Be Selective about your Destination - If you want to save money on your holiday in Spain, perhaps you should check out alternative locations on the mainland or on the islands. For example the likes of Marbella, Malaga and Alicante may be that bit more expensive than someplace like Northern Spain. Find out where the locals go by researching travel websites. You could base yourself someplace an hour away from the main seaside resort yet your accommodation may not be overly expensive if you travel off the beaten track! Shop around and search for the perfect fit for you and your family!
Be Flexible with the time of year you wish to travel - Remember that if you want to go to Spain at peak times that you will pay accordingly for both flights and accommodation! So perhaps try and travel at off peak times, which are less likely to be thronged compared to the school holidays in July and August. A week in May or September can be just as enjoyable as during the peak times, and less crowded in the process!
Plan and Book Well in Advance - Travel Weekly ran a report in 2008, which stated that British people are eager to book their holidays to Spain well in advance in order to save money for the holiday, and also in the hope of grabbing a hotel deal by confirming their availability early! Research has shown that 10% of people actually book their summer vacation before Christmas. Even though there has been a credit squeeze for the past year, this has not deterred holidaymakers from eyeing up a bargain - so with access to broadband and the world wide web never being wider, get online and search for that Spain travel deal, and secure that hard earned holiday!
Look for Free Attractions - Remember that entertaining the kids is not just about water parks and theme parks that may cost you EUR50 at least to enter for a family! If you plan your vacation well in advance, you will find that many areas in Spain have free attractions to enter such as museums, natural parks, and obviously the resorts! Walk the countryside, take trips to the relics of the Roman and Moorish civilizations, make films with your video camera, and play games with the children - these activities don't have to cost you anything!
Avail of a Value for Money Car Rental - Obviously the best way to explore a vast country with so many attractions is to avail of a car rental. Not only will it give you complete freedom and flexibility throughout your holiday, you will also avoid paying extra and waiting on public transport every time you and the family wish to visit a major attraction, visit a waterpark or get to the beach! To get the best deals in car rental, shop around and make sure that you are completely satisfied with what the car hire contract includes. For the best deals available in car rental, check out our Car Hire Spain page.
Things like 3rd party insurance, Collision Damage Waiver, protection from theft; unlimited mileage and roadside assistance are all-important factors.
Ensure that you hire a vehicle that suits your travel requirements (luggage and number of passengers). To save money further on your car rental, ensure that the pick off and drop off locations are the same - there may be an extra charge if you pick up the car in a different place to where you drop it off! Endeavour also to see if there are any hidden extras with your car rental - requirements like GPS Systems and child restraints/baby seats may incur an extra charge so check this all out. As with planning the holiday, try and secure your car rental well in advance!
Mairead writes for Novacarhire.com - an independent car hire reservation website where you can book low cost car hire at over 5000 locations worldwide.
Heading to Spain? Visit Novacarhire.com's Car hire Spain page and get an instant quote which will offer you the best deals from top car rental providers.
Thursday, 18 March 2010
Hotel and Holiday Booking - 6 Ways to Save Money on Your Travel
Have you been planning a vacation or a quick getaway? If you are, it is obviously important that your holiday is perfect. For this, the right planning is the first step. If it's a known destination, you could do with planning yourself. However, if it's an unknown venture, you must take the help of a professional, who has the right resources and expertise to help you. Herein we provide some tips on how to plan the perfect getaway without paying enormous bills.
1. Hiring the services of an expert
As mentioned above, unless you're an expert on the destination, it would be a great idea to hire the services of a travel agent or travel company. With the increase in the number of OTA's, you would actually be spoilt for choice. With their domain knowledge and expertise you might actually be able to save some money. Sign up for their newsletters, mailers and travel alerts so you are the first one to know on any special offers that come up. A number of travel companies also provide special deals and discounts on using a certain credit card - so check out on those before you book.
2. Planning ahead
This one is kind of tricky. How early is enough? I'd say that you should start planning at least 2 months in advance. This is especially important if you are planning to travel in the peak season or your kid's summer holidays. Start doing your research online and check out on rates available. The earlier you book, the better your chances of bagging a cheap deal!
3. Travelling during off-season
Unless imperative, skip the actual holiday season and travel when it is low. Alternately, travel to places that are not likely to be thronged with tourists during your holiday. The lower the season is, the higher your bargaining chances.
4. Selecting an all-inclusive tour package
Unless you are going camping and backpacking, get an all-inclusive tour for yourself. This has two advantages: if you book with all inclusions, you're likely to get a cheaper deal, since separately, various elements like transfers and meals tend to cost more. Also, a pre-planned trip takes the load off your head when it comes to securing inclusions. I recommend packages that at least include transfers, some sightseeing and breakfast.
5. Save money on hotels
You don't always have to stay at a five-star hotel - there are a huge number of 3 star hotels too that provide great service at really affordable prices. An alternate to this would be staying at a service apartment that comes with good rooms, a kitchenette and even the services of a butler.
6. Research online
This is best done by logging on to travel websites that often feature deals and discounts. If you're booking a hotel, you could also research on the hotels own website - they often have lower deals than most OTA's. Not just the price, I recommend checking up on the user ratings and reviews posted by actual customers as well as photos of hotels and rooms.
Budget travel must never be a horrid experience. When done through the right channels, they actually turn out to be really memorable experiences. With some simple tips and tricks, you can actually save enough to spend on really meaningful things - such as shopping or a nice meal for the two of you!
Ruchira is an experienced travel writer, specializing in writing tips and tricks to save when you holiday. From great deals on travel, big discounts and saving ideas you can get the best of travel information here.
1. Hiring the services of an expert
As mentioned above, unless you're an expert on the destination, it would be a great idea to hire the services of a travel agent or travel company. With the increase in the number of OTA's, you would actually be spoilt for choice. With their domain knowledge and expertise you might actually be able to save some money. Sign up for their newsletters, mailers and travel alerts so you are the first one to know on any special offers that come up. A number of travel companies also provide special deals and discounts on using a certain credit card - so check out on those before you book.
2. Planning ahead
This one is kind of tricky. How early is enough? I'd say that you should start planning at least 2 months in advance. This is especially important if you are planning to travel in the peak season or your kid's summer holidays. Start doing your research online and check out on rates available. The earlier you book, the better your chances of bagging a cheap deal!
3. Travelling during off-season
Unless imperative, skip the actual holiday season and travel when it is low. Alternately, travel to places that are not likely to be thronged with tourists during your holiday. The lower the season is, the higher your bargaining chances.
4. Selecting an all-inclusive tour package
Unless you are going camping and backpacking, get an all-inclusive tour for yourself. This has two advantages: if you book with all inclusions, you're likely to get a cheaper deal, since separately, various elements like transfers and meals tend to cost more. Also, a pre-planned trip takes the load off your head when it comes to securing inclusions. I recommend packages that at least include transfers, some sightseeing and breakfast.
5. Save money on hotels
You don't always have to stay at a five-star hotel - there are a huge number of 3 star hotels too that provide great service at really affordable prices. An alternate to this would be staying at a service apartment that comes with good rooms, a kitchenette and even the services of a butler.
6. Research online
This is best done by logging on to travel websites that often feature deals and discounts. If you're booking a hotel, you could also research on the hotels own website - they often have lower deals than most OTA's. Not just the price, I recommend checking up on the user ratings and reviews posted by actual customers as well as photos of hotels and rooms.
Budget travel must never be a horrid experience. When done through the right channels, they actually turn out to be really memorable experiences. With some simple tips and tricks, you can actually save enough to spend on really meaningful things - such as shopping or a nice meal for the two of you!
Ruchira is an experienced travel writer, specializing in writing tips and tricks to save when you holiday. From great deals on travel, big discounts and saving ideas you can get the best of travel information here.
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