Budget Breaks: Top Tips for a Cheap Holiday

We all enjoy the prospect of a holiday or traveling but are often left homebound due to budgets. Holidays can be very expensive. It’s not just getting there with a price tag attached, but your bank balance can slowly start to empty when you consider accommodation, eating out, attractions and insurance. Therefore, to help everyone save a little extra here and there, here’s our top five tips for saving money when traveling abroad.

Timing is key

It is vastly cheaper to visit many European destinations after September so if you’re not looking for a week baking on the sand, consider traveling outside of the typical tourist months. Being Spain’s southernmost city, Málaga enjoys one of the warmest year-round European climates. This results in a much warmer winter and therefore makes it a great city to visit outside of peak times. Winter months also provide a great time to get out on the road as they’re a lot quieter. Considering there aren’t as many organised tours, hiring a car to get around in the cooler months is a good option. You can order and collect a little run-around at the airport from companies like Economy Car Hire that will see you through your holiday.

Hit the sales

The idea of booking your holiday at the last minute might be a bit nerve-wracking, but you can bag a great saving if you hang on till the end – and don’t have a specific destination in mind. This is a time to go with the flow. Had your fingers crossed for a discounted trip across Europe but find a cheap holiday to South America? Jump on it and be spontaneous - it could be the best holiday you ever have.

Hotel vs. Hostel

Now if you’re used to five star luxury, then a hostel may sound like your idea of hell. But hostels are not the run down flea ridden dorms often thought of – well not all. Many offer basic and clean accommodation for travellers of all ages that are notably cheaper than a hotel. Our advice is to look for suitable places on websites such as Hostel World and when you find any you like, give them a quick screening with Trip Advisor to read reviews from previous guests.

Access all areas

When visiting cities with countless attractions, or traveling across several destinations, it’s often a good idea to buy city attraction and travel passes as they can save quite a bit money compared to paying single admissions at each venue. It’s always best to check online for what offers are available in your chosen country of travel to see how much you can save.

Blag

Some people feel uncomfortable asking for a discount or trying to barter prices. Don’t! It’s your prerogative to save where you can so don’t feel uncomfortable asking, at the end of the day, the worst that can happen is you get a ‘no’. If you’re off traveling for a special occasion, some hotels or tour operators have a budget set aside for this type of thing and it is no hardship for them to upgrade you, or reduce prices as a goodwill gesture. You never know, you could find yourself in business class on a seven hour flight just for dropping the anniversary bomb.

Photos by Moyan Brenn & Instant2010 via Flickr Creative Commons