What are your pre-flight rituals?
With the summer holidays now in full swing, many of you will be counting down the days until your big holiday arrives. There is nothing more exciting than the night before, with it feeling like Christmas Eve you’ll struggle to sleep.
However, when it actually comes to the travel day itself, it can be very stressful. Not wanting any “Home Alone” related moments (no, not forgetting the kids but sleeping in!!) many of us will come up with our own pre-flight rituals to make sure the day runs as smoothly as possible. Here are some of our own; we’d love to know if any of yours match up with us!
Waking up for the Airport
To avoid any rushing, set an alarm that is earlier than you usually would. This will give you plenty of time to get yourself ready, along with the kids too. When it comes to flying, bringing all the correct documents for your flight is essential. If you are rushing you are much more likely to forget something which could potentially jeopardise your trip! It’s definitely worth a bit less time in bed to avoid all this.
Check in and Security checks
Even though the latest you can check in for an international flight is an up to an hour and a half before your flight, your check in and security checks can often have long ques that can’t be avoided so it’s definitely recommended that you arrive at the airport at least 3 hours beforehand to give yourself enough time. Having all your documents in a folder for easy access will ensure that you can get through these checks as quickly as possible too.
Inside the Airport
Once through the checks you are free to relax and roam the airport to see what it has to offer. Duty free is often the first thing you will see once coming through security, so if you want to purchase any alcohol or perfume now is the perfect time to do so. You might find that you are paying double the amount in the country you are travelling to for these! However be aware, the kids will be wanting in on the action too, with the vast amounts of food and chocolate that they have on offer!
Food and drinks
With the earlier than usual wake-up, you may struggle to get some real food down you until you reach the airport. There is an abundance of restaurants around airports with many cuisines to choose from, so have a little walk around and see what tickles your fancy!
When you’re in holiday mode there’s nothing wrong with having a couple of pre-holiday drinks to pass the time whilst the kids are occupied looking at the flights take off or playing on their handhelds. Quickrooms have put together a nifty little infographic which highlights the best airports to drink in from all around Europe. If you’re travelling to or from the Netherlands / Germany you’re in luck, with the average prices of beer in their airports being £1.69 and £2.36. France was the bottom of the list with a beer setting you back £4.72.
Make sure you’re keeping an eye on the departure boards though, these can often change quickly and go unnoticed, you wouldn’t want to miss your flight as you’re having too much fun at the bar!
