First Independent Holiday

moemoevision

Hi,

I am looking into going on my first independent holiday, prior to this I have only been on holiday with my family when I was a child.
I have been advised by a friend to take purchase my holiday via a credit card to protect my purchase should the airline, hotel or travel agent go bust.
Could you please provide me with as much knowledge you may have on what I need to do and what to consider when booking for my first holiday please

Much Love

M

Nasqueron

Get travel insurance and an EHIC card if travelling in Europe, don't rely on the S75 protection alone

eskbanker

Read the MSE article at http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/section75-protect-your-purchases and especially the section about how the protection is largely nullified when you use intermediaries such as travel agencies. You're only protected against a problem with the company you're actually paying, not others, so if you pay a travel agent then s75 doesn't help if the airline goes bust, for example.

As above, mitigate a wider range of risks with travel insurance, and also look for additional protections from the likes of ATOL and ABTA.

Quite possibly still worth using a credit card but just be aware of the limitations of the protection, to weigh up against the additional costs of paying this way.

bigadaj

To add to the above then section 75 kicks in when the purchase is above £100 but you don't have to have paid the whole balance by credit card. You could lay a deposit of £1 or less and be covered, so if they charge a percentage fee for credit card use then pay a deposit on a credit card and the remainder by debit or other method.

Ben8282

moemoevision wrote: »

Could you please provide me with as much knowledge you may have on what I need to do and what to consider when booking for my first holiday please

It can't do any harm to pay by credit card.
Take out a good travel insurance policy.
Make sure your passport and any other documents required are in order.
Get yourself a good exchange rate for your holiday spending money.
Don't get sunburnt.
Don't get drunk and go crazy with your credit card/holiday spending money.
Take care of your possessions.
Enjoy yourself and don't worry too much about the airline or hotel going bust.

moemoevision

All the advice presented here is very very useful!
Before this thread I was not aware of ATOL and ABTA, which is definitely a must going forward if go through a package deal!
The reason for this thread is so I can learn on my own how to book a holiday knowing all the information I need prior to making any bookings or any purchases.
The thought of a credit card doesn't sit well with me because I've never liked the idea of using other peoples (company) money but as this can protect it seems logical to do so.

Going forward, what is considered a good credit card? What are things to look out for when looking into a credit card?

Much love

M

elsien

Don't buy the travel agents insurance - shop around, you can probably get it cheaper. Get it as soon as the holiday is booked.

If you're looking at buying your own flights, the initial price quoted may not cover hold luggage, choosing your own seat etc unless you pay extra. Always look out for the extra costs.

Credit card depends on whether you're paying in full each month, in which case you might want to look at rewards or cashback. If you're not paying it in full, interest rates and introductory might be more important to consider.

Ben8282

As it is implied that you don't already have a credit card use an eligibility checker to see what you may be able to get. You may have to get one of the credit builder cards and the credit limit may be insufficient to pay for your holiday.