I may have written about this before but I’m going to give you a more comprehensive version of the preparations that I regard as essential before going off on a holiday, long or short, in this country or abroad. I am not trying to insult people’s intelligence but it is so easy to forget something when you have many matters in your mind, A paper check list conceived out of the heat of the moment, well in advance, is never a waste of time.
>I always panic and take too many clothes, far more than I actually need. I’ve got this irrational idea that we’re going into the middle of nowhere comment deep into a jungle somewhere, and there won’t be any local access to shops and the like. I have watched programs on the BBC and other channels about people who really do go into the jungle and planning has to be made with military precision. We do not see the production crew so the idea of someone on their own battling nature for example Bear Grylls can be a bit deceptive.
We are taking modest tours and short breaks in the UK. Part of the reason is that I do not like taking breaks from my unceasing work on record keeping on my covid site and actually like to work every day, a habit that I should really break myself from more frequently.
We are shortly going to stay in an ibis Hotel in Cardiff which is a couple of hours drive way. Cardiff may not seem the ideal tourist destination but we have fallen in love with it. There is a lot of history. We love Cardiff Bay – in all weathers, and there are many museums and points of interest including the old indoor market, was in the park and real welsh food including cakes. The problem with finding a hotel is that the rates may sound reasonable but parking is a pain with a daily charge of up to £24. We have found a hotel in the bay with free parking.
Why at home in the UK? I have been tempted to go by air for some warmth but I’ve been so put off the idea of travel what with long lines and the bureaucracy that we will have to put up with because we’re no longer in the European Community and new rules clicking which starts next month November 2024.
I used to make the mistake of not servicing my car until the last moment and this resulted on more than one occasion on me begging a garage two fit me in somehow a couple of days before my departure. I get the impression they’ve had this sort of problem before because you get quite a firm ‘no’. People do book their cars in quite a lot in advance except for tire replacement places so you really have to be considerate.
Tires condition check
Inflated to cover load check
Spare tires check
oil check
water check
mysterious lights appearing check
odd noises check.
It’s nice to clean out the car and have it spick and span and smelling nice for your journey long or short. We pack a couple of days before and put it the last minute things the night before we travel and this gives me the opportunity while in bed to remember the one thing that I’d forgotten, and put it on a list.
I know that on EasyJet and Ryanair you pay phenomenal amounts for luggage sometimes equivalent to the ticket cost itself but when you travel by car or indeed by coach as we sometimes do these rules do not apply. We have a Volvo Estate which you can fit in a coffin if you need so at some future time I imagine we will pack two pedal bikes and go for ancillary rides after having driven to a beauty spot or center of tourism.
Our pre-departure ritual is to agree a time of departing. We try to make the most of the first day and fit in features to it not just making the arrival at the accommodation the only aim. I find the AA map reporting traffic jams or blockages very useful. There is a good app which does just the same. I remember the time when the AA used to be employed typists to send out written instructions of the route to be taken and you had to ask them seven days ahead of the trip.
Thank goodness for Google Maps or the other software which provided you to use your common sense and guide you safely to most places.
So our checkout procedure after we have packed and loaded the car is as follows:
* check all windows are closed and locked,
* check the back door as locked,
* make sure water taps are not running and the oven is turned off
* make sure the fridges are kept switched on otherwise a dreadful smell would meet us on our return
* emergency numbers that we may need
* any documentation we may require
NB * for longer distances and in winter include emergency items such as a spare tire, a light, a shovel, waterproof clothes, a blanket. You never know where you will break down.
fiddly easily forgotten things such as
* have you packed your meds?
* hot water bottles?In the case of foreign holidays we would of course pack passports making sure they are in date and plane tickets. Dont forget visas. Risk asking stupid questions of your travel agent.<I always write out a schedule of where I am going including the blindingly obvious because if you forget or mislay vital documents or information then problems are caused.
I believe in being insured and I have a decent travel insurance which covers me for most things that can happen including hotel insurance if the car breaks down, plus all the bizarre things you think couldn’t possibly happen to you. Always worth checking the small print.
When I close the front door I look at it because although I have never left a door open before I leave if I don’t have a clear recall of locking the door I have the urge to to return just to check. It is irrational I know.Our written schedule mentioned above contains all the activities that we may take part in if we so choose bearing in mind that the weather can change as indeed can our appetite for experiencing new things.
I recommend people should take advantage of TripAdvisor and look for reviews of good restaurants.Ignore the one star ones because it probably means that people are having a bad day or had some disagreement with the proprietor probably due to their own bad manners. If 85% of the recommendations and reviews are 4 star or 5 star that’s good enough for me.<I always put the postcode of everywhere I am going and I always have two devices in case one fails because there’s nothing worse than getting lost on a rainy night where you can’t see where you are.
I use my Android Google Maps and I have an old-fashion GPS which sits in the car. For long journeys it is also a good idea to bring some CDs along.One of the annoying things about travel listening to the radio – especially in hilly areas- is that signal strength from particular radio stations can change and you can be listening to a perfectly fascinating program on say BBC Radio 4 and it disappears into noise over the next hill.
To be fair to this broadcaster the coverage is pretty good and maybe the main limitation is the quality and age of your receiving apparatus. They are after all a national Broadcasting Corporation whatever you think of them.
As for transport I find that it is better to leave the car at the hotel and use public transport. You can get day passes for very little and it will certainly cost you much less than the risk of paying a fine, or further paid parking during the day not to mention the petrol involved.
I keep copious records, written as well as photographs of what I do because I find that so much happens in a day that you can easily forget what you did when and it is very nice to recall the events not only with disciplines such as this diary but also to relate to friends on social media and those you meet in person.
I don’t think you can be too conscientious about keeping the record of the people you meet and the places you go to. You never know when you may need them again and if I meet someone with whom I have a good rapport I have no hesitation about giving them my card and keeping in touch.
With regard to what we do during the day I try to stop before I have had enough and I’m exhausted. I can take three or four main features per day and I find that is sufficient for my sensory apparatus. When we are on holiday we seldom go out to a movie or occasion in the evenings as we prefer to relax, to watch TV and just maybe play Monopoly or something like that
I tend to sneak in alcoholic drink to my room in Hotel because I find the bars are on the expensive side. If you are however lucky enough to be within distance of a Wetherspoon’s pub then the above advice would not apply. I don’t know how they make a profit with the prices they charge but they seem to make a little bit of profit of a lot of sales so well done Wetherspoons.
I’m on Sky mobile and I tend to run out of allocation so it’s quite useful to have the means when you can increase your allowance or move over data allowance from your piggy bank.
Also in the unfortunate case of losing your credit card, a separate number for calling the bank would be sensible. There is a useful number 159 to report stolen cards or problems with scammers. Scammer do not take vacations so treat unknown callers as a security risk
I nearly forgot, don’t forget to pay bills that are due because you don’t want to find official looking letters in brown envelopes when you return.
Anyway I hope you found that useful and I wish you all happy holidays wherever you’re going.
PS If I have forgotten anything do let me know via the comments section
PPS Here is a good article by Clare Evans, 7 tips to avoid last minute pre-holiday chaos.
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