Before you travel
Things to think about before your holiday
To help make sure your holiday is everything that you hope for, it’s a good idea to plan ahead and check out what might be important to you. Planning ahead will help give you the peace of mind that your holiday will run smoothly.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) website offers up to date travel advice for all holiday destinations including entry requirements, health and safety information including medication restrictions, and details on security, local laws, local customs and much more. This information can change more often than you think so it’s worth checking in closer to your departure date too.
The government also has a Travelaware site with more guidance and advice for keeping safe when travelling. You can also sign up for alerts for the destination you're going to.
You can find the latest easyJet holidays travel updates here.
We cannot stress enough how important it is take out comprehensive travel insurance at the time of booking. Before taking out the insurance, make sure you check that the policy covers the activities and sports that you may participate in. The cost of international healthcare can be significant, insurance does more than pay for it, it can also provide the support to get the best care and get you home afterwards.
You can buy travel insurance with our partner Columbus, or from any other reputable supplier.
Remember to take a copy of your policy with you, especially the emergency assistance contact number. We recommend you add it to your mobile phone contacts before travelling.
Remember that a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) only entitles you to basic state medical care in participating countries; it does not cover you for repatriation. You can apply for a GHIC on the NHS website.
Leave a copy of your travel details with your next of kin or an emergency contact.
For up to date travel health information visit the Travel Health Pro website.
For questions around vaccinations, please visit the NHS website. It's worth remembering that you'll need to have had some vaccinations several weeks before your holiday. Make sure to check this well in advance of your departure date.
You can find all the information you need about flying with medical conditions here. It covers medicine, medical conditions and equipment. It's recommended that you take enough medicine to cover your holiday plus enough for a few extra days in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
If you are pregnant, you can travel up until the end of your 35th week (32nd week for multiple pregnancies) and you don’t need to bring a medical certificate. Some seats on board the aircraft are restricted but we show you which ones when you're picking them.
Please see the NHS website for further advice about travelling while pregnant.
If you have an allergy, please have a look at our information about taking medication on board and travelling with medical conditions or equipment. Please make sure you carry any essential medication in your hand luggage.
For flights, if you or someone on your booking has a nut allergy, it’s important that you let us know in advance by managing your booking and selecting ‘request assistance’. This allows our cabin crew to be aware and, where possible, make an onboard announcement asking other customers to avoid consuming nut products. We also won’t sell products containing nut traces on board.When you board, please let our cabin crew know about any allergies you have and the medication you’re carrying so they can best support you during the flight.
For other allergies, please head to our food and drink page to help you plan ahead. It includes useful information on what to expect and how best to prepare for your trip.If there’s anything else you need, you can contact our Assisted Travel team by going to ‘request assistance’ on view booking, and we’ll be happy to help where we can.
If you or anyone on your booking has any additional support or assistance needs, please talk to us in advance. In addition to the usual checks of passports, visas, and vaccinations, there are likely to be extra things that need sorting out to help ensure your holiday goes to plan. Don’t leave things to chance. Not everywhere works for everyone, so if you get stuck or aren’t quite sure that you’ve got exactly what you need, check out ABTA’s guidance or get in touch, our team are here to help.
ABTA provide detailed guides to help with your preparation and planning at every stage of your journey, with helpful checklists and guides to make sure your needs and rights are properly taken care of.
It can be a really good idea to take a first aid kit on your holiday. It'll mean you’ll have what you may need at hand if you need it, which is particularly important if you're away with children and need child friendly items.
Below we've listed some suggested first aid kit contents, however this will depend on your circumstances and destination. It’s recommend that if you have an epipen for your allergy that you carry it on you at all times rather than packing it away in the first aid kit.
- Antiseptic
- Painkillers
- Wound-cleaning gauze
- Sterile dressings
- Bandage tape
- Plasters
- Tweezers
- Scissors
- Thermometer
- Antihistamines
- Sunburn treatment
- Insect repellent
- Insect bite treatment
- Medication for pre-existing conditions
- Sunscreen
- Anti-diarrhoea medicine
- Rehydration sachets
- Anti-malaria medication
- Tissues
- Antiseptic hand wash
- Spare contact lenses
- Condoms