50 ways to save on holiday spending

We are all guilty of overspending on holiday, but why overspend before you even leave the UK. Below are 50 ways how to save money on holiday spending.



1. Book as early as you can



Budget airlines are now selling cheap flights earlier than ever, and you can book your flight up to 12 months ahead of departure. The earlier you book, the cheaper it normally is. You can also save money by booking cheap airport car hire in advance.



2. Book as late as you can



This may be a contradiction in terms, but you can also save money by booking last minute deals. If seats and hotel room go unsold, and you are flexible about the times and destinations, then you could book a real bargain holiday. The cheapest airport car hire deals can also be booked online before you travel.



3. Hotel Package tours



You can now completely bypass the travel agent and book cheap holidays online, along with cheap car hire. You can save hundreds of pounds by creating your own package tour including flights, hotel and cheap car hire. Cheap Malaga Airport car hire can now be pre-booked.



4. Travel at unsociable hours



If you travel at what is deemed to be unsociable hours of the day or night, the cost is likely to be much cheaper. Cross channel ferry prices have plunged since the introduction of budget airlines, and if you are prepared to go at an unsociable hour, then ferry travel is worth checking out. Cheap car hire at Alicante Airport can be pre-booked online.



5. Stay in the UK



You can save a lot of money and still have great fun by staying at home for your holiday. Have day trips to local fun parks or amusement centres for the kids, and do things you don´t normally have time to do like visiting the zoo, taking a trip to the cinema or visiting some nearby leisure parks. Cheap car hire is available at Gatwick Airport and Heathrow Airport.

6. Split the cost

Share a holiday home or caravan with friends or family and you could split the cost in half. If you agree to share, but need to get away from the others, book cheap airport car hire before you leave the UK.



7. Swap house



Look into house-swapping (that´s house-swapping not wife-swapping), and reap the benefits of living in someone´s home, rather than holiday accommodation. Several websites help you explore the benefits of a holiday house swap, which could take you anywhere in the world. The cheapest airport car hire, anywhere in the world, is available to pre-book online.



8. Free child places and car rentals



The age limit for children travelling free may differ from airline to airline, so make sure you find the best deals, and make sure you pay as little as possible for your kids to travel. Cheap car hire at Gerona Airport is available online.



9. Surf the internet for great dealsYou can compare flight prices,



check out cheap airport car hire deals, and source information about any destination in the world on the internet. So start surfing and bag a holiday bargain. The cheapest airport car hire in Europe can be pre-booked online.



10. Take your time and pre-book car hire



Internet users can reserve flights and holidays for several days before actually paying for them. Reserve flights and then take your time to look around to see if the deals you want come available. Cheap airport car hire is available through online booking.



11. Special offers notification



You can sign up with any of the budget airlines for online information, which will give you a head start when new deals and early flight sales are announced. Cheap car hire at Malaga Airport is available now.



12. Camp it up with car rentals



If you want a real low cost holiday, book a cheap flight, pre-book cheap airport car hire and go camping in France, Spain or anywhere else in Europe. Sleep under the stars at a fraction of the cost of a hotel or apartment. Cheapest airport car hire is easily available from an online car hire comparison site.



13. Go where you want to go



Don´t make do with booking a cheap holiday if it´s not where you really want to go. Save up from the previous year and go where you really want to go, or you could end up spending money for nothing. Cheap car hire at Faro Airport is easy to book online.



14. On your bike



Many ferry companies allow you to take your bikes for free, which is a great idea if you are visiting Belgium or Holland. Both countries are bike-friendly and have hundreds of miles of bike lanes, and are famous for being flat. If biking is not your thing, check out cheap airport car hire in Belgium and Holland.



15. Youth hostelling



Not many travellers realise that youth hostels are not just for young people. Many have family rooms which you can find information about before you travel. You can also book cheap car hire at Valencia Airport if you are travelling to the region.



16. Rail schemes



Not just for students, most European countries offer special rail schemes and cut price tickets if you are travelling around certain regions. You can also book a cabin to avoid costly hotel rooms. Once you reach your destination, you can book cheap car hire for onward travel.



17. Cheap hotels and car hire



There are chains of cheap hotels throughout Spain and France, many of which you will not find advertised in the holiday brochures. You can book a room for less than £25 a night for up to three people in many of them, and they are the perfect stopping off place if you are travelling by cheap car rental.



18. Research to save money



Don´t be palmed off with the information from travel agents, check online yourself for the best places to visit and the excursions you can enjoy while on holiday. Cheap does not mean nasty, so check out the reviews online. Alicante Spain is a major tourist destination for sun seeker and fun seekers, and you can arrange to pick up cheap airport car hire at Alicante Airport before you travel.



19. Haggle for your hotel price



Take the time to sit down and check out the many small hotels and guest houses recommended online. Read reviews and surf the hotel websites to find the best deals for you and your family. Contact the hotels directly and see what is the best price they can give you. Whatever price they come back with, ask if they can reduce it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Save even more money by booking cheap airport car hire through a comparison car rentals site before you travel.



20. Watch out for holiday deals in the newspapers



Once a year, at least one UK newspaper offers holidays from just £9.50 per head, when you collect tokens over a limited period of time. Watch out for these special deals and offers at Britain´s top holiday destinations and you can save a fortune. If you are arriving from outside the UK, book cheap airport car hire through a car hire comparison website.



21. Check the exchange rates



Exchange rates fluctuate all the time. Look at the Euro to Pound ratio in 2009, and you will realise what a massive different it can make to your holiday spending money. Take note of the exchange rates and work out whether it is cheaper for you to go to Europe or further afield. Car hire prices can also make a big difference to your spending. Cheap Malaga Airport car hire is available to book months before you travel.



22. Visit the cheaper countries



Some countries are not the cheap holiday options they once were, including Greece and Spain. Compare prices and check out reviews of different resorts and destinations before you book. The internet has made it much easier to source information about European and world destinations. Cheap car hire at Palma Airport is easy to book and easy to pick up.



23. Avoid the Gatwick Express



If you are intending to travel between London and Gatwick Airport use the Southern service which is three times cheaper than the Gatwick Express. If you are flying in to Gatwick, book cheap airport car hire at Gatwick Airport before you travel.



24. Pre-book your airport taxi



With a huge rise in rail costs, it may be cheaper to book a cab from home to the airport. Mini cabs are much cheaper than other options, and if you pre-book you will have peace of mind. If you are returning a cheap rental car to the airport, leave in plenty of time to avoid traffic jams and other delays.



25. Book airport parking before you travel



Airport parking can be a nightmare. It can prove very costly if you don´t pre-book, so check out your insurance or AA membership for special airport parking deals and off-site parking offers. Do this before you travel and keep the cost of airport parking to a minimum. Cheap airport parking and cheap airport car hire can reduce the cost of your holiday by hundreds of pounds.



26. Reduce your speed on motorways



Driving at 80mph on the motorway costs an extra 4p a mile, according to the AA. If you are touring round Europe in a cheap hire car from the airport, this can add up to an extra £80 over 2,000 miles. If you want to significantly reduce costs all the way round, book a cheap car hire deal from your holiday airport and take your time to take in the sights.



27. Low-cost insurance for car hire



Not only can you save money by finding low-cost insurance on the cheapest airport car hire, but you can also save by finding cheap holiday insurance options online. Always read the small print, and if you travel a lot, consider an annual policy. Single trip policies cover you for cancellation as soon as you take the policy out but this is not the case with annual policies, so if you are unsure of the terms and conditions, ask questions. You can find cheap car hire at Almeria Airport by booking online and in advance.



28. Look around for breakdown cover



If you are looking for cheap European breakdown cover, take your time to explore the options. The AA and the RAC policies are probably the best known, but they are not the only ones, and you could get the same cover for significantly less money elsewhere. Book cheap car hire at Larnaca Airport or any other airport in Europe if you don´t want to risk your own car.



29. Eat before you fly



Budget airlines provide cheap flights, over-priced food and drink and occasionally a warm welcome. Once you are airside at the airport, you can either buy sandwiches or snacks to take on board, or an even cheaper option is to eat before you fly. There is little point in booking a cheap flight if the cost of your in flight food and drinks costs more than the trip. Make an extra saving by organising your cheap airport car hire at the other end before you fly.



30. Coach trip



If you are planning to stay at home this year, leave the car at home and take a coach trip around the UK. Coaches no longer have the same fuddy-duddy image of yesteryear, and the modern vehicles are air-conditioned with toilets and refreshments. If coaches are not your thing, take advantage of cheap car hire a cheap car at holiday destinations in the UK and Europe.



31. Where to find cheap train tickets



Finding cheap train tickets is easier than you may think. If you book 28 days in advance you will bag the best rail fare bargains. You can check individual rail sites for bargains and make sure you check online about 8-9 weeks before you plan to travel during peak periods. This way you can save as much as 50% off the cost of a train ticket on the day you travel. If you prefer to go where you want when you want, book cheap car hire from the airport, the rail station or the city centre.



32. Avoid the weekends for cheap flights



Depending on the kids´ school holidays, you can book cheap air travel if you go midweek instead of at the weekend. Summer flights are also massively reduced, and if the children have 6 weeks off, try to book on a Tuesday or Wednesday to save hundreds of pounds. One of the most useful air far comparison websites is www.skyscanner.net which does the searching for you. If you want to double up with the savings, book cheap airport car hire from carhire4airports before you fly.



33. Beware currency exchange offices



Always remember that commission free does not mean ´we offer the best rates´. Shop around for the best exchange rates. Cheap airport car hire at Madrid Airport can be booked from just €80.00 per week.



34. Control your holiday spending

Most credit card providers charge you up to 3% commission when you use your card abroad. Cheeky just doesn´t begin to cover it. Debit card charges can be similar, so be careful how much you use your cards on holiday. If you book cheap airport car hire from the UK before you travel, no such charges will apply.



35. Mobile phone costs



Check how much it will cost you to make and receive mobile phone calls on holiday abroad. Many roaming charges have now been abolished after thousands of complaints from users, but check what the situation is with your provider. If you are planning to explore your holiday destination, take advantage of cheap airport car hire deals and special car rental offers before you fly.



36. Avoid Heathrow Express



As with the Gatwick Express, the Heathrow Express will cost you a fortune if you are travelling with your family from London Paddington. Buy a one-day family travel card, set off early and use the underground. You will save even more holiday cash by pre-booking Malaga Airport car hire before you reach your destination.



37. Double up in London



If you are travelling to London by train, take advantage of the 2for1 website, which includes admission to Madame Tussauds and various top London sites for a much-reduced price. If you want cheap airport car hire to get you into the city of London, you can also pre-book cheap car hire deals from the airport.



38. Pre-book a hire car from the airport



You can save plenty of money by avoiding expensive airport taxis and high speed train links into the city by pre-booking cheap airport car hire before you go. You can book cheap car hire in Malaga, Paris, London, Rome, Alicante and at every major airport in Europe before you leave home.



39. Passport check



As often as you are advised to check your passport, how many times do you actually do it? Hundreds of passengers are turned away from UK airports every year because their passport has expired. Check your passport is still in date at least a month before you intend to travel. Cheap airport car hire and cheap car hire at Jerez Airport is available to book online.



40. Passport photos



Check out the passport photos leaflet, which you can pick up with your passport application form, to ensure your pictures are the right size and the background colour is correct. It is worth visiting a photographer instead of a photo booth so you don´t waste money getting it right. Save money the whole way round by arranging cheap car hire at Alicante Airport before you leave the UK.



41. Foreign school holidays



Before booking your trip, check when the school holidays are in the country you are travelling to. Some foreign school holidays finish before the UK ones do, which means you could get a cheaper holiday deal towards the end of the holiday period. As long as you don´t mind sending the kids to school as soon as you return, this could save you a packet. Super saver car rentals deals are also available at every European airport.



42. Fly-drive and beating the system



You can beat the fly-drive holiday system in Florida by accepting the compact car you have booked and refusing any upgrade, unless it is free of course. Car hire companies in Florida never keep many compact cars in the garage, as Americans usually hire bigger vehicles. If you have hired a compact car, and there isn´t one available, ask for a free upgrade. Cheap car hire in Florida is easy to pre-book online in the UK.



43. Do Disney for less



Check out the mousesavers website for special deals and offers at Disney Land. Cheapest airport car hire deals for Florida can be found online in the UK.



44. Local restaurants are best



If you are looking to save some money and eat wonderful local dishes into the bargain, stroll away from the usual tourist areas. Remember not everyone is a tourist and every city has its local favourites in the back streets which cost a fraction of the price of restaurants in the tourist hot spots. If walking is not for you, take advantage of cheap car hire deals to discover the best restaurants in your region.



45. Check out the library



Don´t waste money on guide books. Check out the local library before you go, and ask for an extended borrowing period if you want to take the book with you. Tip: Don´t drop it in the hotel swimming pool.



46. It´s cool to make friends in hot places



Encourage friendships with people who live in places you want to visit. You can find out more about the region, where to go, what to see, and may even end up with a free place to stay. Check out international friendship websites for more information. The cheapest way to travel around any holiday destination is by pre-booking cheap car rentals at the airport.



47. Don´t splash the cash



Young children are happy anywhere if there is a beach, water and, preferably some sunshine. You don´t need to take them on a world cruise, or a week in the Bahamas for them to have fun. Skeggy beach might be pushing it a bit, but there are some fantastic resorts in the UK which are very child-friendly. Hire a car in the UK and visit some of the places you have always wanted to go.



48. Go self-catering



Book a self catering holiday instead of a hotel package tour, and you will be left alone to explore the area, and can save money on food by shopping at the local markets. Many self catering complexes have swimming pools onsite and bars and restaurants close by if you choose to eat out. Self catering and cheap car hire from the airport provide you with the perfect holiday package.



49. Choose a hotel by the sea



Hotels and apartments overlooking the sea may be slightly more expensive at the outset, but if you have young children, being near the coast is worth its weight in gold. Also make sure the holiday complex or hotel has a swimming pool to keep the little ones entertained. If you are planning to do some travelling, book the cheapest airport car hire you can find.



50. Beware the taxi rip-offs



If you intend to take a taxi from the airport when you arrive, ask the driver the price to your destination before you set off. Some taxi drivers adopt a ´make it up as I go along´ policy for cab fares, particularly in the summer when resorts are at their busiest. Avoid taxi rip offs altogether by booking cheap car hire at the airport in Malaga, Alicante, Murcia or any other European destination.