Staying Safe Abroad
AlanFollowing the collapse of our friends at Monarch this week plus the recent crazy weather patterns and continued political unrest, I thought I would take a moment to look at ways in which you can ensure your holiday experience is worry free.
We have noticed that our clients still want to travel to places across the globe despite what’s on the news, in order to experience fascinating cultures or simply take some quality time out and relax on the beach.
Before you book your holiday, there are some important association logos to look out for. ABTA is of course one of the most well-known and that would usually suggest the company you are booking with has some form of financial bonding in place to protect the money you pay to them. However, if your holiday includes flights and another element such as a hotel and car hire then it is vital to ensure you are also booking an ‘ATOL’ protected holiday. Back in 2012 the government started a new scheme whereby travellers who book an ATOL protected holiday were issued with an ATOL Certificate when you hand your money over, even if this is just a deposit. Should you find yourself stranded abroad due to a failure of one of the suppliers of the holiday, the government backed scheme would ensure you can get home, likewise your money is protected even if you haven’t travelled yet. Booking elements yourself, or via some websites means you are not protected in many circumstances. So the best thing to do is ask before you book ‘Will my holiday be ATOL protected’, and ensure you get your certificate when you pay. You can read more about this at www.packpeaceofmind.co.uk.
Travel insurance does not offer this kind of cover and is more focussed on loss of baggage, delays and medical emergencies. It is of course still vital to take out insurance and there are a lot of companies out there offering competitive prices. Double check the destination and any activities / sports / excursions you will be going on will be covered. For example, winter sports may cover skiing but if you want to have some fun driving a snowmobile it may not cover you for that. Some insurers offer enhanced cover you can pay a supplement for. Many older clients struggle to get cover via regular companies – there are some specialist companies out there such as Help the Aged and it’s worth shopping around.
When you are on holiday, we always make sure our clients have an emergency 24-hour support phone number. This may be a local company, or a long-distance UK number and it can vary from booking to booking. Our advice is always prepare for the unexpected. If you book your hotel and flight separately who will assist in an emergency? Having someone to call offers great peace of mind. For example, we work with a UK-Japanese holiday supplier who actually has their own office in Tokyo. They are on-hand not just for emergencies but also hints and tips to ensure you make the most of your trip.
A popular query in our office is about currency. As you may well know, charges to take money out of ATM’s around the world can be high and currency conversion rates can also sting you. There are some no-fee credit cards out there which enable you to avoid these charges. Also, be aware of using ATMs in shops or hotels, look for ones attached to actual banks as their fees can be lower. Unlike the UK, where most ATM’s do not charge a fee to take money out, some countries such as the USA do charge as a standard but charges can vary greatly. On a recent trip to the USA, my fellow Director Oliver was charged between $1.50 and $5 depending which bank he used. These fees are levied by the local bank and so your own bank may also charge on top, so be warned. The Halifax Clarity card has been around a number of years and offers no fee withdrawals and no fee conversion rate on payments.
This year you will no doubt have read about the abolishment of roaming charges in Europe from mobile phone providers. I would still advise you to keep an eye on any restrictions on this, for example phoning from your UK mobile within Spain to a Spanish number starting with 9 is hugely costly as it is a premium number. If you have to call your hotel or airline, look for the equivalent of a local number. When travelling further afield, check with your mobile supplier about their charges. Vodafone currently offer a £5 fee per day to use your phone as you would at home and Three have a ‘Feel at Home’ programme that includes roaming and calls in many countries including the USA and Australia.
And finally, however often you travel I suggest you go back to basics. Do you have a copy of your airline booking, a photocopy of your passport, back up cards in your luggage in case your wallet goes missing? Why not swap half your wallet with your partner? Even if you are travelling to familiar destinations, we always suggest the same precautions as if you are travelling to the dense Peruvian jungle. It’s better to be safe not sorry.
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