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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Travel
Milo Boyd

Top tips to get the cheapest holidays possible - from house sitting to free camping

There are plenty of cheap holidays on offer, especially if you're a little savvy about how you get away or head to some of the best value destinations for Brits like France, Spain and Greece.

In recent months agents have reported, seemingly with a little surprise, that holiday bookings in the UK remain particularly strong, despite many people's incomes being squeezed.

Still, the cost of living crisis isn't going away any time soon - and if you do have some budget to spend on holidays, the good news is that there are ways to find deals and keep costs down.

To give you a helping hand, we've put together some handy tips. - check them out below.

Choose destinations wisely

There are some great deals to be had in the Costa Brava (REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Popular destinations can be costly during the peak seasons, but there are still deals to be had for the likes of France, Greece and Turkey.

This week the Mirror teamed up with Travelsupermarket to unearth the best value holidays destinations for the coming year.

The research highlighted a number of resorts, islands and beach side abodes offering all-inclusive, week-long deals for a few hundred pounds, including those in Turkey and Spain.

Swap your home

The perfect way to visit a new place in the comfort of someone else's home, while also potentially meeting the love of your life (if The Holiday is anything to go by).

Companies like People Like Us, Love Home Swap and HomeLink require an annual fee to sign up, but then you're free to swap homes without any extra cost.

Some firms, such as HomeExchange, have a points system which allows you to accrue credit every time you open your doors to a stranger, without having to swap directly.

Pet sitting

Trusted Housesitters, Nomador and MindMyHouse ask for an annual fee of between £16 and £149.

Once you're signed up, you can stay in people's homes across the world for free, so long as you look after their pet.

Some homeowners ask for people with experience of caring for animals, as well as a good level of enthusiasm and flexibility.

Before you sign up, make sure to check the specific rules in the country you're eyeing , as some consider pet sitting to be work and so demand a different visa than those on a more typical holiday.

Stay in a bothy

Bothies are little stone huts which have been built in remote areas of countryside across the UK to provide shelter for travellers.

The majority are in Scotland, but they can also be found in the Lake District and Snowdonia.

They are usually quite basic so expect to bring your own sleeping bags, firewood and food, and dig out a loo.

Bothies are usually free to stay in, so all you need to do is make sure it's in a good condition for the next guest when you leave.

Go off season

As every parent who has booked a holiday during the summer holidays knows, they are much more expensive than in June or September.

If you have more flexibility and are canny with where you book, you can get a great holiday with plenty of sun for a fraction of the best.

Plenty of destination which are two or three hours flight away from the UK enjoy temperatures comfortably in the 20Cs.

We have compiled some of the best and cheapest places for some winter sun here.

Volunteer

A great way to get into festivals for free is to volunteer.

Oxfam runs a stewarding programme for festivals including Glastonbury, Leeds and Shambala, meaning you can beat the ticket rush and get in for free, in return for two or three eight hour shifts.

The RSPB, National Trust and the YHA also have some great volunteering opportunities which will help you visit less well trod parts of the country.

YearOut Group and Workaway are two firms which link people up with voluntourism opportunities overseas.

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