Travel expert Simon Calder issues holiday cash warning, urging people to ‘don’t’

A travel expert has revealed the tips he thinks everyone needs to know to get a deal on their next holiday – and he warns to be careful when it comes to getting your holiday cash.

Speaking on This Morning, Simon Calder – who often appears on a range of news and talk shows offering his latest travel advice – was asked by host Alison Hammond to offer ‘five tips on last minute deals ” and “the best way to get the latest deals. business per minute”.

Simon said the first thing to do is talk to a travel agent, Alison saying she never does that anymore, even though she always did years ago. The travel guru said this is something people need to start doing again.

He explained: “They have access to great deals. They can also very well gauge what will work for you. So go to a travel agent. Second, book a suitable holiday package.

“So that includes your flights and accommodation. It will include luggage for your flight and transfers to get you to your resort and will provide you with absolute gold-plated consumer protection”.

When it comes to getting the best bang for your buck, he says there are certain places people should consider visiting: “If you want value, you have to look at Portugal, which is going to be the bargain destination in Western Europe.

“Otherwise, go east. Bulgaria is great value there, but also places like North Macedonia and a big star this year, Albania.”

Discussing two more tips he wants people to know, he says that when it comes to travel money, you have to make sure you get it at the right time. He explains: “Make sure you don’t mess around with holiday money and that means you should use plastic in a lot of places. But if you get euros, you don’t take them to the airport when” You’re on the road, you should plan in advance to post your home for a very good price.

“If you’re going to Turkey, wait until you get there to get your money, because you’re going to get here in a terrible way, and then finally, travel insurance, of course, essential, and make sure you have your insurance card global health GHIC. .”

For those who don’t know, the UK’s Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) allows people going abroad to get the necessary state healthcare in the European Economic Area (EEA) and other countries on the same basis as the resident that country. This will either be free or may require a payment equivalent to what a local resident would pay.

According to the NHS, the UK GHIC has replaced the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). If you have an EHIC, don’t panic. They say you can still use it until the expiry date on the card.

However, once it expires you will need to apply for a UK GHIC to replace it. You can apply for a new card up to nine months before your current card expires.

You can apply for a card through the NHS website here. The health service warns you to stay away from unofficial websites as some may charge you a fee to apply.

The NHS warns that the UK GHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance. It is recommended that you obtain private travel and medical insurance for the duration of your trip.