Holidays and travel

How to save money on holidays, including cheap flights, cruises, hotels, foreign currency, tourist taxes and more

Our complete guide to cutting the cost of your holiday.

Make the most of your holiday

You've spent months working, spending carefully and saving up.

So why risk undoing it all by getting ripped off when sorting your next holiday?

A vacation should be the highlight of your year, yet planning one can be stressful and expensive.

This guide is all about untangling that confusion, avoiding rip-offs and stretching your budget as far as it can possibly go.

If you're not sure where to go, head to our sister site loveEXPLORING for travel tips and inspiration.

Got a dream destination in mind? Let's make it happen.

Planning and booking

Saving money on your holiday starts with booking it at the right time.

Our guide covers all types of holidays; however, we've also got specialised articles on booking cruise holidays and cheap flights - click the links for more.

Whatever you book, make sure you book it with your credit card.

As our article explains, this provides crucial protection should an airline collapse and could potentially help if a flight is cancelled.

Read our guide to the best credit cards for spending abroad

Get insured

Holidays are expensive enough without something going wrong.

Whether it's a skiing accident or lost baggage, bad luck on a trip could cost you hundreds and sometimes thousands of pounds.

That's why you need to pack travel insurance, wherever you're going.

It takes minutes to compare and apply for a policy and you'll only need your personal details, destination and a bank card to hand.

Flights, cars and trains

Though clichéd, for many of us the journey really is the destination.

If your journey starts with an early-morning drive to the airport, read our article on saving money on airport parking. If you've got time to nip to duty-free, make sure you don't exceed your customs allowance.

Flying can be about much more than getting the lowest price from A to B.

You could save money and access perks by joining a frequent flyer scheme: we've got a guide to making the most of your airmiles.

And, if you're feeling lucky, here's how to get an upgrade.

Flights do occasionally go wrong, so we've got articles on delays and cancellations, what to do if a flight is overbooked or if the entire airline collapses.

When you get to your destination, make sure you're not getting ripped off for car rental. One way to do this is to bring your own rental car excess insurance.

For those who prefer to take the train, we've got guides to cheap train travel in the UK and the Eurostar.

The best bank accounts for avoiding rip-off travel fees

Hotels, AirBnB and accommodation

Whatever your budget, we're betting you could save money on your dream hotel - or even afford something better.

Our guide to hotels includes tips on booking, 'secret' prices, loyalty points and whether to use a comparison site.

If you prefer Airbnb, our sister site loveEXPLORING explains how to find the best properties. 

You could find accommodation abroad for even less by house sitting, pet sitting, couch surfing and more.

Foreign currency exchange

What's the cheapest way to spend money abroad?

A. Change money at the airport

B. Change money at a bureau in advance

C. Use your card to pay or withdraw money at your destination

Most of us know that A., changing money at the airport, can be very expensive.

However, the absolute cheapest way to get your travel money is actually answer C, using your card - provided, that is, you have the right card.

Whilst many banks and credit card providers levy rip-off fees for using your card abroad, there are both specialist banks and travel credit cards that have no fees whatsoever.

Plus, you get better exchange rates than many bureaus. 

Tourist taxes

Some countries and cities will charge you for the pleasure of visiting.

To help you find out if you'll have to pay, we've put together a guide to tourist taxes across Europe.

Whilst there's little you can do about them, they're good to know so you're not surprised and short of cash when you check into your hotel.

After the holiday

We hope that this guide helps you go on your dream holiday without breaking the bank.

If you did accidentally overspend, however, it's worth dealing with it as soon as you get home.

Move your debt to a 0% balance transfer credit card and you'll get over two years to pay it off gradually, without spending money on interest payments.

Then look at claiming compensation for delayed flights and trains, as you might be surprised at how much you get back.

Then it's time to plan your next trip!

Chocolate taster (Image: lovemoney - Shutterstock)

Comments


Be the first to comment

Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature

Copyright © lovemoney.com All rights reserved.

 

loveMONEY.com Financial Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with Firm Reference Number (FRN): 479153.

loveMONEY.com is a company registered in England & Wales (Company Number: 7406028) with its registered address at First Floor Ridgeland House, 15 Carfax, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1DY, United Kingdom. loveMONEY.com Limited operates under the trading name of loveMONEY.com Financial Services Limited. We operate as a credit broker for consumer credit and do not lend directly. Our company maintains relationships with various affiliates and lenders, which we may promote within our editorial content in emails and on featured partner pages through affiliate links. Please note, that we may receive commission payments from some of the product and service providers featured on our website. In line with Consumer Duty regulations, we assess our partners to ensure they offer fair value, are transparent, and cater to the needs of all customers, including vulnerable groups. We continuously review our practices to ensure compliance with these standards. While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy and currency of our editorial content, users should independently verify information with their chosen product or service provider. This can be done by reviewing the product landing page information and the terms and conditions associated with the product. If you are uncertain whether a product is suitable, we strongly recommend seeking advice from a regulated independent financial advisor before applying for the products.