What do I do if I miss my flight?
The first ten minutes at the airport, why the reason matters more than anything else, and the rule that quietly cancels the rest of the ticket.
beginner30 min3 min read
Travel & Outdoors
Packing, planning and being comfortable outside.
163 guides in Lifestyle
What do I do if someone is injured on a hill?
The order of actions after an accident on British hills: make it safe, treat and insulate, then call 999 and ask for the police and mountain rescue, with the information they will ask for ready.
intermediate20 min5 min readWhat is a GHIC and do I need travel insurance as well?
What a UK healthcare card does and does not cover abroad, why it never replaces insurance, and how to apply without paying a markup.
beginner20 min2 min readWhat size bike does my child need?
Wheel size charts are a starting point, not an answer — inside leg measurement, standover height and whether they can reach and pull the brakes are what actually decide the fit.
beginner20 min4 min readWhich bike lights do I need, and what does the law require?
What the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations actually require on a UK bicycle at night, what they do not, and how to choose lights that make you visible rather than merely legal.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I plan a trip without overspending?
Working out the real total cost of a trip before booking, and the decisions that most affect it.
beginner1 hr 30 min2 min readCan I rely on my phone to navigate on a hill?
What a phone genuinely does better than paper, the four failure modes that catch people out on British hills, and how to set one up so it is a strong tool rather than a single point of failure.
beginner20 min5 min readCan I take my prescription medication into another country?
Two separate legal systems have to be satisfied — the UK rules on taking controlled drugs out, and the destination rules on bringing anything in — and neither is decided by your pharmacy.
beginner18 min4 min readHow do I avoid excess baggage charges?
Weighing a bag properly at home, where the allowance actually goes, and why buying allowance at the airport is the most expensive option there is.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I avoid getting ill on holiday abroad?
The handful of habits that prevent most travellers' illness, what to take in the bag, and when a stomach upset stops being one.
beginner25 min3 min readHow do I pack a car boot for a family holiday?
Loading order, keeping weight low and forward, what has to stay reachable, and the pressures and checks a fully loaded car needs.
beginner1 hr4 min readHow do I sleep well in a hotel or somewhere unfamiliar?
Why the first night is always the worst, the three things to fix in the room, and the small travel kit that makes any bed workable.
beginner30 min4 min readHow should a cycle helmet fit, and when should I replace it?
Getting a helmet level, snug and correctly strapped takes two minutes and is the difference between protection and decoration — plus the honest rules on when one is finished.
beginner10 min5 min readWhat protection does a package holiday give me?
What makes a booking a package rather than a set of separate ones, the protection that comes with it, and why booking each element yourself removes it.
beginner25 min3 min readWhat travel documents do children need?
Children's passports and their shorter validity, the consent letter that prevents difficult questions, and the paperwork for different surnames.
beginner30 min3 min readWhen should I buy travel insurance — at booking or before I go?
Cancellation cover runs from the day you buy, not from the day you fly — which makes the gap between booking and buying the single most expensive habit in travel insurance.
beginner8 min2 min readWhere am I allowed to walk in the UK?
Public rights of way, open access land and Scotland's statutory right of responsible access — three different legal systems, and how to find out which applies where you are standing.
beginner25 min5 min readWhy does my bike chain keep coming off?
A chain that drops off the front is nearly always a limit screw, a bent or low front derailleur, or a worn chainring — and each one has a different fix.
beginner30 min5 min readHow do I deal with jet lag?
Shifting your body clock using light, timing and sleep discipline, and what actually helps versus what does not.
beginner30 min2 min readDoes the travel insurance with my bank account actually cover me?
It is a genuine policy and often a decent one, but the age limit, the medical screening and the activation step are three ways it turns out not to cover the trip you are on.
beginner12 min3 min readHow do I avoid travel sickness?
Why it happens, where to sit in each kind of vehicle, and why every remedy has to be taken before you feel unwell rather than after.
beginner20 min3 min readHow do I book assistance when travelling with a disability?
Who to tell and when, what free assistance actually covers at airports and stations, and how to protect a wheelchair or mobility aid in transit.
beginner45 min4 min readHow do I camp in the rain without a miserable time?
Pitch choice, keeping the wet outside, drying things that will not dry, and the small pieces of kit that make a wet British weekend genuinely pleasant.
beginner25 min6 min readHow do I cycle safely in the wet?
What actually changes when the road is wet — braking, grip, the surfaces to avoid and being seen — and the small amount of kit that makes riding in British weather ordinary rather than grim.
beginner20 min5 min read