FCO: Holidaymakers must plan for all eventualities

Cheap flights and holiday deals will be very appealing to many Brits this winter, but the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has reminded consumers that the cost of an overseas trip does not end once the booking has been made.

The government department has advised the estimated 11 million people who will be taking winter holidays this year to plan and budget for every aspect of their trip before leaving to avoid encountering any unexpected costs.

An example given by the FCO is the experience of Claire Gorst, who booked a holiday to the Caribbean without doing proper research and ended up stuck in a remote hotel which charged extortionate prices for food and drink and had poor transport links.

Many Brits appear to have unrealistic expectations of the financial help they will receive overseas, with nearly a fifth of the people in a survey saying they thought the local embassy would help them if they ran out of money abroad.

FCO spokesperson Jess Prasad said: "British embassies and consulates around the world are regularly faced with Brits who have run into financial problems when on holiday – many of whom are not covered by travel insurance.

"Taking out comprehensive travel insurance and taking some simple steps to minimise costs could significantly reduce the risk of having an exceptionally expensive Christmas break."

As well as getting proper travel insurance, holidaymakers were advised to keep an eye on fluctuating exchange rates and do some research on credit card charges before leaving for their trip.

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