Planning a holiday in the current economic climate can be difficult when you take into account travel, accommodation and spending money, as well as travel insurance and any activities you might want to take part in while you’re away. Thankfully, the whole package doesn’t have to cost more than your last pay check. Read on for some top tips to help you save money on travel and transport for your next trip.
First of all, if possible, you should aim to fly on a Tuesday. It’s usually around 35% cheaper than Friday travel, which is unsurprising considering most people are off work at the weekends. It’s also a common misconception that you have to fly there and back with the same airline; you don’t! You can absolutely mix and match until you find the cheapest combination. If you’re going to use a budget airline, you’ll need to stay ahead of the game. They’re usually cheapest around two or three months in advance and become a lot more expensive towards the date of travel. You can occasionally find last minute deals, but don’t rely on this plan entirely.
If you’re hoping to rent a car while you’re away, it’s almost always cheaper to book in advance. Don’t get railroaded into any of the optional extras such as SatNav – a paper map will cost you next to nothing! There are some fantastic car rental coupons available online so you can put a cap on your transport budget before you go.
Depending where you’re going you might find it cheaper to buy your flights and hotels separately. Always check your hotel’s reputation on a review site first and then think about booking through a last minute website. If you’re booking quite far in advance you should opt in for free cancellation, just in case anything happens before you travel. Obviously hotels aren’t the only option, especially if you’re trying to keep costs down. You might like to consider hostels, or even house sitting for someone else who’s away.
There are some great websites out there that bring travellers together to discuss alternative options for cheap travel. So don’t be afraid to put the hours in online ahead of time: you’ll thank yourself later when you have extra spending money for that one-off souvenir!