Holiday abroad advice

[Fightingdragonswithyou]

Talk to me like I'm a small child. I'm going to ask questions which may seem stupid to some!

Going to majorca on our first abroad holiday next month. It's years since I've been abroad and I feel lost with what we need.

Kids are teenagers so pretty self sufficient.

So, we're staying in a villa. Do we need to take towels?

Phones, do we need to do anything so we can use them abroad?

Money, do we need lots of cash or can we use our cards?

Anything we really need? I've got travel insurance sorted.

We're flying from Leeds Bradford. Is it a massive airport? How busy does it get? Flight is early morning.

Thanks in advance.

You dont need cash use your cards. But take a very small amount of euros
You need to check your phone package to see if you have roaming included. If not you can get a pack from your provider or get an e-sim

It should state If you have towels included on the villa details but I would buy beach towels there, they are cheap and take up too much room in your case

Take beach towels - bath towels should be provided. They might be listed as an amenity on the villa website.

you can use contactless or cards - my DH takes a bit of cash for tips and taxis and things but strictly speaking it doesn’t matter. Be careful which ATMs you use. Generally the advice is to use ones attached to a bank. Last time I went abroad the trolley at the airport needed a €2 coin so take some shrapnel if you can.

if you’re hiring a car get excess waiver insurance before you go. Don’t buy what the hire car company offers it’s really expensive.

DO NOT put medication or anything you really need in your hold luggage. People do, then their bags go missing.

if you have a large cabin bag included pack a few days worth of essential clothes, underwear, cossies etc in it just in case your main bag gets lost.

a portable battery thing is a great idea with a splitter cable for charging up phones, kindles etc round the pool.

take sun cream with you - it can be really expensive abroad especially if you have a preferred brand

You may need beach/pool towels at the villa. I would not expect you to need to take bathroom towels. Who did you book the villa through? I'd contact them to double check.

You will probably need to contact your provider about going abroad. They can talk you through it. Most companies offer a fixed fee for using your phone abroad for a certain number of days. Then you can use your data/calls allowance as though you are at home. Just google your provider name and 'roaming'.

Moneywise, I have a card from a company called HyperJar that I use for spending overseas. You top it up from your bank account and it's free to use abroad - it converts to Euros for you automatically. Or you can google currency cards and get one of those. Again you top up from your bank account and it converts to Euros and you use it like you use your bank card. There's usually a small fee involved, but it's not much. You can take cash out with it when you are there if you need to. Some card machines and cash points will ask you if you want to convert the transaction back to British pounds. Say no - it's more expensive because you get a terrible conversion rate.

Check with your bank what they charge though, it might be easier to use your own bank card.

For a villa holiday I take things like a pack of cards, a couple of games etc for the evenings. If you'll be cooking a lot you might want to pack a small selection of salt/pepper/herbs etc, but often there are bits in the villa, or they are cheap to buy when you are there.

I also always take some laundry tablets/capsules and do washing there. I know it's a holiday but if it's hot it dries super fast! Cuts down on what you need to take and less laundry when you get back. I also take those pop up laundry baskets for everyone to keep rooms tidy.

No idea about Leeds Bradford, sorry!

Have a fab time. I'm jealous, I love a villa holiday.

I would expect that you would need a 3 to 2 plug converter thing?

They usually provide pool towels and towels for the bathroom. If you want to go to the beach I'd take your own with you.

The phone situation depends on your provider and whether you get free roaming or whether you need to 'add on' roaming in advance.

I'd take some euros but you'll be able to use your cards too. Check the fees on your cards though as some charge extra fees for transactions made in foreign currency.

We usually take extension cables and raise multi-point charging blocks as there's not always convenient plugs available. Remember adaptor plugs too

I always take washing line and clothes pegs as well as a few washing pods/dishwasher tablets.

I’ve never been in a villa that doesn’t provide bathroom towels but a lot don’t provide pool towels so either take your own or buy cheap there. There will be supermarkets or small shops selling things like cheap lilos which you will definitely want if you have a pool, although you may be lucky in that often people leave theirs behind. We’ve often found lilos, beach balls, etc, in the Villa. Also write food shopping list beforehand so you’re not wandering round in a daze wondering what to buy.

Remember if you’re using your cards to always pay in local currency as the conversion fees will be better than paying in pounds.

Agree with above about taking pegs, handful of dishwasher tablets, laundry capsules etc., plus extension cable and plugs. Most villas will have some kind of laundry airer. Don’t leave it outside overnight near the pool in windy weather like we once did 😆

Have a fabulous time. I love villas abroad, and our teens always loved the space and privacy.

Leeds Bradford is tiny but the departure hall can be mental. Get there in plenty of time. Breakfast options limited but I've seen plenty of folk drunk at 6am at LBA!
Check your mobile contract for European calling and internet.
Check with the villa if you'll need towels etc.
Take a few plug socket converters or an extension lead for teen's electronics.

Have you got transfers sorted to get you from the airport to the villa?

Amazing, thank you all!

We've got car hire included in the holiday so pick that up from the airport.

We've checked in online and just need to drop luggage off, do we need to be there 3 hours before or is 2 enough?

Sorry for all the questions!

I'm a worrier so I'm minimum 2 hours before departure. They'll start boarding a while before the departure time as well, so keep an eye on the boards.

LBA has loads of 6am ish flights so it can be really busy very early in the day.

After a near miss with a flight in the past I would aim for 2½-3 hours before

Leeds is usually really quick and even if it isn't, they're good at pulling people out of the queue if they're not through security an hour before departure time.

100% agree about doing a shopping list in advance for your first shop. Although a European supermarket is all part of the holiday (for me, anyway), it can be quite overwhelming!!