Your Passport and Purse or Wallet is Stolen Abroad

Your bag is stolen. Try not to panic. Write out a list of everything that was in your bag, including credit cards, money and traveller's cheques.

Report the theft to the police and insist they give you a written report, including a list of the items that were in your bag. You'll need this to make an insurance claim.

Cancel any credit cards and cash cards (keep emergency numbers in your hotel safe). Otherwise, take all reasonable steps to contact your bank and the company that issued your credit cards and traveller's cheques.

Get in touch with the nearest British Embassy or Consulate (for a list of locations by country go to www.fco.gov.uk). Either office will be able to arrange a money transfer to you from relatives or friends at home, as well as a replacement passport or emergency travel documents. This costs between £35.50 and £56.60 (2005 prices) and the process will be far easier if you have a photocopy of your passport, or at least a note of its number, as well as the date and place of issue.

Contact your travel insurance company. A typical policy will cover the cost of your new passport, the items in your bag, the travel costs to reach the police station, or embassy, and the cash you had in your purse (though this is usually limited to £250). Keep the receipts when you buy foreign currency as this will make it easier to claim on your insurance.

Block your mobile phone. Contact your network provider immediately to avoid being charged for calls made by the thief.

Source: Travel feature in Good Housekeeping, August 2005

What to Store in the Hotel Safe

When abroad it is recommended that you store the following items in the hotel safe.

• A photocopy of your passport or a note of its number and the date and place of issue.
• A note of the numbers on your credit and debit cards, with the emergency phone numbers for each issuer.
• The contact number for your travel insurance company and your policy number.
• The location and phone number of the nearest British embassy or consulate.
• A contact number for your mobile phone company.
• Receipts for any foreign currency you buy.
• A photocopy of your E111 form.

Source: Travel feature in Good Housekeeping, August 2005

Health Emergencies Abroad

Your child injures their foot on the beach, you or your partner fall ill - they need to see a doctor but neither you nor anyone else in the family speaks the local language. So what do you do if you have a health problem while abroad?

Start by calling your insurance company's 24-hour medical emergency number for advice, including help with language problems.

You need to do this first, in any case, because otherwise you may not be able to reclaim the cost of any treatment.

Your insurer may even arrange to pay directly for treatment, rather than reimburse you later.

Don't forget to keep the receipts for anything you have to pay for, so you can claim the money back.

If you have an E111 form for the person requiring treatment, you'll get free or reduced-cost treatment. The E111 is valid in most countries in Europe but covers only what residents of that country receive in emergency care, not necessarily what you would receive under the NHS - so you may have to pay for ambulances, for example. The form would not pay for the patient to be flown home, either. An air ambulance could cost thousands of pounds, which is why travel insurance is essential.

Source: Travel feature in Good Housekeeping, August 2005

Stay Safe Tips

While terror attacks are rare, there are some useful tips to staying safe.

On the street

• Don't walk chatting on your phone, looking at your screen or wearing headphones.
• Walk with your head up and stick to busy, lit-up areas. Don't wear obviously expensive clothes or jewellery. 
• If people who catch your eye continue to stare at you, they may be targeting you. (Most peopl will look away again.)
• If you feel threatened, dial 999 on your phone. If unsure, dial the number but don't send until things escalate.
• If attacked, don't curl into a ball; protect your vital organs and inner arms as stab wounds here can be fatal.
• Vehicle-ramming incidents. Walk along the inside of pavements with traffic facing you. 
• The impact of jumping into water from a bridge could kill you; if no other option, concentrate on keeping your mouth closed, your arms by your sides and legs bent to lessen the impact.

When travelling

• Research your destination. Are the countries bordering it unstable?
• Always check gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
• Put the emergency services of the country you are visiting into your phone.
• At your hotel, check fire escapes, entrances and exits.
• Walk around outside to familiarise yourself with the layout.
• In a hotel shooting, may be best to barricade yourself into your room. Use a wardrobe across the door first, then a bed and mattress. Take cover well away from the door.
• Gunfire sounds like a whip being cracked (not fireworks).
• On a beach and hear gunfire? Don't go into the sea, you'll be a slow moving target. Avoid your hotel.

Caught up in a terrorist attack?

• Run if you can, hide if you can't and tell the authorities what is going on.
• A crowd heading in one direction, is probably running away - join them.
• In a shopping mall, look for a fire exit.
• In direct sight of a gunman, move in a zigzag with your head down.
• At a concert venue, stay on your feet and get to a wall, then move along it, towards the stage area fire exits. Hide in a lockable storeroom and barricade yourself in.
• Stay silent till you are sure the threat has gone. 

Taken hostage?

• If you are British and taken hostage, the SAS will be in charge of the situation.
• Take shelter - sit in a corner (not along a wall, window or door, which could be SAS entry points). The same applies to the seats by the emergency exits of planes.

Protecting your family

• Be careful on Facebook and social media. Check your privacy settings and and be careful what you post. You don't want to tell everyone where you are and that you are not at home.
• If someone breaks into your home when you are on your own with the kids, go into one room and use a wedge shaped door jam. (Take one with you on holiday.)
• GPS trackers can be useful for vulnerable people like children and the elderly. They can be sewn into clothes, put onto a keyring or shoes.

Source: Feature by Chris Ryan in Good Housekeeping, November 2017

Passport Facts 2017

Avoid last minute passport panics by:

# Check your passport before booking a holiday. Your insurance will not pay out if you miss your trip because your passport is out of date.

# Remember some countries require it has 6 months left before expiry date, while others (e.g. South Africa) insist you have a least two blank pages in your passport. Check these requirements (and whether you need a visa) at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

# Do allow four to seven weeks for a new passport to arrive. Streamline the service by using the Passport Check & Send service at the Post Office. It costs an extra £9.75 (2017) but useful if you are short of time.

# If you end up needing a last-minute passport, there is a premium one-day service costing £128 (2017).

Source: Item in Good Housekeeping, June 2017

Packing Travel Tips

Here are some tips for packing your suitcase.

# Roll your clothes together to reduce creasing.

• Group clothes in threes - a bulky item (sweatshirt, jumper, towel), a durable item (PJs, jeans, T-shirt or top) and something that creases (light fabrics, skirt, dress).
• Lay the bulkiest item flat, fold in sleeves or sides to make a rectangle. Roll tightly.
• Lay the durable item flat, tucking in sleeves, etc. Place the bulky item roll on top, then roll second item around it.
• Repeat with third item. If you have them, cover the finished roll with plastic clothing covers from dry cleaning.

# How to pack a hat

• Place hat upside down on a flat surface.
• Fill up the crown with small items, such as underwear and T-shirts.
• Place hat right way up on the bottom of and empty suitcase.
• Pack in remaining items around the hat to hold its shape.

Various sources

Labelling Luggage

Thieves have been known to hang around airports to check on which houses will be unoccupied, so take precautions.

• On the outbound leg of a journey, put your hotel or accommodation details on the luggage label, or write your mobile number on the inside of your case.
• On the return leg, an airline will have your a record of your home address.

Source: Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA)

Holiday Online Planning

A few tips to help get the best of an online search (2016 advice).

Air flights: Always clear the search history on your computer. Most sites use cookies to keep track of whether you've visited before and will boost the prices each time you go back. Change your country of residence to the destination - airlines often have better rates for locals. Skyscanner.net has a price alert feature to notify you when prices change on a specific route and their 'Everywhere' search tool finds the cheapest destinations for your specific date period. [Serena Guen of Suitcase magazine.]

Tuesdays are the cheapest days to book flights, and Fridays are consistently the most expensive. Generally the best fares are advertised 50 days before departure. Flights between 6pm and midnight are usually cheaper. Seatguru.com shows seating charts on all sorts of flights; details include whether a row does not recline, which seat is closest to the loo and where there is extra legroom. [Phil Bloomfield of cheapflights.co.uk]

Feature in Glamour, August 2016

Hiring a Holiday Car

Beware of hidden fees that can add to your car hire quote.

Steer clear of 'full to empty' policies, where the company charges you for a full tank (often at a more expensive rate than at local pumps). Look for a 'return as you found it' policy. (travelsupermarket.com and moneymaxim.co.uk allow you to filter searches according to fuel payment preferences. Moneymaxim's 'Fairer Fuel' search facility only shows deals where you pay for fuel at local petrol pump prices.)

Don't buy excess waiver insurance (so you won't have to pay if you have a bump) direct from the car hire company. Standalone policies are much cheaper - from as little as £2 per day. Go to travelsupermarket.com, insuranceforcarhire.com or moneymaxim.co.uk to compare.

Don't buy collison damage waiver (CDW) directly either. It's often already included in insurance policies. If not, it can be bought more cheaply from specialists such as icarhireinsurance.com. Sort out insurance before you travel and take copies of paperwork with you.

Bring child seats and sat navs - renting them from the car hire company could cost around £50 to £70 each a week.

Check there is no extra charge for extra drivers, drivers under a certain age, peak season use or returning the car early or late.

Review your bank statement to make sure you've not paid extra charges or fees after returning the car and that unused fuel or deposits have been reimbursed. If you spot anything, complain immediately. (Hirers are often required to leave a holding deposit (c. £300 to £500) on their credit card - you need to have sufficient credit limit to cover this.

Virtual driving licences. Now that paper licences have been consigned to history, licence details are held electronically. Renters will need a passcode from the DVLA website to present at the car hire desk so details can be checked. The passcode is only valid for 72 hours and there have been concerns about some overseas car hire companies being unaware of the UK change. Contact your hire company before you leave home.

Feature in Good Housekeeping, August 2015

Frost and Ice Removal Products

Snow and ice on doorsteps, paths and pavements are traditionally tackled using rock salt, but salt can attack surfaces and surrounding vegetation.

Crystal Clear "is a non-corrosive and biodegradable product. It is a tiny frost and ice removing pellet made from urea, which continues working considerably longer than other alternatives and is non-flammable, low in toxicity and easy to use. To achieve maximum protection, should be applied before snow has fallen or surface water has begun to freeze."

(Note: I've not tried this out, but it looks worth investigating.)

http://chemaide.co.uk/product/Crystal_Clear_non_corrosive_de-icer.html

Gap Year Money

If your children are heading off on their own abroad during a gap year, a pre-paid currency card is safer and gives a better exchange rate than concealing cash or wiring expensive emergency money abroad. It is also cheaper than using a debit or credit card. Here's how to be smart in setting it up.

Register the card in your name and request a secondary card in your child's name. Depending on the company, you'll have to pay a nominal charge for this - about £5. You can then load funds onto the currency card in the UK (online, by phone or even text message) that your child will be able to access overseas. You'll be able to check the card balance in the same way too. Registering online for a currency card takes just minutes and you set your own PIN and password.

European only travel? You'll get better exchange rates with a euro currency card. Only going to America? A dollar only card is best.

The online foreign exchange services - ICE, Travelex, FairFX and Caxton FX and mytravelcash.com - offer the best rates on prepaid cards (July 2014). To compare cards, go to moneysupermarket.com/prepaid-currency-cards.

For more information on currency cards, go to goodhousekeeping.co.uk/money/guide-to-prepaid-currency-cards.

Good Housekeeping, July 2014

Smarter Driver Tips

Drive smoothly. Stop-go driving burns fuel. Watch the cars ahead to avoid sharp acceleration and heavy braking.

Stay in gear. Don't coast downhill or towards lights in neutral as this uses more fuel. Stay in gear and ease off the gas gentlyto reduce fuel flow to the engine to virtually zero.

Watch the revs. Chnage up smoothly and change gear before 2,000 rpm. Drive in the right gear for the speed and road conditions.

Drive off from cold. Modern cars don't need to be warmed up. Switch on and go and you won't be wasting fuel.

Don't idle. Switch off if you are stationary for more than a minute or two. Restarting the egine uses virtually no fuel until you press the accelerator.

Lighten the load. Dump extra weight - take off the roof rack when you are not using it and cllear out the boot.

Plan ahead. Check the route and roadworks before leaving. Stop and ask for directiosn if you are lost. Use satnav if you have it.

Take it easy. Slow down. You'll get to your destination safer and more relaxed. And take the first parking spot you find.

Energy Saving Trust leaflet September 2011

Travel Tips - Toiletries

The current ban / restrictions on liquids in hand luggage on air flights includes shower gel, shampoo, mascara and toothpaste, so try solid versions of these products instead.

• Glycerine soap (e.g. Waitrose Organic)
• Shampoo bars (e.g. Lush Ultimate Shine and Lush Conditioner)
• Rock deodorant (e.g. Crystal travel size)

Pack dry cosmetics too: compact eye make-up, eye pencil and powder blush.

Phone Calls Abroad

Save money on phone calls made while abroad.

1. When you arrive at your destination, buy a local SIM to phone home for less.
2. Switch your mobile phone's 3G and roaming services off to avoid a hefty bill whenyou get back. For iPhones, go to: settings/general/mobile data. For Android, it's settings/data usage.
3. If you have free WiFi access, download Whatsappto send free texts to other Whatsapp users. Otherwise texts cost 11p a time within the EU, and more elsewhere. Receiving texts is free.

Good Housekeeping August 2013

Tourist Card

Buy a travel card, 'visitor pass' or 'tourist card' that combines free public transport with entry to museums and other attractions. They often come with discount offers for shops and restaurants.

Holiday Money

Be wise about money

• Get cash before you travel - only buy foreign money at an airport in an emergency.
• Try a currency card - load money in the currency you need and use it like a normal bank card. Top up from your bank account online, by phone or text.
• Always take some cash out with you in case you can't find a local ATM.
• Always use a debit card for cash withdrawals - especially abroad where charges can be higher. Make a few large withdrawals rather than several small ones.
• Do tell your card provider you are going abroad or they may mistake foreign spending for fraud and your card may be blocked.
• When paying by card, opt to pay in local currency to avoid sneaky extra charges.
• Travellers cheques are still used in large resorts and hotels (especially in the USA) but are not as easy to use as a currency card or cash card.

 Avoid scams

• Always use official taxi ranks and check the taxi has a license disc in the window.
• Tour reps pushing day trips and restaurants may be getting a cut from locals for passing on business. Ask other holidaymakers for their recommendations.
• Never change money with street vendors - they'll either flog you counterfeit money or shortchange you.
• Beware of fake plain-clothes 'policemen' who ask to see your documents, then do a runner with your ID. 

2016 advice: If you have a dispute with a trader in an EU country while abroad, call 01268 886690 or visit ukecc.net for help.

[Good Housekeeping July 2013 and July 2016]

Flight Delay Facts

If you are stuck at the airport, you should get two free phone calls, faxes or emails, plus food and drink 'appropriate to the delay'. If you are delayed overnight, you should get hotel accomodation and transfers. But whether you are entitled to any of this depends on where you are flying to and the length of delay.

• A two-hour delay for flights under 932 miles (i.e. short-haul EU destinations)
• A three hour delay for flights between 932 and 2,174 miles.
• A four-hour delay for flights that are over 2,174 miles.
• If the delay lasts five hours or more (and the flight isn't cancelled), you can choose not to travel and get the cost of your tickets refunded.

[Good Housekeeping July 2013]

European Health Insurance Card

If travelling to Europe, make sure your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) hasn't expired. They only last for three to five years.

Your EHIC lets you get state healthcare at a reduced cost or sometimes for free. It will cover you for treatment that is needed to allow you to continue your stay until your planned return. It also covers you for treatment of pre-existing medical conditions and for routine maternity care, as long as you're not going abroad to give birth. The EHIC is valid in all European Economic Area (EEA) countries, including Switzerland.


Beware of websites charging up to £20 for the card. Renew your card for free online at the official website:
www.ehic.org.uk or call 0845 605 0707.

[Good Housekeeping July 2013]

Currency cards

Currency cards are more convenient than traveller’s cheques. You load money onto the card by phone or internet – meaning you can upload extra money while on holiday.

If your card is lost or stolen, your money is protected, just like cheques; call your card company to block your account, reimburse any lost money, and post out a new card. 

As money is loaded onto the card, if it is stolen the thieves can’t get hold of your bank details. 

No expiry date, and money can be converted back to sterling on return if wished. You can also opt for a secondary card, if you and your partner both want one.

(Clipping dated 2013)