How To Finance Your Family Holiday
Find out how to have a great family holiday while sticking to your budget with tips from thrift guru Jane Furnival.
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Step 1:
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Travelling abroad
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Choose cheaper destinations. Stay flexible when choosing as similar deals could be vastly different in price depending on where you go.
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Step 2:
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When to book
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It's not always cheaper to book last minute. Do some research in advance and you'll probably find a fantastic deal.
Book flights around 11 months before you travel for the best prices.
There may be some good deals around last minute, as a few flights and hotels will want to fill remaining spaces.
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Step 3:
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What to book
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There are cheaper ways to travel by train. Book in advance for the best deals and visit megatrain.com for fares as low as £1.
Flights are always cheaper mid-week so avoid flying on Fridays or Saturdays if you can.
Ferry services have become very affordable recently and can be even cheaper if you are willing to travel in the middle of the night.
Coach tickets can be bought for as little as £1 from certain companies and will take you to any number of destinations around the country.
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Step 4:
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Package deals
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Booking a package deal means that you can seek help from the seller if things go wrong and can be safer than buying items separately.
You could also save money by booking a package deal through a travel agent.
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Step 5:
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Accommodation
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Use websites such as tripadvisor.com to research cheap hotels.
Split the cost of a holiday home with another family.
Take the family camping. Campsites abroad are not only affordable but can be very well equipped.
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Step 6:
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Insurance
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Buy insurance for your whole holiday. It's worth buying one policy to cover you for a month, six months or a year. Don't buy insurance form the same place that sells you your flight. Also, don't click through from one website to another as this could add a premium to the price of your insurance when one website introduces business to another.
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Step 7:
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Spending money abroad
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Buy commission free currency but shop around for the best rate.
If you use your credit card abroad, you will have to pay an extra 2.75% commission to your provider.
Using your debit card will also incur a charge from your bank so pay by cash or travellers cheques instead.
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Step 8:
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Staying at home
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Visit sights and attractions close to home. You won't even have to book a hotel or travel far away and will save a huge amount of money.
