How foreign travel is picking up, but best get all plans in order before departure to avoid disappointment

The kids are kicking off, work pressures are building & finances are a strain & yet you book that all important holiday abroad - now what can go wrong ? Well currently travel plans may be organised in principle, but in practice, it's as well to check literally up to the time you leave that your plane, bus or ferry - whatever it may be, is scheduled to run at the time it says it is. If so, then the excitement can really start, packing up the house, making sure the cat is attended to whilst you're away and planning the all important holiday wardrobe.

It's so difficult choosing exactly the right clothes to take away. With global warming as it is, or is not as some would argue, nevertheless even in Europe temperatures are variable. Do you need a nice warm hoodie for the evenings when it gets chillier or will your especially designed holiday tees see you through? Don't forget your own water bottle - much nicer to use and refill rather than relying on purchasing endless plastic water bottles.

Currently the budget airlines are doing deals on baggage so if you pay in advance you get luggage above your head in the cabin as part of the deal. I recently used this value facility and was lucky enough to reserve a front seat well in advance (ie a year). Only to find having boarded the plane, others were before me, so my luggage needed to be stowed a third of the way down the aircraft.

This is where Easyjet's duty cabin steward really came up trumps. We explained our concern about going against traffic to retrieve the bags at the end of the flight when they were so far away from our seats, and he made an announcement on arrival for all rows beyond the first four at the front, to stay put, whilst we collected our cases.

Of course some people ignored this and there was generally a bit of squeezing through but we still managed, and bravo to the Easyjet guy for listening & helping us through.

Everyday (almost) people are talking of their travel woes. My friend knew her flight was late returning to the UK from Spain, and therefore delayed her return to the airport, only to find the bag drop had closed and hold luggage was no longer allowed on to the plane. My friends were seven minutes late and the check in hall was apparently almost empty. This meant a friend of theirs coming to the airport to rescue their bags and my friend flying back a few days later to collect them. Well I suppose it's not all bad if it means a few more days holiday but the expense, time, trouble & above all agro involved. My friend was told to look at the airline's terms and conditions !

So in this scenario, the best thing is to wear your holiday cap, put your bespoke garment into your holiday bag and pack light making sure it's with you at all times ! And just incase for all of these scenarios, it's advisable to buy good travel insurance which will cover you. Be sure to read the terms & conditions though.

Sometimes I wish I'd been born in yesteryear. The old Bond movies bring stylish travel to mind. Well that's apart from the baddies intervening. 'Goldfinger's' a case in point. Sean Connery's Aston Martin is loaded on to the bowels of the 'plane whilst the passengers walk up the steps. Now that's a way to travel. Cruising seems a good option. Now that the pandemic is abating, the big companies Carnival, P & O & Cunard have vast ships docking at ports which are capable of taking their big vessels. I've heard some wealthy customers simply go from one cruise to another - maybe life at home isn't such fun. Viking cruises offer smaller trips with culturally stimulating talks. Ferries too are a good way to get to your destination & Brittany Ferries offer regular services to France & Spain.

For some though you can't beat travelling by train. No airport hassle, just simply getting on & going. Well that said, of course there again, despite all the preparation you do in advance from home, best to check everything's running as near as possible to departure. And good reading or watching material is essential just in case things go awry...

If all else fails and foreign travel seems that little bit too hard & prone to problems, then there's always a staycation as an option. We got used to these post pandemic but book early to avoid disappointment as according to recent newspaper reports, others may be thinking along the same lines !