Holiday preparation: Packing check list & things to remember!

Whether you prefer the comforts of home and enjoy a few staycations throughout the year, save up and splurge on one big luxury Summer holiday or rather jet off to exotic locations for a more lengthy period, being prepared for holidays, long or short, is super important. This is your time to relax, kick off your shoes, get away from your normal life and enjoy the benefits that a holiday has to offer. We certainly don’t want to be frantically rushing through airports, finding out we’ve forgotten underwear only when we crack open our suitcase or coming down with something nasty when we’re supposed to be relaxing by a pool! Of course we can’t predict nor control everything and these things do happen but here are my tips on preparing for your holiday and ensuring you have the most chilled time possible!

Travel insurance

Nobody ever thinks they’ll need travel insurance until one day they do. So it’s better to be safe than sorry, right? Whether you’re taking a fun holiday to Disneyland Paris, a city break to Rome or a luxurious stay in a 5 star resort in the Canary Islands, it’s always best to take out that travel insurance, just to be on the safe side. My life motto (pointed out by my boyfriend) is “just in case”. And I feel it’s served me well. There are plenty of quality, reasonable and reliable travel insurance sites such as Bupa Global which will have you covered from take off to landing. To check out their services, visit their site.

Organisation

I know I sound like a broken record and every “tips” post I write – regardless of topic – will always have “BE ORGANISED” in it somewhere but I really do think that being organised helps everything in the long run. My idea of organisation when it comes to holidays is printing everything out beforehand; maps, directions, boarding passes, confirmation emails, making a list of what I need to pack (which is tickable so you can tick off what you’ve packed and not get confused) and sort out timings. I’m always early, always.

Packing

Which brings me to this next point; packing! One of, if not the, most important thing when it comes to holidays so when it comes to packing I always check the weather for where I’m going before I go and pack accordingly. Think about how many nights / days you’ll be there, how many shoes you’ll really need (cos those can get heaaaavy) and pack well but pack smartly. Here’s a quick basic check-list of some essentials which might help the next time you’re stressing about packing:

• Underwear (knickers/pants/socks/bras)
• Swimwear
• Tops, bottoms, cardigans, jackets (casual and dressy)
• Night-time stuff: Make up remover, face wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner
• Morning stuff: Sun cream, make up, make up brushes, straighteners, hair dryer, hair brush
• Other cosmetics: Razor, shaving cream / moisturizer, tweezers, perfume, body spray
• Shoes
• Sleepwear
• Entertainment: Books, magazines, headphones, iPod, iPad, camera, chargers, Kindle

Remember to have fun!

This is going to sound like such a Captain Obvious point to make here but I’m going to make it anyway. I’m someone who struggles to switch off massively, even when I’m having a break, away for the weekend or out for the day. If you’re like me in that regard then firstly, I’m sorry to hear that and secondly, please allow yourself to totally switch off and enjoy the holiday that you’ve worked so hard to go on. If you’re a blogger, you don’t have to document your entire trip on Twitter or Instagram, everyone will see the photos when you get back. Let your hair down and remember to have fun once all the planning, organisation and boring stuff is done!

What are your top travel tips? Got any holidays planned this year?

* This post is sponsored by Bupa Global