Saving money on vacation does not have to mean that the holiday is going to be boring. With these simple tips you can have a cheaper holiday while still having a great experience.
Book Self-Catering Accommodation
Accommodation can be one of the biggest holiday expenses, but if your room comes with a kitchen, you can save a surprising amount of money.
While most people want to sample local cuisines when on holiday in a foreign country, being able to use a small kitchen just once a day can make all the difference to your holiday budget. Even if you simply have the occasional breakfast or your afternoon coffees in your room or holiday apartment, you can save some money every day but still enjoy exotic street food for lunch and nights out in the local restaurants. You can keep cold drinks in the fridge and have snacks for emergencies too, saving you the trouble of going out to find food every time you need a snack.
Travel with Your Friends
Solo travelers, unfortunately, pay more for hotel rooms than couples or families. If you can, travel with a friend, and you will pay much less for your accommodation. If you get a group of friends together and rent a cottage or an apartment, you can sometimes save a lot of money compared to staying in a hotel room on your own.
Before you book your hotel room, check if there are additional charges for single occupancy, and compare a few hotels and their room rates for solo travelers. Fortunately there are also companies that specialize in trips for solo travelers and offer affordable deals for hotel rooms.
Be Flexible and Travel Off-Season
If you can be flexible with your travel dates, you can save significant amounts of money. Flights and accommodation are always more expensive during the high seasons, which can vary depending on the destination, but generally fall on the school holidays, Easter, Christmas and New Year.
In many beach holiday destinations around the world accommodation prices rise through the roof during the Christmas season. In Europe some of the busiest times are the school holiday months, July and August. If you can travel outside the peak season, you can find much cheaper flights and much better accommodation deals. And of course you can enjoy the destination without the holiday crowds!
Booking flights as far in advance as possible can also help. As the plane starts to fill up, prices will go up too. If you can, plan in advance.