Know Before You Go

Know Before You Go is an ongoing campaign from the Foreign and Commonwealth office designed to helps Brits stay safe when travelling abroad. The idea behind Know Before You Go is to offer information and advice on important factors that people often overlook while travelling. With modern travel you can ski virtually ever corner of the globe with holidays to Europe, the Americas, Japan and China all accessible through Igluski.

The campaign features several key points for Brits to consider before travelling along with some useful information on destinations. The Know Before You Go site has a great travel advice section on different countries including information on local laws, customs and entry requirements (visas, passport validity etc). Their campaign also advises on getting adequate travel insurance, making copies of your travel documentation, leaving emergency contact details with someone in the UK, letting said person know where you intend to travel, and visiting your GP to gain advice on health and any possible inoculations or medication you may require.

The Foreign and Commonwealth office have also produced mini campaign's offering advice for single travellers, single sex parties (hen & stag parties), package holiday makers, sports travellers and elderly & retired travellers. With ski holidays increasingly popular within the UK and accessibility at it's best you could be any one of the above when taking your next holiday. The vast majority of holidays offered by Igluski are indeed package holidays, therefore these advice campaign's will be relevant to most of our customers. They have also launched a winter sports advice page and the winter sports checklist which are full of advise and relevant information that is worth considering before your next ski holiday.

The Travel Checklist

As part of the Know Before You Go campaign the FCO have produced a helpful travel checklist that is worth taking note of. The advice below is designed to help you organise your trip abroad and stay safe on your holiday.

Before you go

• Check the FCO travel advice page for the country you are visiting.
• Register with the FCO locate services so they can get in touch in case of an emergency.
• Find out where the nearest embassy will be.
• Don't travel without insurance - make sure you are covered for any activities such as skiing & snowboarding.
• Don't forget your European Health Insurance Card when travelling within the EU, though you still need travel insurance.
• Check with your doctor as soon as possible to find out if you need any vaccinations before you travel.
• Make sure you have the correct visas for the country you are visiting and that you have a valid passport.
• For certain countries your passport must be valid for 6 months after the travel date, check the country's entry requirements before you go.
• Take copies of important documents and keep them separate from the originals when you travel or store them online on a secure website.
• Make sure you fill out the emergency contact details in your passport.
• Tell a friend or relative where you are travelling to and how long for, also give them an emergency contact number.
• Take enough money for your trip and make sure you have access to back up funds.
• Make sure your driving license is current and valid if planning to drive abroad, also make sure you are aware of the local driving laws.
• Check the HM Revenue & Customs travel website for information on duty-free allowances and banned goods.

When you are away

• Think about what you are doing at all times and don't take risks that you wouldn't at home.
• Don't display valuables and consider locking your luggage.
• Research local customs and dress code, act accordingly and obey local laws.
• Consider taking your mobile with you whilst away and check with your service provider that your phone will work overseas.
• Check if it is safe to drink local tap water, if not avoid salads, non peeling fruit and ice in drinks.
• Respect the environment - respect the mountain, without it you can't ski, don't buy wildlife souvenirs and don't drop litter.
• Check import regulations on food and plants before attempting to bring anything back to the UK.

Last but not least, have a safe, fun-filled holiday, safe in the knowledge you are fully prepared.