Ways to make some holiday savings

These days many travellers are much more savvy than before and know just what it is they want out of a holiday. After all, who knows better how you’re going to relax and enjoy yourself, than you? By making sure you know what you’re looking for, you can ensure that you’re not stuck doing things you don’t want to or lumbered with ‘holiday benefits’ you’re not going to use.

Skip the travel agent

Along with making us more informed, browsing holidays online has never been easier. So book your trip yourself and cut out the middle man to save on commissions. Do a little research and book in the comfort of knowing you are getting what you have chosen. If you need to, call around to compare prices and often if you mention you’re looking at another deal, some providers may even reduce their prices.

Use discount codes

There are some useful websites (e.g. PromotionalCodes.org.uk) which offer canny researchers a great chance to save money on various aspects of a holiday. It’s definitely worth having a look before you book to see if there’s a way of making a real difference to the overall cost of your trip – be it money off a package or cut-price airport transfers. Plus you get the tangible upside of having more to spend when you get there!

Book in advance

Often, travellers think the best deals are last minute ones but this isn’t always the case. If you know the dates you want to travel, booking three to four months in advance can get you the best cheap deals on flights and trains – many have a quota of ‘lower price’ seats and once these are gone, the next ones are more expensive. Early bird offers may also include free child places, exclusive room upgrades or free family attraction passes.

Travel early

If you can drag yourself out of bed in the middle of the night to catch a 5am flight, you might just save a few quid – early morning or even late night ‘red eye’ flights and many trains are often cheaper due to the more unsociable travel time. There are other benefits too – clearer roads can get you to departure point quicker and you have more time at your destination!

If you know the dates you want to travel, booking three to four months in advance can get you the best cheap deals on flights and trains

Sightseeing cards

Many big tourist cities offer special cards that allow you to visit multiple attractions using just one pass. These can save a lot of money over the cost of paying for each one separately plus some cards can also be used on public transport. Read up online before you go and you may be able to buy yours in advance, particularly since some hotels may charge extra for these.

Spend before the airport

Getting ready for your holiday can be expensive, particularly if you leave those travel essentials to pick up last minute at your departure point. Try your local pound shop for travel accessories like adapter plugs, eye masks and neck cushions. And, particularly if you’re using a budget airline or similar, take your own snacks with you to avoid having to pay dearly for a simple bite to eat.

As much as it's important to save money when travelling, one thing that you should never neglect to buy before your holiday is travel insurance. If any mishaps occur while you're away, and you need to seek emergency treatment, you could be left yo pay costly medical bills in their entirety. For more information on travel insurance please visit the Flexicover Website.