When and how you book family holidays can both massively contribute to the final cost of the trip.
Experts at holiday tip sharing company Travel Lens have worked out the five best ways to keep trips away as reasonable as possible, and it's not all about finding the best holiday deals.
Currently, the average cost for a family of four to enjoy a two-week holiday abroad can cost over £4,000 - but the good news is that there are easy ways to try and help keep those costs down.
Prices are inevitably bumped up during half-term as demand for holidays out of the country spike and push plane and train costs up with them.
The experts have shared advice which could help you save money, without having to go away at a less busy time of the year.
1. Don’t book on a weekend
The weekend often brings spare time and the chance to make plans for the months ahead, which can often lead to a holiday being booked.
If you’re wanting to save money, then opt to book a holiday on a Monday or Tuesday as demand is much lower than over a weekend, so the prices can be cheaper.
Plane prices in particular are so reactive to demand that booking yourself a seat when others are likely to be busy can have a big impact on the final price.
2. Compare airport prices
It makes perfect sense that you’ll select departures from your nearest airport, but it’s worth comparing prices first.
Not all holidays are the same price to fly from all UK airports so carry out some research to see if you can save money by flying from an airport which isn’t as close to where you live.
Getting a train to an airport slightly further away, or begging a lift from a friend, can save you in both flight prices and airport parking fees. (Although do factor in the costs that come with getting there).
3. Clear all cookies on your device
If you have been browsing holidays for a while, the website you have been using will more than likely use cookies, which means it will know how many times you have visited and potentially increase the costs of its holidays.
Clearing the cookies means the website will see you as a new user, which could potentially save you money.
A study carried out in 2016 performed simultaneous searches from different browsers at various different times to find out whether cookies - which are a record of what you've been searching - affected ticket prices.
Among the 372 searches, they found 42 pairs of differently priced tickets for the same flights searched at the same time.
This implies your previous searches could push plane tickets up or down, so it's worth checking on another device if you can.
4. Book your holiday in advance
Last-minute holiday deals are better suited to couples or families who have savings to spare.
Booking your holiday at least a year in advance not only means you can budget for the payments you’ll have to make each month, but you can also take advantage of seasonal deals, especially over the Christmas period and into January.
Lots of companies, such as On the Beach, have launched all-inclusive deals for the 2023 season already.
5. Don’t be fooled by UK temperatures
July and August are known for being the best months for a holiday due to high temperatures but don’t be put off going abroad later in the year.
Although October half term in the UK is cold and often wet, the same can’t be said for destinations such as Lanzarote and Tenerife, where temperatures can still reach 26°C and will be less busy compared to other months.
Morocco is famously more pleasant to visit in October, when temperatures are closer to 30C rather than 40C.
- You can find out more on travellens.co
