Before my sister went on her year abroad to Granada I helped her pack a year’s worth of clothes in her student rucksack by rolling everything into neat cigar shapes. This simple method stops creasing and packs a lot in a small space.

Now thirty years on she still tries to take ten times what she needs and I still need to edit what she thinks she needs. The key to packing perfectly is to be realistic. If you always come back with clean clothes then halve what you normally pack. Unless you are a Paparazzi-followed celebrity you can wear a skirt or pair of trousers twice, just with a different top. So, coordinate items.

Keep it simple. If every year you pack your trainers ready for that sunset jog along the beach in Brittany but have never yet achieved it then don’t pack them. Or wear them. If you follow the guidelines below you can take a carry-on case and avoid high charges for hold luggage. And what to take it all in? A soft-sided wheeled case is less restrictive than a hard-sided carry-on and easily expands to fit more if you want to check it in.

Six steps

1. If you’re travelling to a country with guaranteed heat then don’t bulk up your luggage packing unnecessary coats and jackets. I always pack a thick pashmina or wrap which works well for in-flight comfort and anywhere else with over fierce air con.

2. Beauty queens take note. Pretty much all brands offer mini versions but, if not, then see it as a chance to try another product line. After all, a different climate changes your skin. Also, consider decanting multi-purpose products such as coconut oil into smaller 100ml (or under) bottles that you can take in your cabin bag, whether checking in luggage or not. Don’t be scared to ask for samples at beauty counters.

3. I’ve travelled the world with my trusty debit card and pretty much never gone without, but the safest, surest money method is to pack the prepaid multi-currency money card. Withdraw cash with no fee (most providers offer this), top up when the exchange rates are at their best but the main advantage is that they are secure. If you lost it in the back of a taxi, it can be cancelled and replaced, usually for a small fee.

4. It may sound incredibly obvious but check the expiry date on your passport before you even book your trip. Certain countries require at least six months validity. We once discovered that my daughter’s passport had expired the night before a long haul flight and so had to cancel the trip. Not very impressive for a travel writer… Avoid such travel stress by checking both your passport in advance and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website’s country-by-country guide.

5. Try to retain the handy overnight kit you get in certain classes on some airlines (even in economy, Virgin, for example, provide a clear zip up recycled case complete with pen, ear plugs, eye mask, socks, a toothbrush and paste which proves invaluable for a last-minute stash in my cabin bag). You may think the eye mask is for long haul travel but try sleeping in a city hotel surrounded by lights or a hotel with paltry curtains.

6. On our last holiday, my 12-year-old daughter had the foresight to pack a reusable KeepCup with some herb tea bags secreted inside and ask the cabin crew for some hot water. Not only are these more environmental than buying a drink but a ‘nice’ cup of liquorice tea helped her sleep on a cramped low-cost flight.

Happy packing…

For further useful packing tips see our previous blogs:

Going away? Don’t forget the travel packing checklist

I never go on holiday without

Jo Fernandez is a leading UK travel journalist, with much of her career spent working for the London Evening Standard where she was Travel Editor until 2015.
Now a freelance travel journalist and copywriter, she lives in Essex and has one daughter. As a travel expert, she still enjoys jetting off to write travel pieces, with favourite destinations including Mexico, Croatia and, of course, Essex.

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Our reliance on electronics and desire for constant connectivity means it’s rare to travel without at least one gadget. Technology has silenced our children’s cries of ‘Are we nearly there yet?’ and with summer approaching, the skies will be full of children glued to their devices. We adults are no better with very few of us embarking a plane without a gadget.

Following new rules set in place by Donald Trump, last week the UK government introduced new security measures concerning travelling with larger electronic devices from six specific countries. So let’s talk about the rules regarding devices.

What gadgets can you travel with?

For direct flights to the UK from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia all phones, tablets or laptops must be checked in with your hold luggage if they are larger than:
* 16cm (length)
* 9.3cm (width)
* 1.5cm (depth)

To put it in context, large smartphones such as the iPhone 7 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy 7 Edge are still allowed in your carry-on luggage. You can’t take any phone, tablet or laptop that is larger than this as hand luggage, even if you bought it at the airport (for example, at a duty free shop). These rules also apply to connecting flights via these countries, even if your journey started elsewhere. For more information visit the UK Department for Transport’s website.

How will the electronics ban affect flying?

Initially British Airways is the UK airline most affected as it flies from all the named countries except Tunisia, followed by EasyJet, Jet2.com, Monarch, Thomas Cook and Thomson. Inevitably the electronics ban will cause confusion and frustration. There are already reports of a lack of uniformity from country to country regarding how thoroughly checks are made. Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) was quick to denounce the measures, questioning their effectiveness and calling for an alternative – see below video by Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

On a financial note, travellers preferring a cheaper fare that allows hand luggage only will now have to pay to check a bag in if they are carrying large electronic devices. For both travellers and industry insiders there are strong concerns including the possibility of a government ban on laptops and tablets from cabins on all flights. And if you need tips on really flying on a budget check our previous blog on 5 tips.

If you have any concerns or are not completely clear on what you can take always contact the airline that you are flying with in advance.

Happy travelling!

Jo Fernandez is a leading UK travel journalist, with much of her career spent working for the London Evening Standard where she was Travel Editor until 2015.
Now a freelance travel journalist and copywriter, she lives in Essex and has one daughter. As a travel expert, she still enjoys jetting off to write travel pieces, with favourite destinations including Mexico, Croatia and, of course, Essex.

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Heading off to escape ‘summer’ in the UK? I’m not jealous, I promise. I’m not. In fact – here’s a parting gift of my own handy list of holiday essentials to take when I go away, designed for swift and compact packing that beats budget-airline red tape.

(But really, I’m not jealous at all.)

My top 10 holiday essentials

1. Ear plugs. Probably not what you’d expect at the top of anyone’s list of holiday essentials. But it’s not just light sleepers that might find this an essential item both on the bedside table and in the bric-a-brac pouch of the rucksack. Earplugs come in handy when your underway too, for example to muffle the sound of cranky children. Or stag parties. I use regular soft ear plugs, but air-pressure-regulating earplugs could be an alternative for the plane, potentially helping to keep your ears happy as the altitude changes.

2. Flip-flops. Even if towels are provided at my destination, comfy indoor footwear often isn’t. I’ve trodden on cold floors, wet floors, and less regularly cleaned floors; all situations where flip-flops help. On the flip (ha!) side, they also come in handy in a heatwave.

3. Hot-water bottle. Talking about things warm – for those with perpetually cold hands or feet, a mini hot-water bottle can save the day on many an unheated bus/train/plane trip, and in cold hotel bedrooms. Boiling water is readily available in cafes if you’re on the go, and you can often get pretty hot water from airport/railway station bathroom taps.

4. Small shoulder-bag, for days when you don’t need to lug your rucksack around. Also handy for stashing documents, passports, keys and other valuables, and keeping them close on the plane/train/coach/boat.

5. Tablet with small keyboard. I’m by no means welded to my electronic entourage, but the trade-off of flexible working hours is that I sometimes need to check in while I’m away. After years of lugging around a ginormous 15-inch brick of a laptop, I invested in a small Bluetooth keyboard build to fit to my tablet, and haven’t looked back.

6. Think discount: Student ID any other cards that might potentially get you a discount are easy enough to stash away in your wallet, so take them.

Health cover could save you cash on a holiday abroad © Wolfilser

7. Think insurance: Definitely a must in any list of holiday essentials: I never go away without good cover. Citizen of the European Economic Area or Switzerland, and going on a European holiday? The free EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) is there for the taking, so don’t forget to apply for it in good time. You might still need extra health insurance, so check exactly how EHIC works in the country you’re visiting.

8. Think cash, in the form of a pre-paid travel card. There are many to choose from, and you can load some of them with a variety of currencies before and during your trips.

9. A ‘Pack this’ checklist – yes, I actually use these for my inbound as well as outbound trips. If you’ve ever forgotten to pack everything up after a holiday, you’ll know why packing checklists are a swell idea in both directions.

10. A pouch of ‘goes-without-saying’, including travel tickets and in-date ID (check the validity entry requirements for the country you’re heading to), medication and mini-toiletries. In 100ml refill bottles, not off-the-shelf, of course.

And with that, I bid you ‘farewell’, and wish you a truly fantastic time away!

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Affordability is a huge part of an enjoyable holiday. And since holidays invariably start with a journey, we thought it would be a good idea to look into flying on a budget.

In this blog post we focus on the usual suspects – cheap flights – and how to ensure you’re really flying on a budget. We’ve saved you the leg work and put together some tried and tested tips for keeping travel costs down.

Have a safe – and cheap – flight!

Updated 27 June 2018.

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In our second blog post of travel apps reviews, we turn to nifty programmes that turn your smartphone into a sat nav for trips at home and abroad, help you plan a hike, and generally utilise digital magic to stop you getting lost.

A good user interface, turn-by-turn navigation and real-time traffic information worldwide are just some of the reasons why Navmii is giving standalone sat-nav sets a run for their money. The first-ever free navigation smartphone app is still yours for nothing, or you can opt for the ad-free paid version (£1.49). Available on iOS, Blackberry, Android and Windows Phone (free)

Use Navmii better with this handy tutorial from the Daily App Show.

Planning your hike or run in the wild just got that bit easier to plan, navigate and even share – with Viewranger. Use it free, or buy topographical maps for over 20 other countries, including most of Europe. This cool GPS tool is now integrated with Apple Health, meaning iPhone users can view their step count, heart rate and other live stats. Available free on iOS and Android.

Teamwork is what makes Waze as good as it is. A community of ‘Wazers’ feed this navigation whiz with up-to-date road data, there’s automatic rerouting to avoid traffic jams and speed-camera alerts. And the look’s not half bad either. Available free on iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

Navigating to your destination may be more than half the battle, but there’s also the trickiness of finding space to park. AA Parking sets out to minimise UK drivers’ efforts but beware: one, this is the only paid-for app in this edition of our travel apps reviews; and two, there’s no real-time availability info. Available on iOS (£1.49), Android (£1.99) and Windows Phone (£1.99).

Leaving the car behind and heading further afield? If you’re making your way to/from the airport or the train station, and you’re after a convenient ride, then the Hailo app was just the thing. A couple of taps is all it took, and all cars and taxies were licensed. Was available on iPhone (free) and Android (free). Is there a replacement?

The velo-fans among you will love the bike-specific routing of Cycle Streets’ nav app. Put in your start and end points for any short- or long-distance ride, pick a route preference (from quiet and balanced to short and fast) and get on yer bike. Available on iOS, Android, Blackberry 10 and Windows Phone (free).

Look out for future travel apps reviews that we hope will make your wellbeing getaways even more enjoyable.

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My grandmother – or a friend, or some wise guy on Facebook – once gave me this travel packing advice: “Always take half as many clothes and twice as much money as you think you’ll need.”

If you’ve heard that one before, you’ll know it’s much harder than it sounds. Much, much harder.

Whether it’s the late-night stuffing of a large cabin bag or the frustration of forgetting your flip-flops and your camera charger, holiday packing is by far the least relaxing thing about going away.

But help is at hand.

One travel packing checklist? Tick

These days there are loads of different ways to keep track of what’s going into your bag. From printable PDF checklists to apps like Packing Pro, you should never have to do it all on your own.

Need a place to start? Here are our favourites:

1. Her Packing List has a huge range of checklists in the form of itemised web pages. Aimed at female travellers wizzing off to destinations including the Greek islands, Croatia, and Turkey’s Bodrum peninsula. There’s even a yoga-retreat travel packing checklist.
2. TravelSmith’s packing checklist: download, print, and off you go. Includes toiletries, all the travel essentials, and separate clothes prompts for men and women. Also check out Smarter Travel’s Ultimate packing list. Both are great for all sorts of journeys.
3. TripList: the self-proclaimed best packing app for iOS lets you create and store checklists for posterity using an items catalogue. Ticking off the items you’ve packed is pretty gratifying, and there’s an added bonus: it’s free.
4. Pack This: a hard-copy pad with categorised tear-off checklists that will last you a good while. You’ll need £5.95, but it’s been well and truly worth it for this writer.

Deciding what types of things to pack with the help of a travel packing checklist is a major win in the battle of you versus suitcase. But don’t get carried away by that victorious feeling. Remember also to keep the number of items you take as low as possible.

Don’t pack clothes – pack outfits

Clothes are probably the bulkiest family of travel items you’ll be taking along, so take time to get your travel wardrobe right.

Check out Wanderlust and Lipstick’s packing tips for women travels, and heed this advice from blogger Kalyn Nicholson: “The first thing I do is lay out outfits.” – that is, visualise what you’ll wear day to day, rather than thinking about individual clothes items, and that should help you keep volumes down.

We wish you (hopefully at least a little bit) happier packing, and happy travels!

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Booking your wellbeing holiday is one thing; getting ready to go, and making sure you make the most of your getaway, is quite another.

We know most of you are armed with the essential survival kit that is the smartphone. That’s why we’ve researched travel apps to help you reduce the stress of planning, packing, navigating and managing your finances while you’re away.

In a series of travel apps reviews, we’ll bring you details of nifty tools that could make your trip even more enjoyable.

Here’s our pick of apps to help you get organised before you set off. To make sure you don’t miss future posts with travel apps reviews and other travel tips, sign up for our regular email updates.

Trip up stress with travel apps?

Ever struggled to find that flight confirmation, hotel reservation or the details of the car-hire pick-up in the maze that is your overflowing inbox? Ever lovingly prepared a neat stack of printed travel arrangements, only to leave them neatly stacked on your desk? Yes?

Well, this one is for you. Just forward all your confirmation emails to TripIt, and this free app will ‘automagically’ produce your very own personal itinerary to make sure you never lose track again. Start banishing stress before you even land at your holiday destination. Free

Remember the milk

Look past the cute cow and the milk reminder (not necessarily something you worry about when you’re away), and you’ll find a great tool that helps you manage hectic schedules, mundane chores and helps you prioritise key dates.

Remember the milk is one of the free travel apps that help you plan your trip. It’s great for organising timings, appointments and every to-do list under the sun, including priorities in the days before you set off. Sun? Did anyone say sun? Free

A wish for genie

Arriving in holiday paradise only to be floored by jetlag can be pretty annoying. You might not be able to change the time zones of Sri Lanka or the Bahamas, but here is a trick that might just help you minimise the time you spend in bed after you arrive.

Enter your flight details and sleeping patterns into JetLag Genie, and it’ll suggest when you should sleep, wake up, sit in the sun or stay in the dark, to get you acclimatised ahead of arrival. If you try it, be sure to tell us if it made your trip that bit more comfortable. £2.29

Pack like a pro

From adventure-packed getaways to relaxing pampering holidays, and weekends to longer escapes, Packing Pro could help you save time and energy in deciding what to bring with you. Give the app your destination, the length of your holiday, and details of your travel buddies, and it will make handy suggestions for essentials and nice-to-haves you can bring. Choose from over 800 items, or add your own. £2.29

Offline mapping

The wildcard among our trip-planning apps. Despite mixed reviews, we’ve thrown in Tourist Eye because of its free offline maps tailored for your getaway. Plan your itinerary and download text, photos and other relevant content before you go to avoid data charges while you’re away. Might be wise to bring one of those old-fashioned fold-out paper thingies too, just in case. Free

Over the coming weeks and months we’ll bring you plenty more travel apps reviews, for apps that suit all sorts of interests and trips. Watch this space, and sign up for our free updates if you don’t want to miss an article.

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Most of us know it’s better to be safe than sorry – even if many still choose not to get good cover when they go away. But how do you find cheap travel insurance that’s right for you?

Flight delays and medical treatment abroad are among the most common disruptions to our coveted getaways, and compensating for those can be pricey enough.

But holidaymakers face other, much wider challenges too. Like financial instability and the threat of strikes in sunny but tumultuous Greece. Or natural disasters, from storms and tsunamis to eruptions of volcanic ash.

So unless your credit-card provider or your bank already covers you for these eventualities (check with them directly), be smart and buy piece of mind in the shape of a good, cheap travel insurance package.

What does good cover look like? According to Moneywise UK, your insurance should offer at least £2 million for medical expenses, £1 million for personal liability, £3,000 for cancellation, £1,500 as baggage cover and £250 cover for cash. Then there’s cover for delays, as well as airlines, hotels or other service providers going bust.

If all of this seems far too much to negotiate, don’t worry; we’ve compiled a checklist to make the search quicker and more focused.

Here’s everything you need to think about when you’re looking for cheap travel insurance that doesn’t just save you pennies but is effective too.

Cheap travel insurance DOs:

1. Use price-comparison sites to help you narrow things down – both in terms of price and the right policy for you. You’ll find a good range of insurers, but remember that not all are included.
2. Always, always, always (always!) read the small print. For example, does the insurance cover all the activities you’ll be doing – yoga, Pilates, horse-riding, wind-surfing, etc? Are there any significant exclusions from the policy that might affect you – for example ‘acts of nature’ or ’acts of God’? How does the provider define ‘weather-related events’, and do they include ash from volcanic eruptions?
3. Check if you’re covered for financial failure of service providers such as airlines and hotels. This is advisable in the current economic climate.
4. Make sure you’re happy with the excess on the policy. This can go into the hundreds of pounds – can you absorb it?
5. Take out travel insurance even if your wellbeing holiday is in the UK. Travel disruption, problems with accommodation and natural disasters can spoil any getaway.
6. Bring your EHIC card if you have one and you’re travelling in Europe. If not, apply for one now. It’s free. See our recent blog with tips for free EHIC card.

Cheap travel insurance DON’Ts:

1. Don’t wait to take out insurance. Buy one when you book your trip, and you’ll be covered immediately in case of cancellation.
2. Don’t pick a cover that doesn’t cover you. Make sure you have comprehensive travel and medical insurance that’s right for your trip.
3. Don’t lie about your medical history, or you’ll likely end up paying for your medical care.
4. Don’t assume anything. Double-check all insurance details directly with your provider.
5. Don’t forget to check the reviews. Is the provider reputable? Do they have a good track record in paying up for justified claims?
6. Don’t hesitate to take out an annual insurance – it can save you money. You might find it does if you’re making more than one journey in the year.

We hope this gets you going! For more detailed help and advice, consult the MoneySavingExpert, MoneyWise, or Which?

Updated 27 June 2018.

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Above-inflation hikes in UK train fares may just be coming to an end, but ticket prices are already making a dent in wallets up and down the country. So here are some ideas for making your pennies go further on train journeys with our tips for cheap train travel.

If you find them useful, sign up for free updates so you don’t miss out on other great travel tips.

Tips for cheap train travel at home

1. Split-ticketing: Splitting your journey each way and buying two tickets instead of one could save you a considerable amount of cash. This is in line with train companies’ terms and conditions, and you can usually stay on the same train and even in the same seat. Here’s an example by the Money Saving Expert: if you’re travelling from London to Manchester, buying a ticket from London to Stoke-On-Trent and another from Stoke-On-Trent to Manchester is likely to cost less than the actual London–Manchester fare. Both Money Saving Expert and Split Ticketing have great tools to help you find cheap train travel.
2. Scout out special offers: National Rail publishes a list of available concessions. Keep an eye on those as they’re updated regularly.
3. Anyone for £1 fares? Yep, we thought you might be. Check out Megabus’s cheap train travel on regular services by established rail companies. Remember to select the ‘Train’ option – unless you’d rather go by bus, of course.
4. Tesco customer? Double up on Clubcard points: Exchange your cash vouchers on the Red Spotted Hanky website and make them work twice as hard for you as they do in the shop.
5. Get a railcard: No, these are not just for students and the over-60s. Get a third off rail journeys in the south-east of England and further afield with a Network Railcard, or use one of a range of other railcards for cheap train travel.

And finally a quick nod to overnight sleeper buses. We know – it’s a bit of a departure from trains, but a great alternative for longer journeys, and easier on the wallet. Check out Megabus Gold and their comfortable, inexpensive beds. WiFi, power sockets and refreshments are included. Daytime services also available.

Cheap train travel abroad

Try Deutsche Bahn’s English-language site for quick access to timetables of services across the continent and often cheap train fares. And check out Seat 61’s handy guide to booking cheap train tickets online, with answers to frequently asked questions about European rail travel.
And there’s now a bus service offered by Flixbus with comfortable new buses and incredibly cheap fares, e.g. London to Paris from only £14.50, or London to Amsterdam from £19.00. We’ve tried the service and were very happy.

We hope you found our little guide to cheap train travel useful – bon voyage!

Last updated 27 June 2018

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A recent trip brought home the need to plan ahead and be smart about spending money abroad.

A self-guided cycling tour across Europe towards the end of last year was quite possibly the best travel experience I’d ever had. It was also one of the most expensive. I was keen to find out about options for cheap holiday money.

Since bank statements now disclose transaction and cash charges for the use of debit and credit cards abroad, I became aware for the first time just how much using my British debit card was costing me. The cheap Euro, it seems, wasn’t translating into cheap holiday money in my case.

Here are two typical examples:

• Paying a €115 bike-service bill with Visa Debit cost me not just £91.63, but also a 2.99% non-sterling transaction fee of £2.73 from the card provider.
• When I withdrew €300 from an ATM in Germany, £239.40 left my account. So did £7.15 (for the non-sterling transaction), and a cash fee of £3.59.

Helping travel money travel further

The best way to swallow the painful memory of these additional charges was to avoid the same error on my next trip.

Using tips for cheap holiday money from Martin Lewis’s Money Saving Expert site – including a handy exchange-rate comparison tool – I armed myself with a pre-paid travel-money card.

It’s worth noting that pre-paid cards don’t offer the same spending protection as regular debit and credit cards. However, avoiding very large purchases, you are likely to find that disadvantages are far outweighed by the benefits:

• Pick your exchange rate: You have flexibility to choose where you exchange your money, instead of being locked in by your bank.
• Avoid unnecessary charges: Paying for goods and services in the local currency means you won’t get penalised by your bank or card issuer. And you’re cash will go further, making the most of the higher purchase power of sterling versus euro.
• Speed and convenience: no queuing at bureaux de change; buy your cash online from currency providers like Travelex, MoneyCorp or the Post Office as late as the day before your trip, then pick up your preloaded card from your nearest branch or at the airport (check availability first)
• Safety: A great alternative to carrying cash around with you, travel money cards – like regular debit cards – are protected with pin numbers and signatures.
• Never run out of cash: Reload quickly and easily online.
• More than one currency: currency providers like Travelex offer multi-currency cash cards so that you’re covered for all your trips and those travel money cards don’t pile up.

If you aren’t pushed for time, another source of cheap holiday money could be a high-street bank debit or credit card with good rates for payments abroad. This would stand you in good stead when you’re making online purchases in different currencies, too.

Last updated 27 June 2018

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