How To Save Money On Family Holidays

PerfectHome Pay for the biggest brands bit by bit How To Save Money On Family Holidays Money Saving Advice For Low Cost Family Fun Family holidays are notoriously expensive, with travel, accommodation, food and activities soon adding up. We've created the PerfectHome Guide to cheaper family holidays, helping you tó save money while still having a great time with the kids. When to book Book early: Or book late: The later you book the cheaper, but this means 9 8 choice is limited. The best course of months weeks 9 months in advance action for families is to No more than book extremely early. 8 weeks before Package vs. DIY O000 НOTEL 000 НОTEL Package DIY An all-in-one holiday. Flights, You have more flexibility. You can choose what works best for you in terms of travel and accommodation. It can work out connections and accommodation all included. You know what to expect. A cheaper option for standard breaks in traditional cheaper if you're willing to shop around and compromise. You can create a bespoke holiday perfect for you and your family. destinations. You have consumer protection in case of cancellations. When to travel 3. Tue - Thu Flights from Tuesday - Thursday and in the evening are cheaper. Saturday is the most expensive day to fly. Avoid peak hours. When to arrange travel Flights Booking last minute is often cheaper as airlines want to get bums on seats. If you can't book later, book as early as possible - there may be early bird discounts. Splitting tickets and booking legs separately can be cheaper than one, all-encompassing booking. Trains Avoid travelling during commuting hours. Train lines release cheaper tickets 12 weeks before. Purchasing singles for each journey rather than returns can work out cheaper in some cases. Driving Make sure you've got the right insurance policy to drive abroad. You can often get short term policies for shorter holidays. Shop around to get the best deal for you. Fuel up when you arrive off the boat - petrol can be as low as 92p a litre in France! Fuel is most expensive on motorways. Often works out cheaper than taxis abroad. Car hire Book as early as possible. How long to stay For breaks of 7, 11 or 14 nights, package holidays are often cheapest. For other lengths of holiday, DIY is best. Cheapest places to go Budapest Why? • Lower cost of living • Strong sterling • Low resort prices Prague Antalya Brac Top tip You can also search for cheaper, lesser-known holiday destinations online and discover plenty of wonderful places that you've never heard of. Berlin Cost of food, drink & activities You can save money by selecting destinations with a cheaper cost of living... Wine Paris & Bruges: £3 Budapest: 99p Cup of coffee Lisbon: 60p Amsterdam: £2.58 A meal out in Copenhagen is 4x more than in Prague Where to buy currency TRAVEL AGENTS ΒANK SUPERMARKET Banks, bureaux de change, the Post Office, travel agents and some supermarkets • Avoid changing money at airports and on ferries • Sort out your currency before you go - you'll get a much better exchange rate • It's often cheaper to visit an online bureaux de change • It is much safer to use card or traveller's cheques when spending money abroad More advice School holidays: Education law states that parents no longer have the right to take their child out of school for a holiday during term time. SCHOOL BUS Days off are only allowed in exceptional circumstances, and itť's down to the head teacher to grant permission. Sharing the cost: A villa that sleeps sixteen will work out cheaper than one for a family of five, so holiday with extended family or friends if you can (or want to!) Insurance: There are many good value family holiday insurance deals available. Make sure everyone named on policy is travelling together. Family policies may not include children that don't live permanently with the policy holder. Top tip Get cover for day trips over national boundaries, and be sure that your policy covers everywhere you will visit (Europe in travel insurance may not actually mean all of Europe, but the EU, so check before) Useful websites for family holidays: on the Beach teletext holidays co.uk netmums.com www.netmums.com www.teletextholidays.co.uk www.onthebeach.co.uk ) airbnb Take the Family Travel supermarket www.airbnb.co.uk www.travelsupermarket.com www.takethefamily.com MSE lastminute.com) redspottedhanky.com MoneySavingExpert.com www.lastminute.com www.redspottedhanky.com www.moneysavingexpert.com