Your travel companions and you can influence the type of holidays you will enjoy. If you’re the type to pore over endless reviews, book everything in advance and use a spreadsheet to tick off every detail, you’ll have a very different experience to the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of traveller, who prefers to just grab their passport and see where it takes them, carry-on in hand.
You may be a flexible person who enjoys planning ahead, but also likes to have some spontaneity. You might be the person who is relieved when your super-organised friend gives out color-coded itinerary at the airport.
We gathered together some of the holiday heroes that bring getaways to life to find out how they do it – and to discover some of the clever ways Barclays can help your holiday go even further, whichever group you belong to.
Chief holiday officer
‘I create a visual itinerary for every trip,’ says Sian Downes, 36
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Over the past few years, I’ve organized girls’ trips as well as multigenerational holidays, surprise getaways, and family holidays. I am a natural organizer, having founded an events company. I like to look for bargains and am not afraid of planning. I actually love it.
It wasn’t always this way, but I learned that it is better to plan your holiday in advance. You don’t want to spend your vacation time wasting it by stumbling around in search of a restaurant while you’re hungry. The best way to achieve this is by being organised.
My holiday organisation can get a bit extreme, but it’s always worth it – I love looking things up on maps and working out the most affordable way to get around. I like to pay for everything in advance from drinks packages to accommodation. Barclaycard Rewards card* so I can take advantage of rewards such as cashback, then ask people to pay me back.
I’ll draw an illustrated itinerary to make it easy for everyone to see our plans. When I first gave one to my husband, he wasn’t sure what to think. He had never seen an itinerary, but it is a wonderful souvenir. I’m not going to be giving up the title of chief holiday officer any time soon.
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Enjoy the holiday spirit
‘I use word of mouth to guide our getaways,’ says Jessica Shaw, 49
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As a child, my mother liked to pick a country, reserve a place to live, and then see what she would find. She took public transportation to the Pyramids even though we were on a package tour to Egypt.
This approach has definitely affected me. When I go on holiday, I like to let things unfold naturally – I don’t pre-book excursions or restaurants. My partner and friends are spontaneous, too. Perhaps that’s because my travel style reflects my approach to life in general – my creative training business is all about embracing the power of play, and that naturally seeps into other areas of my life.
There have been some unforgettable moments. We were asked to go snorkelling during a recent vacation to Greece. If we’d had plans, we would have had to say no – but instead, we had the most incredible day swimming in clear blue waters.
Be prepared for everything. I make sure to have an annual multi-trip policy and take enough cash for any emergency. Also, be prepared to ask fellow travellers for advice and to speak to locals. This is how I discovered many beautiful places, including hidden waterfalls and beaches surrounded with snow-capped mountains. If you swap stories about your adventures, who knows what you will discover?
The holiday harmoniser
‘I take a 50-50 approach to holiday planning,’ says Furrah Syed, 57
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I love travelling – with my friends, my husband, or alone – but as time is limited during each trip, I want the best of both worlds, planning some things but also embracing unexpected adventures. I do my research before booking tickets for popular attractions. I learned that the hard way, after a visit to Rome – as an artist and educator with a focus on colour, I was desperate to see the Sistine Chapel, but it was impossible as I hadn’t booked.
A walking tour is something I book every time. Locals can reveal places that you wouldn’t have found online. Also, it helps you spot restaurants with a lot of locals. That’s always a positive sign. A second tip is to use the road whenever possible. It will take you through many different landscapes, and you can see how people live their daily lives. On a plane, you won’t see that.
When I’m budgeting for my holiday, I always keep some money aside for spontaneous adventures – the last thing I want is to come home regretting not being able to do something unexpected. I would say that my overall approach is 50/50 planned and 50/50 go with the flow, and it works well for me.
Learn more about Barclays Travel Packs Then, there is the Barclaycard Rewards card
