With two bank holiday weekends beckoning and summer holidays not far away, many people will be starting their search for bargain breaks abroad. It’s no secret that prices are more expensive at peak times, but the good news is there are a few tricks you can use to bag yourself a bargain break.
For many people, booking an all-inclusive package holiday is the way to go. It takes all the hassle out of organising your trip and can save you a lot of money. All-inclusive packages generally include flights, accommodation and meals. Some even include extras like drinks and transfers – meaning you could be staying in luxury for less than you’d think.
The best online travel websites will offer you a number of options for booking your holiday. Whether you want to book a cheap flight to New York or a five-star resort in the Caribbean, you can find what you need on these sites. However, when it comes to buying a holiday, it’s important that you shop around and compare prices. You may find that certain websites have better deals than others, so it’s worth checking a few of them out.
It’s also worth signing up for price alerts when you’re looking for flights and accommodation. This means that if the cost of your trip goes down you’ll be notified straight away, rather than having to constantly check back. You can do this on most travel websites by entering your details into the boxes on the homepage, and setting an alert for your destination or date.
When it comes to booking cheap holiday packages, the cheapest time to book is usually about six months in advance. This is when travel agents first start to release their offers for the following year and can often be a great place to start your research.
If you’re looking for a last minute trip, it’s also worth keeping an eye on the big travel deals sites as they regularly offer discounts. These can include everything from two-night stays in Rome to all inclusive trips in Crete for under PS70 a person.
Lastly, it’s worth trying to haggle when you’re looking at holiday packages. If you’ve found the one that you really want, call up a few travel agents and see if they can match or beat the price. If they can’t, they might be able to offer you an additional perk, such as a free meal in the hotel or airport transfers.
It’s also worth checking if the holiday company you’re using is ATOL-protected. This will give you peace of mind that your money is safe if anything does go wrong during the holiday itself. Many of the biggest tour operators – such as Tui, First Choice and Thomas Cook – are ATOL protected, so you can rest assured that your entire package will be covered. Similarly, if you’re booking through a smaller operator such as EasyJet or RyanAir, it’s worth checking their ATOL status separately before booking. book cheap holiday online