Not had a holiday abroad for donkey's years and I feel like a dumbo and don't know where to start.

[shadypines]

Hi, physical needs of DS and also DH would not fly means I have been restricted to UK for years. I have not booked a holiday abroad for a long time and feel totally bamboozled.

Apart from passport and insurance what do I need to do? I am looking at Italy so nowhere exotic. I am not even sure if the prices given when I search include flights or not! Like I said I feel totally out of my depth.
Is an actual travel company the best place to start? Feel like I need a complete hand hold until i get used to this again. Appreciate anyone's advice.

Your best bet is a high street travel agent they will sit with you help you choose give you the options and advise you

Oh wow that sounds exciting - Italy is amazing! Lucky you.
Do you know the area you want to go and dates?
Easiest thing would be to book a package holiday with someone like Tui who will also advise on what you need. Especially with covid tests etc.
I think you should look at the Tui website at possible places to get a feel for places, prices and flights.
You can ring their number for further advise or pop into one of their shops.

Thank you for your replies, and good advice. I shall look into that. I am looking at something with beaches, shops, culture, walks eg Ravello or Puglia? There are soooo many lovely looking places in Italy it is overwhelming.

I use google flights to get an idea of prices, or skyscanner.

Trailfinders do organised holidays and they get amazing reviews on trustpilot (not used them before myself).

If you don't speak italian, maybe a phrasebook? Now we're not in the EU you wont be able to transfer your data for roaming etc.

The other thing i like to do for holidays is look up places to eat in advance that get good reviews and save them to google maps using the star function (pops up when you click on the name of the place). I save a cluster, it works offline and means we always eat nice food on trips (nothing worse than an unexpectedly horrible meal or not being able to find somewhere when hungry).

Have a great trip

Thank you , I am writing all these tips down in my notebook!

High street, independent travel agent is good advice.
I'd stick to a package this time rather than try to organise it yourself.

Tui are a budget company - which may suit you. But do check the location of their hotels. I've noticed that they tend to be a long way from where you would want to be.
Day trips & excursions can be expensive, so check what is included.

Re insurance, take it out as soon as you book .