Your Family Beach Holiday

How to save money on your family beach holiday

Cutting the cost of a family holiday abroad without compromising on quality requires advance planning, lots of research and clever thinking. My faamily did it and so can you.

 

Taking a family holiday abroad is an expensive business these days, with the average European break for four costing over £2,000 (and that's before you count spending money, travel insurance and your holiday wardrobe). Cutting costs without compromising on quality requires advance planning, lots of research and clever thinking. My family did it and so can you, here's how:


Consider a villa

Whilst an all-inclusive family break often seems like the most budget friendly option, hiring a villa or apartment can often work out a fraction cheaper. You get lots more room and, if the purse strings stretch to it, potentially your own private pool too - no more battles for sun loungers! After trawling through an endless list of budget busting 'package' holidays, most of which wanted extra on top for transfers, and in-flight meals, we took a look at some alternatives and realised that a villa, flights and car hire would be a cheaper option.
It takes a little more planning and a little more time but if it saves you a few hundred quid then it's worth it. Ownersdirect.co.uk features over 40,000 properties across the globe whilst holidaylettings.co.uk, which is run by the good folk at Trip Advisor, features over 100,000 and has a regular selection of late deals and offers.

Potential saving: £150+



Don't bank on budget airlines
Despite their well marketed reputations, budget airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair don't always work out the best value for money if you're booking standalone flights. In the past I've booked some great deals with Monarch and the flights for our most recent family holiday were booked with Thomas Cook. As nauseating as it is, if you want to save money on flights you really do have to run through the quote process with several airlines, most don't add extras like booking fee or taxes until right at the end and these can really increase the cost of your 'cheap' flight. If you decide to use a comparison site, my husband swears by skyscanner.com.
Potential saving: £100+


Always your cash or travellers cheques in advance
Buy your holiday currency on the High Street and you'll almost always get a better deal than you will at the airport. I shopped around for the best rates online using travelmoneymax.com, it's a great site that allows you to type in either the amount of foreign currency you want or the amount of Sterling you want to spend. The site then provides a list of High Street and Airport bureau de change rates as well as banks, travel agents and even the Post Office.
Once you've arrived at your destination try not to use your debit card to withdraw cash, unless you have a specialist card or bank account you'll be slapped with a hefty 5%-6% commission rate. The same goes for any shopping or restaurant bills that are 'converted' into Sterling for you by the staff. Remember there's always the slim chance that a beady eyed bank executive could spy your sudden overseas shopping spree and place a block on your card in case it's been stolen or cloned. Use a credit card that charges nothing for foreign exchange and always pay in local currency.
Potential saving: £26+


Be clever about insurance
If you're heading for a holiday in Europe be sure to apply for your EHIC card. Everyone in my family has one (including my two year old daughter) and it lets you get the same level of health cover in Europe that locals of that country have. It doesn't include repatriation costs though. The EHIC is free but there are plenty of sneaky websites out there trying to charge for applications, don't be fooled. Apply for your card via the NHS by calling 0300 330 1350 (local call charges apply) or by visiting www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/healthcareabroad.
If you have home insurance then it may cover your personal belongings so bear this in mind when shopping for travel insurance. Out of the many comparison sites, I found the best deals with reputable, recognisable companies on moneysupermarket.com. If you pay for your bank account check if travel insurance is included in your benefits package, Nationwide also offer free European travel insurance with their free current account. Even if it's not, it might be worth contacting your back to see whether they can provide a policy for a small extra fee.
Potential saving: £15+


Book and travel midweek for the best deals
Start your holiday on a Friday and you can expect to pay around 35% more for your flight according to research from Consumer Association Which? Fly back on a Sunday and the fare difference can be a whopping 45%! Travel mid-week and you'll always get a cheaper deal. Even booking over a weekend often seems to work out more expensive. After about two weeks of internet searching I purposely booked everything late on a Wednesday night, by Saturday the flights alone were £80 more expensive.
Potential saving: £100+


And finally…turn off your mobile
Did you read the one about the tourist who used his phone abroad and then baulked at his £500 phone bill a month later? As soon as I reach my destination the parents get a quick text to say we've arrived safely and then the phone goes in the safe. It stays there until the day we fly back home, unless we have an absolute emergency. Holiday outside of Europe and chances are that you may be charged for incoming calls as well as outgoing.

If you absolutely can't live without telling your Facebook friends that you're loving the Spanish sunshine then make sure you check roaming charges with your mobile operator before you leave. It may be that they can amend your usage charges for a short time to help keep costs manageable.

Or turn off data roaming and look for WiFi hotspots locally (increasingly large numbers of cafes, restaurants and bars offer this) or sign up to your hotel's WiFi option. Sometimes it's free, other times it will cost a few pounds - but that's still an awful lot cheaper than being slapped with a bill for hundreds of pounds.
Potential saving: £100's +