The world is slowly opening up again, but with many precautions being taken. The travel industry has taken a huge hit this past year, with airlines, tourist-reliant places and the hospitality industry feeling much of this. However, flights around Europe are picking up, and the borders are slowly opening up, more so for those who have been fully vaccinated. Those people can take advantage of not being required to quarantine at a government-approved hotel, which is extremely costly. All this has brought about cautious optimism from the travel industry and those supporting it. Travel, however, can still be unpredictable, so check out our recommended travel essentials that you should bring with you for your upcoming summer holiday.
1) Vaccine Passport
Don?t even think about leaving if you haven?t yet got one. First off, being fully vaccinated will go a long way in keeping you and those around you safer. While being vaccinated doesn?t guarantee you won?t contract Covid, there is only a minute chance it will get you hospitalised, if ever. This could mean a lengthy and expensive stay in a hospital or quarantine if you are abroad.
The vaccine passport provided by your country in the EU will be proof enough to allow you entry. Don?t even bother booking your ticket without one as you could find yourself paying more just to quarantine upon arrival and return, as you would on the holiday itself, not to mention the lost time.
2) Travel insurance
This is one of those things you loath to spend money on but hope you never have to use. Especially during this pandemic, having travel insurance that covers you for hospital bills and missed flights is a no brainer. Recent incidents have seen governments changing their entry requirements seemingly on a whim, and we have seen holidaymakers suddenly having to cut short their stays because their government has suddenly changed entry requirements. Comprehensive travel insurance would cover such situations, but always remember to carry around these insurance details with you so they are quickly and easily accessible.
3) A mask
For the past year and a half, the mask has caused so much of a debate, somehow deviating into how it encroaches on people?s rights and liberties. To put it plainly, if you want to have a hassle-free holiday, always carry/wear a mask. Some foreign governments won?t take too kindly to visitors disobeying their rules and a simple mask-wearing situation for some reason appears to be an issue. Masks with appropriate filter technology have been proven to reduce the chances of you catching or spreading not only Covid but germs in general. Take for example Japan whose people have been wearing masks out of courtesy for many years now with the intention of keeping everyone safe.
4) Sunblock
Climate change is evident in our erratic weather worldwide. Floods during summer and warm winters are just two of a plethora of issues we face. Most likely you are planning on heading somewhere ?warm? during summer, but the chances are that it?ll be hot. Very hot. Don?t forget your sunblock such as Lancaster sun cream, because not only do these items get expensive abroad, you cannot guarantee their quality.