What are your top tips for saving money on this years holiday?

caravananders

I am looking to book this years holiday soon and was wondering what other peoples top tips would be. Should I book in advance a package holiday or leave it untill the last minute. The problem with that is we like to have the choice of where we're going. I've been stung before with a last minute deal, it was a real holiday from hell. Or should I be thinking about booking a custom made holiday (possibly a villa, with a few friends to keep costs down and budget airline flights)?

Have you any other tips or suggestions? I'm going to look into the nationwide account which I keep hearing about. This may hopefully save a few pennies on transaction charges.

miamoo

I always book late, and as long as you do abit of research (find out which hotels are dives) before you book you can't go wrong.

richardw

Perhaps a return to a place you enjoyed and have a bit of knowledge of.

sinstar

I always book a holiday by myself, flights, hotels etc separately. It might not necessarily be cheaper than a package deal, but it most likely wont be more expensive and you get all the added benefits of being more flexible, getting exactly what you want etc.

I usually go to a music festival in Spain in the summer, it works out at at least £170 for return flights (even with Ryanair and Easyjet at the moment). I normally have to pay extra to take a tent as extra baggage and also about £70 return for a train from Barcelona to the festival.

This year I am going to a festival in Belgium, ticket price for the festival is about the same, but it will be about £25 return train to London if I book early enough, £60 return on Eurostar to Brussels, travel from there to the festival is included in the festival ticket, and because it is a train I don't need to pay extra to take my tent

Slainte

Like any holiday that is going to be planned, you should immediately sign up to hotels in the area you are thinking of going to. You'll then be alerted to specials and bargains that you otherwise wouldnt be aware of. Even sign up to airlines and travel sites.

brandyslad

I always check out public transport timetables and familiairse myself with them, we saved a fortune doing this in both Majorca and U.S. It was something like 3 euro on the bus as opposed to 25 in a taxi. Always suss out getting from the airport to your resort, we used the bus in Tenerife and the Airtrain in New York, so much cheaper than a taxi.

Check out restaurants before you go and bring a list of some that get good reviews but are also good value, this saved us loads in New York.

Get vouchers off the internet before you go, we got $8 off the Top of The Rock in New York with a voucher we had printed.

Research loads before you go, there are usually cheap verisons of certain attractions, the Staten Island ferry in NYC is free and goes past the statue of liberty whereas the official Liberty ferry is like 30 dollars. And here in Ireland there is a private company do tour on Lough Erne, it is a tenner per person but the council run a ferry for two quid. The more familiar you can make yourself with the place before you go the better. Use Tripadvisor, it lists different attractions for most places.

And get the Nationwide card, will save you loads on bank fees. It is a godsend when abroad.

jackieblack

brandyslad wrote: »

And get the Nationwide card, will save you loads on bank fees. It is a godsend when abroad.

Not outside europe after mid-may! (Although still cheaper than most, no longer free!)

http://www.nationwide.co.uk/creditcard/goldcard/foreigntransactions.htm
http://www.nationwide.co.uk/current_account/foreigntransactions.htm

jackieblack

caravananders wrote: »

I am looking to book this years holiday soon and was wondering what other peoples top tips would be. Should I book in advance a package holiday or leave it untill the last minute.

Depends if you can be flexible with your dates and if you're not looking to go in school holidays!