Before you go

Before you go

Check the formalities and details

• If you wish to travel abroad you must hold a full ten-year passport, even for a day trip. Apply in good time to the UK Passport Office. For further information call the Passport Service on 0300 222 0000 or visit www.passport.gov.uk
• Ensure your passport is valid for the duration of your trip. Some countries have an immigration requirement for a passport to remain valid for a minimum period (usually at least six months) beyond the date of entry to the country.
• You may require a visa to enter the country you are visiting. For all visa enquiries, you should contact the Consulate or Embassy of the country you plan to visit.
• Visit the Foreign Office website at www.fco.gov.uk/travel for a range of useful pre-travel planning tips, as well as country-specific advice.
• As soon as you have booked a holiday take out a good insurance policy to cover unforeseen cancellation as well as eventualities while you are abroad. Make sure you are fully covered by declaring all your existing medical conditions, and that the policy is suitable for your needs. Ensure it covers any specific activities you may engage in, such as winter sports or golf. Saga can help you with this.
• If you are planning to be away for more than 30 days, check that your home insurance policy will allow you to leave your property unoccupied for that amount of time without becoming invalid.
• Make photocopies of your important documents, especially your passport, before you travel. It is often a good idea to keep one set with you and leave a second set with a friend, neighbour or relative back home.
• Take with you the emergency contact details of your travel insurer, your bank and your credit and/or debit card providers.
• Check the flight times on your ticket as some minor flight changes may have occurred since your booking.
• Arrange transport to and from the airport, or car parking.
• If a friend or relative is picking you up, leave a note of your return flight number, time, date, destination and booking reference number.
• If you have a mobile phone, you should contact your network provider to ensure that your mobile is enabled for international roaming and can be activated from any country you are planning to visit. Check international call charges and, if ‘Pay as you go’, that you have enough credit to make calls.
• Many countries, including the UK, quote an initial ‘0’ in the area code when telephone numbers are given out (e.g. Folkestone is quoted as 01303). This initial ‘0’ should not be dialled when calling from outside the UK, so to call someone in Folkestone from France, you should dial 00 (International Access Code) 44 (UK Country Code) 1303 and then the person’s number.
• If you require assistance at the airport, contact your tour operator or airline who can make the necessary arrangements. Please be aware that airlines now require you to provide either a disabled badge or a doctor’s certificate confirming you need assistance.

Take steps to secure your home

• Keep all valuable items out of sight and do not ‘advertise’ your absence when you are away. Make sure any milk or newspaper deliveries are cancelled. If possible, ask a neighbour to remove any free newspapers left in your letterbox.
• If you are going to be away for a long period, it might be worth making arrangements to have your garden looked after. Overgrown lawns, beds and borders can be sure signs that a house has been left unoccupied.
• Remember to set any automatic timers to turn household lights on and off at credible times, to create the illusion of an occupied house.
• Ask a trusted neighbour or friend to keep an eye on your home while you are away. Try to arrange for someone to look after it by collecting your post, drawing your curtains at night, and generally making the place look lived in.