Tips on how to save money while on holiday
We all know that most travel agents these days do a great job, but like any business they take their cut.
This is fine, but if you decide to independently book your holiday then make sure to research on price comparison websites.
Among other things, these websites (one we recommend is www.skyscanner.ie ) highlight all the fares available on or around your chosen dates.
Sometimes itâs unavoidable, but if you have to travel during the school summer holidays, youâre advised to choose the latest possible dates.
The last week in August and the first week in September are, usually, substantially cheaper than the rest of the holiday season.
Another bonus, of course, is that youâre leaving the best part of the summer break until last. A win-win, then?
Ah, yes â IT fares! The initials stand for âInclusive Tourâ, which is the deal by which long-haul flights are sold â effectively as a package â in tandem with either hotel accommodation or car rental, or both.
Keep this in mind if youâre booking your holiday independently, because depending where and when you book you can save hundreds of euro by nabbing the full package than booking just the flight. A recommended website is trailfinders.com.
A recent visit here discovered that for less than the price of a long-haul seat-only ticket you could purchase a package that included the exact same flight, three nights at a three-star hotel and five days car rental.
The possible snag? The package is valid only when two adults travel together.
If you are travelling outside the EU, make sure to call into your local bank so that you can get your hands on a small amount of local currency before you go â itâs very handy for train, bus or taxi fares when you land at the destination airport.
Itâs also a good idea to research exchange rates â in some countries, your humble euro wonât get you too far. (That means you, England!) Another tip is to make sure to avoid currency exchange machines at airports â the words ârip offâ spring to mind.
If you want trouble-free withdrawal of money while abroad, itâs a good idea to tell your bank that you will be using your debit/credit cards.
If you donât, your accounts will more than likely be disabled by the bank as a bona fide security measure. Also: check what daily cash withdrawal limits there might be.
Research the best and most financially efficient methods to use your cards on holiday â by doing so you can avoid bank and foreign exchange charges. If youâre away for up to two weeks, these charges can mount up unexpectedly. So beware.
Always, always, always do up a budget. The first one to calculate is your overall budget for the duration of your holiday, and the next is to micro-economize/calculate on a daily basis. Youâll be amazed how much you can save â and remember, it isnât penny-pinching, itâs just common sense.
Think of it this way: when youâre waiting around at the airport, from passing through security to actually sitting down in your airplane seat, tot up all the money you could save from bringing your own sandwiches, snacks, fruit, books and magazines.
Keep in mind, also, the costs incurred in buying food and drink whilst on the airplane (and thatâs just for yourself, let alone a family of four or five or more).
All of these so-called âfrillsâ really add up: text message confirmation, credit card bookings, seat selection, priority boarding (ha!), baggage allowance.
If you get sucked in to pay for some or all of these, then you have more money than sense. As for priority boarding (double ha!), that means a big fat zero if the flight is substantially delayed from taking off. Answer truthfully â do you really want to shell out more money just to sit in your seat for longer?
As for baggage allowance, buy a weighing scale, and check that your luggage weighs less than the restrictions imposed by the airline â before you leave your house!
There are too many to list, but hotel chains, car rental companies, travel companies and airlines always circulate price reductions and special offers via email.
We agree that too many non-relevant emails clogging up your inbox can be irritating, but if youâre the kind of person who frequently engages with online social/business models, then you can jump on these offers as and when they land, thereby saving you decent sums of money.
Remember, also, that social networking outlets such as Facebook and Twitter are incredibly efficient ways to discover bargains. The clincher is that they come to you, which saves you time.
So you have the budget sorted out for your two weeks away? Think again, and ask yourself the following questions: how much do bus or train fares cost to take you from the airport to the city or town centre?
And do you then need to get a taxi to your hotel? Do you know if your hotel operates a complementary shuttle service to and from the airport?
Is your hotel very close to various amenities and attractions â or will you have to factor in daily/nightly bus and taxi fares?
How much does food in the local restaurants cost? Will you be eating cheaply and cheerfully every day, or do you think youâll be tempted into the townâs only really expensive restaurant now and again? Youâll need to answer these questions.
Thankfully, mobile phone roaming charges have decreased significantly in the past few years, but you can still get a scare when you return home and open up the next bill, so we strongly advise you to contact your phone provider about two days before you leave home.
It isnât all bad news â most people have smartphones, and with free wi-fi in virtually every bar and cafĂ© these days, the cost of a coffee or a beer will definitely be worth it. Also, itâs no harm to check with your hotel that it doesnât charge for wi-fi.
A recent personal example: booking an âorganisedâ commercially-operated excursion from Sorrento to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Pompeii costs in the region of âŹ50. Getting the train from Sorrento to Pompeii costs about âŹ6. You donât even have to do the math on that one, do you?
Buy bottled water from the local supermarket. Donât over tip â quite a few restaurants apply their own service charges. And for the love of God, donât go near your hotel room minibar!
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