If you want to know how to save money on holiday, you’ll love this article.
Spending holidays, alone, with family or friends, is something we wait for all year round. It’s also something we save all year round. To learn how to save and thus avoid the regret that you spent too much, it is necessary to plan as well as learn some tricks to reduce travel, accommodation, meals and activities expenses so that you not only spend a fantastic holiday, but also to fill in a photo album to browse through with pleasure for many years.
How To Save Money On Holiday:
1. Set the budget.
Understanding how much money you really have at your disposal is a key point so you don’t feel like you have water in your throat just before Christmas. The budget you have at your disposal will help you determine where and how far to go, with what means of transport, where to stay, how to eat and what to do when you arrive at the place. Getting to know the tricks for the holidays will make it easier for you to organize your trip and respect your budget: holidays will be more enjoyable
2. Determine what kind of experience you are looking for.
You mean a solo holiday, but you don’t know where you are yet? Will it be a beach adventure for the whole family? Do you want a holiday where you will always be active and on the move or where you can relax completely? Do you feel comfortable in the crowd? If you carefully evaluate what you are looking for and what you want to avoid, your vacation will be much more enjoyable.
3. Choose your destination with the price in mind and try to be flexible.
Periods in the middle of the season, that is just before or after the season, are often the best time to organize a trip: first the prices are lower; secondly, because the season has just ended, the weather is still nice, but there are fewer tourists and crowds, so the residents are more satisfied with doing business. Example: April and May, and also mid-August to October, are the periods defined as the average season in almost the whole of Europe.
4. Select approximate dates.
Be flexible in terms of dates: this will benefit your wallet. Therefore, choose a two-week period, for example next September, for your holidays: you will search and compare the prices of travel, accommodation, meals and activities to be carried out during that period. You can also take advantage of special offers and opportunities. If you still can’t set a specific time, it’s more convenient to save money instead of booking and downloading random special offers.
5. Find out if you have reduced rates or benefits.
First of all, if you are a frequent flyer, check how many miles you have accumulated in your frequent flyer miles. Secondly, contact the company that issued your credit card to find out if it offers benefits for your card type and if you can use them. You may already have accumulated points for travel.
Another possibility that needs to be assessed very carefully is to sign a travel credit card agreement with a financial institution or airline. They often recognize thousands of airline points for new members who sign the agreement. Some even allow you to add more users to avoid currency transactions and baggage charges.
6. Understand when flying is the most economical.
Knowing when to fly will help you save hundreds of euros on your ticket, thousands if you travel with your family. If you can avoid this, don’t fly on holidays or during spring break, because ticket prices will be very high even if they are booked in advance. If you are planning a holiday on Thanksgiving or Christmas, just fly to Thanksgiving and early in the morning or late at night on Christmas.
Generally, tickets are cheaper if you travel in the middle of the week, on Tuesday or Wednesday and also on Saturday. It is also convenient to fly early in the morning or late at night.
7. Start checking out websites that search for flights.
Buying tickets directly from airlines is almost always more expensive than using websites that connect different airlines, such as Priceline.com, Kayak.com and Expedia.com. These sites analyse hundreds of sources and airlines to find the best rates. From this point on, when you have opened a spectrum for up to two weeks, the dates start to change.
Most websites allow you to select an option where you can check your flights a few days before and after the date you entered. Whichbudget.com is a great place to search for international flights at affordable prices because it has access to local low-cost airlines of which it has no idea.
8. Look at the offers.
By browsing through these pages, you can also check out our flight and hotel offers. Sometimes you can even negotiate and bid. However, there are some negative aspects: a) it is not always possible to know which hotel might happen to you; b) booking accommodation separately, using discounts and special offers that can be found elsewhere, may be more convenient; c) above all, the hotel may not be the best choice.
Buying a package may be easier, but it may not be comfortable, nor may it be the best choice for you.
SEE ALSO: How To Make a Personal Budget & Stick To It During The Toughest Times
9. Avoid some direct flights and most return tickets.
Almost always direct flights are much more expensive, while stopovers can be cumbersome but save a lot of money. In addition, return trips are almost always more expensive than buying two cheap one-way tickets (one to get to the location and the other to go back). However, Kayak.com has a feature called “Hacker Fares”.which offers a return ticket that combines one-way flights with different airlines. They are not available for all routes, but you should definitely check them.
10. Look at the nearby towns.
Many sites also have an option that allows you to select nearby airports from and to which to fly in order to drastically reduce the cost of your ticket. This rule also applies abroad: for example, if you have to go to New York but the rate is terribly high, check out Newark Airport, NJ, which is nearby. In many cases, this type of change will not affect the cost of moving to your destination, perhaps not at all, especially if you are already planning to rent a car. Many airports also provide shuttle services.
11. Look at the stakes.
Search for the best offers in the main search engines. But also search for other offers. Airfarewatchdog.com sends a message when airlines publish their offers. Sign up to receive notifications from your favorite airlines via email, click “Like” on Facebook and follow them on Twitter to get promotional codes and special offers that are only announced through these media channels. Once you have booked your flight, use Yapta.com to monitor the price movements of the 9 major airlines.
Many will refund the difference or give you credit for your next trip if the tickets remain unsold.
12. Take the train.
The possibility of taking a train for a holiday depends largely on the distance from your destination. Rail travel is much slower than air travel, but the train certainly has advantages: you can see the view along the way, you have more living space, the seats are designed to lean properly and allow you to raise your feet to sleep comfortably at night, not to mention that many trains also have bunks.
Railway companies have a wide range of travel packages and if you decide to train to travel alone to your destination, you can also take advantage of some of the offers.
13. Move in a private vehicle or bus.
The choice of car use depends largely on where you want to go, but it may happen that your holiday consists of travelling by car with several stops along the way. On the other hand, driving a car can become expensive, although there are some tricks to keep costs down: the best place to refuel are motorway stations or large supply chains. Another option is to sign up for a credit card at a major gas station to get a discount on fuel.
14. Get on the bus.
Even in this case, the decision to get on the bus for a vacation depends largely on the distance to be covered. Moreover, the decision is often linked to the money available: using the bus is quite cheap. Although buses don’t have a good reputation over a period of time, many buses have made changes to improve their service, adding Wi-Fi, increasing legroom and installing wider seats that can spread out, You can get the best price by booking your ticket online
15. Think about your needs and budget.
Holidays involve a lot of money, so think about what you really need to have fun. Are you moving alone, with your family or with a group of people? Or do you prefer to be close to the points of interest to avoid renting a car? What services do you want? How much money do you have to pay for the apartment? Although hotel chains are a traditional choice, there are other options, especially if you want to save money.
16. Start looking for a hotel.
If you have decided to stay with a particular hotel chain, the best way to start is to: a) know that by booking in advance you are saving money; b) look for the best solution within 2 weeks; c) compare prices at TripAdvisor.com and Hotels.com. TripAdvisor does not sell rooms or promotional rates, but finds solutions based on selected criteria, such as available budgets, parking preferences, if breakfast and Wi-Fi are included in the price, if you want to be in the city center etc.
It also contains comments on the experiences of other guests. On the other hand, Hotels.com allows you to book rooms at the crossroads of your hotel chain and location.
17. Be flexible about your destination.
Consider staying in a suburb or in a nearby village, where room rates can be much lower. Think also of accommodation in a shopping area. Because business travellers return home for the weekend, hotels in this area can offer discounts or nice rooms and apartments on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Another way to reduce costs is to change hotels during your stay: if the hotel you are staying in is more expensive on Saturdays and Sundays than the previous or next three nights, book these nights in another hotel.
18. Pay attention to services.
When choosing a room, take a close look at the services it offers. Would you like to take your pet with you, but do you accept animals at the property? If so, will they charge extra fees? Do they have free Wi-Fi for your computer? Is there a fridge and a microwave? You can afford to save a lot of money on meals if you are shopping for food. Is there a swimming pool? If so, is it covered or outside and corresponds to your holiday time? If you have children, the pool can be a free holiday attraction.
19. Search for hotel offers.
Many hotel networks offer promotions that allow you to take advantage of free accommodation and better rooms. Many of them also offer a “Best Price Guarantee”, i.e. if you find a better rate for the same hotel and room type on a website other than their own, they will reduce the rate. Learn about family promotions: there can be discounts on children’s meals or more equipped rooms.
20. Consider participating in auctions and room bidding.
You can win it as well as not, but many have succeeded, so it may be worth it. Go to BetterBidding.com, which will show you how many other people have paid for similar rooms through sites like Priceline.com and Hotwire.com. Then make a similar or worse offer and see if it is accepted.
21. Buy food in the grocery store and prepare it yourself.
Eating at every meal can make you spend half your budget if you don’t pay attention. If you have a fridge or even a simple thermal bag to fill with ice (or maybe a microwave oven), you can get easily prepared food such as cereal flakes, oat flakes, sandwich ingredients, fruit and raw vegetables, and so on. The same applies to drinks. You can eat before you leave and prepare dry food, snacks and cold drinks to take with you.
SEE ALSO: How To Save Money On Everything: 18 Super Ways to Save Money
22. Brunch.
If your hotel’s breakfast is quite expensive and the continental breakfast is not included in the price, or maybe it does not reflect your tastes, combine breakfast with lunch and have a tasty brunch. That way you will only pay for two meals instead of three on that day. If I have taken this practice on a 7-day leave every day, I can estimate a reasonable saving of 10 euros per day, or 70 euros per person per day. In a family of five, this means a saving of EUR 350, which corresponds to a flight ticket.
23. Have a big lunch.
Alternatively, the main meal of the day may be lunch, not dinner. This way you not only spend less on expensive alcoholic beverages, but also spend less on food. In most cities, lunch courses always cost 30% less than the same food at dinner. If you want to have a late night snack, eat what’s left of your lunch or eat something you bought at the supermarket. Healthy habits include a good breakfast and a good lunch, choosing a lighter lunch.
24. Eat far away from other tourists.
The cost of food and drink in the tourist areas and surroundings is always overstated. Usually it is enough to walk a few blocks to find food at a lower price, often fresher, which allows you to better understand the dynamics of the city and local customs. This is where you can find authentic food and avoid waiting queues: an advantage for all those who escape from the canonical tourist route.
25. Collect discounts on restaurants.
Visit Mamapedia.com, Groupon.com and Livingsocial.com to get discounts on restaurants and other activities. In addition, applications such as Foursquare and Scoutmob help you find the right discounts. Instead, Happy Hour Finder mentions happy hours in the area. You can save up to 90% on your meals when you buy a gift voucher online at Restaurant.com: Print your voucher and use it at any time.
26. Do the research.
Looking to the future, you will save a lot of time and frustration once you are there, and you will also save a lot of money. Find out what the area offers in terms of both culture and landscape. Visit the websites of the region, city, local tourist and cultural offices, read online articles, determine the best way to travel and if and when they are free or discounted on activities.
27. Ask the receptionist and the local people for information.
As soon as you unpack, ask the concierge for the best cheap restaurants and parking recommendations and attractions. This way you’ll get a lot of information, including some tricks you never thought of. The same goes for locals who know the best places to visit and, by talking to them, you’ll also have the chance to fully enjoy the place you visit.
28. Car rental.
When it comes to hotels and flights, you will save money if you book in advance. If you think you’ll be driving a lot, choose an unlimited mileage plan. Try renting a car from a rental agency that is not based in an airport terminal as they usually have higher charges at the airport. Book a smaller car, but if you prefer a bigger car, choose one while you are at the agency. Before signing an insurance agreement, make sure that your car insurance or even your credit card can cover you in the event of a road accident.
29. Take advantage of free or cheap transport.
On holiday, the cheapest trips take place on foot. It is also a great opportunity to walk with the locals, see the city and take photos. Most cities are equipped with fast transit systems, such as the metro. You can download the map from the station or print it from the public transport before leaving home. Print also bus routes if you’re going to use them: they can be useful if you need a quick connection from one metro line to another.
30. Do free activities.
Stroll through parks, gardens, museums, houses, art exhibitions and so on. Take part in a trade fair or street concert. Go to outdoor cinemas or cafes. Swim in the ocean, on the lake or in the river. Go cycling in the woods. Get lost in the streets of the new city. There’s even Couchsurfing.com, which provides contact with locals who can accompany visitors free of charge just for fun!
31. Shopping break.
There are two ways to do this, one simple and the other difficult. Let’s start with a hard one: don’t take your credit card with you when you go shopping, but rather buy a prepaid card or a travel card that only contains money you can use for shopping as a budget.
Another option is simpler: because sometimes you may need cash, bring only the money you can spend. As with advice to eat in a place outside the tourist route, even in this case you are shopping outside the tourist destination. Walk through secondary roads, local shops and street markets.
Thank you for reading this article about how to save money on holiday and I really hope that you take action my advice. I wish you good luck and I hope its contents have been a good help to you.
