With over 25 years experience advising clients on travel throughout the world, we have developed some top tips on preparing for your trip. Please select your area of concern, and don't hesitate to contact us for more information. Plan ahead so all you have to do is relax and enjoy!
Travel Advice
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office produces up-to-date travel information to help British travellers make informed decisions about travelling abroad. For more information click here, alternatively, visit www.abta.com
ATOL
Cleveland Collection is a member of ATOL and holidays and flights shown are ATOL Protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. ATOL Protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom. ATOL Licence No. 3384. For details visit www.caa.co.uk
Insurance
All Clear Travel provides medical travel insurance for people with pre-existing medical conditions who find difficulty in getting travel insurance elsewhere, whether it's because of medical conditions, disability or age. For more information, click here
Airport Hotels / Parking
Holiday Extras - the UK's market leader in holiday extras - airport hotels, parking and much, much more Click here for more information.
Check-in Online
Save time at the airport by checking in online. Select your seat, print your boarding pass and avoid the lengthy queues. Click here
Casual, comfortable wash-and-wear clothing is most useful. Most hotels offer extremely quick laundry turnaround, and it is certainly not necessary to bring a separate change of clothing for each day. It is recommended that luggage is kept to a minimum for own comfort and ease of transport, particularly if light aircraft transfers are utilised.
Useful items to take include scissors, tweezers, lipsalve, and sun block as well as preferred brands of toiletries and cosmetics, as local supplies may be scarce. Also take a torch and a pocket knife, and spectacle wearers should take a spare pair.
All passports must be valid at least 6 months beyond the date of intended stay, and some countries also require there to be a minimum number of blank pages. Please note that all children now require their own passport.
Visa requirements change very frequently so please check with us for the very latest information. Should a visa need to be obtained in advance of travel we can recommend the services of a visa company. Please note that postal applications to certain embassies can take up-to 4 weeks so early application is advisable.
The majority of currencies cannot be obtained in advance overseas. Whilst cash is preferable in more rural areas, credit cards are accepted in most major centres and hotels. Travellers Cheques can be cashed at banks and with various money exchanges available in main centres.
The exact choice of vaccines required depends on many individual factors as well as the precise travel plans. The vaccines most commonly recommended to travellers to remote or jungle areas include tetanus, typhoid, meningitis, polio, yellow fever, rabies and hepatitis A.
In addition, malaria is a serious disease spread by mosquitoes, with prevention consisting of taking anti-malarial medication. Every traveller to malaria areas should seek advice from a qualified doctor or practitioner prior to travel and the use of insect repellent locally is also advisable.
The standard luggage allowance in economy class is between 20-23kgs, with hand baggage allowance varying by airline. Additional allowances are offered for those travelling in premium classes, but please note some light aircraft flights restrict baggage to 12-15kg, (preferably packed in a soft bag), plus a reasonable amount of camera equipment.
Be wary of eating food from local foodstalls, and try to wash produce before preparation where self-catering. Only drink water known to be safe. In certain areas water purification tablets are required if drinking tap water, and brush teeth only with bottled water.
Please show respect for local inhabitants and the environment. Try not to demean, insult or patronise and always ask permission before photographing people or property. Take nothing away but memories and photographs, and leave nothing but footprints!
It is always nice to take home a little remembrance of your holiday and some countries offer a wealth of cultural artefacts. However some areas suffer incredible poverty and tourists are welcomed as a source of much needed income. Visitors may like to further enrich the lives of locals by collecting any unwanted items of clothing (t-shirts, baseball caps, trainers, etc), in advance of travelling and donating them whilst abroad.
