A number of UK mobile phone providers have introduced roaming charges following Brexit. Photo: Apeloga AB/Alamy
Protect your plans
Once you've booked your holiday, you'll need to consider travel insurance. An annual plan will start when you want it to and is usually a good value if you're planning more than one trip. We did a quick quote on Comparethemarket for a holiday in France compared to an annual policy covering multiple trips to the EU - prices started at £5.55 for a 40-something going away for a week and £12.15 for an annual. (These are very basic policies - if you want to cover larger amounts of money or want fewer exclusions on what you can claim, you'll need to pay more.) Most annual plans have a limit on the length of each stay. In some cases this is 24 days, so make sure that's enough for your purposes.
Travel insurance should pay out if you need emergency medical treatment or a flight home. They can cover you if you have to cut your holiday short because you're ill, or if you have to cancel your plans because the government suddenly warns against travelling to your destination. You should disclose any pre-existing medical conditions and read the terms and conditions when comparing policies. Make sure you know what you can and can't claim for before you buy. HOW
Take care of your pets
You can have someone stay in your home and look after your pets while you are away. There are paid and free services that offer this. For example, the average price for dog sitting in London on the website Gudog is £32 per night. On Happymeow you can find someone to look after your cat, who will come once a day for £20 or twice a day for £39.
Some people will take care of your animals for free in exchange for accommodation, companies like TrustedHousesitters are there to connect the two parties.
If you have people staying or visiting while you are away caring for an animal, it is a good idea to have both home and pet insurance. Most professional house sitters should also have liability insurance.
Mark Shepherd, head of general insurance policies at the Association of British Insurers, says: "Hiring a trusted house-sitter or having a friend or family member stay in your home while you are on holiday will not usually invalidate a home insurance policy. We would recommend that you check your cover for any relevant exclusions. For example, some policies may not cover you for theft or wilful damage caused by someone you have invited into your home." SM
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Arrange roaming
Whether you can use your mobile phone in Europe as if you were at home this summer depends on your UK provider.
Virgin Media/O2, Tesco Mobile and some smaller providers such as GiffGaff have resisted the temptation to impose roaming charges on Britons travelling to Europe post-Brexit - but EE, Vodafone and Three have all done so. And their prices for doing so have risen this summer.
Fortunately, customers of these companies can usually reduce costs by purchasing a package.
If you've been an EE member since 7 July 2021, you'll have to pay £2.47 per day to use your data, minutes and texts in any of the 47 countries in EE's EU roaming zone. EE's month-long roaming pass costs £25 per month - worth it if you're travelling for more than 10 days.
Vodafone Pay Monthly customers travelling to one of the 49 EU locations will pay £2.42 per day for a European roaming pass, £12 for eight days or £17 for 15 days if you sign up to a package. Customers on Xtra plans may have EU roaming included, so be sure to check.
Three's Go Roam service charges you £2 per day for EU roaming, although it also offers £5 three-day passes and £12 seven-day passes. Three's seven-day Go Roam Around the World pass costs £30.
The above prices are for those on a monthly plan. Customers who pay by the month should check the costs. The same goes for anyone going further afield than Europe: check what your provider charges and if there is a deal you can sign up for before you head to the airport. Beware: Turkey and Morocco are two countries that often catch travellers off guard. MB
Package adapters
Travelling in the 21st century means carrying multiple electronic gadgets that all need to be charged. Adaptors for your existing UK plugs to make them compatible with EU, US or worldwide sockets cost around £5. If you need a lot of plugs, consider getting a four or six plug extension lead and plugging it into the adaptor to have multiple UK sockets in one.
Alternatively, you can buy USB chargers with detachable cables, such as the four-port Anker 543 for £30. You can swap the UK 8 (C7) for your country of choice - an EU-compatible one costs £5 from Maplin - or you should be able to pick one up from a DIY or electrical store when you're there. SG
Weigh your luggage
If you're flying, try to work out how much luggage you'll want to take before you book, as adding bags to your booking later - or at the airport - can cost more. Measure and weigh your fully packed suitcase (use your bathroom scale or buy a cheap set of luggage scales) so you know whether it will fit within the airline's carry-on allowance, or whether you'll have to pay for the more expensive checked-in option. Remember that you may want to bring home souvenirs, so if you hit the weight limit en route you could run into problems on the way back.
Airlines have different baggage rules, and these can make a big difference to the overall cost of your trip. On British Airways flights, you can take one small bag measuring up to 40 x 30 x 15 cm and a second piece of hand luggage measuring up to 56 x 45 x 25 cm (including wheels and handles); both can weigh up to 23 kg. Economy Basic customers will have to pay to check in in all cases. EasyJet allows one free bag, measuring up to 45 cm x 36 cm x 20 cm and weighing up to 15 kg. Ryanair allows one free bag, measuring up to 40 cm x 20 cm x 25 cm. Other airlines have their own size and weight limits. Families do get a treat, though: airlines will usually let you check in certain items of equipment, such as pushchairs, for free.
When buying a new suitcase, check the dimensions before you go shopping and choose the lightest suitcase you can find. HOW
