Planning a family holiday and ensuring you all get that quality break each year can be a burden. But, like most things, if you know all the tips you can look to save hundreds of pounds on your trips.
Book Early
Whether you are looking at a big expensive holiday or just your annual family getaway, it can pay to book your holidays well in advance. The best holiday deals are found by booking your holiday 18 to 24 months before take-off with up to £100 off per person. Most of the large companies offer you the option for these early bookings with great deals for doing so. They guarantee your price, so you won’t even be affected by the cost of the flights when they are released.
If you book with larger companies, this also means you can normally put down a deposit. Leaving you a full 2 years to save the rest of the money and even pay in instalments.
Book Late but Not Too Late
If you can’t book early, then why not late and get a great last-minute deal? Although the internet has taken away some of the best deals in last minute holidays it is still possible to get a great deal. The trick is not to leave it to the very last minute. One of the cheapest times to book your break is around 6 weeks before and bang smack in the middle of the month. This advice counts towards booking flights too. It is cheaper 6 weeks before as airlines tend to stock check their planes and offer discounts on unsold seats.
It’s also cheaper to book your holiday on a Tuesday morning. The logic for this is unknown. However, most money saving research shows significant fluctuations in prices as a week progresses.
Use Voucher Code Websites
Why not check to see if there are vouchers for your holiday? We don’t just mean the flights, the package or the hotel either. Websites like Parking at Airports offer you discounts on your airport parking, bringing down the cost of those added extras that you don’t think of. When paying for your holiday we can be quick to forget about costs at airports, parking and holiday money. By checking for extra savings on day trips, activities and the basics you can save ££££’s.
Budget
Create a budget and stick to it. If you were to stay in the UK instead of going on holiday what would you need to buy? A weeks’ worth of shopping (average family shop £52), petrol in the car (£40), utilities and, in the school holidays, trips and days out. Well if you are on holiday that money is being saved, so just think about it being moved from being spent in one place to another. Yes, we understand that there are bills still being paid whether you are at home or on holiday, but some of your monthly money can be moved to your holiday.
Look at Alternate Options
It can be easy to look at taking a holiday option where you know that everything is paid for. But it’s not always cheapest. Have you ever thought about swapping your all-inclusive holiday for a villa break? Renting a villa with a private pool in Kefalonia with flights and car hire can cost as little as £950, half the price of an all-inclusive holiday for 4 (around £2,000). It might be worth asking whether you really need to eat 3 times a day in a hot country, whether you really do drink that many cocktails or the kids eat £1,000 worth of ice cream.
Try Europe but Not the Euro
If you choose your destination cleverly you can look to save money whilst away. Trips to places like Croatia and Cyprus can be cheaper whilst you are there. Over half the countries in the EU don’t use the Euro and that is where you can save. In recent times the pound has taken a tumble against the Euro, but for countries that have kept their own currency this is not the same situation.
Croatia can see a family of 4 dine out for around £50 with wine (maybe not for the kids). Simply Google ‘European countries that don’t use the Euro’ and take your pick at anywhere from Albania to Ukraine.
So simply get online, use a voucher code, book 2 years in advance to a country without the euro and on a Tuesday to ensure that you have a fabulous family holiday every year. Go on, you deserve it.