Flights
They say that the best time to book international flights is 22 weeks in advance with domestic flights closely following at 21 weeks in advance. However, not all of us are that savvy. Luckily there are some other tricks you can follow to nab yourself the best flight deals, Carolin Pilligrath from Breathing Travel suggests the below.
Top Tip: "For the best deal on flights, I always use multiple flight search engines. Skyscanner, Google Flights and Kiwi are some of my favourite ones. To get the absolute best deal, try and be flexible with dates and don’t be afraid to take a red-eye flight, it might save you hundreds! If you don’t book right away, make sure to set your VPN to a lower income country as you might see a significant ticket price difference" - Carolin Pilligrath, Breathing Travel
Holiday Money
When travelling abroad, it’s important to make sure you have easy access to your holiday money. There are lots of different ways to access your money overseas, so it’s important to choose the best option for you.
Credit cards tend to be widely accepted globally - unless you are going off the beaten track. However, they do charge international fees so important that you hunt around for the best deal – and the best conversion rate to the foreign currency you need.
Another option is a prepaid debit card. With these cards, you load on the amount that you want to spend and use it as a debit card overseas. These cards help you stick to your holiday budget as you can only spend the amount on the card.
Regardless of your card of choice, it’s always good to have some local currency on you. Don’t leave this until the last minute though as you tend to get the worst rate at the airport.
If you are planning to use your Australian card while overseas, you should let your bank know what countries you are travelling to and how long you will be going for. This is because any sudden overseas activity can cause them to become suspicious and your card could be frozen.
Pre-Book Activities or Restaurants
Whether you a planning a holiday filled with amusement parks on the Gold Coast, looking forward to a special meal at one of Sydney’s top restaurants or booking a hire care for your road trip around Tasmania, spending some time pre-booking holiday activities can save you a lot of hassle later down the track.
Travel Documents
Passport
There is nothing worse than discovering that your passport is out of date, right before you are due to fly. Checking your passport’s valid date is something a lot of us would forget yet it’s so important that you do. Some countries require your passport to be valid for a period from your date of arrival – so it’s worthwhile checking a few months before your next holiday.
Visas
When organising your next overseas holiday, you should check for any required visas. These are dependent on the country you are visiting and the passport you hold so it can differ between travellers. The Smart Traveller website has information on the different visa’s needed, including required visas for those visiting Australia.
Vaccinations
Some countries require you to have certain vaccinations before you enter. The best place to start is again by checking your region in the Smart Traveller website. Here you can get up to date information about not only the required vaccinations but also information on safety and security and visas.
Travel Insurance
Did you know that you should get travel insurance when you are travelling domestically and we as overseas? Domestic travel insurance will cover you for lost or stolen items, cancellation fees and even car hire excess. Shop around for the best travel insurance for your next holiday, as you can get great family or couple deals. When considering a travel insurance provider, you need to look at
- The excess: this is the agreed amount of money you will pay towards a claim on your policy.
- Inclusions: if you are planning to hire a car or enjoy ‘adventure activities’ like sky jumping or scuba diving you want to make sure you are covered in case the unexpected happens.
Accommodation
Finding the perfect accommodation for your next holiday can be tricky. Whether you are travelling for business or leisure, when booking a hotel, we tend to look for four important experience preferences; value, location, safety, and low prices. However, finding a hotel with all of these can be fiddly and arduous. Accor makes things simple, with over 200 hotels, resorts, apartments and suites throughout the country, as well as hotels across 100 countries around the world. Whether you are looking for budget-friendly accommodation, hotels with amenities for the whole family or great central location – Accor has the perfect hotel for your next holiday.
Accor is currently offering a great winter deal whereby for a limited time, you’ll enjoy $25 off each night plus a delicious breakfast for just $1. Terms and conditions apply
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Ultimate Packing Checklist
Packing for your holiday can be a nightmare. From choosing clothing to suit the weather at your holiday destination to digging out a power adapter – and that’s all before you have tried to fit it in your suitcase (we suggest rolling clothes rather than folding to help minimize space used and avoid creases). Mark and Miranda from The Common Wanderer and Jess Parry-Valentine, Flying The Nest also share their top tips on packing for a holiday.
Top Tip: "Whether we are travelling for a week, a fortnight or a month we always pack our bags for a 7-day getaway. That way you can keep your luggage weight down which not only saves you on oversize baggage fee's but also makes your holiday that more enjoyable as you aren't lugging around a huge bag!" - Stephen & Jess Parry-Valentine, flyingthenest.tv
Follow the complete packing list below, and you are sure to not leave anything behind! This is an overall travel list, so there may be other essentials you also need to pack.
Clothes
- Underwear
- Socks
- Sleepwear
- T-shirts
- Formal shirts
- Casual shirts
- Jeans /Pants
- Shorts
- Dresses
- Skirts
- Jumpers
- Suits
- Bathers
- Coats/jackets
- Hats
- Gloves
- Scarves
- Umbrella
- Walking shoes
- Hiking/athletic shoes
- Snow/rain boots
- Dress shoes
- Sandals/flip-flops
- Belts
- Ties
- Jewellery
- Wallet
- Handbag
- Thermals
Toiletries
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Dental floss
- Soap
- Deodorant
- Shampoo & conditioner
- Brush or comb
- Hairstyling appliances
- Face wash
- Sunscreen
- Moisturiser
- Contact lenses & solution
- Shaving products
- Makeup
- Makeup remover
- Feminine-hygiene products
- Birth control
- Nail file & clippers
- Tweezers
- Hand sanitizer
- Band-Aids
- Antiseptic ointment
- Insect repellent
- Medications
- Pain relievers
- Vitamins
Technology
- Mobile phone and charger
- Laptop, iPad, Kindle and chargers
- Headphones
- Camera/video recorder, memory card, and charger
- Adaptors
Hand Luggage Flight Essentials
- Books or e-books
- Headphones
- Travel pillow
- Earplugs
- Eye mask
- Tissues
- Lip balm
- Change of clothes
- Food or snacks
- Water bottle
- In-flight medications
- Maps or guidebook
- Glasses/sunglasses
- List of medications
- Emergency contacts
- Credit card/bank cards
- Passport
- Travel itineraries and important information such as your boarding pass, the address of your accommodation or car hire service, and even a copy of your passport
Beach Holiday Packing List
While the above broad checklist will cover most of your bases, if you are embarking on a beach holiday there are a few travel essentials that we wanted to highlight:
- Beach towels
- Goggles/ snorkels
- Sandals/flip-flops/thongs
- Beach bag
- Bathers
- Sunglasses
- Beach towel
- Water-proof sunscreen
- After-sun care
- Insect repellent
Baby Essentials
If you are travelling with a baby, then there a few more essential travel items to add to your travel packing list.
- Nappies
- Clothing
- Swim nappies
- Baby shampoo and hairbrush
- Talcum powder
- Baby sunscreen
- Medicine
- Thermometer
- Dummies
- Blankets
- Sleepsuits
- Socks
- Travel cot
- Travel pram
- Wipes
- Nappy bag
- Disposable bibs
- Baby formula/ Baby food pouches/ snacks
- Toys/books
- Sudocrem
- Sunglasses
- Hats
- Baby monitor
- Feeding equipment
- Napping changing pad
Top Tip: "When packing for a trip, we always compartmentalise our gear into satchels and pack them with the least used at the bottom of our bag and most used at the top. This makes it easy to find what you're looking for in a rush and far more efficient when you're trying to pack for an early flight!" - Mark and Miranda, thecommonwanderer.com
