Chapter 2. Holiday Spain: Before You Go
Holiday Spain: Before You Go
Apartment for rent in Gandia, Spain Costa Blanca apartment rental
Before You Go
The secret of a happy, problem-free holiday is good planning. A bit of time spent researching and planning your holiday in advance not only saves headaches later on but can also save money. In this chapter we explain the steps you need to take to ensure a successful, enjoyable, and low-cost DIY Holiday.
Luggage
As with most holidays, the rule for a DIY Holiday is to travel light. Do not bring more than you can comfortably carry.
Absolute Essentials
Travel tickets (you wont get there without them)
Passport (you will not be allowed travel without one)
Money/credit cards (you can still get there if you have forgotten your money but you will have a pretty miserable holiday)With these three essentials you can get to Spain and enjoy your holiday. Consider everything else as extras and non-essential. If you have forgotten something important you can always buy it when you get there.
Important Items
Clothes/Footwear
Medicines/First aid
Wash bag/Make up, etc
Sun hat/Sun screen/Sun glasses
Other Items
Beach towel/Beach-wear/Beach accessories
Maps/Guidebooks
Mobile phone
Book/Reading material
Sports equipment (if required)
Driving licence (if you plan to hire a car)
An electrical adapter (if you bring anything that need to be plugged-in)
Mobile Phones
Many people go on holiday to get away from these. However if you do want to bring yours make sure to check that it will work in Spain. Some phones can't be used abroad, some can be used in Spain to phone the UK only, some can be used to phone other phones in Spain, or to phone other mobiles in Spain. Check with your provider before you go. Also find out about text messaging while in Spain, and how to get your voice messages, as this will almost certainly be different than at home. In particular find out about charges, it may cost more to use your phone abroad and you may have to pay to receive calls as well as make them (see also Chapter 12).
Information
Arm yourself with as much information as you can about your chosen holiday spot before you go. Search your local library for guidebooks, contact the Spanish Tourist Office (details in Chapter 10) for leaflets and brochures, go to a local travel agent and obtain Tour Operators brochures which often contain a lot of useful information about various resorts, search the internet for relevant information (see Chapter 13). Be selective when deciding how much information you want to bring on holidays (paper is heavy). Reduce weight by photocopying the important bits rather than bring the entire book or brochure.
In particular make a note of the address and phone number of the Tourist Information Office nearest your holiday destination (see Chapter 10).
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