It is so upsetting when you have saved all year for your vacation and then something goes wrong. What do you do and how do you salvage the rest of your break?
Of course, it depends what the problem is but there are things you can do to try and be prepared for some disasters, but not others.
Make Sure Your Health Insurance Covers You
You might be perfectly happy with the healthcare policy you have while you are at home, but many of them do not cover you while you are abroad or when you travel. You need to check this out and either add it to your existing policy for the duration of your vacation or take out a policy that is specifically for sickness or injury while you are away.
When you are in a foreign land it could be something as simple as the water upsetting your stomach or you could fall down some stairs and be injured. A visit to the doctors or hospital will cost you a lot of money. There are some countries where they will refuse to treat you unless you pay upfront or have insurance.
This situation could be even worse if you are injured in an airplane accident, for example, and need the assistance of aviation lawyers. However, that is very rare, so be prepared but don’t worry!
Losing Your Luggage Or Wallet
Losing your luggage can be very annoying. Hopefully, it is found and sent to you within a couple of days but that is not always the case. It is not quite so bad if this happens on your return journey, as you will have more clothes at home.
However, if it happens at the start of your vacation it can be more than just a little frustrating. It will have all your clothes in and probably your toiletries and other things too. What are you supposed to wear until it turns up? What if you are traveling while on vacation, how will they get your luggage to you?
There are insurance policies that will cover these situations and as long as the travel operator will confirm that your luggage has been lost, they will send you emergency funds to buy the new clothes you may desperately need.
Of course, this takes a few days to happen. Pack one change of clothing in a bag you carry with you, so that at least you do not have to wear the same things until it is all sorted.
It is not just losing your luggage that could be a problem though. What if you were to lose your wallet with all your documents in? It is wise to take a paper copy of everything you keep in there before starting out and keep those copies in a totally different place. A second copy left with a trusted friend or relative is also a good idea.
There are somethings that traveling is very difficult without, such as your passport if you are going abroad, but these things are much easier to get resolved if you have a paper copy of them.
Any credit or debit cards should be blocked straight away too. Most card providers will get a new one to you very quickly, no matter where you are in the world.
Canceled Flights
Canceled flights seem to be in the news more than ever. It depends on the reason for the cancellation as to how the operator will behave. If the flight is canceled because of a technical problem or staffing issues, they have an obligation to provide you with food and accommodation until they can fly you to your destination.
If, however, the flight is canceled because of bad weather, for example, then you are on your own when it comes to amenities.
When this happens, the best thing to do is to approach the re-booking desk to see if there is another flight they can put you on when the weather calms down. Some airlines are a part of the same group and if this is the case, they will often do this for a very small charge.
If a flight is delayed more than once, there is a good chance it will be canceled and all the passengers will be queuing to try and sort something else out. You could try calling the airline themselves, but there will be many people doing this at the same time and you have to be prepared to listen to music for a while till you get to speak with someone.
Most vacations happen with a hitch, but sometimes things will go wrong. Although it is often easier said than done, the best thing is to stay calm, as letting yourself get stressed will only make matters worse.
