We’ve been booking family holidays now since 2010 and over the years we’ve picked up lots of tips and tricks to try and achieve a cheaper family holiday during the peak school holidays.
There are many tips that form part of urban legend, such as book early, book on a Tuesday and always book a package. The actual truth (as we’ve found it) is that it’s a combination of many of the following:
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Book somewhere that isn’t the norm
Spain, France and Greece are popular for summer holidays but that pushes the cost up as demand increases the price. Try places like Albania, Germany, Holland instead.
If you’re travelling in the UK go North rather than South! It’s significantly cheaper.
Book hotels and flights separately
We usually end up booking accommodation and flights separately. I use Booking.com and Skyscanner to find places and check out prices, and then use Tripadvisor and reviews on sites like MIni Travellers to find out what people think. I book airport transfers myself, cheaper then hotels.
Book Flights on a Monday or a Tuesday
Whilst I don’t believe in the legend that flights are cheaper if you book them on a Tuesday, I do find that flights on a Monday or a Tuesday are cheaper than those on a weekend. Most people try to maximise their annual leave so they can have full weeks that start on a Saturday or a Sunday, but if you book flights going out on Monday or Tuesday you really can save money.
Fly to different locations
Many people check the cost of flights from their local airport and then others in the UK, but do you do the sane abroad. It’s often cheaper in the Summer to fly to Lisbon for example rather than the Algarve and drive the just over two hours once you get there. Last Easter we flew to Verona rather than Venice and got the train between the two, again saving a fortune on flights. The Italian trains are easy to navigate in Italy and we had a more exciting holiday too.
Books trips for 6 nights or 8 nights
Over the years we’ve done this a lot, and in fact will be doing this again at half term. We saved £1000 on half term flights, going Sunday to Saturday rather than for a full week, and booking our own accommodation means we save a nights hotel cost too.
Book Early or Late
This one is hard to get right as both can be true.
Try different types of Accommodation
You might want to stay in a hotel, but have you considered accommodation like Eurocamp or apartments or airbnb? All of these can make the costs cheaper.
Pay with Points
Save points up on a credit card like AMEX or save Tesco Clubcard points, and use them to pay towards the cost of your holiday.
Go in School Term Time
Yes its controversial, yes you might get fined, but yes you might save money. Have we done it yes, lots when they were in Primary. Do we do it now they’re in Senior School – no
