Citizens Advice: A simple holiday booking checklist


Booking a holiday can be overwhelming, especially if it’s been a while since you last went away. It’s unlikely anything will go wrong, but we’ve prepared a simple checklist to make sure you can relax into your holiday knowing you’re protected from the unexpected.
Check your passport is in date - especially for EU travel
Renewing your passport can take several weeks and isn’t something to leave until the last minute. Check the validity of your passport for your trip on GOV.UK by finding out the entry requirements of the country you’re travelling to. It can also take longer to get your passport if you haven’t had one for a while (your previous one expired and you didn’t renew it), or you’re applying for your first passport, so make sure you bear this in mind when booking.
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Hide AdIf you’re heading to Europe, bear in mind EU countries don’t accept passports more than ten years old. This includes passports issued pre-Brexit, which may have longer expiry dates. Just remember, the golden rule for EU travel is: if your passport was issued over ten years ago, you’ll need to get it renewed.
Know your rights if something goes wrong
If your flight’s delayed long enough – usually two to four hours, depending on the journey – your airline must provide access to food and drink vouchers, phone calls and emails, and accommodation if you’re delayed overnight. If it’s cancelled, you’re legally entitled to a full refund or replacement flight to help you get to your destination. You’re also entitled to compensation if your airline delays, loses or damages your checked-in luggage. Your airline will have more information about this on their website.
Get travel insurance
Although it’s an extra expense, travel insurance can cover many of the things already mentioned, like flight delays and lost luggage, but also things like a holiday cancellation and medical emergencies.
Citizens Advice recommends getting insurance as soon as you book a holiday to make sure you’re covered right away – but always check first to see if an existing insurance policy, or your bank account, covers what you need for your holiday. There’s no need to double up if you’re already covered!
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Hide AdThe chances are your holiday will be problem-free, but early planning and preparation can make all the difference. If you need advice on a consumer problem, head to the Citizens Advice website at www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer, or call on 0808 223 1133.
If you would like to speak to Kirklees Citizens Advice and Law Centre about an issue you’re facing, call us on 0808 278 7896 (Freephone), or use our online web enquiry form at http://www.kcalc.org.uk/contact-us. You can also visit us at our Dewsbury Contact Centre on Mondays and Tuesdays, 09:30-3, found within Empire House. You may be coming to us for
the first time, but we can help with housing, asylum, debt, benefits and more. See our website at http://www.kcalc.org.uk for more information.