holiday accommodation.

Rail Tickets

Buying your rail tickets online in advance saves money and the stress of queuing for tickets at the station.

For travel to or from UK airports, try Raileasy.  Their site is easy to use and informative, and they will find you excellent prices.

For travel to and from any destinaton in mainland Europe try Rail Europe.  The site is easy to use, great for researching timetables and connections, and it is much more convenient to have your tickets before you travel.

Airport Parking

If you are driving to the airport, you will save money by booking your parking in advance.

We use Holiday Extras, and can recommend it.  They will find you a range of parking options, including the official airport carparks, and offer prices with and without cancellation insurance.  You can then select the deal that suits you best and pay online.

Holiday Extras can also find you airport hotels, lounges and travel insurance.

Order Your Travel Money in Advance

Wherever you get your travel money, don’t wait until you get the the airport – you will get the worst rate!

For UK based travellers Post Office Travel Money offers great rates with 0% commission, and the rates improve the more you buy.  You can order over 70 currencies online and receive free UK delivery, or collect from any local Post Office branch.

Stick to Cabin Luggage if Possible

If you are travelling with one of the budget airlines you will already know what a difference to the price hold luggage makes.  If you can get away with taking just Cabin Luggage you can save a lot of money, and also get through the airports quicker.

It is actually surprising how much you can get into cabin luggage if you plan and pack it carefully.  Most airlines will allow you to take a small handbag as well as your cabin bag, so you can keep your travel documents there.  Try wearing extra layers so you don’t have to pack them, and wearing your bulkiest footwear to travel in.

Well designed travel clothing can make a massive difference to how much you need to take.  We love Rohan.  Although expensive, Rohan clothes are very lightweight, pack really well without creasing, and are extremely comfortable to wear.  And most importantly you can rinse them out in your hotel room at night, hang them on a hanger, and most will be dry and ready to wear the next day.  So you don’t need to take so many changes of clothing.

Packing cubes can help you pack more efficiently, and keep items for different days of your trip separate.  See this page at Amazon for lots of examples.

Airlines vary quite a lot in their cabin luggage requirements, so make sure you check the dimensions allowed before you travel.  Luggage Superstore have a section dedicated to cabin luggage, which makes it very easy to select the best items for your chosen airline.

Make Sure You Have Travel Insurance

I am not usually a fan of insurance.  It always seems as though you are paying for something that probably won’t happen.

But travel insurance really is essential.  It isn’t just that you might have to cancel your holiday: it is in case you have an accident or are taken ill in a different country.  The costs of emergency or health care could be enormous – it is just too big a risk not to be covered.

If you are likely to travel more than a couple of times a year, annual travel insurance is a much better option.  Once you have it you don’t need to worry again for another year, and it will probably be cheaper as well.

For UK based travellers, Flexicover is a good option.  Their site is very easy to use and they have a wide choice or policies.  Many of the policies offer a higher level of cover than some of their competitors, and the premiums are very competitively priced.

Immunisations and Health Advice

If you are travelling to a more exotic destination, check whether you will need immunisations at least eight weeks before you travel.  You can talk to your GP, or use a holiday vaccination clinic (see Beware of the Bugs to find a UK clinic near you).

For health advice on any country see the NHS FitForTravel webpage.  Although aimed at UK travellers, the information is useful for everyone.

By planning each aspect of your trip well in advance, and having all the relevant tickets and documentation to hand, the start of your holiday may be so much more relaxing.

The post Before You Travel – A Few Tips to Reduce Stress and Save Money appeared first on Self Arranged Journeys.