I love a good impromptu holiday. On many occasions, I’ve travelled within hours of buying my ticket. Sometimes, I’ve simply arrived at an airport, alone or in company, and booked a flight on the spot.
But you’ve got to have your wits about you. A friend was recently lamenting the fact that he’d bought plane tickets on the internet for a flight a few days hence and hadn’t realised that he needed both a visa and a vaccination before he would be allowed to visit his intended destination.
Spontaneous is good, as long as you’ve done a bit of homework.
In many jurisdictions, it is the airline’s responsibility if they allow you on a plane when you don’t have the right documents for the destination. But all that means is that they’re going to send you right back to where you came from — and that’s no fun at all.
When I took my latest spur-of-the-moment holiday, I simply googled “Do I need a visa for [Name of destination]?”, and I found a site that told me whether I, and my companion, could travel. As it happened, although we carry different passports, we were both good to go.
As for the vaccination issue, well that’s a bit tricky. Some destinations — particularly in Africa, South America and Asia — not only require you to have your shots, but to carry a document proving that you have had your shots.
A trip to a clinic specialising in holiday vaccinations is highly recommended, as is some research into such matters as whether your driver’s licence is valid in the country you are visiting and, of course, getting yourself a flexible travel insurance policy.
Also, check out the weather and the political situation — you don’t want to be flying into a typhoon or a coup.
Oh, and it’s also a good idea to let somebody know where you’re going and how long you’ll be away, unless your absence causes concern to your nearest and dearest (or your employer).
So, the upshot is: spontaneity is fabulous; just make sure that you are ready for anything.
