The summer holidays will soon be here and most of us will have some sort of weekend break, camping trip or even package holiday abroad booked.  If you have a family holiday booked abroad then there are quite a few important things you need to do in advance to ensure everything runs smoothly and doesn’t resemble the famous Home Alone scene with kids, adults and general panic flying everywhere!

Here are some of the most important things to prepare in advance for your summer holiday abroad:

Passports

Top of the list has to be passports or else you’ll not be able to go abroad at all!  Even if you think your passport is in date it’s worth checking just to be absolutely sure.  If a child needs their first passport, you’ve lost a passport or one has expired, then you’ll want to order one at least a couple of months before the holiday to ensure it arrive in time.  Last time I ordered a passport they had scrapped the express service, so you really need to plan this well in advance.   I’d suggest doing this as advance as possible in case there are any issues with your application that cause a delay.

Insurance

You should always make sure you have suitable travel insurance to cover the type of trip you are going on.  It will need to cover you for the duration of the holiday, for the correct countries and for any special activities or extreme sports you may do whilst away.  It’s easy to get an online quote for travel insurance and it may even be worth purchasing an annual cover if you are planning more than one trip away per year.  Click here for a travel insurance quote from Bupa Global.

Luggage

There are often restrictions on the size and weight of cabin and hold luggage.  Check your travel documents and itinerary to see what your flight or tour operator allows.  If your cabin suitcase is too large then you’ll either have to check it into the hold or you may not be able to take it on at all.  Check the measurements in advance and make sure your suitcase is suitable.  As for the weight, make sure you weight it before leaving the house if possible.  You can be charged quite an extortionate amount for luggage that is too heavy for the hold and some airlines have an absolute weight restriction and will refuse any one piece of luggage over this.

Boarding passes

Some airlines enable you to check in online and print your boarding passes at home.  Make sure you keep an eye on your emails and the date so you can check in as soon as it’s ready.  Make sure you print off all your boarding passes or save them to the wallet on your phone so you can pass through security and drop off your luggage without any hold ups at the airport.

Transport

Don’t forget to arrange how you’ll get to and from the airport.  If you are booking public transport then book well in advance to ensure you can get a seat.  If you are taking your own car then you’ll want to book airport parking or a nearby carpark with an airport shuttle service.  Again, if you are booking a taxi service then it’s best to do this in advance instead of on the day, especially if it’s a long journey.  However, booking a taxi may not be as expensive as you think! For example, if you're heading to Western Mexico, Aerotpv offers Puerto Vallarta Airport Transportation from as little as 18USD, so it's worth checking if you can ride in luxury in a private taxi and get straight to your destination when you arrive.

Final word

So long as you ensure you have arranged the above well in advance then you are almost ready for your holiday.  All that is left is to exchange your money, pack your holiday wardrobe and sun cream and be on your way!