6 Travel Tips for an Easy Trip

Whether you're going travelling during 2016, or just taking a long weekend away in another country it's important to be prepare and stay safe. Josh and I are going to Rome in two weeks, which I am so excited for and I have compiled six tips to make your time away perfect.

1. Travel Safely

Make sure you have a good travel insurance policy, one that covers lost/damaged bags, cancellation and any medical treatment you may need whilst your away. You don't expect for anything to happen on holiday otherwise why would you go, but you really don't want to end up ill and worrying about medical expenses. If you're a resident of the UK then apply for a free European Health Insurance Card, this is not an alternative to actually getting travel insurance as it will not cover private medical healthcare such as ski mountain rescues or being flown back to the UK. It won't cover your luggage/cancellations. It will however give you access to reduced cost or free access from state healthcare providers if needs be without having to go through your travel insurers first.

2. Call Your Bank

You should call up your bank and any other credit card providers to make sure that your cards will work whilst over there, if you don't plan on using them you should still let them know where you are going and when so if in case of emergency you can use it. I've also found that you're card can get suspended if used somewhere where it usually wouldn't be, which can be a whole lot of hassle so it's better to be safe than sorry.

3. Book Before You Go

Make sure to book and plan all your activities before you go! You don't have to plan every small detail, but big tourist attractions you may want to visit and how to get there you will want to do before hand for an easy holiday. You may even find fast track entry for some things! You can leave a day free for spontaneous exploring of the city you're staying in, and know that everything else you wanted to do is paid for and planned for in advance.

4. Print Everything Off

And keep it safe! Important documents you'll need like your plane tickets, or information for your hotels or tourist attractions. Also make sure to print off your itinery, make sure to do all of this before you leave for the airport to make your trip a little less stressful.

5. Have a Travel Checklist

To make sure you don't forget anything write yourself a list of things you're going to take, it's not the end of the world if you realise you left your foundation at home once you get to the hotel but its definitely annoying. Make sure everything is ticked off before you leave for the aiport, the last thing you want to do is not pack something like your deodorant because you had to use it in the morning before your travelled. If you tend to overpack, pack everything you plan to take and weigh your suitcase a few days before you go to make sure it fits the allowance of your airline!

6. Be Attentive

You want to be safe in a foreign country, and its so easy to get distracted by all the sights. But be aware of your surroundings, especially if you're travelling alone. The last thing you want is to be pickpocketed. Barcelona, Prague, Paris and Rome are all pickpocket hotspots in Europe and whilst you aren't definitely going to fall victim to this, be careful and aware! You want to enjoy your hard earned holiday!

Hope you enjoyed this post, and if you have any other tips for me feel free to leave them in the comments!

Five tips for shopping success!

I am constantly shopping, but I usually only picks up two or three things a new bra or a cute shirt, that kinda shopping. Then once or twice a year I find myself bored with my wardrobe and desperate to go shopping and buy out the whole mall! (This is a bad thing, I just can't control myself.) These are the least successful I think because I'm buying so much I usually buy stuff on a whim and never wear it or buy stuff I will wear and yet never do, and after these trips I usually go back the next day with 75% of it because I just got too over-excited and actually I hate that bright orange top I just paid £12 pound for? I'm going shopping tomorrow because I'm desperate for some new spring/summer pieces and came up with a few tips to help mine and your shopping trips a whole lot more successful!

KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE
I did some spring cleaning today, including my wardrobe (post soon if you're interested). So I know what exactly I have in their, I found a lot of items I had just forgotten about which I can't wait to start wearing again and I also realised I am lacking in the cute shorts and swimwear department. While I was cleaning out I made a vague list to make sure I at least picked up things I needed. I love making lists and following them so that works perfectly for me!

TRY IT ON
When you just pick up one thing it's so easy to skip the dressing rooms which can be stressful and way too hot around now, but it's definitely important to check them out. I find that a lot of the stuff I throw in my basket actually looks terrible on my own body shape, and if your a woman you know how crazy sizing is these days. I could be an 8 in one store and a 12 in another! It's not just that but some items look more flattering in a size bigger or smaller than your regular size sometimes and you end up with better results!

OUTFIT AHEAD
What I mean by this is before you decide to buy something think if you have something in your wardrobe you can wear it with already and if not find something! It's always a bummer getting excited over a new skirt and you can't find a shirt to pair it with.

LEAVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE 'SENSIBLY'
Sensible sounds so old! Like your nan looking at your first pair of heels and going "are those shoes sensible?" When they can't be more than a few inches tall! ;) What I mean is it's great to leave your comfort zone and buy stuff you wouldn't usually wear because there is always room for your style/personality to grow, but it's best to decide if you like the item first. If it's quirky and catches your eye, follow steps 2&3 first!

BUDGET
If you are in a financial position where you don't have to budget then great, but if you can't splash too much cash it's great to make a mental note in your head. It doesn't have to be set in stone but I find when I start shopping and I know I'll be getting a lot, it is so easy to get carried away. If you're like me and have to be careful with finances then check what money you can spare on your fashion addiction first and try and stick to that amount. There has been many times where I have bought too many clothes and had to sacrifice (probably more important) things!

I hope you find these tips useful, I just thought I would share. Shopping is so overwhelming these days with so many different styles, shops and pieces! I would love to know any of your shopping tips as well, so leave a comment if you have any!