Realistically one of the main concerns when booking a holiday is the cost. Luckily there are many ways that smart travelers can save money on the cost of a holiday and make the most of their time away.
“If traveling was free, you’d never see me again”
Here’s 5 Ways to Save Money on your Vacation:
1. Take time to compare the deals
However you book your holiday, whether you book through a travel agency or DIY, it’s amazing how significant savings can be obtained by comparing same or similar deals offered only by a couple of providers. However, be careful and check that the cheaper deals still include ATOL, ABTA or other related insurance policies.
Also, consult price comparing websites, such as Expedia, Travelocity and Ebookers, as booking an entire holiday through a single website tends to save a fair amount of money.
If you are booking a simple 1 or 2 week holiday to a popular destination then it’s actually often cheaper to book a package deal rather than do it DIY as you can benefit from the purchasing power of a big travel agency. It’s also possible that you may get a cheaper offer from a tour operator, which creates the holiday package, than from a travel agency, which simply resells it.
2. Be flexible
If you can be flexible with the time of year you can travel and can avoid peak seasons then you can make significant savings.
You can also make decent savings by monitoring the airlines websites and signing up to their mailing list or follow them on social media to make sure you don’t miss and sales or special deals.
It also helps a lot if you can be flexible with the dates as you can sometimes achieve big savings between flights that are only a few days apart.
Also, consider indirect flights, they take a bit more time but will often save you money.
3. Think about what type of vacation is the best for you
No two holidays are the same and no two travelers are the same. Defining what sort of holiday you want will help you predict your needs and expenses more easily. For example, do you prefer an action packed city break or are you more interested in simply relaxing on the beach or at the pool.
If you are visiting a destination that has a lot of interesting attractions nearby then booking an all-inclusive package would probably not make financial sense as you will likely spend your time outside the hotel exploring the destination.
On the other hand, if you would rather spend the whole day relaxing at the pool or beach then an all-inclusive deal would save you a great amount of money, time and hassle. Although the price of an all-inclusive may seem substantial, it’s usually worthwhile as the when compared to the differences you would pay in the restaurants.
4. Either book early or last minute
Generally speaking booking your holiday early ensures you can take advantage of the best deals book the flights or the package as early as possible since most tour operators and travel agencies offer certain early booking discounts.
On the other hand, if you want to get away at short notice often booking last minute travel packages can have big savings since leaving the bed or the flight seat unoccupied diminishes the providers’ earnings.
5. Learn how to haggle
There are countless ways and catches at your disposal for saving even more, including bargaining, thinking ahead, using common sense, and more. In many destinations the price is not always a fixed as it is in the UK so haggling and bargaining are all part of the culture and if you don’t learn how to haggle and accept the first price then you are often paying over the odds.
Do you have any more tips for how to save money on holiday?