| Archive for Primary Teacher Resource Centre - Forum A place to chat, share ideas or simply let of steam about current Education issues. |
| redrosette |
Help....1st holiday abroadI have booked my first holiday abroad which I am very excited about BUT now panicking that I will forget some important document.Can you brilliant people help by telling me what you did before you went away Thankyou |
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| Night Garden |
You will have a fab time and enjoy. Going any where sunny?
Travel Insurance Passport Change money before you get to the airport. I also scan then email all documents and email to myself. |
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| tog |
Driving licence if you want to hire a car? | ||
| Rainbow_Bright |
Book car parking at airport. Check cash card can be uses abroad. You may have travel insurance through a back.account and if not, I tend to keep it cheap by not covering lost possessions to a high value and just paying for medical.cover and repatriation should the worst happen.
Really, though, as long as you have your passport and cash card, you'll be fine! |
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| cofnchoc |
If holidaying in Europe then European medical card (free health cover) http://www.applyehic.org/?gclid=CI2Ntv_I07ACFUdItAod3hc3zg
Inform bank if you plan on using your card o'seas. P'copy personal page of p'port just in case you lose it. Hope you have a great time. where are you heading? |
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| crispy |
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| crispy |
Tell your bank where you're going to too - especially if it's your first time. It saves them querying a transaction or trying to contact you or stopping a transaction completely. Apparently it's on the smallprint of some accounts that you should let them know before travel. | ||
| Night Garden |
Crispy was about to add that as well ( both of yours).
I tend to use my credit card more on holiday as it is easier as well. |
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| choccat |
If you will be using a credit card you should also let the credit card company know you are going abroad and where to. Make sure you keep receipts for all card transactions and check your statements carefully when you get home. If you see anything you are not sure about ring card company/bank immediately.
Cancel any milk, papers other deliveries, leave spare set of keys with a neighbour or someone reliable together with contact numbers for you. I find it helpful to make a list of things that need doing before I go and then another of things I need to take which I tape to the bag/suitcase so I can check it off before we leave. |
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| Knightrider |
Turn off roaming on your mobile phone so you don't end up with a scary huge bill on your return (smart phones)
Have a look at the front of the money section on today's Guardian that has loads of information about how to not get stung when hiring a car abroad. |
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| redrosette |
Thanks everyone very helpful
I am going to Rome |
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| Irishcailin |
Oh exciting I'm so jealous. How long are you going for? I would love to go to Rome! | ||
| melerny |
Use Directgov/NHS site to order your EHIC, the above site ( and lots of others) will try to charge you. They are free! Also try to use a currency pre-pay card which cuts down cost of taking money out, and safer than travellers cheques. Have a wonderful time! | ||
| gorgeous51 |
This any good?
http://www.travel-checklist.co.uk/ xx |
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| wicked witch |
If you are going to Rome then I certainly wouldn't hire a car. Public transport is great but you have to have tickets before you get on. Enjoy it, we went to Rome for our honeymoon and will certainly go back. 
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| Knightrider |
Oooooh - very envious about Rome. Definitely don't hire a car - most of Rome is walkable and public transport is great. When you get to Rome airport you can either buy tickets for their equivalent of the Heathrow express (ie expensive and fast, but can be done in advance which is what my OH had done) or catch the local train for which you need to visit a ticket office and takes a bit longer, but is half the price (which friends we met on the plane out had done). All very straight forward which ever you do.
The best thing we did in Rome was get ourselves onto a walking tour of the colliseum/forum. A tour guide could bring to life everything we were looking at whereas with a book/audio guide (from the Forum - crap) we were just looking at piles of old stones. We didn't have a plan - just hooked up with an English person touting tours outside the colliseum as we'd just been round the forum with our 11 year old and come close to blows with each other as it was so boring and frustrating. But the guide we found was so good we ended up going round the Vatican with her (same thing - unless you know lots it would just be an endless stream of pictures and statues, with a guide it all made sense). Not the cheapest way of doing things, but we reasoned it was our only time there so we wanted to get the most from it. The Capuccin (sp?) crypt decorated with the bones of dead monks has to be seen. We restricted ourselves to 2 churches a day as even though we quite like them, we could have got completely churched out - there are so many different ones from different periods there was lots of variety. And if you haven't already, read The Thieves of Ostia by Caroline Lawrence and then go to Ostia - about 20 minutes from Rome on a local train. Our son loved the fact that he was looking at the places where the action in the book had taken place. Even without reading the book Ostia is well worth a visit - the ancient Roman port that ended up covered in sand as the river & coast shifted position, then excavated by Mussolini - an almost completely preserved town. I could keep going for ages about Rome because it is our all time favourite place we've visited as a family and I'd love to go back! |
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| crispy |
Wear comfy shoes for walking, be appropriately dressed for religious places and keep hold of your bag! Don't let you hubby/partner leave his wallet in his back trouser pocket - be alert! | ||
| Night Garden |
You will have a fabulous time. So much to see and do in Rome! | ||
| redrosette |
Thanks everyone I'm even more excited now. Some great tips | ||
| wotsitagain |
Fab advice from everyone. I hope the volume of suggestions doesn't alarm you, you can manage without most things except a passport etc.
This is good advice. My OH and I went to Rome when interrailing straight after uni. When we got to St Peter's, I was allowed in (wearing shorts), but he (wearing shorts) wasn't. I think I had to make sure my shoulders were covered. So he waited outside whilst I went in! Enjoy! |
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| bluerose |
Think Martin Lewis is doing stuff this week on Daybreak about saving money on holidays abroad that might be worth finding | ||
| Irishcailin |
It sounds amazing I'm so jealous. I would love to go to Rome |