Really Boring - How do you organise your holiday documents?

[cjt110]

Just got our vouchers through from Jet2 for our upcoming holiday.

Gone are the days of the ACTUAL tickets you collected from the travel agents in a nifty booklet that kept everything together....

I print off the vouchers (Flight, Hotel, Transfer) and put each in a separate envelope with what they are written on them. I do the same with car parking vouchers we have, and with the boarding passes.

So we end up with the following envelopes:

• Car Parking booking
• Flight Voucher
• Boarding passes (outbound) with time and date etc written on
• Transfer Voucher
• Hotel Voucher
• Boarding passes (inbound) with time and date etc written on
• Insurance Policy

So that's a minimum of 7 envelopes...

How do you organise your holiday gubbins?

we have what is known as 'the very important envelope' we ALWAYS leave it on the dining room table and have to drive around the block to collect it seriously, just write on the front of each one and then bung it all into one 'very important envelope'

First I save everything to a folder on google drive including photographs of passports. I also share that with DH and both DC.
Then I keep the paperwork in order of it being used in a Big Envelope. So car park, boarding cards, taxi voucher, accommodation voucher, return boarding cards and insurance policy.

I put everything in an A4 plastic wallet in the order that it will be used.

Keep electronic copies of it all on phone/tablet that we are taking with us.
Some things don't require a paper copy, so I only print what is absolutely necessary.

Boarding passes can often be on your phone now if you have their app. They scan from your phone. Makes it much easier than fumbling around for paper copies at security/the gate etc.

Everything else in one travel document wallet / envelope. I don't think you necessarily need separate envelopes for each thing.

As they arrive by email, they are all moved to a separate file for holiday reservations. When we're ready to go I use an A4 wallet with paperwork in order of use too.

I can't imagine taking envelopes full of documents on holiday don't you have all that on your phone?

I have a day planner. I put the paperwork in it in chronological order.

No need for separate envelopes if you just order them in order of use.

And I don't trust apps and phones but if I only travelled to rich countries I might.

One big plastic wallet in the order we will need them, once used they go to the back.

A slim ring binder in order of use. Once a document is finished with it goes to the back.
We put printouts of google maps in there too, just in case we need paper back up.
Also photocopies of passport, travel insurance etc.

So I'm not as nuts as I thought I was with the old paper copies in order and envelopes?

Phew.

I don't trust apps wrt travel. Rather have a copy there, in my hand. Then if phone gets lost etc I have my copy.

Good idea baout creating electronic copies though.

I don;t think you can use boarding passes on youe phone (android) with Jet2 yet.

That sounds faff and what if you lose the entire lot?
As everything arrives online, I also use my phone to access it all. It I happened to lose my phone, I could of course also access my email otherwise. If I can be arsed, I save them in a separate folder but generally just search my mail for whatever I need. Have apps for boarding passes, rental cars and such. Haven't had any issues yet.
(True though that I rarely travel to countries without internet)

Save everything in one folder
I bought a large family travel/passport holder and I keep all our passports and printouts in that.

Jet 2 has an android app, yes you can use mobile passes.

Jet 2 has an android app, yes you can use mobile passes.

I have a travel document holder that holds everything important. I also have photos of our passports on my phone and another paper copy of everything in a suitcase. Means we are covered if anything is misplaced/lost.

I love the TripIt app for organising everything in one place - booking references, maps, days out.

But I also have a Very Important Travel Organiser (basically a fabric big envelope) with paper copies. Cos y'know. We don't trust digital.

Just downloaded and logged on. Can't access the flight etc vouchers on the app. Only the boarding passes.

One A4 plastic wallet with hard copies organised in chronological order in my handbag. Second set with DH in a different bag.

Generally you only need to hand over your passport for flight check ins. And boarding passes depending on airline. You usually only need your passports to check into hotels as well although having confirmation on your phone is worth doing.

I do same as pp and have a holiday documents folder in my emails. I also have a separate travel insurance folder there just for ease of finding in a panic! And I also email the policy to dh so we each have an e-copy.

I have a lovely travel wallet from aspinal which holds our passports and boarding cards (jet2 have an app which I’ve used. If you have iPhone you can also put them in your Apple wallet and they work from there).

Tbh you don’t really need paper copies of anything nowadays but if you like to have it there just in case I would put it all in one plastic wallet in order of when you need it. Try not handing it over tho unless asked and I’ll bet it’s not needed most of the time. Passports are the main thing.

Like other PPs, all docs electronically saved, use of airline apps etc. I've found it helpful to scan and save holiday paperwork to a photo album on my phone, so I have them to hand at all times. I'm not confident enough with the hidden corners of my iPhone to put them where I might not find them in a hurry!

Paper copies of essentials in the order needed. I now use an A5 plastic wallet. It's a lot easier to get in and out of my bag, fits into the front pocket of cabin bag etc.

Also I highlight key information like policy numbers and phone numbers. In a panic this is the stuff you want to be able to find quickly.

Another person here who prints out, order chronologically, and puts into an A4 plastic wallet. We also have an A5 plastic wallet that contains passports and (for now) EHIC cards.

OP search “small expandable folder” on google- I use one of these! Different sections for things but in one folder. And it’s a5

I have a folder I bought from the pound shop, it’s got a soft front rather than hard IYKWIM. I then hole punch everything and put it in the folder in the order it will be needed.

Yep, all saved as pdf's in a holiday specific folder and made accessible on mobile, all emails sent to one specific account accessible on mobile, paper copies in order in a plastic envelope. Often I don't need the paper copies but I always have them just in case I am asked for them (on our latest holiday we were asked for the paper voucher at the hotel which was easily produced as it was after the flight e-ticket).