One of the world’s largest industries in the world is the tourism and hospitality industry that provides employment to thousands and millions of people around the world in multiple capacities, hotels, transport, guides, food, tickets, airports, taxis etc.etc.

Today in the present condition the whole world has gone upside down, stock-markets have crashed, the business has stopped their dealing, people are confined in their homes and what not has happened which has stopped the wheel of people living their normal life.

This thing has also impacted the travel industry and many airlines and airports have suspended there operations and hence many people are stranded at multiple places creating chaos and confusion in the world.

Below mentioned is the list of countries that have stopped their operations and allowing no international flights to land in lines with measures to stop the spread of deadly COVID-19 to the masses and to stop the further progression of the virus.

The countries which have suspended operations include that the EU has proposed that all non-essential travel should be suspended to the European Union for 30 days, the president of the EU commission has announced. This would affect travel from outside the EU, but the UK would be exempt.

Albania and Slovenia
All flights suspended.

Austria
No direct flights between Austria and the UK, or direct air or rail connections from Austria to Italy, France, Spain or Switzerland. Travellers coming from Italy by road will be stopped at the border and must present a health certificate stating that they are not affected by a coronavirus. Ski resorts closed on 15 March in Tirol, Salzburg and Vorarlberg. Restaurants and shops open at limited hours.

Andorra, Monaco and the Netherlands
Cultural and sporting activities are prohibited; large gatherings restricted; restaurants and bars are closed; shops likely to be open at limited hours; public transport limited; health screenings on arrival likely. Some flights suspended.

Azerbaijan
Mandatory quarantine for 14 days. E-visas suspended. Flight schedules reduced. UK travellers are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible, as onward travel could become more difficult.

Belgium
Restrictions on non-essential movement (ie except food shopping, medical care). Cultural and sporting activities are prohibited; large gatherings restricted; restaurants and bars are closed; shops likely to be open at limited hours; public transport limited. Some flights suspended.

Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine

Ban on entry to UK travellers especially. UK travellers are advised to consider leaving these countries as soon as possible, as onward travel could become more difficult. Some countries have reduced flight schedules, land/sea border restrictions and restrictions on non-essential movement.

Bosnia-Herzegovina
Self-quarantine for 14 days. Some borders are closed and some flights suspended. Travellers may be asked for proof of accommodation booking. Under 18s and over-65s must self-isolate until 31 March.

Croatia
Ban on entry to UK travellers. Borders closed form 19 March for 30 days. Self-quarantine for 14 days. Travellers may be asked for proof of accommodation booking.

Denmark
Ban on entry to UK travellers. UK travellers are advised to consider leaving these countries as soon as possible, as onward travel could become more difficult. Some flights suspended. Flights suspended from Greenland from 21 March to at least 4 April. Flights to the Faroe Islands severely reduced. Borders with Sweden closed to travellers from 14 March.

France
Some flights suspended. Cross-Channel train and ferry services reduced. Restrictions on non-essential movement from 17 March for 15 days (ie food shopping, medical care, the exercise of up to 20 minutes running or walking). Cultural and sporting activities are prohibited; large gatherings restricted; restaurants and bars are closed; shops likely to be open at limited hours and public transport limited.

Greece and Ireland
Self-quarantine for 14 days. Cultural and sporting activities are prohibited; large gatherings restricted; restaurants and bars are closed; shops likely to be open at limited hours and public transport limited; health screenings on arrival likely.

Isle of Man
Self-quarantine for 14 days.

Luxembourg
All passenger flights suspended from 23 March. Restrictions on non-essential movement (ie except food shopping, medical care). Cultural and sporting activities are prohibited already; large gatherings restricted; restaurants and bars are closed; shops likely to be open at limited hours; public transport limited.

Malta
Travellers in Malta advised by the Maltese government to leave as soon as possible.

Moldova
No direct flights to the rest of Europe. Ban on entry to travellers who have been in China, Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, Japan, Macao, South Korea or Taiwan in the 14 days before arrival.

Montenegro
Ban on entry to travellers who have recently been in Japan, France, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria, Italy, Spain, South Korea, Iran and Hubei province of China.

Self-quarantine for 14 days for travellers who have recently been in Japan, France, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Slovenia or Austria, Portugal

Land border restrictions with Spain (ie cross-border commuters and deliveries only). Flights from outside the EU suspended (not including the UK, USA, Canada, Venezuela, South Africa and Portuguese speaking countries). Self-quarantine for 14 days for anyone arriving in Azores, Madeira and Porto Santo. Restrictions to non-essential movement are likely to be imposed soon.

Romania
Self-quarantine for 14 days. Travellers in Romania advised by the FCO to leave as soon as possible.

Spain
The UK and all other travellers are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible. Hotels and short-stay accommodation must close by Tuesday 24 March (measures do not apply to long-term accommodation, such as long-stay campsites, as long as travellers can cater for themselves and do not rely on communal facilities, which will be closed). Some flights suspended. Land border restrictions (ie cross-border commuters and deliveries only). Restrictions on non-essential movement (ie except food shopping, medical care).

Sweden
All Scandinavian Airlines flights suspended. Other travel options are limited.

Switzerland
Land border restrictions (ie no non-residents, and cross-border commuters and deliveries only). Restrictions on non-essential movement (ie food shopping, medical care, exercise, those that can’t work from home only). Cultural and sporting activities prohibited; ski resorts closed; large gatherings restricted; restaurants and bars closed; shops likely to be open at limited hours and public transport limited. Some flights suspended.

Turkey
Flights to the UK suspended from 17 March. Land borders closed. Travellers who test positive on arrival will be quarantined in a government facility for 14 days, and negative test results in 14 days self-quarantine. UK travellers are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible, as onward travel could become more difficult.

Coronavirus: travel companies allow trips to be postponed free of charge

Bahrain
Suspension of visa-on-arrival scheme. Self-quarantine for 14 days.

Bangladesh
Suspension of visa-on-arrival scheme. Self-quarantine for 14 days. All travellers must present a health certificate within three days stating that they are not affected by a coronavirus. Some flights suspended. Ban on entry to travellers who have recently been in Europe (not including the UK).

Bhutan, Indonesia, Kuwait, Qatar, Malaysia, Mongolia, Oman, Taiwan and Turkmenistan
Ban on entry to all travellers, not possessing health certificate. Some flights suspended.

Brunei
Self-monitor for 14 days.

Cambodia
Ban on entry to travellers who have recently been in France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Spain or USA.

Hong Kong, Israel, Macao, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Uzbekistan
Self-quarantine for 14 days.

India
Ban on entry to all travellers from the UK, EU, and Turkey from 18 March. Some flights suspended. All visas and e-visas invalid until 15 April. One day curfew 22 March, 7 am-9 am.

Japan
Ban on entry to travellers who have been in China, Iran or Italy in the 14 days before arrival.

Jordan
No commercial flights in or out of Jordan, and all land and sea borders closed. Restrictions on large gatherings and non-essential movement (ie except food shopping, medical care).

Lebanon
Direct flights suspended from affected countries on 17 March. Airlines flying into Beirut Rafic Hariri airport are being asked to refuse passengers who have been in the UK, France, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Germany or Spain. UK nationals are advised to review travel plans here.

Maldives
Ban on entry to travellers who have been in Bangladesh, China, Iran, Italy or South Korea (Gyeongsang) in the 14 days before arrival.

Myanmar
UK travellers are advised to leave as soon as possible. The UK  and all other travellers must present a health certificate stating that they are not affected by coronavirus, or self-quarantine for 14 days.

Nepal
Suspension of visa-on-arrival scheme. All land borders closed. All mountaineering expeditions for spring 2020 have been suspended. All travellers require a health certificate stating that they do not have coronavirus.

Pakistan
All flights suspended until 4 April. Large gatherings prohibited.

Philippines
Ban on entry to all UK travellers. The shutdown of all public transportation, limited flights from 20 March to 13 April. Foreign nationals can still leave at any time.

Sri Lanka
Ban on entry to the UK  and European travellers. No new visas being issued. Flights suspended from 19 March. Daily curfew of 6 pm, initially until 23 March.

Tajikistan
All flights suspended from 20 March. Ban on entry to travellers who have been in or transited through, China, Iran, Italy or South Korea in the 14 days before arrival.

Thailand
Travellers who have recently been in affected countries require a health certificate stating that they are not affected by a coronavirus. Self-monitor for 14 days. Songkran celebrations postponed and other large gatherings likely to be cancelled or postponed.

UAE
Suspension of visa on arrival scheme. Travellers already in UAE can extend visas in line with existing procedures.

Vietnam
No new visas being issued for 15-30 days, and 14-day quarantine for all travellers entering Vietnam. Some flights suspended.

Argentina
Ban on entry to UK travellers. Suspension of all flights for 30 days from 12 March. UK travellers are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible.

Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Honduras, Saint Helena, Saint Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago
Ban on entry to UK travellers. Some flights suspended. UK travellers that wish to leave are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible, to ensure travel plans can be met.

Antigua & Barbuda and Montserrat
Ban on entry to travellers who have recently been in China, Iran, Italy, Japan, South Korea or Singapore.

Barbados
Mandatory quarantine for 14 days.

Bermuda
Ban on entry to UK travellers from 20 March (11.59 local time). No incoming passenger flights from LF Wade international airport for two weeks.

Bolivia
Ban on entry to all travellers from 20 March. All flights suspended from 21 March. UK travellers are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible.

Canada
Ban on entry to UK travellers. US border closed to non-essential travel from 20 March (midnight EST). Some flights suspended. UK travellers that wish to leave are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible, to ensure travel plans can be met.

Cayman Islands
Ban on entry to UK travellers. International passenger flights suspended for three weeks from 22 March. UK travellers that wish to leave are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible.

Chile
Land and sea borders closed and all flights suspended for all travellers from 18 March. UK travellers are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible.

Colombia
Ban on entry to UK travellers. Airports will close from 23 March. Flights are still departing, but cancellations and disruption likely. Land and sea borders closed. UK travellers are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible.

Dominican Republic
Closure of all air, land and sea borders from 19 March. UK travellers are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible. Restrictions on non-essential movement (ie food shopping, medical care, exercise. Cultural and sporting activities prohibited; large gatherings restricted; restaurants and bars closed; shops likely to be open at limited hours and public transport limited.

El Salvador
Ban on entry to UK travellers. International flights suspended.

Ecuador
Suspension of all flights until at least 5 April. All travel to Galapagos has been suspended from 16 March and all national parks have been closed until further notice. Restrictions on non-essential movement from 16 March for 15 days (ie food shopping and medical care).

Guatemala
Some flight suspensions. UK travellers are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible.

Grenada
Ban on entry to travellers who have been in China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea or Spain in the 14 days before arrival.

Guyana
All international flights suspended from the Cheddi Jagan airport at Timehri and the Eugene Correia airport at Ogle for 14 days from 17 March. Land border restrictions with Brazil. Self-quarantine for 14 days for travelers who have recently been in Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, Iran, Italy, Japan, Jamaica, Malaysia, Panama, Thailand, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Singapore, South Korea or the US.

Mexico
Some flights suspended. Large gatherings restricted. The land border with the US closed from 21 March (midnight local time) to all non-essential traffic for 30 days.

Panama
Ban on entry to UK travelers. A national curfew between 9 pm and 5 am – travelers should not leave their accommodation outside of these hours. Some flights suspended. UK travelers that wish to leave are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible, to ensure travel plans can be met. Closure of commercial and leisure establishments, restrictions on entry to supermarkets.

Paraguay
Ban on entry to UK travelers. International flights suspended from 21 March. UK travelers are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible. Restrictions on non-essential movement (ie food shopping and medical care only). Closure of commercial and leisure establishments, restrictions on entry to supermarkets.

Peru
Ban on entry to UK travelers. Land and sea borders closed and air travel limited. Travelers should get in touch with the embassy to register for repatriation. Send a full name, location and contact details to belima@fco.gov.uk. UK travelers are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible. All borders closed and restrictions on non-essential movement from 16 March for 15 days (ie food shopping and medical care only).

Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
Self-quarantine for 14 days. Ban on entry to travelers who have been in China, Italy or Iran in the 14 days before arrival.

Saint Kitts and Nevis
Screening and possible quarantine for 14 days for travelers who have recently been in affected countries.

Turks & Caicos
Ban on entry to travellers who have been in affected countries in the 21 days before arrival – a list of countries that is subject to change frequently.

Uruguay
All flights suspended with Europe from 20 March. Large commercial premises closed until further notice. UK travellers are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible.

The US
Ban on entry to UK travellers. Border with Canada closed to non-essential travel from 20 March (midnight EST). Some flights suspended. UK travellers that wish to leave are advised to consider leaving as soon as possible, to ensure travel plans can be met.

Australia
Ban on entry to UK travellers. All borders closing on 20 March (9 pm local time) and could be closed for at least six months (to non-citizens and residents). Self-quarantine for 14 days. Large gatherings restricted.

Fiji
Ban on entry to travellers who have recently been in China, Iran, Italy or South Korea.

French Polynesia
All travellers require a health certificate stating that they do not have coronavirus.

Kiribati and Micronesia
Must have been spent 14 days in a country without any cases before arrival.

Nauru
Ban on entry to travellers who have been in or transited through China, Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, Macao or South Korea in the 21 days before arrival.

New Zealand
Ban on entry to all UK travellers from 19 March (11.59 pm local time). Self-quarantine for 14 days. Large gatherings restricted.

Palau
Ban on entry to travellers who have been in China, Hong Kong or Macao in the 14 days before arrival.

Solomon Islands
Quarantine for 14 days for travellers who have recently been in affected countries.

Tonga
Ban on entry to all UK travellers, open to other nationalities by the presentation of health certificate.

Vanuatu
Ban on entry to travellers who have been in China, Hong Kong Japan, Macao, South Korea, Singapore or Taiwan in the 14 days before arrival.

Algeria
Suspension of all air and sea travel to and from Europe from 19 March.

Angola, Congo, Seychelles, and Uganda
Ban on entry to travelers who have recently been in China, Iran, Italy or South Korea.

Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Malawi, and Mozambique
Self-quarantine for 14 days for travelers who have recently been in affected countries. Some flights suspended.

Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, and Mauritius
Ban on entry to UK travelers. Some flights suspended.

Cape Verde
All sea borders closed and restricted flights from 18 March.

Comoros
All airports closed, must have spent 14 days in a country without any cases before arrival.

Egypt
Ban on UK travelers until 31 March. All air traffic suspended from 19 to 31 March.

Eritrea
Quarantine of 14 days for travellers who have recently been in China, South Korea, Italy, Germany or the US.

Guinea
Visitors must submit their passports for a 14-day monitoring period.

Liberia
Quarantine of 14 days likely, for travellers who have recently been in affected countries.

Madagascar
No commercial passenger flights with Europe for 30 days from 20 March. Self-quarantine for 14 days for travellers who have recently been in affected countries. Air France will be commissioning flights for European citizens from Antananarivo to Paris on Monday 23 March (1:45 am) – contact Air France to buy tickets by phone or at the Air France desk at Ivato airport.

Morocco
Flights suspended with the UK from 16 March (return flights from 19 March).
Restaurants, bars, and other public spaces closed.

Rwanda
All flights suspended from 20 March for an initial period of 30 days. Self-quarantine for 14 days for travelers who have recently been in affected countries.

Senegal
All commercial flights suspended from 20 March. Large gatherings restricted.

South Africa
Suspension of visa on arrival scheme, some flights suspended form 21 March. Travelers in the country who received a stamp on arrival allowing them to stay for 90 days do not need to apply for a visa.

Tunisia
Flights suspended and sea borders closed Curfew 6 am to 6 pm and restrictions on non-essential movement (ie except food shopping, medical care). Cultural and sporting activities are prohibited.

Cruise ships

The FCO is advising against all travel on cruise ships for passengers aged 70 years and over or those with high-risk conditions. Some destinations are placing bans on cruise ships docking or passengers disembarking, including Australia, Chile, Colombia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, and Portugal.  (Source) 

As per the above-mentioned data from the Guardian, it shows that majorly all countries are observing quarantine and are in favor of the minimum movement, yet there are no specific restrictions for Pakistanis travelers and they can travel once the regular operations as per the desire of the state’s authorities begin.

Keeping all this in view, few of the insurance companies are providing COVID-19 insurance protection for all the travelers; it is also stated as a requirement from a few of the embassy, for instance, Spanish and Thai Embassy.

Some Embassies are now asking for medical insurance that has coverage for COVID-19 that would protect the traveler in case of CORONA emergency and provides hospitalization and financial benefits in case of such situation arises, the cover required is specifically $100,000 medical coverage, without which even if the visa is issued, the boarding pass shall not be provided by the designated airline.

These are the new guidelines issued by the embassies recently and it may happen so that would follow the suit making corona-protection-clause as a permanent protection aspect in the given travel policy.

This specific policy which has COVID-19 protection can be acquired from Smartchoice.pk at the comfort of your home, just by providing your essential details and by making payment online through any of the payment methods as per your convenience be it jazz-cash, credit/debit card, cash on delivery or online bank transfer.

The policy would be delivered in 60 minutes in your provided mailbox.
P.S: as there have been many travel cancellations the insurance companies are providing refunds as per their terms and policies and deductibles applied.

Also, the delays which are caused to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and epidemic any delays caused by that shall not be covered by the travel insurance provider, yet the delays caused by airport operations or flight technicalities shall be entertained and covered under the policy you procure and the plan you choose has a cover for that certain aspect.

So, in this time of crisis and emergency, if you need to travel due to any of the mentioned or not aforementioned reasons, you should remember to seek and procure travel insurance well before time to avoid any of the hassles at the airport, or when you are in the queue waiting for your boarding pass and just being denied cause you don’t have the right travel insurance plan, even though if it is not mentioned on the policy, make sure you procure a policy that has coverage specific to COVID-19.

Stay Safe, Travel healthy and but don’t forget to buy your travel Insurance from Smartchoice.pk! while booking and packing your travel essentials.

Khurram Zahid

The post Travel Plans Amid COVID-19 appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

Travelling can be a different experience with the type you choose from, for instance travelling with friends or a partner can have its pro-and-cons be it with a travel guide and group every experience would be a different one.

Being a virgin traveller it’s usually preferred that they travel with a group and guide to explore the new country or city can be a daunting task, I say task for a reason and that is if you are alone, unfamiliar with a language barrier things can get difficult or may be unable to completely explore the area entirely, so a guide help can be befitting in this manner.
For example, Asian tourists who cannot speak English will be able to understand and communicate with European merchandises when they want to buy some products by translating from a guide. 

Discussed below are the advantages and disadvantages of any mode of travel you choose with your pre-decided location, budget and companionship if you have one. This list will help you in weighing your options and would make it easy for you to reach a decision.

Benefits of Travelling In Groups

Managing Everything- Travel, Accommodation, Food etc…

Travelling in professional groups with a guide and a group manager, takes off a lot off tasks from your shoulders, for illustration, you don’t have to worry about managing every nitty gritty’s of your trip, which can be looking for a hotel-a hotel that is as per your requirements and fit-in in your budget as well. The travel means and places to travel are also pre-decided and communicated so know for sure what to expect and there are no surprises-pleasant or unpleasant ones.

You can also breathe a sigh of relief where food is concerned; as you can be sure that you will not miss out on the local cuisine at the same time have that cuisine from the best possible place which offers it. It may also be an advantage to travel in a group if you are travelling to a country where the language is a barrier and there can be a serious issue of communication with the locals. Even if there is an issue distinguishing between haram/halal your tour expert can help you with that.

Explore More with the Expert

“An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less.” – Nicholas M. Butler

Reading that we can assume that, when travelling in professional groups we can see as much s there is to explore, depending upon the place and its virtues, what you explore in the Maldives cannot be expected in Baku, Azerbaijan. It varies from places to places and geography to geography.
But one thing can be ensured that when we travel with people who are familiar with the neighbourhoods can help you make most of your experience which would translate into time and money well spent.

No Worries-Only Fun

Let’s bring down your tensions and worries and replace it with fun, adventure and excitement. Read that?

It means that you travel in groups with a person responsible for every day-to-day operations and activity you don’t have to think about them or executing them, it’s like getting travel insurance before you start your travel, even better when you are finalizing your travel details and travel insurance policy. You get to transfer/shift all your travel misfortunes and unforeseen to the provider and save yourself from all kinds of losses which can translate into emotional trauma and financial stress.

So your chant for the travel is “Yun hi chala chal rahi, Yun hi chala chal, kitni haseen hai ye duniya”.

Cons of Group Travel

Everything has its plus and minus, one needs to adopt others by measuring one against another and what offered is better than what is not being done.

It May Be Expensive

Travelling in a group can be relaxing at the same time, it can be expensive, as every service has some remuneration that needs to be paid, so when acquired these services things can be more expensive but one should measure the things/experience gained vs. the cost incurred and then make the decision.

Less Flexible

When travelling in groups, the routines are fixed and schedules are “not subject to change”. When booking your seat in a group remember that so there is no “fuss” and “stress” when its “show-time”. Since there are a big number of people that are to be managed a proper roaster of things-to-do each day needs to be followed religiously, so the travel plans shared before travel are completed and you can enjoy your travel.
P.S: It also means that no late sleeping in, no extra roaming on streets or bazaars on group time and complete and strict adherence to all schedules are expected.

Big-Groups-Chance of Mismanagement

We know that when are big events taking place or anything which involves huge number for individuals there is an active chance that things can be mismanaged, it can be as small as a person spending more time at a certain time than allotted, which can lead to delay in everybody’s schedule or one getting held in immigration for some reason and all need waiting after a long, tiresome flight.

No Customization

When in the group you should not be expecting any customization as per your belief, you cannot be facilitated with anything too extra-ordinary except promised in the shared travel plan. For example, there is always customization available if a couple wants a separate room but you cannot expect to be facilitated in a hotel apart from where everyone has been booked.

No Personal Preferences

One thing to be kept in mind before agreeing to travel in group is to summon up that your likings and disliking apart from the promised services and inclusions, so when travelling always remember to carry some extra cash for your items like juices and soft drinks, snacks and any other thing that you might want to enjoy while travelling.

Single-Solo Travel

Solo travel has its perks and benefits, it completely brings you a new experience to cherish and enjoy the place. There are certain benefits of solo travel that one can undertake independently.

More Local Exploration

When you are travelling alone, everything is up to your discretion whether you want to explore on foot, by public transportation, hired cab or car. Selecting any of these options enables you to explore more, the street-foods, the local culture, etc. so when alone, you tend to have more time on hands and you are more interested in exploring the streets and the place on your terms.

Complete Freedom

“You are your Boss”

You have all the freedom when you solo travel, you can decide very easily when to sleep when to eat and when you want to roam about, when you are alone you can even satisfy your Late night cravings with a much-craved popsicle or something savoury”. Wake-up at 11 am or get up at 5 am and experience the sun-rise, everything can be as per your schedule and one fun-fact: you can’t be late or too short on time to spend in a museum or while shopping when you travel alone.

Easier To Manage- Everything Is Quicker

When you are alone, you are solely responsible to manage your self completely, anything and everything is quicker and easy to manage than in a group. You don’t have to wait for anyone at the airport to get clearance after you are done or no hassle to wait in line because you have to be with a group to go somewhere.
So, when alone it’s just you with your own company that needs to keep moving and keep exploring.

Likely To Meet New People

When alone, you are more likely to meet new people and not just meet them also to form acquaintance, as it makes more prone to talk locals and even people sitting next to you on aeroplane or bus.
So, who knows you might end up making friends for life.

Exposure-Builds Character

The exposure and know-how you get through travelling alone is nothing like any other travels be it with family, friends or a partner. It builds your character and understanding of a place and provides insight like no other manner. So don’t be reluctant to spread your wings to experience new things, new people, and culture of the said place.

Your Wish

“Your wish is my command; it doesn’t have to be that way”

Travel alone, travel single and do as your heart pleases, no need to adhere to any schedules or time except your flight time or any self-imposed timelines, you can choose your way and time of travel.

Disadvantages

There can be a few disadvantages for travelling solo, although they might not be as big as the advantages they are worth to understand before you embark on your journey.

Lonely

Every day cannot be as rosy as you may think; you may feel lonely and homesick. The travel can be long and excruciating as well, depending upon the place you choose. So when you decide to travel alone remember you are going to experience things which are not normally happening when you travel with a company.

Safety Issues

Safety can be one of the biggest concern while travelling alone, as when you embark to someone place you are not 100% abreast with all the information and do’s and don’ts of the locality, you need to ensure that you read-up as much as you can beforehand, also make sure to inform your parents or family at home about your travel plans in as many details as possible and also ensure that you have purchased your travel insurance so if you face any risk it shall not hamper your travel plans and cause financial damage.
Safety should be your very first and primary concern that you need to comprehend.

Travelling With Friends/Partner

The one person, or your gang of friends you want to travel with, can be your dream come true… you can have the feel of “Zindagi Na Milegi dubara” and somewhat all romantic movies can fit the criteria if we speak about travelling with your partners. There again are some positives and negatives travelling with them.

Familiar/ Comforting Person with You in Hard Times

“Your partner in Crime” and “The Shoulder you can lean on”

Travelling with people whom you love and trust has a different level of comfort and peace, you are more relaxed and rather than just learning and experiencing a new place you make new and beautiful memories. So when travelling with your partner or your friends don’t forget to carry your camera or an extra external hard drive.

Potentially Cheaper- Accommodation and Food

The best part can be that all cost can be equally divided among all your friends and hence would make the trip cheaper for all of your friends travelling together.

Always Someone to Talk To

“Never a dull moment”

In a group of friends always you would have some to talk to anytime and all the time and would always have a company be it trekking, boating, site seeing, even clicking some weird and some amazing memorable pictures.

Disadvantages

The reasons not to opt for travel with friends can be few, but one needs to consider before embarking on a voyage.

Rarely Get Alone Time

You would always be surrounded with people and may not have “some ME time” it would always be too crowded and too busy to have the intra-persona communication and too think or ponder or enjoy the nature in serenity.

Get Sick of Each Other

It is too much of each other when travelling, you need to be prepared to stick with each other, even if it’s going to the loo, sometimes this can be a lot and can a take toll while you want to enjoy or explore the new place.

Less Likely To Interact With Local

When you would have your group, it’s hardly going to be a need to interact with the locals, and hence you may miss out on making some amazing new friends or even miss out on the local culture and traditions that can be gained when interacting with the locals.

Waste Time in Places, Not Of Your Choice

When in groups, you shall also do things that are agreed and liked by the majority even though they are not of your primary interest or even choice. So like a buffet you need to go along with your likes and dislikes both and that too “with a SMILE”.

Becoming Dependent on One Another

Friends and partner travelling together may become too dependent on each other making the travel a little suffocating for the other, as you or your friend may require presence for the smallest task be it shopping, going to the loo, having a snack etc.

There are multiples benefits and at the same time certain compromise and sacrifice that you would have made while travelling, you cannot enjoy and get all in one, but remember that once in a life you need to experience each of the aforementioned travel types as they all have their value-added features that you can enjoy when you take up any of them.

Bes sure to fully research and prepare yourself before selecting anyone type as once made a reservation its a hassle to cancel and plan again…any type of travel you opt for, always make sure you have made your travel secure, even if its while sitting at the airport waiting for area you can get your travel insurance within minutes from Smartchoice.pk by paying online and you can fly worry-free…

“Here’s a little mote of wisdom: Not everyone who claims to be an expert, is indeed an expert. Please note: I have never claimed to be an expert on anything except perhaps making the perfect omelette, and if you don’t like spicy, you’d probably argue with me on that one, too. Anyone claiming to be an expert on anything, in my opinion, should immediately be viewed with suspicion, or be able to produce a PhD Diploma on the subject he or she is professing to be expert in.”
― Chris A. Jackson

Khurram Zahid

The post Pro and Cons of Travelling Solo, in Groups, or With Partners!! appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

A typical travel insurance policy will have coverage for a traveller’s main concerns, including trip cancellations, medical emergencies, travel delays, and lost luggage. Most policies are built to be comprehensive to protect travellers from a variety of events that may cause a financial loss before or during their trip.

Travel Insurance Covers a Canceled Trip

For many travellers, the number one reason to buy travel insurance is for financial protection in case they can’t take their trip. With Trip Cancellation coverage, you can protect all of your prepaid and non-refundable trip expenses.

Trip Cancellation can refund 100% of your trip expenses if you cancel your trip before leaving for a reason covered by your policy.

The most common trip cancellation reasons include:

• Illness, injury, or death of you, a travelling companion or a family member
• Severe weather preventing you from reaching your destination
• A terrorist attack at your destination
• Bankruptcy or financial default of Travel Company
• Terrorism or mandatory evacuation at destination
• Death or hospitalization of the destination host
• Home or business damaged, vandalized, or burglarized
• Jury duty, a required court appearance, or military redeployment
• Required to work, terminated, or transferred
• Victim of criminal assault prior to the trip
• Traffic accident prior to the trip
• Theft of passport or visa prior to the trip
• School year extension
• Legal separation or divorce
• Loss of accommodations abroad due to an illness or death of the host family or friends.

If you get sick or injured while travelling abroad, most domestic health insurance plans, including Medicare, likely won’t extend coverage overseas. However, medical and medical evacuation benefits are built into most travel insurance policies and can cover you in multiple countries while you’re travelling.

Travel Insurance Covers a Medical Emergency

There are two main travel medical insurance benefits: Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation.

Emergency Medical coverage can reimburse you for the costs associated with medical treatment for an illness or injury during your trip. This can include coverage for physician services, ambulance services, and hospital charges, among other expenses.

Medical Evacuation is included alongside Emergency Medical coverage. This benefit can arrange for your transportation to the nearest hospital in the event of a medical emergency and can bring you home if the hospital determines it’s necessary for your situation.

Travel Insurance Covers a Travel Delay

Travel insurance covers more than cancellations and medical emergencies; it can also help you if your flight is delayed or you miss your connecting flight.

The Travel Delay benefit is available to help if your flight is delayed for a reason outside of your control, such as inclement weather or a mechanical breakdown of your plane. Travel insurance can refund your meals and hotel accommodations during your delay if your flight is delayed and you take meals or opt for any accommodation make sure to save their receipts, so you can claim your spent money.

Missed Connection is for travellers who are delayed, and incur additional costs to catch up to their trip. This benefit can help you if you missed your departure for a reason covered by your policy, such as severe weather, a mechanical breakdown, or an accident on your way to the airport.

Travel Insurance Covers Lost or Delayed Luggage

The travel insurance coverage for your personal items can include lost or damaged items, or delayed luggage.

If your luggage is delayed, you can be refunded up to the policy’s benefit limit, to purchase clothes and other essentials after 12-24 hours. This benefit won’t refund the cost of the actual items that are delayed, however, if your luggage is permanently lost or damaged, you can be reimbursed to replace the lost items. In order to overcome any of the lost baggage mishaps do keep the track of items present in your every luggage.

Coverage for lost or damaged luggage is limited to a per item maximum, typically ranging from $250-$500.

What Travel Insurance Does Not Cover

Like any other type of insurance, travel insurance doesn’t cover everything.

Travellers with unsuccessful claims become frustrated because they feel they have been cheated and not accommodated as promised by the travel insurance company. This can be avoided by understanding what is covered and what is not.

This information is provided in the policy certificate, which you should review during your free look period or before you start your travel, so when you travel you have complete information.

Travel insurance does not cover cancellations for ‘everything’ and not all mishaps happening due to multiple reasons can be covered under your bought travel policy.
Travel insurance policies have a list of ‘exclusions’

Every travel insurance policy has a list of the situation in which coverage is not provided, also known as exclusions. This is a specific list of reasons, and it should be reviewed carefully to avoid misunderstandings.

Most travel insurance plans automatically exclude the following from coverage:

• Changing your mind or deciding you can’t afford to go.
• Extreme, high-risk sports such as sky-diving, scuba diving, bungee jumping, heli-skiing and others.
• Losses due to war (declared or not), military actions, civil disorder, and riots.
• Losses due to venereal disease, AIDS virus, pregnancy (except complications of pregnancy), or abortion.
• Losses are due to mental, psychological, or nervous disorders including anxiety, depression, neurosis or psychosis.
• Losses incurred while the insured is participating in an unlawful act.
• Losses due to the insured intentionally causing bodily harm, including suicide.
• Losses incurred while the insured is legally under the influence of drugs.
• Read the insurance plan’s policy, certificate, or description for additional exclusions specific to the plan.

Travel insurance provides coverage for cancellation and interruptions, but the reason for the cancellation makes a difference because not everything is covered. Travel insurance policies provide a list of covered reasons for trip cancellation. If your reason is not on the list aforementioned, you will not be covered.

Any cancellations for medical reasons need to be recommended and documented by a doctor. You cannot simply cancel a trip because a family member is sick…you need to have them see a doctor and have that doctor make that recommendation.

Pre-existing conditions

A pre-existing condition is something that happened (or started to happen) before you had insurance coverage. When you file a claim due to a medical condition, the travel insurance company will look at your medical records.

They will need to determine if/when this condition started to happen. If they look back and see if the condition was not known, your claim would be accepted. If they see that you were diagnosed for the condition, that would be a pre-existing condition and coverage would be denied.

How to save money and find the best travel insurance online:

Use a comparison tool to get quotes for all plans, easily compare on Smartchoice.pk and buy online….
1. Click on the travel insurance button, this will take you to the comparison tool
2. Enter your trip details: Dates, travellers, etc…Then click the Quote Now button
3. Check out the options to narrow your choice: Compare features to pick a plan
4. Buy online: After selecting a plan, use a credit card/debit card/ Jazz Cash/Keenu to securely pay online
5. Rest assured: Instant confirmation of coverage and surety of receiving a policy within minutes of your payment confirmation.

Khurram Zahid

The post What Does & Doesn’t Travel Insurance Cover? appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

That we save up some money and start to feel good about our finances.

Then, a financial emergency comes along and wipes it all away,

We are back to square one.

Leaves us all frustrated!

But how can we jump off this perpetual roller coaster without getting hurt?

We need to decide what is a Financial Emergency Kit, before getting to that there is another question that needs to be answered first and that is what can actually be the financial emergencies that we may find ourselves in need the financial emergency Kit:

Unexpected Job Loss:

Even if you’re amazing at your job, you may be laid off or otherwise unable to work. You’ll need to be prepared for that kind of income shortfall as well. You will also want to start reducing your expenses and attempting to increase your income in other ways.

Unexpected Medical/Dental Expenses:

If you or someone in your family suddenly becomes ill and your health insurance doesn’t cover all of the cost, you may need to pay some of those bills immediately.
Just don’t forget to get a health insurance, so under certain emergencies, you can negotiate these costs with your insurance and at least get some relaxation when the emergency arises and pay less than full price for a certain emergency.

Unexpected Travel:

If you have a family member that suddenly falls ill or pass away, you may have some unexpected travel, which may create a dent in the budget and may create a financial emergency causing strain on your mental peace.

Unexpected Car Expenses:

If your primary vehicle needs immediate repair so you can continue to work, so that is the cost that needs immediate attention.

Natural disasters:

Natural disasters are something that is unforeseen yet there are certain things that we prepare ourselves against by getting Insurance that covers many natural disasters, but you may discover certain specific expenses are not included or that your insurance plan doesn’t reference specific disasters, so it may be one of the things that check your financial emergency checkbox.

Major home repairs:

If your roof starts to leak, all of a sudden in a rainy season you’ll need to fix it immediately. Some home issues could render your house unlivable, and others will only increase in severity the longer you allow them to go unaddressed.

This kind of emergency is inevitable and needs to be handled on an urgent basis, so yeah some plan/alternative should be there for this unknown-unknown risk, that may arise at an unexpected time creating a chaos in your financial calendar.

What’s an Emergency Fund Anyway?

An emergency fund is simply defined as an account where you set aside funds/measures/policies to be used for unexpected expenses. It’s a “just in case” account.
You want to have something that mitigates risks, so you don’t need to rely on debt when a financial emergency inevitably arises.

A long-term financial emergency arises (i.e. job loss, the death of your parents, spouse) so that you can weather the storm much longer.

What are the Essentials of your Financial Emergency Kit?
Some of the things that are important to face/overcome your financial catastrophe can be as follows

Estate/Wills documents:

Estate planning is really the highest form of financial emergency planning because it addresses the ultimate personal financial emergencies, medical exhaustion or death.
Make sure your family has an easy access to this material if something happens to you or your loved one your emergency kit includes, estate documents would include copies of current wills (for you and your spouse or partner, children etc.), your advanced directives health/financial powers of attorney (which designate specific individuals to step in to manage your money or healthcare if you cannot do so) as well as other documents that provide additional guidance for operating businesses and managing and distributing other assets you have.
Make sure these documents are always current and that contact information is included for all the qualified experts you took assistance to prepare them estate or business attorneys, tax professionals and financial planners.

Insurance policies:

Having insurance policies such as (life, car, home) is an important and wise decision one can make regarding your assets, they are your coverage against a natural disaster or any uncertain situation, but it’s important to think a little more broadly. File as much policy and contact detail as you can for any health, disability, business, life and accident coverage you have and remember that it’s particularly important to note or file documentation on this coverage at work, too. Sometimes we sign up rather blindly for work-based benefits only to realize how important they may be in a financial emergency.

Set some cash aside:

Plan for at least three months’ worth of expenses, the size of your emergency fund will vary based on your personal risk tolerance, the types of emergencies you’re most likely to encounter, and your personal circumstances (including your income).

However, it is recommended that you set aside at least three months’ worth of expenses and preferably six months or more. You need to know how much you spend in a typical month and plan to cover at least three months to be safe.
Only use the fund for real emergencies. Once you have established such a fund, don’t tap into it for anything else. This isn’t a reserve of handy extra money you can use for a vacation nor is it a surplus for splurging on Ramadan and festivals gift shopping. The fund is only for emergencies and shouldn’t be touched until you’re forced to cover an expense that your regular income can’t absorb.

Have a backup plan:

If your emergency fund isn’t enough to cover an unexpected expense/ condition you need to have backup plans do you have in place.

It may seem redundant to have an emergency fund to cover your emergency fund, but you’ll be glad that backup parachute is there if you should need it, Credit cards, it helps in keeping the insulating layer of funds if needed in emergency, make your retirement plans so you don’t have to work when you can have some peaceful time, establish college savings for your children, to meet the needs when time be and obviously, you shouldn’t use them unless you have to.

Be-Proactive:

If you can, try to prevent emergencies before they occur, Invest in solid insurance policies that protect you from the bulk of unplanned expenses you’d otherwise face. Take care of your home with upgrades and as-needed repairs, get regular medical checkups and keep your vehicle in good running condition.

What about the Other Financial Emergencies? What about all of those other expenses that depleted your savings in the past?

There are things like gifts, vacations, insurance premiums, school field trips, sports uniforms, etc., right?
Those types of expenses are not emergencies; they’re not even unexpected, they just occur at irregular intervals. If you sit down and think through these types of expenses, you can plan more appropriately for them.
For example, if you know that you’re going to spend PKR 50, 000 during the holidays, you need to start saving several months in advance. Even some of the expenses you think are unexpected (i.e. school field trips), are actually not, you know they’re going to occur, but maybe just not when. Just set some money aside for these types of expenses on a monthly basis and dip into it when needed.

Plan Ahead for these Irregular Expenses

One of the best ways to plan ahead for irregular expenses is to create an annual budget,by viewing the next 12 months of income and expenses, you can see if an irregular expense will fit into the month it normally occurs. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to start setting aside money for the expense several months in advance.

For example, if your child’s college fee is PKR 60, 000 and it’s due every six months, you might want to save PKR 20, 000 per month for the three months before the fee is due.
If you can’t budget PKR 20, 000 per month, you need to start saving PKR 10, 000 per month for six months before the fee is due.
By planning ahead, you’ll have the money set aside and you can pay the bill without having to dip into your emergency fund or worse, having to take on debt.

Here’s what you to do should do:

Grab a blank piece of paper and think about all of the irregular expenses you have throughout the year. You may need to look at your statements to help jog your memory.
• Write these expenses down and include the dates you need to pay them and how much they normally cost.
• Create an annual budget and start plugging in these irregular expenses.
• Adjust the expenses in your annual budget until you’re able to not go over budget in any given month.
• Start saving for these expenses in separate savings accounts
• Pull the money when the bill is due and start saving for the next time!

Building a financial emergency kit requires some thinking, but it can help you avoid major losses and speed up decision making in a crisis. Work with people you trust to make it accessible and useful to your family and trusted individuals, as well the expenditures which are irregular sort it out beforehand by setting aside some funds and not mixing or overlapping it your emergency funds as emergency funds are just for emergencies so, If you find yourself facing a major life crisis, you would be prepared to handle the financial fallout.

Khurram Zahid

The post 5 Essentials for your Financial Emergency Kit appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

However, there is much more than time what you need to have in hand while planning a family trip. Without a considerable amount of money in your pocket, you can surely not consider, plan or execute the idea. For this reason, a better approach would be to start planning and saving ahead of time.  Here are some useful tips to keep effectively plan your next big family vacation.

Schedule Your Trip Wisely:

Enjoying a stress-free vacation is not just about earning extra money, saving and cutting down your costs, it also needs you to play smartly and plan wisely.  You need to review the date and time you are willing to go on vacation. Choose the time and place that can work in coordination your budget. For job holders, it is recommended to wait and apply for annual holidays which will save them from losing a part of their salaries in terms of paid annual leaves policies.

Not every vacation destination in the world comes with the same set of excitement and expenses.  Another critical factor that has an impact on the cost of vacation is the time of year when you are planning to go to the specific destination. For instance, if you are planning to go to Sydney, make sure there is no major festivals or celebrations planned on the dates you will be visiting there.

At the time when you are going on an off-season, it will save you money, you will also find time and ease of visiting the tourist spots with a lesser crowd and more chances of exploration.

An off-season trip to any destination of the world will also save you a lot of money regarding travel costs, the fare for a plane, costs for hotels and you may also find attractive packages or deals to save you some extra cash. Thus, planning your trip wisely, scheduling it while considering the peak festive seasons can help you have a better peaceful and entertaining time on vacations.

Finalize the Destinations:

The world is full of amusing wonders of nature and the artefacts showing the capabilities and creativities of mankind. You can not compare the pyramids of Egypt with the Sunset in Norway.

It means that no matter where you go for your upcoming family vacation, you will surely have something to enjoy. In this situation the core concern should remain about the budget you have in hand or you can manage. There can be certain unexpected events during the vacation and you need to keep a specific amount aside to help you deal with such an uncertain situation during your trip. With that consideration, you will then be left with a limited amount of money for necessary expenses for the trip.

It is essential to choose a destination wisely. A trip to Europe can surely be expensive as compared to a family trip to Dubai. It is you who has to decide which of the available options you are willing to avail. It would always be an excellent choice to plan a vacation to a destination that is in your budget.  

Budget Your Trip:

Once you are done with deciding the destination and the time of year you are willing to go for vacation, you will have a rough idea about the amount required for the trip.

The very first thing that experts recommend to do is to do a research.  Surely you will have the time to do that. During your research, you can consult your peer, friends or family and ask them for their recommendations and suggestions. Make a list of those suggestions and discuss with your family. Shortlist the available options and decide the one destination your family agrees on to have a trip to.

Once you have come up with a name, it is the time to look for what are the possible sites to explore, where you can stay during your trip and what would be your means of transportation, etc.  It is evident that you will find many offers, family vacation plans and other packages for a family vacation to your decided destinations. These packages are often economical and effective as the service provider will take care of all of your booking and other relevant issues.

However, make sure you are not scammed. If you are deciding to acquire a complete package you need to authenticate about the service provider before proceeding further.  

This entire drill of searching, shortlisting and finalizing will lead you to a precise number, a price that you will have to pay for the whole trip.

Start Saving:

The main thing that you will need for a big family trip would be to have enough money. To have sufficient cash in your hand, you need to have savings and if not it is the time to start saving. You can open a dedicated bank account to help you keep money aside. With a little restraint, you can put the saved money apart until the time for vacations come. You can also consider opening a saving account in a local bank and keep depositing money in that account. It will help you deal with responsibilities and save money at the same time.

For a trip like that, you must start saving almost a year ahead so that you are sure to reach the required number as the time arrives.

Cut Some Monthly Expenses:

Living your day to day life and saving for a big trip, with limited earning, can never be possible. Either you have to find an extra source of income, or you need to cut down your expenses to save money.

For this purpose, you may need to consider the food and other expenses that are common on a monthly basis. Cut down those expenses and shave a little off the top.  After a short time, you will realize that you have extra cash in your hand that you can secure for the future use. Such practice will also help you learn how to live a minimal life while fulfilling all the needs.

You can save money by buying grocery in sale and bulk, shopping with the help of discount coupons, etc. You can also cut your grocery bills in half by shopping for organic foods and avoiding luxury food items.

You can also consider cutting down the items that you do not need as a must to keep you healthy. Rather than going to a branded store to eat ice-cream, try finding some peaceful time with nature, sitting on a bench in the park and enjoying a cup of ice-cream over there.

Find Resources for Side Cash:

If you own a car and are generally using it for travelling to and from the office, while during your job hours it stays in the parking, makes it get you some additional income. You can use the car for Uber or Careem and hire a professional driver to take rides while you are busy with your job responsibilities.  Renting out your car while it is not used most of the time can be a good idea even if you are not planning for any significant event in your life.

At the same time when you are about to start your trip for a far of place and your car is supposed to be standing at home or the airport parking, why not utilize it in a way that can earn you some money.

Do a Side Job:

Aside or part-time job is something that can also support you in achieving your goal.  It is a sure thing that if you dream of something big, you need to work harder to get it.  So if you are looking forward to having a relaxing vacation, you need to make sure that you have paid for it in advance.

You can look outside your regular job and finds ways to earn money. Being in Pakistan, you can do some freelancing or can do overtime in your company if needed. If not, you can look for other part-time opportunities that are giving you some additional amount apart from your regular income.

Have a Credit Card:

As discussed previously, there can be any uncertain or unexpected expense that you may have to deal with, during the vacation. Or there can be chances that your young one’s wishes  to shop a lot of making another trip to a nearby place they heard of. In all scenarios, you will need some additional amount to fulfil their wishes.

To help you fulfil all the wishes of your family, you will surely need a  credit card. The core idea of a credit card is to leverage help from your financial service provider at times when you are short of funds. A credit card is not only meant to help you pay for big hospital bills, but you can also use them for shopping, entertainment, food, and other uses. With the help of a credit card, you can manage your financial matters during the trip, even if you do not have sufficient amount of money in the pocket.

Buy a Travel Insurance Before Flying:

Travelling is expensive and above it lies the cost of medical treatments abroad. With the changing atmosphere and surroundings, it is evident that any member of the family fell sick.  The illness can be, and the bills can be lengthy to manage with the in hand amount.

A smart and economical way to stay prepared and deal with any such situation is to buy a travel insurance policy before leaving. A comprehensive travel insurance policy offers a cover in case of any mishap that may occur to you or any members of your family. Right from theft to loss of documents, to a severe injury and medical treatment, a travel insurance policy offers financial support in all cases.

In other words, a travel insurance policy is a backup support document must carry with you before stepping onto the plane to enjoy your family trip to your decided destination.

Saving up for a big trip is not an easy thing but planning strategically will help you save a little more and bit faster. With these simple tips, you can have a better relaxed time with your loved one.  The more you will prepare beforehand for a big vacation, the more you will be able to enjoy with your family the trip. With the said tips you won’t have to worry about anything while being away from your home.

Khurram Zahid

The post How to Save Money for Your Next Big Family Vacation Trip? appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

Also read: How to Apply for Turkish Visa from Pakistan- A Layman’s Guide

Travelling or making a plan for the trip is time consuming especially for overseas. Here are few tips for the families who are looking forward to making their first leisure family trip.  In this beginner guide you will learn all about how to choose a destination, book a flight, packing, accommodation, money transfer, getting visas with good visit visa packages, amazing places to visit famous places to eat and cherish your trip in a very good secure and economical way.

Everyone plans a family trip to gather memories with their loved ones and for this reason important is to make sure that all the attention is placed on making good memories rather than dealing with issues on the trip.

This guide will help you to make your trip beautiful and memorable like a dream come true.

1. Choose Your Destination

The foremost important thing is to know where your family members are actually willing to go. Another important thing is the budget. Check if you have sufficient funds to visit the specific place you are planning to visit.

• The very first step is where you and your family wants to go?
• Which place do you all want to visit? Any specific part of own country or are willing to visit any other country.
• How much time and resources do you have?

Before choosing the destination you have to calculate the time you and your family members have. Like summer holidays, the kids will have a lot of time and they can go for an international trip. But if they have limited off from school, plan a domestic trip.

After deciding about the time frame and the how many people are traveling with you, it is time to sit and discuss the destination list. Shortlist the most popular destinations to visit and make a final decision about the destination that most of the family members want to visit.

What kind of things do you want to experience?

To enjoy your trip you have to make a list what you and your family members want to experience on that trip. It can be

•        Adventure on mountains, hiking to exploration of hill stations
•        Sea or beaches
•        Desserts and camping
•        Resorts
•        Snowfall and cold weather
•        Countryside
•        Hill stations

It is better to make a list of what entertainment points does the destination brings for you. Make a plan or a list of places you may want to visit during the trip.

2. Book Flights for Your Trip

As soon as you decide the place you want to visit, book a flight. Traveling alone is much different than traveling with a family, you need to make arrangements before booking your flight. Also, you must check for the cheapest yet quality carrier to take you to the decided place of visit.

Also read: Top 5 European Destinations for Pakistanis for Family Vacation

You can search for the flights from the official websites of the company you are willing to fly with. Look if any of them is offering a discount on fares or not. We will recommend you to visit the office of the service provider or the website directly. Going to a broker or travel agent may cause you some extra money. So be wise and try to save your money. You will surely need it during the trip.

3. Book An Accommodation For Your Trip

If you are going alone, you can easily spend one night in search of a hotel, but what if you are going with your family.  For a family trip, you need to book a hotel for your family, before taking your flight.  Travelling with family or kids does not mean to have affordable accommodation.

To give your family the best, important is to have concerns with the comfort and security of the family. Your hotel stay is not a cheap thing so choose wisely, you need to check different websites that are offering online booking for hotel accommodation. Nowadays it is easy to book your accommodation with good deals online. You can look for the best deal and if there are any family packages available.

4. Getting Around

The most important part of booking your destination and accommodation is transportation. How will you spend your time and what transport will you use? What size of a car will suit your family? Will you rent a car for your trip? Will you use public transportation? And if you are staying for a long period will you hire a car? Or you will take taxi or uber? Or you will pre-purchase transport cards? Many places have subways and trains too.

If you are willing to rent a car best idea is to book online which will save your time and stay stress-free. You can make a deal after reaching the airport with a taxi. The choice is yours.

5. Things to See & Do

When you plan a trip you plan it according to your interest and attraction of that place. If you are visiting in the peak time of the year you can enjoy your desired destination much more.

Places like Alcatraz in San Francisco and the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb are attraction which are booked in advance. Organize your trip with pre-booking tickets to theme parks, zoo or main attractions. If you are planning you should list the things below:

•        See Broadway shows
•        Eat at famous places
•        Visit famous bridges
•        Visit theme parks like Disney world
•        Make a plan things you have to do
•        Free things to do
•        Parks and playgrounds
•        Best Walks
•        City tours
•        Day trips

6. Places to Eat and Drink

You can plan your trip according you’re eating preferences. Also make sure that you are deciding things as per liked by the kids and all other members of the family. For some people it is difficult to adjust with every food. But for others, travelling is all about eating different cuisines and travel to  try new tastes and cuisines all over the world. Whenever you plan to go to a different culture, discover new restaurants and cafes so that you can enjoy food and special drinks of that place. Research ideas for:

•        Coffee shops
•        Cafes
•        Restaurants
•        Street food
•        Food trucks
•        Picnic spots (supermarkets for supplies)
•        Famous local dishes

7. Your Passport

Passport is the most essential part of the trip, especially when you are traveling out of the country.  Check your passport is it up to date when it will expire if needed then renew it. If you are travelling for the first time you must get your passport before making any plan.

In other case, make sure that the expiry of your passport is far from your trip schedule. Some countries require six month period time before expiry. If you travel frequently, check if it has enough empty pages for stamps. The condition applies to passport of every single member of the family who is traveling with you.

8. Know The Visa Requirements

Every country has different rules of getting visas. You should take information about visa requirements of the desired destination. A Travel agent can help you best in this matter. He will also guide you about what documents will be required. Travel agent will do all visa work or you need to go embassy for visa approval.

In some countries, travel insurance is a must for visa application such as countries in Schengen zone or Turkey. Therefore buy a suitable travel insurance for the whole family beforehand before going to apply for a visa for your leisure trip.

Also read: 5 Most Traveled Destinations from Pakistan that Require Travel Insurance

9. Get Immunizations

Before any overseas trip, you should get vaccine for yourself and every member of the family, depending on where you plan your trip to a particular country. It is important to get the necessary vaccine before travelling. You cannot travel until unless you don’t have proof of vaccine as some countries also have this policy for international travellers. Talk to your family doctor or any other reputable doctor about the travel vaccines required before travelling along with written document proof from your doctor or hospital.

10. Make Copies Of Important Documents

Whenever you plan for any trip you should check out documents twice or thrice along with keeping their copies in case you misplace any of them. For peace of mind, make copies of important documents such as:

•        Passports
•        Visas
•        Flight tickets
•        Itineraries
•        Hotel reservations
•        Rental car reservations
•        Tour bookings

You must also print out hard copies as well put soft copies in your emails so you can have access easily anywhere.

11. Phone & Internet Access

Nowadays every person travels with a smartphone and other gadgets which are required for their trip. As internet is something a must for people these days to keep their family updated. Whenever you travel you should do these things

1)       Keep the phone with you so that you can purchase a local sim card and can avail calling facility.

2)       Take out your smartphones when free Wi-Fi is accessible.

3)       As for laptops,  use them in your room where free Wi-Fi access is available.

4)       You can search data plans for international roaming on your sim card

5)       Last but not least do not forget keeping you adaptor and data cables with you.

12. Accessing Your Money

Whenever we travel we want ease with our money transfer, currency transfer on low fees. The more money we keep with us the more we spend.

When you travel and transfer your current bank charges 4-7% and tax add-on. To have currency at best exchange rate you should search for some good exchange rate site.

Every country has different bank rules before travelling. Better is to check before travelling for any inconvenience. If this is your first overseas trip and you have no idea how to carry money with you here are simple tips for your ease. If really so, you must consider ideas like; Credit Cards, Travel Money Cards, Cash, Debit cards. While from all these options debit card is the best one.

Debit Cards

Debit cards are the other form of cash which you can use and withdraw cash instantly directly from your local bank account. The debit card is different from credit card and not everyone has a credit card with them but one can have a debit Visa or Mastercard which can be used all over the world. Other benefits are you stress-free as you know the money you’re using the card is your own money, not banks money. Other benefits would include:

•        No ATM fees worldwide.
•        No fee for foreign currency exchange.
•        No monthly service fees.
•        No account minimum.
•        Unlimited reimbursement of any ATM usage.

Credit Cards

Certainly, you need a credit card when you travel, when you book your flights and do other stuff. Beside that credit card is very helpful when you are travelling in case your money ends in your debit card and you are almost empty, then credit card is helpful in strange places to fulfill your need. Many banks offer 0% markup up to 6 months. Make sure when you plan your trip overseas your card is linked to either the PLUS, Cirrus or Maestro networks. This enables you to access cash anywhere worldwide. 

13. Pack Smart

Major problem of any travellers or a trip is packing. It is hard to decide what to keep and what to leave. The tip is simple pack according to weather of place you are visiting. Choose comfortable clothes which can help you keep your body temperature neutral. With young kids, pack a separate bag with emergency clothes that you can keep handy. While you must need to carry more clothes for them as compared to your own.

Also read: Top 5 Holiday Destinations for Pakistanis You Might Have Overlooked

Top 5 Travel Packing Tips:

• Pack according to the weather place you are visiting.
•  Keep an extra dress with you in hand carry when you taking flight (in case your luggage doesn’t arrive with you.)
• Keep in mind the activities you will do so you can pack accordingly for example if you have planned for snowboarding you must have a snowboarding suit with you.
• If you are staying in hotels then you do not need to carry toiletries with you.
• Charge your electronics and load up all your tablets and portable devices with things to read, play, watch.

14. Confirm Flights and Check-in Online

Last but not least before leaving have look on your flight confirmation and check-in online! This is the best tip to avoid any inconvenience especially if you are with your kids or family. Enjoy Your Trip! With these some easy tips given above that’s it. You are now a trip planner!

Khurram Zahid

The post A Comprehensive Guide for First Time Family Leisure Travellers appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

We have witnessed that startups businesses are growing well in Pakistan. Most of the startups in Pakistan are willing to work with the companies from different parts of the world. The reason is that the international clients are thought to be better paying and open up the doors of new opportunities for these businesses to grow well. For all the said reasons there are obviously a lot of people who are getting into the business and are digging up new opportunities to reach companies or clients out of Pakistan and grab more and more business.

When it comes to meet an international client the most important thing is to be prepared for a meeting. Meeting a client is very important time for any business person and the focus should be on generating maximum business from a client. Keeping in mind the importance of outcomes, preparing for a business meeting is a  critical matter.

However, when you are about to have an important meeting out of your country and to a place you are not familiar with, you need to be prepared for all the important matters. You need to be ready for the meeting in a way that when you board the flight you are equipped and prepared for all the expected and unexpected occasions.

For a new business person who is just about to have his first business trip abroad, keeping business traveler tips in mind is vital. No matter if you have not done much travelling in your life or you are more focused on your presentation to the clients rather than planning a smooth execution of your international travelling, here is a complete guide to help you in any case.

To help you deal with the process here is a precise checklist for your first business trip like a pro.

Things to Consider Before You Leave:

Pre-planning is important for every single step in a business. When you are dealing with a startup you need to be more careful about each step you take as this is a time when you must not risk your investment and make sure that the decision made is generating you some good results.

Even if it is not taking you to the profit side, it must also not lead you to some serious loss. As a known saying is “By failing to prepare you are actually preparing to fail” and the saying says it all. Thus preparation for a trip beforehand is important for a successful journey and by preparing we mean all that you need to check before you step out of your front gate.

Here are the things that you must consider in this regard:

1. Your Packing Checklist:

Being away from your home means that you will not be able to have access to everything that you are generally using. Do some detailed brainstorming, days before starting your preparation for the trip. Make a checklist of everything you may need during your trip. It may include; the toiletries, clothes and documents, and gadgets from your workplace.

For a business trip, it is important to make a list of necessary document(s) that you will or may need during your meeting or business trip. You will surely not want to arrive at your meeting, miles away from your  country and realize that you forgot an important paper back at your office desk.

2. The Luggage:

Remember you are going to a business meeting and not a leisure trip. Carrying one or two nice pieces of suits is enough apart from some casual clothes that you may wear during the trip. Packing against suitcase with you will not be a good idea. Carrying a heavy luggage along with you, in a strange city, is something that will help you in no way. Keep things to minimal. It will help you stay away from the traveling and packing hassle.

3. Dress Accordingly:

Dressing up according to the demand of meeting and profession is important. Your suit-up will be the face of the business (or employer if you are presenting someone else) in the meeting. If your company does not have any specific dress code, you must get dressed as you do in the office or a bit better, if possible.

4. The Comfort of Shoes:

Although you will be travelling by plane, even then you will need a considerable amount of travelling by foot. Thus, important is to take care of your feet and make sure your shoes are comfortable for a long walk. At the same time, your shoes should look nice. Avoid using noisy shoes they leave a bad impression.

5. Your Business Cards:

Keeping your business cards handy is a must. It helps you to make good connections with people who are linked with your business circle directly or indirectly. Sharing your business card while parting away from the corporate connection is considered as a courtesy in the corporate world. If you are presenting your company on a trip and do not have a business card yet, ask your boss to get you one before you leave for the meeting.

6. Get a Note-Pad:

Although smart devices like smartphones or tablets are in trend these days and come handy in a number of the way but they cannot replace a pen and paper in case of an emergency. Also typing notes on these smart devices is something rude thus suggested is to bring a notepad with you and note important points in it.

7. All the Important Information:

It is vital to keep all the important information with you, throughout your visit. This list must include your flight details, the name and address of the hotel you are staying in other such details about your identity. You can keep all the detail in the note-taking application on your smart device. Better would be to keep a hard copy of all the information with you as well.  Remember keeping one such list with you while your business trip is important for your life.

8. Copy of Your Route and a Trustworthy Person:

Surely you should have someone who love you and a person whom you trust the most. And while they are concerned about your well-being, they should have an idea where you can probably be on your trip. By having an idea of where you can be, they can help you better. You can drop them the hotel and flight information to help them assist you in case of an emergency situation.

9. Your Own Travel Insurance Policy:

In many travelling visa the travel insurance policy is a must to have. A precise travel insurance policy helps to cover many different issues that one may encounter during the visit. A travel insurance policy helps to protect you in case you have had an accident, any sickness that is costing much, theft or robbery, loss of luggage or even death.  However important for you is to choose the travel policy carefully and make sure what services are offered by the policy supplier and what not. You can also review the comprehensive guide for travel insurance policy to know more about it.

10. Your Toiletries Bag:

Remember to pack all the necessary toiletries items that may include a shaving kit, Chapstick, and other body care products that one may use in their daily life. Carrying such things in big bottles can be a hassle. You can buy travel size packing to carry with you while moving out of town for few days. Keep the liquids in separate zip-top bags to avoid any damage to other products in case of a spill.

11. Arriving at the Airport:

You must arrive at the airport, three hours prior your flight. You are not responsible if the flight is cancelled but if you missed the flight because you were late, you will be responsible. And for a business meeting, this is something not acceptable in any case. This is embarrassing and can get you in trouble as well. You can take some reading material with you for time pass at the airport, while your plane gets ready to board.

On Your Arrival:

Congo! You have  made it to your destination safely. Well, this was an easy part.

You are here for work and thus your first priority should be to get ready and shine at work. Here is how you can do that:

1. Hanging Up Your Clothes:

Suitcases are good for transportation but they are the best in wrinkling the clothes. First thing you should do while arriving at the hotel to unpack your clothes. Get the important one ironed (if necessary) and hang them in the assigned place in your hotel room. You can use the ironing board in your room to press them or you can ask the room service to do it for you. This way or that; bring them in good shape.

2. Eat Cheap:

If you are traveling alone and you do not accompany any of the team members, you must look for reasonable priced food. Five star restaurants can be a great idea to entertain the clients, but you must consider your pocket when you are eating alone. Look for economical meal and for a Muslim, must look for halal food if you are not in any Muslim country.

3. Brushing Up the Communication Skills:

Traveling for work means you will be meeting very important people. It means that you will be required to engage them in small talk. A social person will not have any issue in doing so but, if you are not a social person and prefer to stay alone, you may need to push yourself to get socialize and initiate a light discussion. Remember the more people you will impress the more are the chances to gain benefits from them.

4. Eat Healthy:

Every person knows what suits them the most and what not. They have a clear idea of what foods items can make them feel bad in stomach or can cause them any kind of infection. No matter if you are sitting with the client or eating alone; do not go for any such food item. You have spent thousands and you need to get things done before your flight back to Pakistan. In such a situation you cannot afford any loss of time due to health issues. So be careful about what you are eating during your trip.

5. Keeping Your Receipts:

If you are traveling on behalf of your company, you must keep the receipts with you. Some companies do refund you for the expenses you have made during the trip. This may include the receipts of hotel stay, food bought, taxi drives and others. However it will surely not include your personal expenses like shopping etc.

Have Fun!

Last but not the least, you must have fun. Although the business trips may seem the boring and more concerned thing to focus on, you must not forget to enjoy yourself. You will have plenty of time to have a view of the malls right at the corner of the road or the public park nearby. You are lucky if you have any old friend living in the city, you can make them a call and have a meeting with them. Even if not, you can treat yourself with an amazing cup of coffee. You are youthful, energetic and you are visiting amazing places. This is what the success looks like and you must seize the moment.

Khurram Zahid

The post A Comprehensive Guide for First Time Business Travelers appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

Keeping in mind the interest of kids as well as people of all ages and the ways they can be pleased easily, here are some of the amazing destinations to explore now.

Buy schengen visa travel insurance

The London City, England

The London City is surely one of the most amazing cities in the world. London is a playful city with a large number of glorious parks and playground destinations in and around the city. It has plenty to entertain kids as well as the elders in the family thread.

A wide range of museums and sports venues are also a charm to surprise the teens with different likes and dislikes. From changing of guards to the tower of London, there is a lot of historical heritage that the city brings to life, every single day.

If any of your family members like to explore the history, London is probably the best place to visit. Most of the museums here offer free entry.

The famous English writer Samuel Johnson once said that “You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” It has been more than 2 hundred years since he said these words, but it is true until today.

Life in London is revitalizing and worth liking. Thou one visit to London is not enough but even if you cannot go there again (as there is much more else in the world to explore as well), you must visit this place at least once in your life. And for sure it is a perfect destination for a family trip.

In this city, both past and present can be witnessed with all its charm. From the Tate Modern to the Towers of London, all are worth seeing live. The Royals are still respected there and so do is the love for the arctic monkey and the Adele.

Related Read: 5 Most Traveled Destinations from Pakistan that Require Travel Insurance

Amsterdam, Netherlands

If you have had any trip to Amsterdam all alone, you have to forget about it now. There is much more than coffee shops and the club night at the Amsterdam that is worth watching with the family. The destination is perfectly ideal to have a trip with kids and family.

Visiting the city by cycle or by boat is probably the best idea to start with. The Van Gogh museum is a place you must not miss however you will need to buy the tickets in advance to make sure that you are not standing in lines for long before you enter the amazing place.

If you have kids of mid-primary school and above that, the Anne Frank House is one of the best options to offer you an unforgettable insight into the horrors of the war.  Even if any of your family members do not like food and are not willing to eat chips or cupcake, the Dutch food will make them eat like crazy. It is also said that  Amsterdam is one of the easiest going family city destination in Europe.

Efteling would be a great place to have a side trip, in case you have got some extra time. And if you are at Amsterdam, Holland theme park is not a place to miss.  This is a city of Netherlands and you can enjoy the amazing Indonesian cuisine in the full moonlight.

You can ride a bike around the maze of canals that are built in the memory of the holocaust, described through the eyes of Anne Frank and much more that you can witness in the city.

Copenhagen, Denmark

This place might not be soothing to your fairytale imaginations that come with a happy ending. However, you can find some other fascinating turns.

Tivoli is one of the most exciting amusement parks in the Copenhagen and is there at the time of Hans Christian Andersen. The park presents a number of surprising rides, funfair booths, flower gardens and amazing dining venues for families and couples.

Another plus point for Copenhagen is that it is compact so you can easily take your family from one place to another.  Mostly tourist gets attracted towards Copenhagen for three reasons; a visit of Little Mermaid statue at the Langelinie Pier, to shop the antiques along the Stroget and to see the frolic at the Tivoli Gardens.

However, this is not the point where the fun stops. There are many museums and parks with the royal palaces and are huddled around Indre Bay. There is a gallery in the Holmen by Islands Brygge, the beer near Frederiksberg Park and the dining Michelin-style in the Pilestraede. If you are planning to visit the Copenhagen be sure that you are taking maximum time out to enjoy the city at its full.

Salzburg, Austria

You are always ready to enjoy the high beat and loud music and if you are thinking of going to Vienna, better would be to skip thinking about it and go to Salzburg.

This is might be the best place in Europe for music lovers. You can have amazing horse drawn rides with your family and can have a complete tour of old town just in 25 minutes.

Another amazing place to see with your family is the Hellbrunn Palace. The Palace has a 17th-century villa whose garden is amazingly designed by Markus Sittikus Von Hohenems and Price Archbishop.

For the kids who love to be in water or play water games, a tour of water game filled state can bring you the exciting time for soaking your siblings and enjoy the family time.

Related Read: 11 Tips for Vacation Travelling with Family

Rome, Italy

Who does not know the ancient history of Rome and what makes it the most amazing and enchanting place to visit, at least once in a lifetime. When you are planning to spend a family time, somewhere in Europe, you must plan for Rome, right now.

The place is a capital of ancient history and brings your eyes the stunning beauty of nature and some fantastic cuisine to sooth all your taste buds. The visit to Colosseum in Rome will bring some good thinking to your kids and will surely help them to witness, understand and learn the history in a better way.

Rome is the city of seven hills and has enjoyed amazing mythic beginning. Spending a day at the Colosseum, if end up with an afternoon at the café on the Piazza Navona with the big pasta plate at the Trattoria, is a pure delight.

Rome is known well for its history and structures like Pantheon and the Roman Forum with dozens of churches are the amazing historic gem that is worth watching.

It is also a perfect place for art enthusiastic people as they can visit the Vatican museum. While foodies can enjoy the splendid Italian food to surprise their taste buds.

Considering to visit one of these locations, at least once in your lifetime is a must while you are planning to spend some quality time with your family and make them enjoy the best of it.

Khurram Zahid

The post Top 5 European Destinations for Pakistanis for Family Vacation appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

Travel insurance is very important and beneficial. A multitude of reasons support this claim. For instance, if you’ve reached the airport on time, only to find that your flight has been cancelled, travel insurance—if you have any—will help you find new flights. Travel insurance also helps with lost luggage, obtaining emergency cash in case of stolen money, medical treatment or evacuation, reimbursements, and much more.

Also read: 7 Misconceptions About Travel Insurance Every Frequent Traveler Should Know

When Will You Need to Claim Travel Insurance?

You can claim your travel insurance in the following circumstances or turn of events:

• In case of needed financial recovery for medical expenses caused due to accidents and illnesses.
• When you’re in need of legal support.
• In case of natural calamities/disasters and loss of checked-in baggage or passport.
• If you wish to be financially protected in case of trip cancellation or interruption.
• For covering your personal liabilities while on travel or in another country.
• If you’re a student and want all of your requirements covered including medical, baggage and many more.
• You can also claim your travel insurance on travel delay.
• Tour operator default warrants a claim on your insurance as well.
• Your insurance gets involved in case of an accidental death.
• Travel insurance also takes care your legal expenses.
• Repatriation.
• In case of an emergency reunion or a familial emergency.
• It might seem a little unseemly, by your travel insurance also covers dental expenses

Some insurance claims, however, are quickly dealt with over the phone; others require you to fill forms and/or present the agency with valid, legal documentation.

Also read: 6 Important Dos and Don’ts of Travel Insurance Plans

How to claim travel insurance abroad

If you’ve never claimed travel insurance before, the following procedure is essential for you.

There are six steps that are involved in the process of claiming travel insurance.

1. Contacting your insurer as soon as possible.

Upon having realized, recognized your emergency or issue, should immediately claim your insurance. Some policies provide you with a time limit as to how long you can wait to give a written/typed consent about your intention to claim. Waiting might land you into unseen trouble or might further your difficult situation.

You need to contact your insurer and claim your insurance as soon as you can.

2. Filling the right claim form and completely.

You are supposed to “know” what it is you are claiming for. Claiming on medical grounds, a student’s insurance or a delay in flight or cancellation, et cetera. Choose the right form and fill the details therein properly and completely.

In some exceptional cases, you would need a specialist to fill up sections of the form for you. For example, if you’re claiming for medical needs, word of your doctor or physician will be taken into consideration than your own. They will have to certify your claim.

3. Getting all your supporting documents prepared.

Next comes the part where you need to be very careful and accumulate all of your supporting documents in one place and ready to be used. Leaving out any sort of document might cause for your claim process to be slowed, or terminated even. It is advised that you provide a travel itinerary as well, to further prove that you had intended to travel.

The number of forms needed varies from case to case. For instance, you need medical insurance, you will be asked to provide the agency with relevant medical bills, discharge summary, prescriptions, et cetera from your doctor or hospital. You can’t provide irrelevant documentation.

Sometimes, you also need written approval or confirmation from other parties to support your claim.

4. Submitting your claim.

Follow the guidelines of your respective agency and then submit your form. Make sure you have provided all necessary documentation and filled all particulars. Before submitting your claim, proofread it and get rid of anything that might confuse people on perusal. In case the agency does online forms, make sure you have typed everything correctly and have no errors whatsoever. Do not send your claim more than once as it might cause both you and your agency problems.

5. Waiting.

It can take claims weeks or either a whole month to be processed. Usually it takes a few weeks. If it takes even longer, you need to start pressurizing your insurer. Make sure you’ve sent them all necessary documents. The delay people often experience is because of lacking or missing documentation. Agencies then find it easy to put your application on hold and take things slow.  

6. Being prepared in case of conflicts.

Let’s just put it out there, the aim of most insurances is to reduce your claim as much as they can. They will try this by twisting and turning the wording of the contract/agreement and sway you. You need to be proactive and address to this with either a lawyer or an expert.

To avoid this from happening altogether, make sure you’ve conducted a sort-of survey into the backgrounds of different travel insurances online. Ask people around. And compare between agencies before you pick one.

Travel Insurance Agencies

We recommend the following travel insurance agencies and travel insurance providers. Be sure to compare between their offers and choose what feels right and convenient to you.

Jubilee Travel Insurance.

Jubilee Insurance is one of Pakistan’s widely-acclaimed insurers. They provide all their customers with promised services and more. Their travel insurance comes in six packages.

• International Travel.
• HomeTrip.
• Student.
• Hajj/Umrah.
• Ziarat.
• Domestic.

Learn more on Jubilee Travel Insurance

Adamjee Travel Insurance

Adamjee Insurance is a rather less known insurer. They have similar packages to those of Jubilee. Apart from medical assistance, they also provide concierge, travel, cash emergency and hotline services for their customers’ convenience.

Learn more on Adamjee Travel Insurance

IGI Travel Insurance

IGI provides—quoting them—a “bouquet” of services that include telephone medical advice, arrangement of hospital admission, medical translation services, medical evaluation and repatriation, legal referrals, arrangement of return of minor children, interpreter referral, emergency document delivery, delivery of essential medicine, lost luggage, compassionate visits, accommodation, and much more.

Learn more on IGI Travel Insurance

EFU Travel Insurance

EFU Insurance travel insurance provides a variety of services. They focus specifically on student insurance and tourism. Along with the usual, get additional benefits accommodation et cetera.

Learn More on EFU Travel Insurance

Askari Travel Insurance

The last one on our list is Askari Insurance. They provide benefits like international and domestic ticketing, group tour and travelling (domestic and international), international car rental services, visa facilitation, domestic and international travel insurance, Umrah, etc.

Learn more on Askari Travel Insurance

Concluding, it can be a tricky business having to claim your insurance. Especially in medical cases. You wouldn’t want to be kept on hold when in need of insurance money for some surgical procedure or worst. It is crucial to educate yourself to prevent irrecoverable losses in situations such as those faced in travel insurance processes. You should know what to do when you have to do it. Make sure you follow the above-mentioned information before you consider choosing travel insurance.

Khurram Zahid

The post How to Claim Travel Insurance While Abroad and When Needed appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.

Here are ten tips for vacation travelling with family that could possibly make your like a lot more easier and your vacation way more fun.

Related read: Guide To Applying Schengen Visa From Pakistan

1. Look For Discounts

Everybody looks for discounts, but what you need to be careful of is frauds. You might book a discount offer sitting in your home country and once you reach your destination, there is nothing. And you are stranded in a new place where you know no nobody. You must be very careful about the security of your family and yourself. There are a lot of discounts that travelling agencies can help you with. So only consult the most reliable one.

2. First Aid Kit

Wherever you plan to go, keep a first aid kit in your handy bag. Because small injuries can happen anywhere and with kids, you can’t take a risk. Not just injuries, keep the prescribed medicines in the kit if you are dealing with some medical condition. Never take a risk with your health while on vacation, otherwise what’s the fun?

3. Regular Check-up

Before setting out on a vacation have a thorough medical check-up. If you have medical conditions like Diabetes, Arthritis etc. consult a doctor and take all the precautions while on a vacation. And if you have kids joining you, you need to be more careful. If they have any particular allergies, be very cautious about them.  

4. Travel Insurance

Vacationing or no vacationing, always take care of travel insurance. It takes of accidental cancellation of your plans like bad weather, death or even sudden illnesses. It also covers medical expenses, lost luggage and stuff like that while you are travelling. Travel insurance can be arranged when you book a trip. And it is really important that you get a travel insurance while travelling with family, especially if you have kids with you. Because with kids anything could happen. And if in a different country, you know you really need it.  

Related read: 6 Important Dos and Don’ts of Travel Insurance Plans

5. Weigh Your Options

Always weigh all your options about what place to go, what city, what country, where you would stay, for how long can you afford to stay, what places you can afford to see and what could you possibly do on the vacation. Always consider your safety and make plans accordingly. If you go to places like Greece, Spain etc. Prepare yourself for that or if you are a bunch of grown ups in the family and going for vacation to a place like New Zealand, where there is all about different fun sports, prepare for that. Know where you really wanna go.

6. Prepare For Everything Accordingly

Like mentioned before, prepare everything according to the place you plan to go for vacationing. In preparing comes planning everything according to the budget, book everything beforehand, taking care of travel insurance etc.

7. Set the Budget

Set the budget for your trip and then calculate an estimate of all your expenses. This will not let you get embarrassed by running short on money at any point while on the vacation. And it will also stop all your family members ending up heartbroken because they can’t enjoy a certain thing on their family vacation.

8. Packing

This goes without saying, packing is an essential part of any vacation, the types of clothes you pack, the accessories you take, the shoes, the extra money etc. This is also a part of being well prepared for the vacation because you don’t want any hitches in your plan, or do you? So pack properly too. Don’t just shove clothes in a duffle bag. Take what you need and leave what you don’t need, why carry the extra weight? Put everything according to the place that you are going to visit, if it is a cold place, you got to keep warm clothes etc. and vice versa.

9. Itinerary

You must have an itinerary for your vacation, especially if you are going on a road trip with your family because you don’t want to get lost or stop every now and then ask for the right route from the locals. Even if it is not a road trip, you should know where you want to stay first, where then, and then as it goes. You don’t want to get lost in a strange country and get robbed.

10. Places to go

Once you have decided the location of your vacation, you must also plan what are all the exciting places you wanna experience in that country or city. Don’t take risks that you aren’t prepared for. You are a visitor and anybody can fool you to do anything. Do your homework before boarding the plane.

Related read: Top 5 Holiday Destinations for Pakistanis You Might Have Overlooked

11: Restriction

Last and the most importantly, you need to keep in mind all the things you must not do on a vacation. Because you need to come and bring your family back home unscathed and alive. Don’t take risks that you are not prepared for or things that requires training and you aren’t trained for it. Apart from that, be mindful of the health of your family members. All allergies, diseases, and health reservations must be taken into account. Be very careful!

Conclusion

It all comes down to one thing i.e planning. Plan ahead of time for everything. It is understandable that you are human and you can’t possibly be 100% secure, but cover as much as you can i.e. budget, tickets, insurance, packing, just everything to enjoy as much as you can.

Khurram Zahid

The post 11 Tips for Vacation Travelling with Family appeared first on Smartchoice.pk.