Its that time of the year again! With summer just around the corner, chances are that you will already be looking for that perfect summer escape. However, a lot goes into making a holiday special for your loved ones- planning your leave, preparing the itinerary, selecting and booking the perfect retreat, making all the travel arrangements- the list seems endless and seems daunting at first. Not to worry though, we are here to tell you about a few things that you should keep in mind to plan and enjoy a hassle-free holiday.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Do a fair bit of research before packing your bags for an unknown destination to avoid nasty surprises later. If you are traveling to Ladakh then you will need at least two days to acclimatize to the climate. Many other exotic destinations, both at home and abroad require several official permission slips like in the North Eastern India. The weather is a crucial factor as well; monsoons in the Andamans can turn any trip into a nightmare. Online forums like Indiamike.com and Tripadvisor.com coupled with traditional Lonely Planet or Outlook Traveler guide books are a great source for this research.

BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY

The next thing, start booking for hotels & flight tickets. Timely plans can save you a great deal on the flight tickets whereas traveling off-season to tourist magnets like Goa and Kerala can be surprisingly cheap in the off-season. Going to the traditional operators like SOTC can give you some very well planned packages while online options give you a lot more variety. While traveling abroad for the first time it is advisable to stick to a known operator like Kuoni unless one’s bohemian spirit is in overdrive.

NAVIGATE ONLINE

Travel portals such as MakeMytrip, Cleartrip,Yatra and Expedia offer many great deals on flights and hotels saving you the effort of dealing with moody hotel sales reps. You can choose from an enormous variety of packages like group tours, honeymoon, and family trips, all-women trips, adventure packs, and health packages with an EMI option also thrown in at times for good measure. Be sure to always read the terms and conditions though, especially the inclusions and hidden charges/tax details before booking a holiday from a portal. Do not hesitate to call up the customer care center repeatedly with your doubts and you should soon be able to pick a holiday package that best suits your requirement.

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

Look out for special deals in these travel portals. They launch different packages during winter, summer, and around the festive time such as Diwali, Christmas. For example, Kuoni India’s outbound travel brand SOTC Sports has announced the launch of its special promotion with Malaysia Tourism for sports enthusiasts in India to experience the Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix.

FINANCIAL BIT

Be absolutely clear about financial rules when traveling abroad. According to the Reserve Bank of India, you can carry only $3000 in cash while traveling to most countries, be sure to double-check specifically about your selected destination. It is also advisable to always carry money in the combination of prepaid forex cards, credit/debit cards and travelers’ cheques. Also, carry cash in combinations of international currency like dollar along with the local currency of the place, you are visiting. Carrying an international calling card/ SIM and switching off data on international roaming can save you a packet too.

INSURING YOUR TRIP

Even after planning every small detail of your trip, there are chances that you may face unexpected situations like cancellation of flights, delay in flight, loss of luggage, accidents, etc. In order to ensure a hassle-free holiday abroad, you should buy travel insurance. While you cannot travel to certain countries without travel insurance, it is a must even if you are traveling to countries that do not make it compulsory. These were those ‘must take care of’ travel planning tips from us. Hope it helps you go out, explore and discover more and more fun.

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