Holidays are something we all look forward to each year, but they obviously come at a price. But this price does not have to break the bank and make you resent your well earned time off. There are plenty of ways of having an amazing holiday whilst saving money on a variety of different things, big or small.
Here, this guide will take you through tips according to what stage you are at on your holiday planning. We have tips for before you book, while you are enroute and while you are there enjoying your holiday.
Before booking savings
Pick your dates well
Obviously, travelling during the school summer holidays is going to be the most expensive time to travel. If you have to travel during this period because you or your partner are a teacher or you are going with your children who are of schooling age, go for the latest dates possible. The last week in august or the first week in September are typically the cheapest times to travel in this period.
If it is the case that you can only travel during school holidays, consider taking a holiday in October half-term instead. For this time, a perfect destination would be one of the many Canary Islands.
Of course, if you do not have to travel in this period – don’t. The hotter countries are still sunny and beautiful in April, for example, so do not just stick to June to august times.
Pick your times wisely
If you are choosing to book your holiday independently as opposed to a pre-packaged holiday plan, always make sure to get an idea of what is out there using websites like Skyscanner.net which will display all the fares available on and around your estimated chosen dates of travel. The flights can vary quite extremely from one day to the next, so be flexible with your dates as on the Monday a return could cost you £120 and on the Tuesday it could shoot up past the £200 mark, all in the space of a day or two.
Consider choosing an indirect flight
If you are really serious about pinching the pennies, this may be a wise option, even if the thought of getting on another flight when you could be sipping a mojito on a Spanish beach is obviously a lot less appealing. You may only have to wait a couple of hours to save yourself quite a large sum of money.
Avoid unnecessary, additional fees
Nowadays, charges for seat selection and priority boarding can hugely drive up the base price of a flight. Even airlines that are notorious for their cheap and budget flights, such as Ryanair, uses allocated seating these days, so you must ask yourself and consider whether priority boarding is really worth the money. Try and check in for your flight in good time, whether online when booking a no extra effort flight or at the airport with a traditional airline, you are essentially guaranteed to be sat all together in some capacity.
En route savings
Weigh your Luggage
Before leaving the airport, preferably the night before, weigh your luggage and compare it to the weight regulations of the airline. This is a simple and easy way to avoid extra costs, as if your bag is over the permitted weight you will be charged a fee.
Book parking with the hotel at the airport of departure
A cheap option for parking at the airport is checking out the best budget hotels offered at or around Britain’s airports. If you are needing to depart early in the morning to get your flight and to park while you are away, it is typically in most cases cheapest to go for a combined deal.
Take your own food on the journey
“We will get lunch before we leave in the airport” seems like a good plan, until you see how busy to café’s and restaurants are and how much a bottle of water costs alone.
If you think getting food onboard the plane is a cheaper option, think again. A sandwich and a drink per head a family of four is likely to cost no less that £25 onboard a flight.
Remember that you cannot bring liquids, do this may be something you have to but in the department lounge – but definitely bring your own food as this is permitted. You may even be able to bring empty water bottles through security and ask them to be filled up in a Starbucks in the department lounge (you may have to buy a coffee however).
Avoid the airport express service and travel by coach
An example cost of a return fare for the Heathrow express is around £36 per head, whereas the coach or the tube will cost something between £10-£20 as an alternative.
While you are away
Eating and drinking
While in your hotel room, resist the urge to open the mini bar. The prices they can charge are ridiculous, and the contents can be bought in a local supermarket for about over half the price.
When eating and drinking out, choose a local wine as they are far cheaper and probably better! Similarly, order the draught beer. In most places, draught beer is half the price of a bottled beer.
Hire a diesel car
If you are considering hiring a car, this can save you money and effort on taxis or finding a remove bus stop. However, and even better option that hiring your bog-standard car is hiring a diesel car. Not only do the cars with diesel engines use up less fuel, but the cheaper disel price means less to pay out in extra expenses.
Buy a city sightseeing pass
This is an amazing (and cheaper) way to see the city you are visiting. The hop-on-hop-off style buses are great for those wanting to explore. It is convenient and cheaper than getting a taxi to each separate destination, and in most cases the ticket is valid for 24-48 hours depending on which ticket you buy.