How To Save Money When Booking A Holiday
Holidays can be a great way to ease the stress of a year. However, they can be expensive. Fortunately for the savvy savers out there it is possible to find ways to reduce costs and save money when booking a holiday.
Don’t be afraid to shop around
Price comparison sites are a great way to look for the best prices but you shouldn’t rule out using travel agents or smaller high street firms as they may be able to offer you a better package that may not be available elsewhere.
Also, you shouldn’t necessarily accept the first offer they give you, if you deal with someone in person there is often the chance to haggle and negotiate a better price. If you don’t ask you don’t get!
Be flexible
If you are flexible about when you travel and when you book you can get better prices. For example, if you travel during the middle of the week and early in the morning you can get a cheaper price then if you do during a peak time at the weekend.
Furthermore, the day you can book can be crucial, either for very early deals or for last minute late deals.
Another aspect you may not have considered is a group booking as with a larger group it is possible to get further discounts.
ATOL protection
A word of caution, however, while booking separate flights, travel etc can save money you need to be careful. With package deals ATOL protection means that in the event of a provider going bust you won’t miss out. Also, if you pay using a credit card you could get money back.
The money
Getting exchange money from a travel agent or airport tends to be more expensive. Instead you should look for other sources such as your local bureau de change or a website for a better deal.
Another thing to be very careful with is credit cards abroad- check with your provider to see what their policy is for where you are travelling to. Alternatively use cash or traveller’s cheques in order to avoid any charges (though you may wish to have something aside in case of an emergency).
Insurance
Insurance is one area where you need to balance looking for the best deal with the value behind it – for example, if you intend to go skiing or bungee jumping then you will have different cover needs for someone who intends to go sightseeing around a city.
Regardless you need to make sure you know what kind of cover you need before comparing prices. Saving money is good but if you are not able to cover your injuries you could end up paying a lot more.
Talk to us
At Larcomes Financial Services we are dedicated to helping people get more from their money, benefiting from both specialist resources and experience but also customer service tailored to the needs of our clients. For more information on saving money, investments and more contact us today to see if we can help you.