If you’re thinking about going away in 2020, you may already have started the process of researching potential destinations.
It’s an incredibly exciting thing to do, but it’s all too easy to get over excited and end up booking something that is more costly than it needs to be.
Thankfully, there are some tried-and-tested, clever tricks you can employ to save a few pennies when booking your next holiday, and we’ve got the best of the bunch here.
Remember to add the following strategies below to your holiday checklist.
Keep in mind the Competition Markets Authority
Booking websites and comparison engines are incredibly useful when researching a holiday, but they can be troublesome when it comes to finding the best deal.
The Competition Markets Authority has for some time been investigating some of these booking sites with a view to cracking down on any bad practices that might exist relating to pricing.
Often, you’ll get a better deal on a hotel or flight if you call the property or operator directly, so don’t always take booking website prices at face value.
Travelling by train? Split the ticket!
Train fares aren’t getting any cheaper, but you’d be amazed by what you can save if you do something as simple as splitting a return ticket.
Instead of buying a single ticket for your entire journey, buy the constituent elements separately. You can do this by finding out which changes you’ll have to make and paying attention to exactly when you’ll need to arrive and leave.
So, for instance, if you’re travelling from Northampton to London but the train switches at Milton Keynes, you might save by buying a separate ticket from Northampton to Milton Keynes and then one from Milton Keynes to London.
Speak to your friends
If your friends have travelled recently to where you’re intending on heading, it’s worth having a chat with them.
We’ve all experienced the frustration that comes when a friend tells you they saved a packet on a similar holiday you’ve already been on. Avoid that disappointment by speaking to them beforehand and copying any tricks they employed to get the best priced travel and accommodation.
Follow travel influencers
Travel influencers are just like the rest of us, but the best know how to find and promote the best deals.
Some will be paid for doing so, but you can benefit from that if they happen to advertise a trip or hotel stay that you won’t find anywhere else.
You’ll find travel influencers on Instagram and Twitter primarily but focus on the former when looking for them.
Try clearing cookies
Although there’s no strong evidence to suggest this really works, some people believe that if you clear your cookies or use a different browser while looking at holiday and travel websites, you may get different prices.
Even if it doesn’t work, the process is super-simple and may just provide you with a better price for little to no effort.
Have fun!
Our tips above aren’t guaranteed to save you money, but they’re absolutely worth a try.
Even if you save just a couple of quid here and there, it’ll be worth it, because that’s a couple of quid you can put to far better use as spending money when your much-needed holiday eventually arrives!