The UK Insurance Blog

I have just read a great article about holiday travelling by Nick Trend in the Telegraph.

It’s essentially about packed roads and busy airports: stressful holiday travelling. Why oh why do people find themselves travelling off to holiday ON THE SAME DAY? Why do we do it to ourselves? With a bit of advanced planning, we can eradicate this misery and work with each other, instead of against!

How about it?!

To get us started, Nick Trend offers a list of the worst dates to find yourself travelling up the A12 or when thinking of enjoying a nice relaxing weekend’s driving holiday across to Cornwall, Cumbria or the Outer Hebrides, these are the times when NOT (!!!) to do it!

Avoid the roads and airports in Scotland during June 27th to the 29th June for this is when most of the schools north of the border break up. Expect congestion, queues and worse besides. If in France, July 12th should be avoided at all costs especially on the roads heading south. There will be considerable delays! The Rhone Valley and roads towards the Alps are bad too on this date! Back in Scotland, avoid Glasgow Airport’s busiest day of the year, July12th-13th (its the Glasgow Fair fortnight). In England and Wales, the schools break up around the 22nd July, you will need to avoid the forthcoming weekend of that particular week. Everyone will be going away. Sensible types will be off during the week which relieves a lot of the pressure. The Association of British Travel Agents (also known as Abta) defines this time as the busiest weekend of the year for outwards travelling. Avoid at all costs! Typical busy roads on the Friday or Saturday are the A303, A30, M1, M5 and M6. Don’t forget that the stop start motoring often found on these busy days is very wearing on your car. Check your fluid levels, tyre pressures etc before leaving and make sure that your breakdown insurance is up to date. Other places that are a nightmare at this time of year include the ferry ports on the south coast.

August 2nd is a bad day for the roads in France when it seems all of Paris are setting off for the south and west coast. It’s a bad time to travel in Italy and Spain too, for this is when ‘everybody’ sets off for the resorts on the coasts.

The last weekend of the Scottish school summer holidays is on the 16th and 17th of August – expect busy airports and roads. Additionally, this is the end of the summer holidays in Spain and Italy, so avoid the roads on the Sunday.

The French roads burst into life again (between August 22nd to the 24th), as those Parisians head back to the city. All roads heading east or north get fairly blocked up.

In Britain, the roads begin heating up again between 23rd and the 25th August. It’s a bank holiday weekend and you know how they get! We’ve all been there! Additionally, the airports get packed to around this time. Post-holiday madness! With schools returning (in England and Wales) on September the 2nd, the motorways are going to be extremely busy throughout the weekend before.

Last but not least, just when you think the mad holiday rush is over with, everybody takes to the roads on September 6th and 7th. This is one of the airports busiest weekends of the year as everybody has the same idea. The savvy ones among you will sit back a week or two and then set off when all the fuss has died down.

Thanks to the ‘Savvy Traveller’, we all now know when these traffic trouble spots occur. Let us now alleviate our busy road problems by being sensible and staying off them.

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Now that we find ourselves in the midst of the summer holiday season, we’d better get on with it or before we know it, it will be finished! Joss Harwood in his article “Relish your holiday but avoid any pickle” discusses what we should do in the event of anything going wrong on holiday as well as how to minimise the effects of potential disasters before you set off.

The article observes a number of things that we ought to do before we set off on holiday, that we don’t do. With regards to money, be aware that withdrawing cash from an ATM often incurs an additional charge of a minimum of £2 to £3. Stretch your money out by not withdrawing small sums. It doesn’t make sense to take out small amounts like £10 when you have to face a thirty percent charge.

Another money saving pointer! If you are going abroad, save money getting your currency converted by using the people who don’t charge commission such as the Post Office!

If your mobile phone gets stolen, you should report this to your provider immediately so they can block your account. As all calls made on it are your responsibility until you report it stolen, a good tip is to remove your SIM card and place it in your wallet, then place your wallet securely about your person. An alternative s to get a limit put on the phone. To do this, you will need to speak to your provider too.

In the event of something going wrong on holiday where you need hospital care, do not panic for you will have already given consideration to the following details before your trip (hopefully!). In Europe (or specifically a European Economic Area or Switzerland), you will need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Obtained from the Department of Health, one of these cards will entitle you to the treatment and care that you would receive in the UK. Unfortunately we do not have a reciprocal arrangements with the US so if you were to require hospital treatment, you had better have adequate travel insurance.

While sorting out your travel insurance cover, you should take into account, your valuable belongings like your passport and money as well as luggage and delayed or cancelled flights. Make your motor insurer aware of any plans to take your car abroad, as this may affect your cover. While you are at it, ensure you have suitable overseas breakdown insurance also.

In essence, the things to do before you leave include making a list of important telephone numbers in case a credit card gets stolen or you lose your mobile phone. Make sure you also have the details of your travel insurance company. Ensure you have your EHIC and any car registration papers, green card and emergency numbers for breakdown. While away, leave your pet insurance documents with the kennels or cattery and entrust your house insurance details are left with a neighbour or trusted key holder in case of problems.
That is about it. You are now ready to embark on your holiday!