Citizens Advice Charnwood shares tips on how to have a trouble-free holiday.

'We're booking a summer holiday to Spain. It's been a while since we've gone on holiday and we really don't want anything to go wrong. What can we do to protect ourselves and prepare for the unexpected?'

The chances are you'll have the relaxing holiday you deserve, but there are a few things you can do in advance to help your holiday go smoothly. That includes the golden rule of getting travel insurance and brushing up on what your rights are if something goes wrong.

The first thing to do is check if your passport is in date. Renewing can take several weeks so you don't want to leave this until the last minute. You can check the validity of your passport for your trip on GOV.UK by seeing the entry requirements of the country you're travelling to - https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

This is especially important if you're flying to Europe as EU countries no longer accept passports that are more than ten years old. If your passport was issued pre-Brexit then the expiry date might be more than ten years from the issue date, but if it's older than ten years, you'll need to get it renewed for EU travel - even if it's still in date.

Also, some countries, including Spain, require your passport to have an 'expiry date' at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area. More details can be found on the Your Europe website - https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/non-eu-nationals/index_en.htm

Be aware of how you might be charged for using your mobile abroad. Over the past few years there have been some changes to mobile roaming charges by many of the UK's mobile phone firms. More information can be found on the Ofcom website - https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2022/off-on-holiday-follow-our-tips-to-avoid-a-big-mobile-roaming-bill

Flight delays and cancellations could happen to any of us, so it's worth knowing what your rights are if this happens.
If your flight is delayed long enough, your airline has to give you access to food and drink vouchers, phone calls and emails, and accommodation if you're delayed overnight.
If your flight is cancelled, you have a legal right to a full refund or replacement flight to help you get to your destination.

Bags going missing is another classic holiday nightmare. But you do have a right to compensation if your airline delays, loses or damages your checked-in luggage. The Citizens Advice website shows you how to do this.

You might also get compensation for other things, like a day trip getting cancelled, or if you paid for a deluxe room but only got a standard one.
This will depend on whether you booked a package holiday, made 'linked travel arrangements' or organised the holiday yourself as an independent traveller, so it's worth checking to see what compensation you can get.

Finally, Citizens Advice says you should get travel insurance, as it can cover many of the things already mentioned, like flight delays and lost luggage, but also things like a holiday cancellation and medical emergencies.
You should get insurance as soon as you book a holiday to make sure you're covered from the get go. But check first to see if you're covered for what you need through an existing insurance policy or through your bank account.

Hopefully you won't face any problems while on holiday, but early planning and preparations can go a long way. If something goes wrong and you need advice have a look at the Citizens Advice website -

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/holiday-cancellations-and-compensation/

or you can ring our Local Enquiry line and speak to one of our Advisers.

Our Local Enquiry Line is 01509 649605 and is open Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays 9.30am-3.00pm. More details can be found on our website - https://www.charnwoodcab.org.uk/

We are an independent charity, and we rely on the support of people like you.
Information about how to donate can be found on our website. – https://www.charnwoodcab.org.uk/support-us

Thank you.