Travel insurance - Tips & Advice - Holiday planning guide

There’s no doubt that weather and weather patterns can have a major effect on the quality of a holiday; but it’s not just weather. Political unrest, war and civil war will upset all but the most adventurous holidaymakers.

The beach that looked like mile after mile of sun-kissed sand will be less appealing during monsoon season, any diving or surfing break will be affected during hurricane season and no-one wants a snow-free skiing or snowboarding holiday.

In warmer climes, not getting the right inoculations, or being unaware of a local health issue, could mean serious illness cutting your holiday short. And cultural differences could mean a surprise trip to a police cell; for example, you can get into trouble taking chewing gum into Singapore, or rupees out of India.

Luckily, there are resources available to help you avoid many of these problems.

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office helpfully provides up-to-date advice on traveling to every country in the world – including visa requirements, current political and travel health advice. Checking the latest information on your intended destination before booking is an absolute must for any seasoned traveler.

The BBC Weather Centre also has excellent travel advice, including climate guides and advice on coping with different kinds of weather.

As with all holiday planning, the internet is your friend. Typing in your planned destination plus ‘travel advice’ will throw up thousands of results. If you’re planning a big trip, soak up the advice from the many different sites where travelers exchange advice. Avoid taking any single comment or suggestion as fact, but by reading many comments you’ll build up an idea of which advice is worth following.

Proper planning for a holiday helps avoid many holiday nightmares, and for everything you can’t plan for there’s always tailored holiday insurance!