Travel experts share tips and pitfalls for passengers

A panel of travel experts have shared their tips, tricks and things to avoid if you’re travelling to Manchester Airport’s top five leisure destinations in the latest episode of the airport’s official podcast.

Dublin, Amsterdam, Tenerife, Mallorca, and Alicante make up nearly 15% of the airport’s total passenger numbers, but speakers on the airport’s podcast, Manchester: Your Airport, MAN, highlighted that there are still hidden gems – or pitfalls – in these destinations.

Andy Ziardis, Head of Consular Prevention and Engagement at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), shared his top tips for travelers – and highlighted a common mistake that costs tourists hundreds of thousands of pounds each year.

He said: “Do your research on where you’re going [and] make sure you’ve got appropriate travel insurance and medical insurance.

“In some of these places, you might want to do adventure sports or water sports, so make sure your insurance policies are covering that – and if you’ve got a medical condition, declare it.

“People think they are protected by the GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) if they’re traveling short-haul. You’ll get access to primary care, but [with] anything else – if you need surgery, for example – you’ll need your insurance to cover it.

“We see so many times when people come and ask us for support overseas; it’s because, for whatever reason, they don’t have insurance, or it’s not the right type. [In some places] it can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, even if you just need an operation on a broken leg.”

Richard Slater, CEO of Henbury Travel and North West Chair for ABTA, and travel writer Daniel Ross joined Andy on the panel.

Reflecting on the top destinations, Richard said: “Dublin is one of those cities that has never gone out of style. You can be there in less than an hour, and it’s got a great mixture of history, culture, and fun, but it’s never overwhelming. It’s very walkable and very compact.

“Amsterdam is very scenic architecturally; there’s some culture, again – like the Van Gogh Museum – and it’s another quick destination. You can be there in just over an hour, jump on a train at the airport, and be in the city center in about 15 minutes.”

Daniel added: “There are some phenomenal places off the beaten track in Mallorca that you should check out while you’re there. Last time I was there, I went to a little town called Santos, right in the middle of the island – I was en route to the beach. It’s not on the tourist trail whatsoever, but it’s a little market town with so much culture [and] you feel like you have been dropped into a moment in time. That’s the kind of thing Mallorca still does have if you want to look for it.”

You can listen to Manchester: Your Airport, MAN on Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Podcasts among other platforms. The latest episode featuring Andy, Daniel, and Richard, titled Where’s Hot and Where’s Not, is published today.