 |
| Select for an Instant Car Hire Quote! |
This travel advice is brought to you courtesy of Car Hire Assistant, The Car Hire Comparison Site. Compare car hire with up to 550 suppliers, in 175 countries and over 30,000 rental locations. Car Hire Assistant's price comparison service is free and we add nothing to the rental price.
Planning your Trip
Things always seem to go better when they are carefully planned and flying to another destination is no exception. Plan well and all things being equal, you should have an uneventful trip with less stress. Here are the top tips:
Before you leave
- Ensure that you have your airline tickets, vouchers for hotel bookings, car rental and/or airport shuttle transfers, your passport, visa (if required), money, credit cards and travellers cheques. If you are renting a car at your destination, make sure you have your driver's licence (paper and photo) and, if necessary, an international drivers permit. These items should all be kept in your hand luggage.
- Familiarise yourself with the 'banned item' list, these change from time to time, but it is important to know what can go in your hand luggage, what must go in the hold and what you simply cannot take with you.
- Avoid wrapping items such as gifts or presents because these may be opened by security at your departing or destination airport.
- If you are taking essential medicines, ensure that that they are in their original packaging and, if they are prescription drugs, try and get a letter from your doctor confirming that these have been prescribed for you. Also remember, that is some countries, certain drugs are banned, even if you have been prescribed them by your doctor. If in doubt, check with the airline and/or embassy.
- Make sure that you choose comfortable clothing, especially if it is a long journey, also be cognisant of the weather at your destination, which may influence your choice of clothes.
- Check the weight of your luggage. Most airlines have a strict policy on exceeding baggage limits and airport surcharges can be very expensive. In addition, some airlines will not allow you to pay in excess at checkin, which could lead to delays and inconvenience.
Heading for the airport
- Always remember to allow plenty of time to arrive at the airport. As a general rule, if you are taking an international flight, you should aim to be at the airport at least 2 hours prior to departure. For local or domestic flights, at least one hour.
- Make sure you know what terminal you are departing from, some airports are very large and the distance between the terminal buildings can be considerable.
- Allow plenty of time to get to the airport. Road maintenance often happens at night, and this can occasionally lead to unexpected road closures, so check before you travel and allow ample time for your journey. If you are travelling during the day, then traffic may become your curse, once again, check on travel information sites and allow extra time for unexpected delays.
- If you are driving to the airport yourself, it is advisable to book your airport parking in advance. Many websites no offer this service and it can be much cheaper than attempting to find parking on arrival.
- If you are using public transport to get to the airport, then make sure you have booked advance tickets and also, that there are no planned maintenance (in respect of railways) or anticipated road works in the case of coach travel.
- If you are travelling by hire car and intend to leave it at the airport, make sure the rental company has facilities to allow you to drop it off. Not all car rental companies have airport facilities, many are located just outside.
On arrival at the airport terminal
- Since 2001, airport security has been tightened considerably and, on occasion, additional security measures are employed at very short notice. As a consequence, the amount of time taken to go through airport security has lengthened considerably and it can also be unpredictable, especially if additional measures have been introduced.
- Make sure you are familiar with what you can take through security, particularly in relation to banned items and liquids. Remember, even if you have purchased something at the airport (such as drinks), you may not be able to take it through security and/or on the airline.
- You must keep your baggage with you at all times. In part because of the security issues at airports, but also because it will almost certainly contain your essential travel documents and you would not want to lose them or have them stolen. You should never look after the belongings of other people or agree to carry anything onto the aircraft on their behalf.
- Once you are through passport control and security, make sure you keep a close eye on the 'departure boards', many airport no longer make verbal announcements and you need to know which gate number your flight is departing from. Also consider the amount of time it takes to get from where you are to the gate, some airport are very large, such as Heathrow and it can take up to 30 minutes to get to the gate.
On the plane
- If you are going on a long journey, then try to relax and get some sleep. For shorter journeys you may want to read a book, watch a movie or listen to music on your MP3 player. So make sure you have packed laptops, tablets and/or music players into your hand luggage.
- It is advisable not to eat too much on long haul flights, because this can lead to an inability to sleep or indigestion. Move around the aircraft as much as you can to keep your circulation working. If you have flight socks, then consider using them.
- Avoid too much alcohol, but drink plenty of other beverages to avoid dehydration.
