Major Confession...not shocking but weird!

northantsandy

Due to ill-health, economics and financial situations throughout my life, I have to confess at the ripe old age of 41 that I haven't had a holiday since I was about 14....and - worse still - I've never flown.

That's right I have never booked a holiday or flight, rolled up to the airport, checked in, etc flown somewhere foreign and had a holiday or explored properly! (Aside from a ferry trip to Caen years ago...)

So...determined to do something about this year but even though I am a hairy-a***d bloke, I feel like my Gran born in 1890 when shown a Mircrowave Oven for the first time...

Anyone - constructively - tell me what's what? Do's and Don't's - even if the seem incredibly obvious?

Oh I am so ashamed lol but I need a holiday, I wanna be normal lol

HXDave

My best advice would be to go down to your local, INDEPENDENT travel agent, and discuss your concerns with them. that's what they are there for. Tell them the things you would like to do, dont want to do, and any concerns you may have. A good agent will really take their time to get to know you, and get to know the things that you want.

go have a chat with them. they dont bite - Honest.

HXDave

welshmoneylover

northantsandy wrote: »

Due to ill-health, economics and financial situations throughout my life, I have to confess at the ripe old age of 41 that I haven't had a holiday since I was about 14....and - worse still - I've never flown.

That's right I have never booked a holiday or flight, rolled up to the airport, checked in, etc flown somewhere foreign and had a holiday or explored properly! (Aside from a ferry trip to Caen years ago...)

So...determined to do something about this year but even though I am a hairy-a***d bloke, I feel like my Gran born in 1890 when shown a Mircrowave Oven for the first time...

Anyone - constructively - tell me what's what? Do's and Don't's - even if the seem incredibly obvious?

Oh I am so ashamed lol but I need a holiday, I wanna be normal lol

I didn't start flying til about 4 years ago and we went to Majorca with Thomsons and I loved it.

I'd stay go to a travel agent, express your concerns and ask them to recommend a few resorts, then take some brochures home to whet your appetite then have a look on the Thomsons website at their piccies and prices.

Enjoy x

Ladyhawk

Wow - good for you!

What do you fancy doing?

How about popping to your library and picking up some guide books?

melb

first thing to do is apply for a passport

*pinkie*

Are there any places you have always wanted to visit, or are you up for anything? What type of holiday do you want - laying on a beach all day, discovering new cultures, an adventurous holiday? What is your budget? Maybe do a bit of research on the internet to see what travel companies charge for different destinantions to give you an idea of what you can and cannot afford.

Is flying an issue for you? If its your first flight you may want to do a short flight rather than something trans atlantic which could help you narrow down a destinantion. May first flight was to jersey from London - the whole flight only lasted half an hour!

I think research is the key.

northantsandy

It's not the destination or being scared of flying to be honest...it's the basics...the mechanics...of prep from getting to the airport...what you do when there to how/what to pack for the hold..carry on, etc etc etc

SnowBelle_2

@Northantsandy
Don't worry you are not alone! I met my husband 4 years ago when he was 37 and he had never had a holiday let alone abroad!( due to family and personal reasons)
I am a seasoned traveller and have been very fortunate to travel the world,so we started off slowly, first apply for your passport,the Post office will check over it for you to make sure you have done it right(there is a smallish charge)
Then think about things you would like to see or do..many european flights are less than two hours,go from a small local airport if you can so you are overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of the larger ones.
We took a trip to Stockholm first for a weekend as it was different! My husband was nervous but calm.
Most of all take your time...stay in a hotel close to the airport overnight in case you worry about oversleeping,take a friend if you want to share your worries.
And believe me before long you will be driving down a six lane US freeway like my OH this year with not a care in the world!
Good luck...travel is fantastic ,the world really is small when you fly it!

Go on travel forums.. ( trip advisor is good)they are invaluble I still always use them for ideas when we go away

wallbash

Lots of questions , anyone who wants to help , jump in

Decide what sort of holiday and your budget
Visit Local travel Agent ,
Book holday.
Packing , one suitcase / holdall
Contents depend on holiday
Hand luggage , contains book/ sweets ( anything you might need whilst sitting for a couple of hours)
Get to airport .. drive ( arrange parking) or get a lift.
Look for sign Departures , carry case to largest room you have ever seen ( think aircraft hanger) . Look for queues of people , look for departure destination boards , will show flight info i.e Number / time and destination.
Show person on desk your ticket / passport.. they will weigh your case and it will be whisked away. You will be given a boarding card and seat number.

Follow signs saying Departure lounge. Keep passport/boarding card very handy , it will be checked many times!! Follow the crowd! Go next to security gate,
Be prepared to be asked to remove belt / shoes money etc , get hand luggage scanned.

Now you are in the Departure lounge , find information board or more likely overhead tv screens , look for your flight number. This will tell you your departure gate and time to get there . Wait in departure lounge until the tv screen tells you to board , Show boarding pass again , will rip it in half and return section with your seat number on . Follow crowd to plane.
After all that you deserve a holiday.
More question???

mandrose

I'm excited for you! I hadn't had a holiday for many years, then 4 years ago decided to book something with a friend! We went to Kenya for 2 weeks and I can honestly say it was the most fantastic experience! Since then we have been to Thailand, Sri Lanka and Jamaica!

I think using a good travel agent is vital and researching where to go before booking! Trip Advisor gives independent reviews for every hotel and I have always found them quite accurate. Each country and region also has a forum, usually with an expert on there, where you can ask advise on what to take, injections to have and things to do. I used this to book our holiday to Sri Lanka independently, which incorporated a week long tour with a private guide! Every attraction recommended was excellent!

All inclusive is great to keep the price down and means if it is very hot you can get plenty of soft drinks (and alcohol of course!) without having to worry about the cost! Again, read reviews of the hotel food before going to make sure its edible!

If you have an early morning flight, definitely book into a airport hotel. The last time I did this I got a £19 deal for a pretty shocking Travel Lodge but as I had to get up at 2am it was fine for a couple of hours sleep!

I'm sure you will have a fantastic time, where ever you choose to go, so get your passport sorted and start packing! :T

luci

Remember the mantra before you leave - passport, tickets, money/currency, travel insurance.

Speaking of travel insurance, you mentioned ill-health. You will need to declare all your pre-existing medical conditions to your travel insurance company before you take out a policy and have them accepted to ensure that you are covered. You don't need to take the insurance the travel agent offers you. It will probably be cheaper and possibly a better policy if you arrange it direct. Start by clicking on Travel at the top of this forum.

Not all policies are the same, they have different levels of cover and some of the cheaper policies have very high excesses (the amount you have to pay in the event of a claim).

Be aware that there are baggage allowances on flights which can be 15kgs or 20kgs. Make sure you know what yours is and stick to it as the excess baggage costs can be very high, eg £12/kg with Thomas Cook.

Hope you have a great time planning and going on holiday. If you are travelling on your own you will be subject to single supplements which will make your fare higher per person than 2 people travelling.

I remember planning my first holiday abroad and the planning and anticipation was very bit as exciting as actually going.