Five ways to save money when booking a holiday

When I was a kid I remember going on a summer holiday every year and we didn’t think anything of it. But as an adult the amount of budgeting and planning that goes into a trip is epic. We all deserve some time to switch off from life and day-to-day work, but holidays can get expensive. And with the prices of everything going up we all have a bit less disposable income.

Here are my top tips on how you can save money when booking a holiday.

Be flexible with your travel dates

The more flexible you are with dates the better. If you don’t have kids make sure you opt for trips outside of school holidays when holiday prices are at a premium. And consider the days of the week you travel. It’s almost always more expensive to fly out somewhere on a Friday or Saturday, so you save money by going mid-week or choosing unusual hours of the day to fly.

You can use Google Flights for cheap holiday inspiration, just click ‘explore destinations’ and it will suggest the more affordable flights for your picked destination. Being flexible with dates will also help prices for hotels as well.

I’ve booked to go to Turin in Italy and all I knew was that I wanted to go for two nights over a weekend. I had a three month span that I wanted to book within but didn’t mind when we went, or whether it was Friday- Sunday or Saturday- Monday. I played around with all the different date options to find the cheapest and only ended up paying around £120 return. Some dates were coming up over £300 so I definitely made a saving.

Go incognito

When looking at booking anything (especially flights) it’s important to use an incognito browser window. Travel companies can track your interest and if you keep clicking on a flight or hotel it may increase in price as it looks in demand. Increasing the price is designed to prompt you into thinking that you need to book straight away before it goes up again. And it’s worked for me. I know I’ve felt pressured to book as the prices are rising.

By using a new incognito browser each time you search there will be no history attached. So the website won’t know if it’s your first visit or your 100th.

Don’t discount hostels

When you say the word hostel what instantly comes to your mind?! For me, it’s a large room with bunk beds where eight or more people sleep together. And yes there are hostels out there like that, but there are also hostels where fewer people share, or even private rooms.

When you’re away you might not be spending much time in your accommodation, especially if it’s a city break. Hostels tend to work out cheaper than hotels so you can save a lot. And in some hostels, you may even get access to a kitchen meaning you can make food for yourself and save even more money.

I went on a trip to Edinburgh and due to a rugby event hotel prices were really expensive. But I managed to find a hostel with a private room for a really good price. It didn’t affect the enjoyment of my stay at all.

Compare package prices

Choosing a package holiday can sometimes work out cheaper than paying individually when you factor in transfers, flights and accommodation. Even if the prices are similar you can save some hassle by picking a package. I've covered previously covered why a package holiday can work out cheaper and we also have a guide to booking cheap package holidays that is a useful read.

Keep an eye on the luggage allowance

A flight might look cheap but when you factor in baggage, selecting seats etc it can work out costly. And checked luggage can cost a lot (especially when you need it both ways).

Many airlines now have three classes of baggage; a personal item of hand luggage (i.e. a handbag), an overhead item of hand luggage (a holdall or wheely cabin bag), and checked luggage (a regular suitcase). When choosing a flight, consider what type of luggage is included and be realistic about what you will actually need. An overhead item of hand luggage is plenty for many trips. Or if you need checked luggage, consider sharing it with your partner or travel companion. On a few longer city breaks myself and a friend checked in one bag between us to split the price.

These are just a few of the ways you can save money when booking a holiday. Keep an eye out for future posts where we’ll look at how you can save specifically on flights or hotels.