Five Tips For Low-Cost Holidays

The availability of low-cost flights and last minute internet deals means that cheap holidays are far easier to come by than they used to be, but it can still take a bit of shopping around to get the best discounts.

1. Fly from further afield

This may sound silly, but by widening your choice of departure airport, you could save a lot of money. The larger airports carry more flights and that allows airlines to keep prices low. By flying from a bigger UK airport such as Manchester, Stanstead, Heathrow or Gatwick, you could save a lot of money on your flights.

2. Travel out of season

If you’re not bound by school holidays, take the opportunity to travel out of season and fly during the week rather than at weekends. Flights are often cheaper during these times in order to encourage travel, so think about leaving on a Thursday rather than a Friday and see what a difference it could make to the price.

3. Register for updates

Cheap discount holiday travel companies often operate newsletters or email updates to let you know about special offers and last minute deals. Registering for these communications gives you advance information about discount travel, allowing you to take advantage of offers that suit you.

4. Find hotel reviews

Cheap holiday hotels aren’t always good. It’s best to get as much information as you can from the travel company and to go online to look for reviews. This is a great way to find out if you’re booking a great little budget hotel or a place that could spoil your holiday.

5. Book online

You can often get discounts on flights, hotels, car hire and holiday packages if you book online. Make sure that the site you’re booking with has a secure payment system and that you print off your confirmation so that you can call the company with any queries or problems. Use reputable discount holiday travel sites and you could get your holiday for a much cheaper price than on the high street.

It is possible to get great cheap discount holiday travel with a little bit of research and a flexible approach to travel times.

Tailored Cheap Discount Holiday Travel

Cheap holiday travel isn’t just restricted to package holidays. You can get great deals on hotels and flights when you book them separately.

There’s no reason why you should compromise your travel plans just to save money. Today’s travel market is intensely competitive and it’s fairly straightforward to put together your own itinerary for a fraction of the normal cost.

1. Flights

Cheap flights are available from nearly all the airports across Europe, allowing you to fly at a low cost. What’s more, you can take in several destinations in one trip without having to pay o fortune for internal flights or train fares. The growing accessibility of flights and destinations means that, with a bit of flexibility, you can find cheap flights that suit your holiday needs.

2. Accommodation

From apartments and villas to hotels, you can find great deals on accommodation in the location of your choice. Savings on flights could mean you have more to spend on accommodation, whilst saving on both may allow you to stay for a few more nights. Many discount travel websites have special offers and low-cost alternatives that could provide you with exactly the accommodation you need.

3. Car hire

Car hire has become increasingly competitive, with small independent companies often offering better rates than the established firms. You can often get a discount on car hire prices by booking online and, by shopping around, you can get great deals. Be careful not to be seduced by upgrades and offers when you collect your car though, or you could end up spending much more than you wanted to.

4. Money

It’s now possible to get very competitive exchange rates, making your holiday money go further. Researching currency exchange outlets on the internet should give you an idea of which rates are best for you.

No matter where you want to go, you can probably find a cheap or discount travel agency that can help you plan without spending all your money.

How To Find A Reliable Discount Holiday Agent

Few of us book a holiday without looking for the best deals. Travel is now one of the biggest online sectors, and it’s to the internet that we turn to look for cheap holidays. There’s no shortage of sites offering extraordinary deals, but it can be difficult to know which are reliable and which aren’t. Here are some guidelines to help you tell the difference.

1. Independence

A travel agent that isn’t tied to any particular company or promoter is best placed to offer great deals. They can negotiate with a range of suppliers, or direct with airlines and accommodation owners to ensure that they get the best price for you. You can be sure that they’re not pushing you towards a particular operator and that you’re really getting good value for money.

2. Professional membership

It’s really important that a discount travel agent is a member of a professional body. In the UK, this is ABTA, the Association of British Travel Agents. ABTA members have to abide by a strict code of conduct and agencies are regularly assessed to ensure that they are meeting the organisation’s high standards. ABTA membership also means that you have a independent body to channel complaints to, should you have any problems with the agent.

3. Secure payments

If you’re booking online, it’s vital that you make sure that the site’s payment system is secure. This protects you from fraud and is an essential part of any online shopping system. If you can’t find anything on the site that gives you information on the payment system, then don’t book online.

4. Contact

A good discount holiday travel agent, whether online or on the high street, should be easily contactable and offer excellent customer service. Even at discount prices, booking a holiday is a financial commitment and you need to be sure that you can contact the agent should you need any help.

The Easy Way To Cheap Holiday Travel

Are people always telling you about the great travel deals they’ve got? Do they come back after two weeks on the beach enthusing about how little money they spent? Having trouble working out how they get hold of fantastic last-minute deals?

It’s not as difficult to find cheap discount holiday travel as you might think. A little bit of planning and research is usually all it takes.

Go online!

Although you can find good deals in high street agencies and travel publications, online travel agencies are usually the best way to find great holiday prices. Operating an online travel site incurs much lower overheads than running a shop or placing adverts in newspapers and those cost savings can be passed on to customers. The benefits of searching for discount travel online can include:

• Easy comparison – it’s easier to compare prices between online sites than high street agencies.

• Better prices – online travel agencies can usually offer much lower prices.

• Straightforward booking – nearly all internet travel agencies take bookings online so you can book your holiday without any fuss.

• Ticket-less bookings – low-cost airlines reduce costs in a variety of ways, including making check-in easier. This means that in most cases you won’t get a ticket if you book online, so you only need your confirmation number and some photo ID to board

There are lots of online discount holiday travel websites to choose from, and it can be difficult to tell the good from the bad, but if you make sure that the site you’re using complies with the following criteria, you should be on safe ground:

• Registered with a recognised professional association
• Independent
• Display registered office address and non-internet contact details
• Offer a secure payment system

By spending a little time looking for a good deal, it is possible to join the thousands of people that are benefiting from cheap holiday travel.

Cheap Discount Holiday Travel For Families

Many people believe that it’s more difficult to get cheap holidays for families, but if you research, you can find some great money-saving deals.

Family holidays are inevitably expensive because of the number of people travelling. In addition, most families are bound by school holidays, which means that they have to travel during the year’s peak seasons – Christmas, Easter and the summer. Try these tips to help keep costs down.

1. Travel out of season

If you have children that are below school age, then travelling outside the school holidays is a good way to keep costs down. Flying just a week before or after the main holiday periods can make a big difference to the price. For short breaks, try mid-week instead of weekend.

2. Try different accommodation

Instead of hotels, look into renting a self-catering apartment or villa. These are usually much cheaper than hotel accommodation and although you have to buy your own food, you can still make good savings, and you get the additional benefit of flexibility – eat and come and go as you choose – which is ideal for a family holiday.

3. Book early

If you like to return to the same place each year, then think about booking early. The earlier you book, the cheaper it can be and you can always book your accommodation and then wait for cheap flights to be released later on in the year. Register with online sites to get notification of good deals so that you can make savings as soon as possible.

4. Special family deals

Look out for package holidays that offer free flights or accommodation for children. Check out the small print to make sure that you really are getting a deal, but these are often great ways of ensuring that you don’t have to spend a fortune on your family holiday.

By starting early and taking the time to look at special offers and family deals, you can take your family on a great holiday for a great price.