I hate packing when going on holiday. I always panic that I’ve forgotten something MAJORLY important, but at the same time think that if I have forgotten something I’ll buy it when I’m away. Great philosophy, but it can work out very expensive sometimes!

So, for all those travellers like me, I thought I’d put together a quick Top 10 of essential items that I would consider essential to pack when I go on holiday

1. Passport:
This is obviously the most important item you need to pack! A few words of advice though – make sure your passport is in date before you travel. Also, take into account that you need to have a certain amount of time left on your passport when you travel to some Countries i,e. I know I have been asked when travelling to Italy to check I have 6 months validity on my passport.

2. Tickets:
Another essential item! Without your tickets, you won’t get very far. The whole ticketing process is generally getting a lot easier, with some Airlines now only asking for your booking reference when checking in (normally when you have booked online).

3. Holiday Insurance:
When travelling abroad, I would recommend organising holiday insurance. Holiday insurance can cover you for circumstances such as cancellations, medical services, loss of possessions, etc. Holiday insurance is absolutely essential if you are travelling on an active adventure holiday, for example, winter or water sports, mainly for the medical reasons.

When in Europe or Switzerland, by possessing a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), you can be entitled to reduced-cost, sometimes free, medical treatment that may become necessary while you’re away. The EHIC replaced the E111 form in January 2006.

4. Currency:
I would recommend organising currency before you travel, however, I normally organise mine at the Bureau de Change when in the Airport Terminal. As an extra security measure, you may prefer to organise travellers cheques, however, this does mean you will need to find a bank whilst you are away to get your cheques changed into currency.

5. Driving License:
If you are thinking of hiring a car whilst you are away, you will need to take your driving license, including the green slip if you own a photo license.

6. Medical Stuff:
Don’t forget to take any medication that you require, i.e. prescribed medication, malaria pills, etc. I would suggest putting important medications in your hand luggage, just in case the airline did disastrously loose your main suitcase, however, I would recommend checking with your Airline on this before you fly.

7. Suncream:
Suncream is essential for most holidays, summer sunbathing or winter skiing. Take a few different factor suncreams that you can use depending on the sun strength whilst you are away. Don’t forget to take some Aftersun lotion as well, just in case you do accidentally catch a few too many rays.

8. Toiletries:
How many of us have woken up early doors, hazily washed before heading off to the Airport and forgotten to pick up the wash bag from the bathroom before leaving the house? It is not the end of the world if you forget your wash bag as you can buy most toiletry bits at your destination, however, it can still be a bit of a pain.

9. Mosquito Repellent:
I would recommend packing mosquito repellent when you travel anywhere warm, especially if you are travelling somewhere like South Africa where you want to do your utmost to prevent any malaria mosquito’s from getting near you. Hopefully you will have organised malaria treatment before you travel, but it’s still nice to keep those mozzy’s away!

10. A Book:
Although your holiday won’t depend on it, a good book is an absolute must on holiday! For those that really like to check out their holiday destination, I recommend buying a tour book of some description, especially if you are travelling somewhere a bit more off the beaten track.

My final tip would be to make sure you allow yourself enough time to pack so you don’t feel rushed and hassled. Also, add anything to this list that you need to remember to take with you, and do a final check off before you leave the house, especially if you are travelling very late at night or early in the morning.

Last but not least, enjoy your holiday!

air travel