Preparing for a hassle-free holiday

Flights have been back to normal since Oct 12, but the destruction of the car park means there are still disruptions to traffic to, from and within the airport, so if you're driving to catch your flight you should allow extra time.

Check your passport is in date before you fly (and see the section below on what that means in Europe). If your passport has run out, you can probably still renew it in time for summer.

Strikes at Spain's major mainland holiday airport, Alicante, are expected to cause delays and disruptions up to Jan 24 or until a negotiated settlement is reached between the airport and local unions.

If you're heading to Alicante between now and the start of next year, please check your flight is running normally before setting off to the airport. If you've not yet booked, it may be worth considering a different airport or destination while the disruption is ongoing.

Due to the situation in Israel, travellers flying from Cyprus are advised to allow the full three hours to get through security

Get to the airport in good time - there are additional checks before you fly.

Floods and fires on the Greek islands, especially Skiathos and Rhodes, caused disruptions over the summer but there are currently no major disruptions to flights in and out of Europe.

It's still (sometimes) harder to get through (some) European airports as UK holidaymakers are no longer automatically allowed to use the eGates.

However, Portugal has been letting Brits use the egates at its main airports for the last two years, some Spanish airports let British travellers use the egates, and there are unconfirmed reports of UK passport holders using them in Malta, Netherlands and Italy.

Get an ePassport if you can.

Pick a destination that lets you use the eGates – major Portuguese airports are especially good for this.

Avoid the whole problem by flying outside the Schengen Zone. Turkiye, Albania and Algeria are popular beach destinations without the same restrictions, the Albanian riviera is very popular this year for having the best, closest beaches outside the EU, and Ireland operates under a different system of access so is quicker to get in and out of.

When you set off for the Schengen Zone (most of Europe) your passport should be no more than ten years old. It's possible it's more if you renewed your last one before it ran out and the UK passport office carried the unused months over to your new passport – the EU doesn't recognise the extra months.

It should have three months left on it on the day you leave the Schengen Zone.

Check your passport now and either renew it or pick a destination outside Schengen if you have this problem.

Remember kids' passports only last five years, not ten. If your kids haven't flown since lockdown their passports have probably run out.

Check your kids' passports before you set off!

The EHIC or GHIC card is an arrangement between the UK and most European countries for use of one anothers' health services for holidaymakers. It's no substitute for travel insurance (not least because it doesn't cover medical repatriation, which is often the most expensive element of serious medical problems overseas) but it's good to have where it's accepted.

Check your EHIC is still in date, and if not apply for the new GHIC which works exactly the same.

Check your EHIC card and get a GHIC if it's run out.

As soon as you book your trip, we recommend booking your travel insurance – that way your booking is covered if anything goes wrong.

If you don't have travel insurance for your trip, Holiday Extras offers single and multi trip travel insurance for almost any trip.