Jasmine Birtles
6th Aug 2024
6
minutes
Updated 6th August 2024
Holidays are full of false economies, from travel insurance (or rather, the lack of) to currency exchange to mobile phone costs…we all do it and then kick ourselves afterwards! It is important you take care with smart spending on holiday, to ensure you aren’t overpaying or being ripped-off!
So take a deep breath, step back and think about your holiday of a lifetime. We have everything you need when it comes to smart spending for your holiday. With a bit of thought you won’t make false economies on holiday, particularly if you take up the tips below…
Saving on Flights
This is an area where you can make great savings if you time it right and do a bit of research. However, you can also get caught out with annoying extras and end up kicking yourself for being so cheap! In fact, a survey by
Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Insurance found that 15% of people regretted buying cheap plane seats but then paying more for allocated seating. Men were more likely to regret this (17%) compared to women (14%) and 18-34 year olds more likely to regret this (23%) compared to 35-54 year olds (14%) or those aged 55+ (10%)
Book Direct With the Airline
We are all, rightly, excited by the flight comparison sites. There seem to be so many ways to get cheaper flights through them. Now that Google has got in on the act we have a huge choice of ways to compare.
However, these comparison sites – and particularly the Google one – don’t always give you the best deal.
You could be better off – for service and even cheapness – going direct to an airline’s own website. Feel free to use the comparison site to compare prices, but once you find a journey you like the look of, try checking out the airline’s own site to buy it. If your journey is complex you may be better doing it over the phone or in person in a travel agency.
Travel expert Simon Calder says: “I am constantly being contacted by people who have made false economies by going for what’s cheapest online. The number of complaints and requests for advice coming in to me would be halved if people didn’t book the cheapest flight they find on fare-comparison websites, only to discover they’re dealing with a firm in Sweden or Switzerland or Bangalore that really doesn’t have customer service at its heart.”
Save on Travel from the Airport
Don’t rely on finding a taxi when you arrive at the airport! While it seems like the easiest thing to do, it will almost guarantee a rip-off fare – and that’s if you can even get a taxi.
If you’re planning on a full-on sightseeing holiday, it could be more efficient to rent a car than get taxis everywhere. If your driving licence allows it, book a rental car (and if you’re going somewhere hot, make sure it has air con!). This will give you plenty of freedom while you’re away and means you know the set price of all travelling while you’re away.
If you don’t want to rent a car, book a taxi service in advance. Look online for good deals. Alternatively, you could look into train and bus routes from the airport. Booking in advance will slash your costs and guarantee you a seat, too. Remember that transport could be unreliable, so leave plenty of time when you’re returning to the airport at the end of your holiday!
Saving on Hotels
You would think that using one of the many hotel comparison sites would get you the best deal around.
Not always so.
You may get a cheap deal but what regular travellers know is that when hotels see you’ve come through one of those sites, they can sometimes give you the worst rooms. You could find yourself overlooking the bins. So your ‘deal’ isn’t nearly as good as you thought.
Having said that, it’s worth seeing what is available on these sites and then contacting hotels direct to see if you can get the same or a better price. If you book directly on the hotel’s website, or on the phone, you are likely to get a better room for your money.
Quite often you are also better off avoiding hotels altogether and using one of the peer-to-peer sites like Airbnb instead. However, be careful here. Airbnb can be good, particularly if you book well ahead, but in very busy and popular places like London and New York you can find yourself in a poky and noisy room with noisy buses and cars outside.
Before making a booking, it is important to carefully read and review the feedback from other customers.
When traveling abroad, it is essential to have travel insurance to avoid any financial risks, especially in countries like America. Despite the low cost of travel insurance, many people still choose to travel without it. In 2017, 25% of Brits traveled without insurance, even though it costs an average of £31. Travel insurers do pay out claims, with £365 million paid out in 2015 to over 490,000 individuals and families.
Medical claims can be particularly expensive, with the average claim in 2016 being over £1,200. Without insurance, a medical bill of £760,000 in America could take 25 years to repay on an average UK salary. It is wise to invest in travel insurance, even for those over 65 or with pre-existing medical conditions.
When it comes to currency exchange, it is recommended to carry a mix of cash and cards. Avoid exchanging currency at the airport, as rates are often expensive. Consider using a prepaid card or a comparison site to find the best exchange rates before your trip.
Mobile phone bills can increase significantly while traveling. Consider using a local pre-pay SIM card in the country you are visiting to save on roaming charges. Additionally, avoid upgrading to a more expensive monthly tariff if you only travel occasionally.
Please note that the information provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. Conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. sentence: Please rewrite the paragraph.