It is April.
It is raining.
Again…
Don’t get me wrong, I fully expected April Showers to start as promptly as ever as they are practically a British institution. What I didn’t expect however was for us to have such a long and foul winter. Between the cold weather “snap” that meant we had snow every month for six months and the fact that our traditional summertime has been known to last a little over three weeks before now, I’m ready for a change.
Worry not; I’m not looking to move abroad however I have been looking at some cheap holidays to Majorca instead.
Here is a confession for you, I’ve never been abroad. Not once. I’ve always been working, had other commitments, been busy being pregnant, having children, building a business and things like that and haven’t seemed to have enough time to organise and execute a jolly holiday abroad. I think though that if I am ever going to see proper sunshine again that I am going to have to take drastic action.
Unfortunately I don’t know where to start.
Passports
None of us have passports – is it very difficult to sort these? I know the kids need to have them too. I also know roughly how much each one costs but I won’t go there today.
Heat
Don’t laugh! I am planning a trip abroad to Majorca and I don’t like being too hot. That said I’m told it is “a different type of heat”. Is it different? Isn’t hot just hot?
Insurance
This has me baffled slightly. What will I need? Where is best to get it i.e. through the holiday provider or independently? What insurances do I actually need and what are advisable?
Travelling with Kids
I know a lot of my readers do it. Is it as easy as some of you all make out or are you the kings and queens of bribery?
So many questions, I could easily talk myself out of it to be honest however nothing ventured and all that…..
Majorca has great reviews online and from what I can see there is plenty to do for all ages whether you want to be lazy or active, and I believe there are some good tours and what not for us history buffs too.
So tell me, to Majorca or not to Majorca, and do you have any wise words to share if I do decide to bite the bullet?
* Written in collaboration with the mentioned business yet true to my thoughts, feelings and experiences.
Sort passports early. It takes about six weeks to get your first ones back. The Post Office does a service where they’ll check your application form for about £8. I’ve used it and found it worthwhile – it’s saved me getting an incorrectly filled out form bounced back to me.
Get European Health Insurance Cards as well as your own medical insurance. Your EHIC shows your entitled to the same free health care as a Spanish resident, but doesn’t cover things like medical repatriation or private treatment which your travel insurance should.
You can buy insurance as part of a package or separately through your insurers or travel agents. It might be worth checking with your bank as some current accounts include travel cover too. It’s really boring, but check the small print and tell them about any pre-existing conditions before you travel.
(As an Evernote user I’m sure you’ll grab photos of all your important docs like passports, EHICs, tickets, insurance policies and stick them in a note. If you can add them as favourites on a mobile device you’ll always have a copy in your pocket, or be able to get hold of them anywhere you can beg a bit of internet time.)
Travelling with kids is fine. It’s like doing anything else with them though; have snacks and entertainment or activities to hand and be prepared for the unexpected.
James, you are a star! I didn’t realise the wait for the passports was so long though. Great info – I’ll have a proper look when it is quieter later but the insurance link especially looks really useful.
Thank you!