A cheap holiday or a good-value holiday are not always the same thing, and that contrast is sometimes illustrated by the cheapest holiday. Sometimes the cheapest holiday option means extra connections and an unexpected taxi you didn’t account for in your budget. The real trick is knowing where the actual savings will be and where a low price is actually a good value. If avoiding the low price actually saves you money, then it’s probably where the savings are hiding.
## How to actually find a good price
It seems obvious to shop around, yet most people only look at two or three sites and stop there. Packaged deals, separately booked flights and hotels, and a different booking site for the same deal can all be significantly different booking options for the same holiday. It always pays to take the extra twenty minutes.
The ever elusive and mysterious good price is actually available. No one wants to take a 6 A.M. flight, but if it saves enough to extend the holiday an extra day, then that holiday is worth the expense.
Accommodation is another good example of this cheap holiday option. with hotels that aren’t on the seafront yet still provide a view for a significantly reduced price.
Best Times to Book and Travel
There is no magic number when it comes to how far in advance to book to get the best deals when going to specific destinations. However, the best way to ensure savings is to avoid travel during peak times. This includes school holidays, major holidays, and the week or so that surrounds large local events. Travel prices and costs during peak times can be significantly more than travel during off-peak times.
Traveling during off-peak times is often referred to as the shoulder season, often the best times to travel as the weather is still pleasant and the crowds have dissipated. Most importantly, prices also drop from peak travel times. The conditions during the shoulder season are a small trade-off for the large difference in cost, and for many destinations the trade-off is negligible.
Package Deals vs. Booking Separately
Flights, accommodations, and transfers can all be bundled into one package deal along with a single confirmation. There are many reasons to be interested in package deals that go above convenience, they can also be cost-effective. This is especially true along popular travel routes, since operators often have bulk agreements and pass along the savings.
Booking things separately gives more power to the consumer. For example, one can combine a budget flight with a more expensive hotel. This is not possible with booking packages, since there is an offered combination that must be purchased as is. There is more risk involved in separate bookings since if one part needs to change (for instance the flight), you would need to alter each booking separately. The risk vs. reward in this case would not be worth it if you crave flexibility less than you would appreciate convenience. As a general rule, booking packages work for shorter, more popular trips. For longer, less popular trips, or trips where no booking package is available, booking separately is better.
Budget accommodations do not have to feel budget
Cheap does not have to mean bad. The right booking site can have self-catering apartments that are better bang for buck than a budget hotel with a tiny apartment. Smaller guesthouses get even better value than chain hotels.
Keep an eye on reviews. A five star place can easily have an air conditioner that is a fan, not a proper unit. Pay special attention to distance claims.
Hidden Costs
The price you see first isn’t the price you pay in the end. The cheaper options aren’t necessarily cheaper. Baggage fees, resort fees added at check in, and currency conversion charges can offset any savings you thought you made by book cheaper.
Compare what you are really getting for what you pay. Everything being the same price and getting transfers and bags included are cheaper than getting a lower price and not getting bags and transfers. Card fees are easily the most overlooked — a card with no foreign transaction fees really can bring a savings over a trip when you consider how much time you wasted looking for a cheaper flight.
The Bottom Line
Saving money and still being comfortable on vacation really comes down to having some flexibility with dates, being willing to do more hunting for deals, and really doing the math instead of just looking at the large number. You won’t have to forgo anything you’re used to. It just takes the same effort to plan the trip as it does to actually take the trip.