Affording the Family Holiday

Affording the Family Holiday

With people conce
ed over rising fuel costs, increases in the costs of food, housing, electricity and transport families are often left feeling as though they can’t afford a family holiday.

This doesn’t have to be the case, it just means families need to become far more savvy with regards to their holiday spending and look to control their budget more carefully. There are many tips and tricks to achieve budget busting holidays whilst still allowing all family members to feel as though they have had a fantastic time away but not leaving Mum and Dad with the worry of returning home and paying off the trip for the rest of the year.

Travellers these days have so many options available when planing and booking their getaways and this all adds up to tons of ways that money can be saved. For the really smart traveller, if you have the time to invest in researching your destination and ways to get there and travel around after you have arrived then there are money saving opportunities everywhere.

How to cut the cost of your holiday in a few easy steps:

Research on-line and at travel agenciesr
The prices for all major travel items (airfares, hotels, car hire) do vary greatly and on-line is not always the most economical. Travel agents will often come up with a wider range of options, particularly if you are travelling to multiple destinations. Look out for “Special Offers” and snap up any suitable options when you see them as they generally have limited availability and are only on sale for a restricted time frame.

Ask questionsr
Think of all the ways your itinerary can be constructed, sometimes by changing the order of your itinerary this can result in a lower cost fare. Make your travel agent really work for their commission! Don’t accept options that are not exactly what you had in mind.

Book off-peak and mid-weekr
Generally Friday, Saturday and Sunday attract additional supplements. Try and travel outside the holiday and peak periods, even a few days either side of these can vary the price significantly. The rule of thumb if you have to travel at these peak times is to book as far in advance as you can, especially if you know exactly when you want to travel. That said, if you are flexible with dates then there are often great bargains for last minute travel as airlines try to sell the odd few remaining seats. This is risky if you have to be somewhere on a specific date but great for a spontaneous getaway.

Transfers
Now this is where you can really save some dollars. Instead of booking transfers through your travel agent, research other independent options available. A quick internet search will tell you if there are shuttles, trains or buses from the airport to the city, check also the average cost of a taxi to the city and finally, ask at your hotel if they have any sort of shuttle service – even low cost backpacker places offer these in a lot of places.

Shop around for currency dealsr
If you are using traditional currency, travel cash passports or travellers checks, it is important to look for the best rates. Check with your bank as to what they can offer in terms of currency and also for accessing your funds whilst away. To find the best deal you should look for two things - the exchange rate on offer and the commission charged. Due to the volatile nature of exchange rates, they will fluctuate regularly. Therefore, if you see a good deal, it is best to buy straight away.

Research your travel insurancer
Travellers often mistakenly add hundreds of dollars a year onto the cost of their trip by not taking out the best value policy. Firstly, resist the temptation to buy more insurance than you need. If you are planning to go skiing or ski-diving then it is crucial to take out sufficient insurance. Secondly, shop around!
A quick search on the internet will throw up several insurance comparison sites. Here, you can look for the cheapest deal that is just right for you. Beware though of those that appear to be excellent value. Clever insurers will often have a low guide price, which is then bumped up through expensive excesses. Remember that if you are likely to travel more than once a year, you will save yourself money by buying annual, multi-trip insurance, as opposed to a single trip policy.
Also, check with your credit card company as some have travel insurance policies included when you purchase a certain dollar value of your travel arrangements with the card. Ensure that the cover they offer is adequate for you requirements. Also consider obtaining quotes from companies that you have existing insurance policies with, such as; home and contents, car or private health insurance companies. You will often receive significant savings when you take out multiple policies with the one company.

Don’t buy your holiday essentials at the last minute! Make a list well in advance of all items you will require for your destinations. Purchase these products as they are on sale in the months leading up to your departure and place them all in the one place ready for your trip. Last minute purchases of sunscreen, sunglasses, reading material and medical items done at the airport will cost significantly more as you pay higher mark ups for convenience shopping.
Pre purchase attraction tickets and travel passes. Research available tickets and passes to attractions you want to visit whilst on your trip. A quick search on the internet will show a number of sites that will offer these at discounted prices if bought in advance. With all passes, check carefully what sites/activities are included and ensure that you will actually get value for money with the pass or if it will cost less to pay for individual entrances to the few places you really want to see and realistically can fit into the number of days you have in that location. Once at your destination there will be many tours on offer, shop around because there is always bargaining to be done when there is competition for your money.

Travelling is seen as a luxury item when we are going through hard times financially and as something that the average person feels they can’t afford. It really doesn’t have to be such a big expense, there are many ways that a holiday can be constructed to be cost effective and family friendly, yes – even to international destinations!