It’s finally summer, the months filled with glorious sunshine, cocktails by the pool and beautiful sandy beaches – at least, it will be for the lucky amongst us planning on going on holiday this summer. But a holiday is no small expense. Even if you’ve been saving up all year, it never hurts to save a little money. That’s why at Loan Pig, we’ve gathered together some of the best ways for you to save the pennies on booking your holiday this summer.
Whether you need to get away from the stress of work or just looking forward to summer. We all want to know how to save money when booking a holiday. There’s lots of ways you can save a bit here and there. Those savings add up but watch our video and read on for our top tips.
Flights
First things first, you need to get there, and for those going abroad it’ll probably be by plane. Luckily, your flights are one of the best outgoing costs to save money on. First of all, when you search for flights be sure to search initially on private browsing. Websites will read the cookies that you’ve collected on your computer and may hike prices up each time you go to the website. Browsing privately means that they will keep the price at the initial, lower cost. Similarly, be careful with budget airlines. If the price looks too good to be true, it probably is. Your luggage, priority boarding and even securing a seat can cost you, and ultimately hike the overall price up.
For even more savings, consider flying indirectly. If it’s possible, it can sometimes be cheaper to fly somewhere else and stop over before boarding a final flight to your destination. While this isn’t always available on shorter flights, those of you looking to save money on a long-haul journey might benefit from looking into indirect flights.
Shop Around
If you’re still in the stage of looking for a destination, it can be worth shopping around with your hotel and flight choices, and even the dates you’re choosing to go. If you’re willing to be flexible, you can save hundreds just on your accommodation. A hotel in the city centre, for example, could be hundreds per night, while a hotel a mile out might be £50 a night, with a bus service that will take you to the centre for a small fee. Another thing to think about is dates. Some hotels might offer cheaper rooms on certain weeks if they’re under-booked for that week, or even deals on certain check-in days. It’s worth looking around comparison sites (Trivago, Kayak, Expedia, and Booking.com) as well a visiting street vendors and trying to bargain a more agreeable price out of them.
Package Holidays
If you’re looking for something specific, package holidays might not be your best option. However, if you’re looking for a standard seven, 10 or 1 day holiday to a popular holiday destination, then a package could save you money compared to putting together a holiday yourself. If you’re willing to be flexible, booking a package holiday within the eight weeks before you’re planning to go could get you massive savings. Hotels and airline companies need to sell their rooms and seats, and so it’s likely that deals will start to crop up in the weeks running up to your intended holiday time. Just make sure that your holiday comes with ATOL of ABTA customer protection. Most of them do, but it’s always worth checking.
Travel Money
Getting your travel money together can be an unexpected cost, especially if it’s left until the last minute. Airports are notorious for their terrible exchange rates, so make sure you look around at different companies and their current rates. You can use TravelMoneyMax to help you.
Another option for saving money on your currency is to look into getting an overseas spending card. You’ll need to apply at least three weeks in advance of your holiday, but some of these cards will give you the same exchange rates that the banks themselves will get. Whether it’s the Halifax Clarity MasterCard with its low ATM withdrawal fees and perfect exchange rate, or the Barclaycard Platinum Visa with no withdrawal fees, it can be one of your cheapest and safest options. Just make sure you pay back in full every month or risk the interest building up.
For more information, don’t hesitate to contact us or apply now!