Can’t wait? Where to find winter sun
The pound is falling, shares are collapsing, mortgages are rising,
pay increases are being capped and city bonuses deflated - while the
price of fuel and food has soared. If you can afford a holiday at
all this year, you’ll probably be keeping a careful eye on your
budget. Extra charges for check-in, hold baggage and the use
of credit cards can double basic faresWe have come up with 50 ways you and your family can cut costs
this summer, and still have a good time.
Savings given below are intended to be indicative rather than exact.
1 Plan one week, not two
One way almost to halve your holiday cost is to cut the
duration. Harsh, but effective.
Save Up to 50 per cent
2 Scour the brochure price grids Some
summer weeks are cheaper because they are less popular than others,
even in the school holidays. Many people like to get away earlier
rather than later, so keep an eye out for bargains. The last week in
August, in particular, is usually better value than the rest of the
month.
Save 10 per cent over peak pricesadvertisement
3 Travel at May half term If you are
booking a single week and have school-age children, take it during
the May half term instead of summer. The Mediterranean spring is
normally beautifully warm and holiday prices are much lower than the
August peak.
Save 25 per cent over summer prices
4 Travel midweek If you are travelling
independently - by rail, ferry or airline - departing Tuesday to
Thursday will normally be significantly cheaper than other days of
the week. Fly to Majorca with EasyJet on Wednesday, July 16 for %26pound;38
(one way); fly the Saturday after and it could cost %26pound;150.
Save 60 per cent or more
5 Pick your spot carefully The pound
might be weak, but you can still get good value by choosing your
destination with care: say northern rather than southern France, or
Portugal rather than Italy.
Save Up to half the holiday cost
6 Use price-comparison websites
One of the biggest problems in finding a good deal is the sheer
number of choices - especially when it comes to airlines, car-hire
companies and hotels. Price-comparison websites are not perfect, but they do give you an
overview of your options and what you should be paying; and you
might spot a real bargain. The most comprehensive and easiest site
to use is probably www.travelsupermarket.com
Save Time, trouble - and money
Booking
7 Negotiate
Deals are the travel industry’s modus operandi. It never
hurts to ask a company if it can improve on the quoted or brochure
price, and it often works - especially when dealing with tour
operators, travel agents, and hotels.
Save As much as you dare
8 Ask for IT fares
IT stands for “inclusive tour”, an arrangement
whereby long-haul flights are sold in combination with a few
nights’ accommodation. On some deals, the whole package is as cheap as the normal cost
of a flight. For example, Trailfinders (020 7938 3939, www.trailfinders.com) can offer a flight-only from
Heathrow to San Francisco with British Airways for %26pound;399. However, using an IT-fare, %26pound;399 can include the same flight plus
four nights at the three-star Hotel Whitcomb (based on two sharing).
Both fares are valid for travel until March 20 and have book-by
dates of January 31.
Save %26pound;100s
9 Book flights early
Unlike hotels (see below), flights only rarely come down in
price. Book now for summer.
Save Half the price or more
10 Avoid extras on flights
Extra charges for check-in, hold baggage, priority boarding
and the use of credit cards for booking can double the basic fare. A
recent Which? report identified up to %26pound;32 of charges on one flight.
Either work round them, or check the fares offered by an airline
that doesn’t make such charges, such as BA.
Save Up to %26pound;32 a flight
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