10 Tips That Make Your Holiday Cheaper
Haste can become a burden if you book your holiday without planning a bit first. This especially applies to costs. Here are ten of the most effective savings tips for you who want a cheaper vacation.
Choose a country and area with low costs
When choosing a destination, you should not only look at the price of the trip itself and the accommodation, but also at the general price level where you are going. What you have to pay for food, drinks, adventures, transportation and so on, can make up a lot of your travel budget. If you are going to choose a cheap country, for example, the overview from the British Post Office can be a good starting point. However, you should not look blindly at such country overviews, but also look at the costs in the different areas. There can be large price differences, even at short distances, depending on whether the area is a popular tourist destination or not.
Take a vacation when others are working
It is a lot of money to save on travel when everyone else is working. If both the work and family situation allow it, take the summer vacation in June or September, instead of the joint vacation (last three weeks in July). August is not a good month to holiday in Europe. It is the holiday month for almost everyone except us in the Nordics. If the holiday destination is in the south of Europe, both June and September can be better choices climatically. July and August are normally the warmest period, and often too hot for many of us northerners.
Book a flight or package tour early
Most airlines sell away the cheapest airline tickets as soon as they go on sale. Those who are first come, first served save the most money. If you combine early booking with travel out of season, and on days that are less popular, you can get away very cheaply. Use websites that compare prices on airline tickets, and preferably more of them, such as Momondo and Expedia. With many airlines, the tickets are priced regardless of whether you have a return or not. Therefore, you should check if it pays to order one-way tickets from different operators.
Package tours are a bit more tricky in this regard. Being out early pays off in general, but the remaining seats can quickly become the cheapest solution. If travel time is important, book early. Consider investing in remaining places if time and destination do not matter so much.
Book a hotel when there are promotional offers
If you prefer to stay in a hotel, book the room when there are promotions on the comparison pages. Also check if there are price differences between the comparison pages and by contacting the hotel directly. As with the actual travel tickets, it also pays to book a hotel early. The exception is the last-minute offers, but be careful not to gamble on these. If you are traveling during popular periods, it is not certain that there are hotel rooms to be found when the time of departure is approaching.
Stay off the beaten track
As a rule, accommodation is more expensive the more centrally located they are, both when it comes to city breaks and beach holidays. If you choose to stay a little outside where everyone else has chosen to settle, you can reduce the accommodation price considerably. If it is still important to have access to what is centrally located (restaurants, sights, etc.), find affordable accommodation near the metro, tram or bus.
Private lei
Sofa surfing is a common and affordable alternative for those who do not need much privacy. Use reputable sites such as Couchsurfing and read about other people’s experience before you book, then you reduce the chances of regretting the choice of residence. If you need something bigger than just a sofa or a single bed, you can look for detached houses for rent through AirBnB. The same is true here; familiarize yourself well with who you rent from, and follow the recommendations for secure payment.
Find affordable eateries
As here at home, there are of course large price differences between the restaurants. The decisive factor is often the location, and not always the quality. If you choose restaurants that are outside the tourist areas, you can save a lot of money. Locals are usually reliable sources when it comes to information. Look online for honest recommendations. If you do not know the language, just use Google Translate for help.
Do not rent a car on weekdays
If you are going to explore a bit during the holidays and need a rental car, take the excursions on weekends. Rental car prices are usually much higher on weekdays, because that’s when business people and companies usually rent a car. Also note that it may be cheaper to rent an entire week, rather than for example from Monday to Thursday, for the same reason as mentioned above. Also spend some time getting to know how to avoid car rental traps , as there are many of them.
Do not waste money when you pay
There are several factors to keep in mind when it comes to choosing a holiday getaway. Among other things, you should not withdraw currency in Norway. You get better exchange rates where you go on holiday, but preferably use ATMs owned by the local banks. ATMs at airports can be a small currency trap, especially if they are owned by an exchange company. If you want to pay for goods and services by card, always choose local currency. The exchange rate you get at outlets is normally much worse than the one you get from the bank or your credit company. In addition, there are many outlets that add a payment fee when you pull the card. It is also recommended that you use a bank card (debit card) to withdraw cash, while payment for expensive goods and services should be made with a credit card (better security against fraud or error).
Travel insurance can save you hundreds of thousands
It is actually so stupid that one should not believe it, but several studies indicate that as many as 20% of us are not insured when we travel abroad. Many people simply forget it, while others “save” money. A good travel insurance is the best vaccine against swine holiday travel. You can also get free travel insurance if you pay for the trip with some credit cards. If you are going to buy travel insurance, you should consider year-round travel insurance directly from an insurance company, instead of choosing insurance as a supplement when you buy tickets or package tours.
