Pre-travel checklist: 5 tips to prepare for your holiday & ensure a smooth journey

Revenge travel is all the rage now.

With countries reopening and easing their Covid-19 restrictions, many Singaporeans are bent on making travelling their priority in the next few months. 

After all, we’ve been starved of travel for two years because of the pandemic and now want to make up for all the lost vacations.

While you may be eagerly planning for your next trip, here are some tips you should take note of for seamless travels.

1. Have your apps ready

Picture the following scenario: struggling to converse with local taxi drivers in a foreign country due to language barriers.

This can easily be avoided if you download Google Translate or any other translation apps to help you communicate with the locals in a foreign country.

If you’re planning to travel around your destination, you’ll also want to have maps and transportation apps on hand.

Mark places in your digital maps and save them in your phone so you can view them offline (we know how the internet can be unstable sometimes).

How to download offline map:

1) Open the Google Maps app

2) Search for a place, like Margaret River Farmers Market

3) Tap More (three dots on the top right hand corner) and then download the offline map.

Alternatively, you can also download apps with local ride hailing services (such as the Grab Superapp which is available in eight Southeast Asian countries) to book a ride and arrive at your destinations easily.

The Grab Superapp also comes with a ‘Share my ride’ function for passengers to let their friends or loved ones track their GPS location in real time.

2. Find inspiration and pre-book your activities before travelling

The world is a huuuuuge place and there are just so many places that you want to travel to.

But once you have decided on a location, how should you get started?

Where exactly to visit and what to eat?

Well, Tiktok or Pinterest can be an amazing resource for inspiration!

Just do a quick search for activities on these platforms and you will be able to find a variety of places to travel to, sights to explore, food to eat and things to avoid doing (every country has their own rules).

Whatever you can think of is mostly available online and a simple search should do the trick.

Once you have identified the places and attractions you wish to visit, you can skip the crowds by taking advantage of travel platforms like Klook, that allows you to pre-book tours, attraction tickets (with most attractions accepting e-tickets) and even car rental services ahead of your trip.

Klook offers these deals at competitive prices so you can be assured that you are getting more bang for your buck.

3. Make sure that your travel Insurance includes essential overseas medical coverage

Falling sick is never fun and can be a total buzzkill when you are on vacation.

However, as much as we would like to avoid this, things happen.

In the event that you fall seriously ill, further medical attention may be required.

Then there's also the risk of getting Covid-19 before or during an overseas trip.

Although most borders have reopened, contracting Covid-19 in a foreign country can still be stressful because, on top of any medical concerns, you may also need to make last-minute changes to your travel plans due to Covid-19 related government regulations.

This is why you should seek out overseas medical insurance plans that include Covid-19 coverage.

Reliable travel insurance is designed to help us should we fall ill or encounter unfortunate accidents overseas.

Using Travel Cover (an instant travel insurance underwritten by Chubb, which is available via the Grab Superapp) as an example, here’s what it covers:

• Overseas medical expenses or onboard cruise line: Up to S$200,000
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation of mortal remains: Unlimited
• Travel cancellation and curtailment in the event of exposure to Covid-19 (including a mandatory Health Risk Warning from the government due to being in close contact with a Covid positive person that resulted in you missing the scheduled departure date): Up to S$5,000
• Overseas hospital confinement benefit due to Covid-19: Up to S$1,400 (S$100 per day)
• Overseas quarantine benefit due to Covid-19: Up to S$1,400 (S$100 per day)

But wait, what about the claim procedure?

When you are already in agony, it can be frustrating to deal with complicated, overwhelming paperwork.

As such, your travel insurance should have easy claim procedures.

With Travel Cover, the claim process is very straightforward - similar to how you would file business expense claims at work.

You only need to submit a written notice to Chubb’s claim department online, attached with the original receipts from expenses incurred and any relevant reports from local authorities.

Just take note that the claim has to be done within 30 days of the incident taking place.

4. Protect your baggage with technology

Other than having the good ol’ locks, consider setting up and using Apple AirTag or Galaxy SmartTag to keep track of your checked baggage and carry-ons.

iPhone and Samsung users will receive notifications the minute their baggage is not with them, making it much easier to check the progress of checked-in luggage or to track down any misplaced belongings.

Airlines allow travellers to bring these devices onboard, so why not consider adding that extra security and travel with a greater peace of mind?

5. Stay organised with travel planning platforms

Things can get messy when your travel itinerary, e-tickets, maps, accommodation details are all scattered across several folders and platforms.

One easy way to stay organised is to use a travel planning template like Notion, which is free for personal use.

There are functions on Notion to take notes, leave your reviews and include photos and article links for each location.

In the event that there is a change of plan or journey cancellation, you can always refer to the template and make the necessary changes to ensure a smooth trip.

In such cases, travel insurance will also come in handy.

If you are forced to cancel any part of your trip as the direct and necessary result of any specified cause such as natural disasters, accidental injury or serious illness (within 30 days prior to the scheduled departure date), Travel Cover will reimburse you based on the terms and conditions stated in the policy.

I want to get covered. Where do I start?

Getting coverage is quick and easy.

Simply navigate to the ‘Travel’ tile in your Grab app, fill in your traveller details, get an instant quote, and make payment.

After getting your coverage with Travel Cover, the app will create your very own travel profile with your details and payment information for subsequent trips.

The best part? It’s super affordable with premiums starting from as little as S$3.90 a day.

Travel Cover is currently running a promotion where customers can receive an additional 40 per cent off (capped at S$20) when they spend a minimum of S$30, from now till Dec. 31, 2022.

This discount will be auto-applied at the payment page. Promotion terms and conditions apply.

With this added security, you can now travel with a greater peace of mind knowing that if anything goes awry during your trip, you’re protected.

This is a sponsored article by Travel Cover, instant travel insurance available via the Grab Superapp.

Travel Cover is underwritten by Chubb Insurance Singapore Limited. Co. Regn. No. 199702449H and distributed by GrabInsure Insurance Agency (S) Pte Ltd, a member of the Grab Group of Companies.

Top images via Redd F on Unsplash & Tron Le on Unsplash