Top 10 Tips For The Perfect Holiday In Turkey
If you are thinking of going on holiday to Turkey, then now is the perfect time to be thinking about where to go and who to book with, as the earlier you confirm your holiday, the more money you can usually save when it comes to early booking discounts.
The difference between a perfect holiday and a bad holiday can often come down to planning, by making sure that where you are heading to is suitable and the company you are booking with are actually going to deliver what they promise. There is nothing worse than landing at the airport, travelling for an hour and then getting let down by the quality or location of your accommodation.
Or, finding that you have encountered issues half way through your stay and are not so sure what to do about them.
Ok, so here our 10 key tips to make sure that by the time you land in Turkey, your holiday is going to start in the best possible way!
Do Your Research
As much as you should trust the advice of your family or travel agents, it is always vital to make sure that you carry out your own research about your holiday, as you are the only one that really understands what you are looking for and what is right for you and your travelling party. The Internet has made things a fair bit easier, as you can type in the name of a few places, read about the area, find reviews and then find a holiday company that operates there. Research is crucial, so do not just jump straight into the cheapest deal, as the more time you spend planning, the better your holiday will be.
Think About Your Requirements
Following on from the above, work out what you want from your holiday and then think about the kind of location that would suit this. Some destinations are not very family friendly and some are better for young and single people more than others, so understand what you want and then match things accordingly. If you just want to relax and do nothing for a week or two, then an all-inclusive holiday could be perfect, but if you just want a base and places to explore, then your holiday looks a lot different. Think about what the holiday is all about, which in turn helps you find something that will deliver it.
Location, Location, Location
With many thousands of potential places you could go, both near and afar, understanding 3 or 4 potential locations and then making your decision based on your research is crucial, as every location will usually offer both pros and cons for your holiday. You will probably never find the perfect location that caters 100% for your needs, but generally, finding somewhere that ticks most of the key boxes is important, which often leads on from understanding what you want from your holiday and then matching the location to suit it.
Book Early
The majority of travel firms and holiday companies will offer early booking discounts, as it is in their interest to try and get most of their accommodation sites completely full before the season gets into full swing. You can often get discounts for travelling outside of the peak season as well, so if you can hold on and are not restricted by school holidays, it is always worth asking for some money off for going there outside of the most popular holiday months.
Travel Off Peak
Where possible, try to travel off peak as not only can this save you money but it can also be a lot easier, especially with a small family. No matter where you go in the world, peak travel times are usually 7 – 9 in the morning and 5 – 7 in the evening, so if you can plan some of your journey around these times, then you might save a few pounds but you will most definitely be able to travel with fewer people elbowing you in the back or having to stand up due to the lack of seats!
Go Early Or Late
Travelling very early or very late can make sense if you have a small family, as not only will it be far cooler, but as we discussed above, it will often be a little less manic and fewer people tend to travel at these times. If you travel early then your children will often be far more relaxed than waiting around all day for your flight, and equally if you travel quite late in the day they can often be tired and you might stand a chance of them sleeping during the journey. This will of course depend on your airline but the more you can travel at suitable times, the more it can relax the family and avoid major hanging around in airports.
Sort Your Money
Although it is up to you when and how you sort your money, make sure you know what you are going to do and when you are going to do it, as in the last minute rush of getting your luggage sorted, kids happy and the pets taken care of, things do and can get forgotten. If you are going to get your money early, then it makes sense to get it done and lock it away, but if you are going to wait to try and get the best possible rate you should set a deadline for this, else you could end up paying more than you really should have for leaving things far too late.
Plan For The Unexpected
Although planning for the unexpected might seem like a strange thing to say, if you try to think about “what happens if?” situations, then you can often put plans in place to make sure you have a solution should it happen. If your plane gets delayed, do you have enough things for the children to do before they get board? If your passports get lost, do you have your passport number saved somewhere safely to make sure you can get an emergency replacement? Always try to make sure you have thought about what might happen and what you need to do in the event of that situation occurring, as it can save much heartache during panicky moments.
Health And Protection
Getting ill whilst on holiday is obviously not much fun, so make sure you take all of the steps you can to protect yourself when you abroad. Sort the right level of travel insurance before you set off on your travels to make sure that if something did happen that required medical intervention, then you would be covered and not have to also worry about footing the cost. Whilst on holiday, apply loads of sun tan lotion and keep yourself hydrated with bottled water, and of course, try to avoid going to heavy on the alcohol!
And … Relax
There is no point getting massively stressed before your holiday and then getting ill during it when your body finally has a chance to calm down. Try to get all of the preparation work completed a few weeks before, including all of the points we have mentioned above, as this means you can start the relaxing process a little bit earlier and actually arrive at your villa or hotel already in the holiday mood. The more upset, angry, stressed and emotional you are for the build-up, the more chance you have of ruining the first stage of your holiday, so try to relax and help the others around you relax as well.
