Sun cream, flip flops and camera—check. But in the giddy excitement of preparing for your next trip, have you stopped to plan your finances too?
TO DO AS SOON AS YOU BOOK Get travel insurance
Travel insurance is essential for when you go away. Cover for delayed flights, lost bags and broken cameras are all good to have—just in case. But the most important thing to arrange is medical cover. It can be incredibly expensive for care if you get ill or injured when away, even more so if you need to be flown home.
And don’t wait to arrange it. Buy your medical insurance as soon as you’ve booked your holiday. This means you’re covered for cancellation if you get sick before the trip, so long as that’s part of the policy you buy.
You’ll also usually save money by buying an annual policy if you plan to go away more than once during a 12 month period.
Apply for a travel-friendly credit card or current account
The cheapest way to spend when you’re away is by using a debit or credit card. Though don’t think that means you’re OK to use the one in your wallet. Most of these will cost you a fortune in fees and charges.
Instead, you should apply for a specialist card. These can give you perks like fee-free spending and cash withdrawals, meaning you’re getting close to the actual exchange rate, which is better than what you’d get for currency at a bureau de change.
Among the best credit cards are the Halifax Clarity credit card and Tandem credit card. The latter will even give you 0.5% cashback on your spend at home and abroad. You’ll be charged daily interest on cash withdrawals, but you can avoid these by paying them off straight away.
Esta historia es de la edición May 2019 de Reader's Digest UK.
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Esta historia es de la edición May 2019 de Reader's Digest UK.
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