Travelling in Europe

With the summer months approaching, if you’re planning to travel in the EU, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland or Liechtenstein here’s a handy list to check before you travel.

·         Check the latest travel advice on the GOV.UK website - https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice This link provides advice and warnings about travel abroad.

·         Check your passport is valid for the dates you’re travelling – You’ll need to renew your passport if either:

- there’s less than 3 months left on your passport at any time while you’re travelling - check your passport to find out when it expires

- your passport is 10 years old or more on the day you enter the EU country - count this from the date your passport was issued

• Check your travel insurance – Even if you have a valid EHIC or GHIC you should still get travel insurance before your trip.  An EHIC or GHIC won’t cover the cost of travel back to your own country if you’re ill - this is known as ‘repatriation’ and can be very expensive.

• Check your mobile phone contract - You might have to pay more to use your mobile phone abroad.  Ask your mobile phone service provider what the charges will be for using your mobile phone abroad and whether you have a data bundle that can be used abroad. 

• Check you’ve got everything you need if driving – you'll need an up to date driving licence, vehicle log book and a UK sticker for your vehicle.  You should check your car insurance covers you to travel abroad. If you have a paper licence you might need an International Driving Permit (IDP). You don’t need one if you have a UK photo driving licence.  

You can check what else you need to take if you’re driving abroad, using the AA’s website -  https://www.theaa.com/breakdown-cover/european/driving-in-europe.

• Check you’ve got the right documents if you’re taking a pet- If you have a UK pet passport it won’t be valid anymore.

Your pet or assistance animal will need a microchip, a rabies vaccination and an animal health certificate.  It’s advisable to talk to your vet at least 10 days before you plan to travel for advice on what you need to do.  You can also check what to do when taking your pet abroad on GOV.UK.

This information is taken from some of our trusted resources – the Citizens Advice website and GOV.UK.

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