FOOL'S EYE VIEW
Top Tips For Travellers

By Alison Hunt (TMFAlly)
May 3, 2005

Hurray, it's finally May – the month when many of us pack our suitcases and head off for a well earned break. And if you were fortunate enough to experience sunshine over the bank holiday weekend, you'll certainly be in the holiday mood.

But a bit of preparation can go a long way to ensure the success of your vacation – why not follow our tips for a hassle free break?

Health

Each year, we go on around 60 million overseas journeys. Although most of these trips are problem free, unfortunately some will result in travellers requiring medical treatment.

Luckily, most UK residents are entitled to free, or reduced cost treatment when temporarily visiting an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. To qualify, you need to be carrying a new E111 Form – all forms issued before 19 August 2004 are no longer valid.

The CM1 and E111 forms (you need to complete both) can either be picked up at the Post Office or downloaded from the Department of Health's website.

Fill the forms out in black ink and get them stamped at the Post Office – then photocopy the form they give you back and keep both copies safe with your passport – if you do need treatment the authorities may need to keep a copy.

And if you tick the relevant box on the form, the new, European Health Insurance Card will be issued to you automatically at the end of the year.

Travel Insurance

Whether you're travelling to a country covered by the E111 agreement or not, you'll still need travel insurance. After all, apart from only providing basic medical treatment, the E111 doesn't cover costly extras such as personal liability cover, cancellation and loss of baggage.

Note that your insurance may not cover you if you're travelling to a country where the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised against travel.

Don't simply take out one of the expensive policies your travel agent is keen to sell you – get cheaper and better cover by shopping around, checking for policies covering details such as:

• Cancellation of, or cutting short, your holiday
• Illness or injury while you are away
• Loss or theft of your belongings
• Delayed or missed connection
• Liability for accidents to others.

Why not check out our Best Buy Travel Insurance policies – or the best policies for the over 65s or for gap year travel?

Remember, household policies will often cover expensive items – check the details of yours.

And if your household policy is up for renewal, take a look at Egg - it currently offers free European family annual Travel Insurance, with 17 days winter sports cover, when you buy Egg Household Insurance online.

Get a better Travel or Household Insurance policy in our Insurance Centre.

Spending Abroad

One of the quickest ways to throw money away on holiday is to buy your foreign currency at the airport. Don't do it!

A little preparation can save you a fortune in rip-off commission fees and terrible exchange rates. Make sure when buying your foreign currency that you note both the commission fees and the rate of exchange – free commission often hides a dismal exchange rate. Try asking the question "How many *Euros* – substitute with your required currency - will I get in exchange for £100, including charges" to help you compare deals.

Foreign currency and Travellers Cheques can be ordered in advance with no commission and generally favourable exchange rates from the Post Office or Marks and Spencer.

And Travelex, although costly at the airport, offers those who order its foreign currency in advance online a fantastic promise to "guarantee you the best price in the UK, or they'll refund the difference".

What's more, as you'll need to collect your currency at the Travelex stand at the airport anyway, you'll be able to smugly waltz past that queue of stressed holidaymakers knowing you got a far superior deal (take a look at that exchange rate board and commission fee advertised for proof!).

And should you need to send larger sums abroad (or transfer money to a friend or relatives) don't forget to look to the specialist currency houses for better exchange rates.

Probably the cheapest way, however, to convert sterling into foreign currency is to have a Nationwide current account as it allows free cash machine withdrawals abroad. This may be worth considering if you take two or more foreign holidays a year (or travel frequently) and are considering switching bank account.

And don't forget to watch out for those foreign usage loading fees when using your credit card abroad – only Nationwide, Lombard Direct and Comic Relief charge absolutely nothing when used abroad worldwide, with CSMA, Liverpool Victoria, SAGA and the Caravan Club allowing free usage in Europe only.

You can apply for a Nationwide current account paying up to 3% AER through our Banking Centre, or a Nationwide credit card offering 0% on purchases and balance transfers for six months through our Credit Card Centre.

Paying For Your holiday

Obviously, the best way to pay for your holiday is to save up for it in advance. By paying a set amount each month into a high paying savings account you can lessen the pain when you return – and you'll have made a bit of interest too.

You can find accounts paying over 5% in our Savings Centre.

But if you've left it a bit late, a 0% credit card could effectively allow you to repay the cost of your holiday over a period of up to 12 months, interest free.

You can find a number of 0% cards in our Credit Card Centre.

And if you really must, there are a number of personal loans typically charging from just 5.9% APR  (although if you need to take out a loan to fund your holiday should you really be spending so much on a holiday at all?)

Find a cheaper loan in our Personal Loan Centre.

And finally, if you haven't got round to booking your break yet, why not read our tips on how to find the best deal for your holiday.

So follow these tips and be prepared – and have a great holiday!

More: Insurance | Banking | Savings | 0% Credit Cards | Loans