Travel in STYLE

Excitingly so many of you are now booking those epic holidays and most longed for trips. Far-flung destinations have now all completely opened up again to tourists, amongst others these include Japan, New Zealand and China, which means lots are now booking some exciting long haul destinations.

As a luxury travel agent and concierge I am helping my busy clients to plan some amazing adventures to some very exotic places and so I wanted to share my advice to help you to plan your trips in the safest and most secure way possible - here are my top tips!

Book a protected package deal where possible, which means something that, is regulated by ATOL if it includes a flight (so it is through a travel agent like me). Should something happen to your airline before or while you are away then your entire trip would be protected. It means you will be one of the first to be repatriated back to the UK, rather than left stranded overseas. Ask to see ATOL accreditation from any provider before you book.

If you are planning a UK based or accommodation only holiday then make sure your accommodation is protected by ABTA by booking through a travel agent like myself. Then if you turn up and the villa not exist or the hotel closed due to flooding then this protection means you will be given an alternative or a full refund of money paid. This will give you piece of mind especially if your holiday is for a large group or to mark a special occasion.

Research your destination before you book anything. Check the FCO advisory on the government website for where you want to go. Be clear on entry requirements as some places have updated these recently, especially European countries that are still part of the EU. Spain, the number one holiday destination for Brits is a good example, as your UK passport needs to have more than 3 months validity on it from the date you plan to leave Spain in order to enter the country. I have heard of more than one holidaymaker being turned away from the airport departure gate because their child’s passport doesn’t have enough validity in it to travel. Please check what is allowed before you book and also again at least a week before you travel in case things change.

Insurance people roll their eyes usually when I mention this but so many of you book a holiday and then wait until just before you depart to book your travel insurance. Well STOP now. You need to check and book this at the time you confirm your holiday. Some of you may have holiday insurance included through your bank or credit card company so double check if you do and that it covers you for your destination. Some policies including annual ones only cover Europe so you might have to add in extra cover for worldwide, USA or ski or specialist holidays too. I have heard stories of people (myself included) who booked holidays and then broke their leg or tore a knee ligament before they had managed to take out travel insurance for their holiday. They could no longer travel and their holiday was non-refundable so they lost all of their money. Don’t be that person. Pay the deposit for your holiday with a credit card not a debit card. Most credit cards (check this includes yours) will give you purchase protection for any payments over £100 so by paying the deposit for your trip with your card, as long as the amount is over the £100 threshold, then you will be protected for this payment, until you take out your travel insurance for your trip.

If you are planning on booking your own holidays then these will help you to do so safely and in the most secure way possible too. Some I include and do automatically for my clients as part of my service so they can have complete peace of mind.

The top destinations and packages I’m organising at the moment include group holidays to Morocco so friends can catch up with milestone birthdays, a solo trip around Asia (including a rail journey from Cambodia to Vietnam and a cruise along the Mekong delta) and a big family trip to Lapland staying in an Aurora cabin with a glass roof perfect for star and northern lights gazing.

My VIP travel planning days are also proving popular as I help clients to plan an entire year of travel and fun in one day so they can feel excited every time they open their calendar or diary. This includes holidays, cruises, spa weekends, theatre breaks, sporting events, villa or yacht hire and festivals.

Are you planning an amazing adventure this year?

I am Sarah Stephens the luxury escapist and travel concierge. Please do connect with me on social media instagram and facebook @sarahstephensescapes or www.sarahstephensescapes.com