Preparing for your trip. A little planning takes the stress out of the day you fly. Work through these before you leave home. Travel documents. Check your passport is valid — many countries require at least six months left beyond your return date. Confirm whether you need a visa or electronic travel authorisation, and apply in good time. Travel insurance. Arrange cover when you book, not the night before. Good policies cover medical costs, cancellations, delays and lost baggage. Health & money. Check any recommended vaccinations, order your currency in advance for a better rate, and tell your bank you're travelling so your cards aren't blocked. The week before. Confirm your flights, accommodation, transfers and your urbook airport parking, and check your airline's baggage allowance. Packing & baggage. Hand luggage. Every airline sets its own cabin-bag size and weight limits, so always check yours before you pack — a bag that's fine on one carrier may be charged on another. Liquids. Liquids, gels, pastes and aerosols must be in containers of 100ml or less, together in one transparent resealable bag. Larger liquids go in your hold bag. Some airports are upgrading scanners to relax this — check yours before you travel. Hold luggage. Confirm your checked allowance and weigh bags at home; going even a kilo over at the desk can be costly. Smart packing. Keep documents, valuables, medication, chargers and a change of clothes in your hand luggage in case your hold bag is delayed. Leave gifts unwrapped for security. At the airport. When to arrive. Allow around two hours before short-haul and three before long-haul. With urbook parking, add time for the transfer from the car park to your terminal. Check-in. Use online check-in where you can, then head to bag drop. Desks typically close 45–60 minutes before departure. Security. Have your boarding pass and ID ready, take out laptops and your liquids bag, and wear easily removable layers to speed things up. While you wait. Watch the boards for your gate — some are a long walk — and aim to be there at least 30 minutes before boarding. Your holiday. Stay safe. Note the local emergency number and your nearest embassy, and keep a little cash separate from your cards. Local laws & customs. Read up on local rules and etiquette before you go — what's normal at home isn't always acceptable elsewhere. Staying connected. Check your roaming charges, or buy a local SIM or eSIM data plan to avoid surprise bills. Your documents. Keep printed and digital copies of your passport, insurance and bookings, stored separately from the originals. If you added parking or a transfer to a holiday. It is all one booking with one reference. Quote that same reference at the car park barrier or to your driver — there is no second reference to look for. You will have had a separate confirmation email for each company, each with its own arrival instructions, so take both with you. If you booked a Holiday Package. The tour is run by the operator named on your confirmation, and their joining instructions come direct from them. Read the itinerary before you travel: it lists which meals are included, which excursions are paid for locally, and which sights close on particular days. Passports, visas and vaccinations. These are your responsibility, not ours and not the operator's. Check the entry requirements for every country on your itinerary well before departure — some visas take weeks — and check whether any vaccinations are advised. Many countries also require your passport to be valid for six months beyond your return date. Travel insurance. We strongly recommend cover for medical costs, cancellation, curtailment and baggage for the whole journey. A package tour does not include insurance, and medical treatment abroad can be very expensive. We do not sell or advise on insurance. Money on tour. Budget for the things a package does not cover — tips for guides and drivers, optional excursions, drinks outside set menus, and anything marked "payable locally". Hotels may also ask for a refundable deposit at check-in. Flights are separate. Unless your package says otherwise, you arrange your own flights. Allow enough time to reach the tour's starting point, and remember that if your flight is delayed the tour will not usually wait. Destination guides. Going on one of our holidays? The essentials for British passport holders, on one screen each. Checked 22 Oct 2026 – rules change, so always check the official links before you go. 🏔️ Nepal Kathmandu · Pokhara · Chitwan · treks. 🌤️ Best time Treks: late Sep–Nov and Mar–May. Monsoon Jun–Sep (rain, cloud, Lukla flight delays). Chitwan best Oct–Mar. 🛂 Visa Visa on arrival – fill in the online form up to 15 days before (immigration.gov.np). About US$30 (15 days), US$50 (30), US$125 (90) – confirm before you go; take US dollars cash as a back-up. Passport valid 6 months. 🥾 Trekking A local guide or porter, permits and a TIMS card are needed in national parks. Insurance must cover helicopter rescue. ⛰️ Altitude Base camps are 4,100–5,400m – climb slowly. Altitude advice. 💷 Money Nepalese rupee. ATMs fine in Kathmandu and Pokhara, patchy elsewhere – carry cash on treks. Tip guides and porters at the end. 🔌 Plugs & time Types C, D, M · 230V. 5h45 ahead of the UK in winter, 4h45 in summer. 🎒 Pack Broken-in boots, warm layers, head torch, power bank, water filter bottle. 💉 Health & safety TravelHealthPro · FCDO advice. 🌴 Sri Lanka Colombo · Kandy · Sigiriya · Ella · Yala. 🌤️ Best time West + south coast, hill country and Yala: Dec–Apr. May–Sep is wet in the south-west (east coast is good then). Oct–Nov can be wet everywhere. 🛂 Entry Apply for an ETA online before you fly, only on eta.gov.lk. Free for UK nationals since 25 May 2026 (30 days) – beware copycat sites that charge. Passport valid 6 months. 💷 Money Sri Lankan rupee. Cards in hotels; cash for tuk-tuks and markets – not every ATM takes foreign cards. Many bills add 10% service. 🔌 Plugs & time Types D, G (UK 3-pin), M · 230V. 5h30 ahead in winter, 4h30 in summer. 🎒 Pack Light clothes, a layer for Ella nights, shoulders + knees covered for temples, repellent, rain jacket. 💉 Health & safety TravelHealthPro · FCDO advice. 🛶 India Delhi · Agra · Rajasthan · Kerala backwaters. 🌤️ Best time Oct–Mar for the Golden Triangle, Rajasthan, backwaters and Thekkady; Himalayan foothills Mar–Jun and Sep–Nov; Munnar Sep–May. Monsoon Jun–Sep (heavy rain). 🛂 Visa e-Visa before you fly, only on indianvisaonline.gov.in – 30-day from US$25 (US$10 Apr–Jun) + 3% bank fee. Also fill in the online e-Arrival card. Passport valid 6 months, 2 blank pages. 💷 Money Indian rupee – get it on arrival (airport ATMs). Cash for houseboats and small places. Tip drivers, guides and houseboat crew at the end. 🔌 Plugs & time Types C, D, M · 230V. 5h30 ahead in winter, 4h30 in summer. 🎒 Pack Light modest clothes for temples, a fleece for the hills and northern winter evenings, repellent, slip-off sandals, e-Visa printout. 💉 Health & safety TravelHealthPro · FCDO advice. See our Nepal, Sri Lanka & India holidays → Driving. Driving to the airport. Plan your route and allow extra time for traffic. The simplest way to avoid a stressful start is to pre-book your space with urbook, with Park & Ride and Meet & Greet options at major UK airports. Driving abroad. Carry the right licence and any permit your destination requires, check local rules on speed limits and safety equipment, and make sure your insurance and breakdown cover extend to the countries you're visiting. More. Foreign travel advice. Please find details of travel advice for each country on the UK government website, covering entry requirements, safety and security, local laws and health — gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. It's updated regularly, so it's worth a look shortly before you fly. FAQs. Answers to the questions we're asked most — booking, amending and cancelling your parking, transfers, and what to do on the day. Accessibility. Most UK airports offer special assistance — arrange it with your airline at least 48 hours before you fly. Still have a question?. Email contact@urbook.co.uk Call 02080610000 `; } } const EZY_TA_TAG = 'ezy-travel-advice'; if (!customElements.get(EZY_TA_TAG)) { customElements.define(EZY_TA_TAG, EzyTravelAdvice); console.log('[ezy-travel-advice] 2026-11-02 India guide (North + South); 2026-10-22 destination guides Nepal / Sri Lanka / South India (placeholder note removed); 2026-08-24 urbook + dark mode + section photos loaded'); } else { console.warn('[ezy-travel-advice] tag already defined — a duplicate file is on the page'); }