In an ideal world you’d have a leisurely drive to the airport with no sign of road works or heavy traffic, you’d find a parking space immediately, there would be no queue at the check-in desk, you’d glide through security without getting beeped, stroll into the departure lounge grabbing something to eat on the way - without queuing - then you’d find a seat – a clean one, no stains - and have a short, relaxing wait to board your flight.

If only getting through the airport was that simple. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world, but there are lots of areas that, with a little forward planning, will save you hassle as you negotiate your way to the departure gate.

Getting to the airport
Plan your journey in advance, check planned road works – the Highways Agency website has details of planned road works and real-time traffic information alerting you to emergency road closures and accidents. Allow plenty of time for your journey, so if you do encounter a problem on the way, you should still get to the airport on time.

If you want to take an easier option, consider booking an airport hotel and staying the night before you fly.

Airport parking
Check airport parking options when you book your holiday and book it at the same time. Don’t leave it until the last minute, and never just turn up on the day – this is too stressful not knowing whether the car park will have enough space, and definitely the most expensive option.

If you really want the most convenient and stress free airport parking, choose meet and greet, that way you just turn up at the airport and hand over your keys to a waiting driver who will park your car for you. It’s also brought back to you at the airport on your return. For Gatwick meet and greet parking click here.

Check-in
Many airlines now offer online check-in, if this is available to you do it before you leave for the airport. It will save time and prevents queuing at the airport, just drop your hold luggage at the fast bag drop when you arrive.

Security
Airport security is there for your safety, but it can be stressful passing through it, especially if you get frisked or have something confiscated. To avoid this, make sure you are up-to-date with the current security restrictions – a copy of which is available on your airport’s website or check with your airline.

Arriving too early / too late
It goes without saying that leaving too little time to get to the airport and through security can be really stressful, but so can arriving too early – you’ll only prolong the agonising wait in the departure lounge, leaving you stressed and certainly not in the best frame of mind to fly.

Waiting for your flight
For me, this has to be the worst part of the journey. Waiting for your flight in a crowded airport terminal is dreadful, especially at the height of the holiday season. To avoid the hassle, consider treating yourself to an airport lounge. The prices are not as high as you might think and, with complimentary drinks, papers and access to a television, it can help pass the time in more comfort.

Queuing for food
Avoid the queues for food by eating a good meal before you arrive at the airport. Not only does eating before you arrive at the airport help you avoid the queues it can also break up a long drive to the airport and makes you feel as though your holiday has started a day early.

Dealing with children
Flying with children can be a stressful experience. Keep children as self-sufficient in their travels as possible. Give each child their own hand luggage – a backpack that’s small enough for them to carry. Include a small cuddly toy, colouring pad, paper and crayons, a book or whatever is appropriate for their age…and a few sweets. A portable electronic game or DVD player works well too.

Travelling can be stressful, but with a little planning and following the above tips you should find your journey through the airport a little more enjoyable.

Have a great trip!

We all love going away on holiday, but how much thought and preparation do we pay to the security of our home before we travel?For the majority of us, our home and its contents form our most valuable asset, not to mention the sentimental value and memories such as photos and valuables that are stored in our homes.

So surely we should take as many precautions as possible to protect it whilst we are away? After all, almost half of all break-ins happen when a flat or house is left empty.

The following security tips will help you to secure your home whilst you are away:

1. Automatic Lighting:
Try to make your home look lived in whilst you are away. Confuse any potential burglars by setting some of your lights on timers so that they go on and off at different times.

2. Post:
Organise for a trusted friend or family member to visit your house and clear away any post that has built up on your doormat. Excess post the other side of your front door is a perfect giveaway to a burglar that no-one’s home!

Alternatively, Royal Mail operate a service called Keepsafe, where they will store your personal and/or business mail for up to two months while you are away.

3. Deliveries:
Don’t forget to cancel any milk or newspaper deliveries for the duration you are away.

4. Baggage Tags:
Don’t write your home address on your baggage tag when travelling. Anyone handling your luggage will be able to track down your empty house whilst you are away.

5. House Checking:
It is great if you can get help from family, friends or neighbours whilst you are away. Ask them to try and stagger visits to your house so that anyone monitoring the property doesn’t recognise a routine that they could fit their break-in around.

Asking visitors to your house to open and close the curtains can confuse any potential burglar. Ask your neighbours if they could park on your driveway to make it look like people are home.

Leave your contact details with your family, friends or neighbours so that they can contact you in case of an emergency.

6. Neighbourhood Watch:
Look at the possibility of joining a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme in your area.

7. Valuable Items:
Consider leaving valuable items and important documents with someone you trust such as family or friends. Alternatively, lock them in a safe or contact your bank to see if you can leave any items with them securely.

Ensure any high value items such as televisions, stereos and DVD players cannot be seen from outside the property.

Make sure you have adequate home and contents insurance that covers all of your valuables before you travel, just in case.

8. Alarm:
If you have a burglar alarm, make sure a friend or neighbour you trust is an additional keyholder whilst you are away, just in case your Security Company need to contact anyone in emergency.

Obviously, make sure your alarm is set when you leave your property.

9. Outdoor Storage:
Consider putting any valuable items normally stored in your shed, such as bicycles or tools, into your house whilst you are away.

10. Locks:
Make sure that all of your doors and windows, where possible, are securely locked.

If you are still concerned about the security of your home while you are away, some police forces will come out and check your home and suggest security improvements.

Finally, make sure you have double checked through all of your security precautions before you set off on your travels. And last but not least, enjoy your holiday!

The build up to a holiday can be so exciting, rushing around buying those last minute items - and that must-have bikini - but it can also be very tiring. By the time you arrive at the airport, you’re totally exhausted and want nothing more than a good night’s sleep.

With a little care, travel preparations need not be so tiring. If you plan ahead and allow yourself a few ‘little luxuries’ you can give your holiday the 5 star treatment.

The following ’extras’ work wonderfully well for me:

Meet and greet parking:
This is a must have luxury. Imagine driving right up to the airport terminal, being greeted by a driver with a trolley just for you, handing over your keys, and walking straight in to the airport terminal. Then, on your return, your car is waiting right outside the terminal when you leave!

Meet and greet airport parking is a great time saver, no waiting around for shuttle buses to take you to your car, and is great for families with young children or for passengers with awkward sports equipment.

Airport lounges:
Escape the hustle and bustle of the busy airport terminal and relax in the comfortable environment of an airport lounge. With refreshments and snacks provided, you can simply unwind and look forward to your journey.

Book a room in a local hotel:
For a really comfortable start to your holiday, and to avoid the hassle and stress of driving to the airport on the day of your flight, why not stay in a local hotel or guest house the night before. Or, for that added luxury, book an on-site hotel. The Hilton Hotel at Gatwick, my nearest airport, offers a park and stay package for travellers living miles from the airport, or even those of us who live ‘just down the road’ who don’t fancy risking the traffic on the M23 and M25!

Give these ideas a try and see for yourself. Yes, they do add to the cost of your holiday but they’re worth every penny in my eyes.

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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!

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I find that flying can be a bit like decorating. The idea of a freshly painted room is fantastic to start off with, then after an hour or so, the novelty wears off and I’m sat wishing I had never started in the first place. A bit like the excitement of flying on holiday dwindling after hours of being cooped up in an aircraft.

At least when flying I am not stuck in my living room staring at four walls, and when I get off the plane the other side, I will encounter a whole new experience. However, after 10 hours on an aircraft, I would probably consider the thought of sitting comfortably in my living room at home to be absolute bliss.

So, for air travellers who want to remain as comfortable as possible during a long haul flight, I have listed a few quick tips below:

1. Upgrade:
If you really want to stay comfortable when flying, try and get an upgrade to Business Class or First Class.

2. Front Row Seats:
If you are unsuccessful with the upgrade route, the next best thing is to get a front row seat or a seat by an emergency exit. These seats normally have extra leg room.

3. Aisle Seats:
As a last resort to get a bit of extra leg room, your best bet is to try and get an aisle seat. At least with an aisle seat you can occasionally stretch your legs out (as long as you don’t trip up anyone walking down the aisle). An aisle seat also makes it easier for you to get up and down to stretch your legs, and means you can get to the bathroom without having to climb over other passengers next to you.

4. Pillow:
To help you sleep on the flight, think about taking your own pillow and light blanket. The familiar smell of home can help you to get more comfortable and sleep better. If you are worried about carrying your own pillow and blanket, you can buy a blow up neck supporter pillow to save on space. Ear plugs can also help to shut out some of the onboard noises, so you can get to sleep easier.

5. Painful Ears:
If you suffer from painful ears during take off or landing, special ear plugs are available which equalise the air pressure on each side of the ear drum. These ear plugs are especially useful if you have a cold or allergy / sinus problems. One common brand that you can buy is called Earplanes.

6. Dehydration:
Flying can cause dehydration, so make sure you drink lots of water during your flight. Take your own bottle of water onto the plane with you, just in case.

7. Snacks:
Airline meals aren’t always the most filling, so it is wise to take some of your own snacks on the plane.

8. Anxiety:
There are many options for you if you suffer from anxiety when flying. Learn some simple breathing skills that you can use on the flight to reduce stress and calm you down. Take some activities like crosswords or a book that you can concentrate on. If you think your anxiety is too intense, it could be worth talking to your Doctor as he or she might be able to recommend something to help keep you calm before and during the flight.

By following one or more of these tips, I hope that you will increase your comfort levels when you next fly. Above all, try to think about all of the experiences that you are about to encounter when you reach your destination!

Further information:

For detailed seat map plans of aircraft check out http://www.seatguru.com/

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