Holiday essentials: Hotel bookings, travel insurance, international roaming

We compile an easy checklist to put together your holiday kit for the season.

The summer is truly upon us, and it is time to escape to cooler climes with a holiday. But you must book your flights quickly, since other holiday goers are also scouting for great deals at the moment.

In all the hurly burly of planning the trip, you might miss out on some important things to do. So take a deep breath and proceed as follows:

* Book your flights and hotel. Obviously, the first thing to do for your holiday is to book your round-trip tickets and hotel accommodation. These will comprise the bulk of your travel expenses, and it is better to get these bookings out of the way. Besides, you will need some time to scour the Internet for the best deals on both flights and accommodation.

* Buy international roaming card. Your flights and hotels are booked, and by now, you probably have a good idea of the areas you will be visiting in the host country. Knowing this is important, since you will need to activate a good international roaming plan on your phone. You would be totally lost without a working phone connection while on holiday, so get this sorted ASAP.

All operators in India do not operate in every single country in the world. Only a few leading service providers like Airtel have international SIM cards to offer for all the major continents and countries. Whether you are an Airtel subscriber in India or not, you can buy an international SIM card from Airtel for your holiday. Be sure to check whether the SIM will work in your destination country, and activate it by giving your chosen dates. Follow the purchase and activation procedure on the Airtel website for your international SIM card.

* Buy travel insurance. Travel insurance is essential for long distance trips, since it pays to replace lost baggage and delayed flights, and also financial support if you fall ill during your holiday. Take your time to look at the best travel insurance plans that are affordable as well as provide a comprehensive range of covers for all eventualities.

* Go shopping for essentials. Having the right kind of clothing, footwear, medication and other items like sufficient foreign exchange is essential for a good holiday. Based on the weather in your destination country, you should pack adequate clothes, have an extra pair of walking shoes, extra underwear and socks, etc. Be sure to carry a fresh prescription and doctor’s note if you are travelling to countries like Singapore or the Middle East, which have strict rules about medicines and drugs.

* Pack light and have fun! You are about to leave for an exciting holiday, so why burden yourself with a large amount of luggage? Take on board some light packing hacks, and leave enough space in your bag for all the goodies that you will shop abroad. That way, you won’t cart around heavy bags while on holiday, and you won’t have to stress about repacking to make space for whatever you shop while on the trip.