Travel Tips - Before you go

•	Ensure that all the exterior doors of your home are equipped with good quality locks.
•	If possible, arrange for someone to check on your home when you're away. This will ensure that any problems are spotted quickly and action taken.
•	Place some of the lights inside your home on variable timing devices to give a lived-in appearance.
•	Check that your home owners/contents policy is up to date and that any expensive items you may be taking on your trip are insured.
•	Ensure that passports and visa are up to date and valid.
•	Make a list of travellers cheques and photocopy important travel documents including airline or any other tickets, passport, visa and vaccination records. Put them in your suitcase and hand luggage and leave a copy at home.
•	Take out proper travel insurance and check that it provides suitable cover for your trip.
•	Ensure that your travel or private health insurance policy provides adequate medical cover – in Europe, a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) may not cover all of your hospital bills. EHIC can provide free or reduced cost treatment in European Economic Area countries (EEA) or Switzerland. However, only state-provided treatment is covered with this – and this may not cover all of the things that you would expect to receive free of charge with the NHS. As a result, travellers are often left with a large percentage of their medical bill. Use EHIC alongside your Columbus policy for added benefit - when you make a claim on your Columbus policy, and have used your EHIC to reduce the cost of your treatment, we will waive the excess on your medical claim.
•	Check that your EHIC is still valid. The EHIC replaces form E111 from 1st January 2006. If your old E111 form has an expiry date of 31st December 2005 at the bottom, it’s valid until that date. If there’s no expiry date, you’ll need to apply for a new EHIC. Visit the Department of Health website for further details on how to apply.
•	It is important that you have all the necessary vaccinations for the country you are visiting.
•	If you are travelling to an 'at risk' area, visit www.fco.org.uk. This knowledge can help you assess the risks and take any necessary precautions during your stay.
•	Give your travel plans, hotel details and arrival/departure dates to at least two people you can trust.
•	When packing, do not put valuables in 'checked-in' baggage.
•	Cancel milk and newspaper deliveries.

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