How to save money when travelling this summer
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait until we can actually plan our next family holiday. Travelling and seeing the sights is something that we’ve always loved to do as a family. But travelling as a family of five can be pretty expensive if we’re not careful. I have picked up a few tips over the years in order to save us some money whilst still being able to enjoy our family holidays.
Be flexible on your dates
OK, so it’s not always easy to be flexible when you’ve got school-aged children, and we all know that the price of holidays rockets during the school holidays. It’s something that really annoys me as I think it’s grossly unfair that families are penalised for only being allowed to go away at certain times of the year. However, it is something we have to deal with! If you don’t have children, then booking your holiday outside of the school holidays will save you a fortune.
If, like us, you are restricted to going away during the school holidays, then being flexible with the actual day you travel can still save you some money. Travelling during the week rather than at the weekend, for example, can often save you hundreds of pounds on a fortnight away.
Learn the language
I’m not suggesting you get fluent in Spanish or Greek before you head abroad, but having a basic understanding of the native language of the country you plan to visit is definitely a good idea. Not only can this help you to understand fees for things such as what’s included in excursions, but it can also help you to barter too and get a better price for things you plan to buy. Being able to barter comes in particularly handy when you’re visiting markets. Do some language study online before you travel to brush up your skills and hopefully save you some money whilst you’re travelling.
Consider staying out of town
For many families, the only thing they plan to do when they land is to lounge by the pool and enjoy the facilities available at the hotel. If this is your idea of the perfect holiday, and you don’t mind being away from the action, then staying a little further away from the centre of the resort can save you money. Even if you do want to sample some of the nightlife or activities going on in the resort, many hotels will offer a shuttle service either free of charge or for a small fee.
Spend a little time researching what each hotel has to offer and how much money you could save by avoiding a central hotel. For example, you could search for a hotel in Fuerteventura and see what’s available, before comparing the cost and the facilities available at a few hotels.
Be clever with your cash
You might be tempted to exchange your cash for foreign currency at the airport, but the exchange rates there will mean that you don’t get much for your money.
It’s never a good idea to travel with lots of cash. But you should have some with you at all times, just in case you need it. You can carry out some research to find out who has the best exchange rate. It’s a good idea to do this a little in advance, as you may want to order your cash online to take advantage of the very best deals.
It’s also a good idea to use a credit card, but many credit cards will charge you a heavy fee for using them abroad. There are specialist cards though that don’t charge any fees on spending overseas – it’s worth grabbing one of these before you travel. You can also save money when travelling to and from the airport by using an airport taxi comparison website. These save you money as they compare all of the taxis in the local area and give you the best price back. If you choose to use a taxi out the front of an airport you will pay more in fees as they are the most expensive by far.
When it comes to flights, see if you have any air miles that you can use to get a discount when booking. Also, take some time to compare flight costs – even if you have the budget to fly by private jet, you can still look to save money with jet card comparison sites. Luxury travel doesn’t always have to cost as much as you think!
No matter where you’re travelling, there are things you can do to save yourself some money without having a detrimental effect on your holiday! A little careful planning, and doing your research can save you a fortune, even on the most extravagant holidays.
*This is a collaborative post.
