You may want nothing more than to book a getaway for this year. Due to the pandemic, many of us had to postpone or cancel holidays in 2020 as travel restrictions put our wanderlust on hold. However, with the rollout of vaccines, many are feeling much more positive about booking an adventure this year. Whether you’re planning to stay and explore parts of the UK or head away for some sun, sand or even snow, here are some top tips to help you with planning a holiday in 2021.
Check advice from the Foreign Office
Before you book anything, you’ll need to check the Foreign Office travel advice page. If they warn against any non-essential travel to the destination you’d like to go to, it’s likely your trip will get cancelled and your insurance won’t cover you.
Take a look at the advice available before you book and keep an eye out for any changes that may happen. If you’ve booked a trip months in advance, the travel provider will most likely wait until a week or two before you’re due to depart before cancelling, just in case the advice changes before then.
On the FCDO page you’ll also see whether the country you’re travelling to is on the travel corridor list, and whether or not you’ll need to quarantine on your return.
Make sure your booking has a flexible booking policy
Let’s face it, the world can change in a moment’s notice. During the pandemic, most travel providers, airlines and cruise ships introduced more flexible booking rules. These allow you to amend the details of your holiday at no extra cost, for example if you want to change the departure and return dates.
Many airlines have also temporarily waived their flight change fee too, which means you’ll be able to alter these details if the pandemic forces you to stay at home a bit longer. It’s well worth checking that your holiday provider has a more flexible booking policy in place, as changing information can be quite costly!
Consider a package holiday
A package holiday can often offer much more reassurance and protection where your money is concerned. Many companies have ATOL-protected holidays. This means that if the firm you’ve booked with goes under, you’ll be refunded your holiday cost.
Check your travel insurance
Travel insurance is a must at the best of times, and even more right now. Many policies will have changed or been amended during the pandemic, factoring in a whole host of new things such as medical costs related to COVID-19, or if you have to quarantine.
Most companies will cover some coronavirus situations, but make sure you check the fine print or speak to a member of their team to clarify everything in writing before you travel.
Flexibility is everything
Let’s face it, whether you’re staying in the UK or travelling abroad, we’re all going to have to be more flexible. Not only with where we holiday to, but what dates we pick and what type of accommodation we stay in.
The world of travel is changing every day, and it’s important to make sure you’re prepared. Whether that means you step up your financial preparation, or that you have more documentation to take with you than in previous years, there will be plenty to think about before planning a holiday in 2021.