Knowing how to save money booking your holiday will enable you to spend more money on the holiday itself so read on to make savings before departing.

Booking a holiday is not a straightforward business anymore. There are travel advertisements everywhere and they all scream low prices and so-called discounts at us (until you read the small print!). Nowadays more and more people are booking their holidays online. And while it’s quite a temptation to just get the credit card out and pay for the first tempting offer that we stumble upon, it would be wise to instead figure out how to save money booking your holiday as a little bit of effort and research could save you a serious amount of cash.

Price Comparison Sites

If you do decide to book online then it’s a good idea to use price comparison sites. There are price comparison sites for almost everything on the net now so you can compare the prices offered for your tickets from a list of airlines or compare the cost of a hotel room in your destination of choice from all the possible accommodation opportunities or even compare how much it is to rent a car from all the car rental companies operating where you are going. And then of course you can choose the cheapest option, although it’s probably wiser to choose the best value option. Research how many times the airplane will stop, what’s the hotel like and how suitable the car is for you? as the cheapest option is quite obviously, not always the best option. However, the price comparison sites do at the very least give you a rough idea of what you should be paying when you book your holiday and allow you to get a good deal.

Travel Agencies

Online holidays are not always the cheapest way and travel agents should not be automatically ruled out. Sometimes travel agencies provide great value as perhaps they have overbooked for a particular destination. Pay attention to their offers as occasionally there are great deals to be found. Airlines also overbook and it can be worth contacting them to get some some tickets in the cheap at the last minute. Although this strategy means you’ll get a ticket at low cost it also leaves you very little time to plan the holiday.

Be Flexible

Other factors that may save on the cost of booking your holiday include if you are traveling during the high season or low season and if you have booked well in advance. If you holiday outside of the summer months you’ll find prices aren’t so high because there is less demand. Booking your airline tickets and hotel rooms well in advance of your departure date also usually save money (try to get a flexible ticket in this case as your plans may change in time).

All-Inclusive Holidays

It’s also important to examine miscellaneous holiday costs like taking sports equipment with you or having your own room or the cost of insurance. Again the advice is to shop around and to be flexible, if you bring less luggage with you and share your room and get a cheaper travel insurance (or risk not getting it at all) then you’ll be spending less. Sometimes an all-inclusive holiday can work out as a significantly cheaper option than booking the holiday on your own as tickets, accommodation, transfers, food, drink and even entertainment are already prepaid so it might be an idea to do a quick budget estimation of your holiday costs and then compare that figure with the price for an all-inclusive holiday.

Have a Good Time

Having said all that, the key advice is not to count every penny or be worried about being ripped off. We all work hard during the year and a holiday is all about having fun. Nonetheless, if you have a few more notes in the wallet because you know how to save money booking your holiday then there is more cash available to have an altogether more enjoyable vacation.