Practical advice before your trip

Whatever your desires, whether it is a trip to France or the other side of the world, the first golden rule is always to be well informed and to be wary of offers that are too attractive (which often turn out to be anything but a good plan). Feel free to compare prices and find out more in several agencies. When you have decided on your destination, check the opinions of other travellers on the many travel forums, and once you have chosen your travel package, compare fares and remember to consider the seasons. A trip can quickly double in price depending on the time of year, especially during the Christmas and New Year holidays. If you organize your own trip without going through an agency, you will get preferential rates by booking your plane or train tickets two to three months in advance. This is ideal because the earlier you risk missing promotion periods, which often fall in September, December and March, and the later you lose the financial benefit of the principle of "Book earlier to pay less" Once your destination is decided, find out about the vaccines that are mandatory and recommended in the country in question. It should be noted that some vaccinations are carried out in several injections so, as a precaution, do not hesitate to take a month and a half before your departure.In addition, it is always recommended to bring a small kit consisting of a few dressings, compresses, disinfectant, thermometer, gauze and compression strips, sunscreen with a high protection index, lip stick, ointment tube for muscle warm-ups, anti-diarrheal, aspirin bottle, disinfectant tablets for water, mosquito repellent.Depending on your destination, do not forget to take two to three months in advance for your identity card and/or passport (new biometric passports are usually issued within three weeks). It is also important to know that for some trips, the identity card must be valid for six months after the return date, so do not hesitate to check the validity of your documents in advance, and to travel with peace of mind, also check your insurance. Are you covered in case of an accident, can you be repatriated, are your luggage insured, are you protected in case of cancellation of the stay, if you leave by your own means is your vehicle insured abroad, etc. Before your departure, make sure that your phone works in the country you are travelling to? Indeed, some destinations require 3G phones. Then contact your operator and ask him/her if your package includes the international option and what the rates are, it will prevent you from receiving a salty note when you return, all the formalities mentioned above have been completed and you are now at the right time to pack your suitcase, which often raises two difficult questions: will I succeed in closing it and will I not forget anything? To answer the first question, we can only advise you to optimize the space as much as possible without overloading yourself too much and think about the costs involved in exceeding the weight at the airport, for example. About the second, it is advisable to draw up a list in advance with everything you think you need. To help you, we already offer you some suggestions (not exhaustive and to be adapted according to your destination and the length of your stay): - Socks and underwear - Trousers (Canvas, jeans) - Shorts, bermuda, dress - T-shirt, tunic, sweatshirt (sweater, fleece) - Check, scarf, scarf, scarf - Bathing suit - K-Way - Caps - Footwear (walking shoes, tennis shoes, flip-flops) - Toilet bag - Sunglasses - Camera, camcorder - Correspondence kit (pen, address book) - Dictionary of the country's language - An adapter for your electrical appliances