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There’s something about this time of the year that sets me hankering for an overseas holiday. If your travel bug is also rumbling then make sure you read our step-by-step checklist to check you have all your bases covered.
Thanks to the modern wonder that is the internet, it’s possible to organise your whole trip without once leaving the house. We’ve included lots of helpful sites to make the process easier. If you are doing things online though, you generally need a credit card.
If you’re not so keen on that idea then Westpac’s new Debitplus Visa card is perfect for you. This card works like a Visa but instead of using credit, it simply uses the money from your linked everyday account – just like an EFTPOS card. So you get the convenience and safety of using the Visa network without the risk of getting into debt – perfect! What’s more you can also use Debitplus to buy online, over the phone as well as when you get overseas! Click here to find out more.
Step One: Destination First things first… you need to figure out where you want to go. Start by working out how much time off you can take, as the length you can be away will determine how far away you head (no point jetting all the way to London for three measly days!). When it comes to finding a destination the internet is your friend. Browse these sites and see what takes your fancy.
Step Two: The Little Details If you’re planning a trip overseas you’ll need a passport, so if you’ve never had one before or yours is out of date it pays to apply with plenty of time to spare. Also, before you book check any tourist visa requirements for the country you’re visiting. You don’t want to find out after making your booking that getting the appropriate tourist visa is an expensive and time consuming process. It also pays to find out about any travel advisories for that region, you can find that information on the government site Safe Travel.
Step Three: Book it Baby Found your dream destination? Got your travel documents sussed? Now you need to find flights and accommodation. The internet is great for sussing out deals and comparing competitors. House of Travel has a great feature that allows you to compare airfares across a range of airlines, while Flight Centre offers some great hotel deals.
Grab a Seat Step Four: Insurance Travelling without insurance is a foolish thing. Tourists are much more vulnerable to petty crime like pickpocketing and other thefts, plus you don’t want to find yourself landed with a huge medical bill should you fall ill or have an accident while overseas. Shop around for different deals and make sure you check out exactly what you’re covered for. Insurance companies may not provide cover for high risk countries, so make sure you’ve got details like that sussed.
Step Five: Packing and Preparing Woo hoo! Your departure date has almost arrived. Start making a list of everything you need to bring and buying anything you’re missing. Hint: If it’s the middle of our winter and you’re shooting off somewhere tropical outlet stores are a great place to pick up items like bikinis and shorts and you won’t have to spend too much. Remember not to over-pack, get everything out you want to bring then try and cut it in half. You also need to get your foreign currency sorted, so work out if you’ll be using a credit card, travellers cheques or cash and head along to your bank. Westpac’s new Debitplus Visa is a good choice as Visa is accepted almost everywhere and this card makes it easy to manage your money.
Step Six: Get Yourself to the Airport Don’t forget to check and double check your departure time and make sure you allow for traffic when getting to the airport. You’ll need to have NZ currency on you to pay your departure tax ($25.00) and make sure you’re aware of all the new travel regulations in terms of what you can and can’t bring on the plane – the government’s Fly Smart website should clarify them for you. If you’re never sure what you can and can’t pack when flying check out the dangerous goods list on the Civil Aviation Authorities website.
Step Seven: Enjoy Keep yourself safe, but don’t stress out about things like money when you’re on holiday – different rules apply when you’re away and I always think that spending foreign currency isn’t spending real money! Of course if you’re likely to blow the budget and come back with an out of control credit card balance, consider getting the Westpac Debitplus Visa before you go, that let’s you use your card anywhere Visa is accepted. Because you can only spend the money in your linked everyday account you won’t end up paying off all those impulse buys for the next year.
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make sure you read our step-by-step checklist to check you have all your bases covered. 
Step Two: The Little Details
Step Six: Get Yourself to the Airport