When planning a short break for you and a loved one, things can get confusing pretty quickly. Whether you’re hoping to go away with a partner or a friend, proper planning is always the key to making sure you enjoy yourselves and don’t end up with any last minute snags. Here is an essential checklist to ensure your holiday goes off without a hitch.
Travel
There are hidden fees everywhere in the larger metropolises, and travel is no exception. Arrange a prepaid travel card for your trip, particularly if you plan on getting lost. You’re in for a long walk if you get stuck at the wrong end of the London underground.
Accommodation
Owing to the continued rise of backpacking in the East and Australia, it is wrongly becoming an assumption that you can walk into a new place and find a cheap hostel with little hassle. Always organise your accommodation in advance of your trip, at least as a back-up if you can’t land anything cheaper. If you’re in London and looking for something more bespoke, look into self-catering apartments by Home from Home.
Food
Something more commonly neglected than you’d think, organising the gastronomic aspect of a break is usually left until last, which is fair enough if you want to eat out every night. If your city break is longer than a couple of days though, consider catered accommodation for you and your travel companion. You don’t have to cash in each meal, but you’ll be glad of it after a long day.
Sightseeing
Most tourists like to ad-lib their sight-seeing. This can end up being a bad move, because availability and prices fluctuate at peak times. When visiting a site in its busy season, booking online or even calling them up a few days beforehand is usually a sound way to bring the price down. Even in a busy period they don’t want to send custom away. Remember your student cards, NHS or army ID – you don’t want to miss out on a concession.
It’s a fairly elementary equation: planning ahead makes life easier, cheaper and hassle free. There is a whole pocket of business dedicated to slapping tourists with extra fees. Don’t let yourselves be a part of it, and plan to be smarter and more comfortable when the time comes to take a break.
