You've booked your holiday, read the travel guide and bought new clothes ?what else is left to do but sit back and enjoy?...Well, if you want to avoid a stressful start to your holiday try following our checklist:



Don't Forget To?

1. Check Passports & appropriate Visas are valid: Essential if you want to get out of the country in the first place!

2. Tickets: Without at least a booking reference number you may have trouble even getting on the plane

3. Lock all windows and doors: Simple enough, but often overlooked, and no one wants to come back off holiday to find their home is bare.

4. Money: Even if you remember your tickets and passports, if you've forgotten your wallet your holiday could be riddled with problems. Even if you don't have any local currency with you most airports will have cash machines you can use your credit card with.

5. Book time off of work: The enjoyment of your holiday can be instantly forgotten if you get back to work to find that no one knew you were going! Ensure you've cancelled all appointments and completed as much work as you can. If possible leave a day to two when you return for planning and catching-up.

6. Insurance: Not included in every holiday, so do make sure you're covered. Accidents can happen.

7. Transfers: If your holiday doesn't include them make sure you've arranged some yourself. If your holiday does include them make sure you know who you should be meeting and where.

8. Ensure mobile phone is activated for use abroad: But check the tariffs first or your phone bill could match the price of your holiday.

9. Make sure that all luggage is easily identifiable: There's nothing worse than losing your luggage on holiday, so make sure you can instantly tell yours apart from everyone else's. You may feel stupid with a pink ribbon tied round your case but at least you'll know it's yours (and so will everyone else).

10. Turn off central heating: Don't waste your money by leaving the heating on for 2 weeks (even if it does keep the cat warm).

11. Set up time switches for lighting to come on in the evenings: Scare off those burglars!

12. Dispose of fresh food in fridge: Get rid of anything that'll go out of date or you'll regret it when you come back.

13. Set Sky Plus for favourite programmes: Can you afford to miss Noel's Deal or No Deal?

14. Water any house plants: Do this before leaving, or better yet, give your neighbour a spare key and ask them to help you out while you are away.

15. Cancel milk / daily paper deliveries: Who wants to come home to a pile of old newspapers and sour milk?

For essential holiday information visit directline-holidays.co.uk