Our complete guide to cutting the cost of your holiday.
Sections
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!