Booking a holiday should be an exciting experience, shouldn’t it? But with so many travel websites and holiday deals, it can get confusing. Here’s some of my money-saving tips for holidays – to help you get the best deal.
1. Search and compare
The more you shop around online – the better the deals. Make use of comparison websites. Some of my favourite sites include Kayak, Skyscanner, Trip Advisor and TravelSupermarket. They compare deals from many different agents to find the most competition prices. I also like Booking.com which has a loyalty scheme for regular customers.
2. Clear your cookies
All this comparing and searching for holiday deals means the cookies on your device are storing lots of data. This can work against you. Clear your cookies to ensure the websites you’re visiting don’t hike up prices – as they can see you’ve been there before and are interested in booking.
3. Book mid-week flights
Weekend flights are usually more expensive. Where possible, travel Tuesday-Thursday (Tuesday evening is usually the cheapest time to fly). Travelling outside of school holidays will also cut costs although tricky if you are travelling with school-aged children.
4. Check deals offline
It can be beneficial to get assistance from a travel agent – especially if you’re booking lots of different elements (flight, hotel, car hire, day trips). I recently used the services of a Travel Counsellor. They help tailor unique holidays and come with a personal touch you don’t get online. Their prices can be very competitive. The rate they found on a hotel in Crete was better than I could find online. They’ll do their best to price match and it has sturdy financial protection.
5. Haggle with travel agents
If you are booking with a travel agent or tour operator, it’s worth haggling. Don’t accept the first price offered. Make sure they are also signed up by a protection scheme such as ABTA and ATOL.
6. Shop for travel insurance
Get your travel insurance in advance and avoid booking policies offered by airlines and travel agents. Instead, shop around and look for travel insurance discounts. Purchasing annual travel insurance is usually better value, especially if you go on holiday more than once year.
7. Consider all accommodation options
As a family of four, booking a bigger room in hotels can get expensive so look at apartments and self-catering options. I’ve booked apartments on a number of occasions – especially on city breaks. You get more living space without being restricted to one room and it works out cheaper. Airbnb has plenty of options as well as sites such as Booking.com and LateRooms.
8. Collect air miles
Sign up to flight loyalty programmes and consider getting a credit card affiliated to an airline – so whenever you make a purchase you’re earning air miles towards future flights!
9. Pay with a credit card
If you are paying in advance, use a credit card rather than debit. If the holiday contract is breached or the travel brand runs into financial difficulties, your credit card company is jointly responsible.
10. Book when the sales are on
Most airline and travel operators/websites have sales in September and January. Plan where you want to go and book in advance to get good offers.
Those are some of my holiday money-saving tips. Put them into practice to save money when booking a holiday. If you are travelling with children, check out my family travel essentials to make holidays easier and my extra booking tips. If you are looking at a multi-stop holiday, don’t miss my top tips.
*This post has been sponsored by GlobeLink Travel Insurance
* This article contains some affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a few pennies in commission which help with the running costs of this site.
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Informative & well-explained article. Great tips. Thanks for sharing such a valuable article.
Thank you.
I honestly never thought about clearing my cookies before searching for travel deals – makes total sense. Simply brilliant!
Glad to have shared and help! Thank you for reading.