How to prepare for a well-deserved rest so that it would not be excruciatingly painful for the money spent in vain? We talk about ways to save money at the vacation planning stage.
Book in advance
If the vacation dates are already known to you for several months, it is better not to delay until the last, but to book hotels, tickets or vouchers in advance. Large hotels and tour operators usually give big discounts for early booking. Plane or train tickets can also cost you 30-50% cheaper.
The choice of housing options will definitely be much more. Since cute and inexpensive small hotels, as a rule, sell out rooms long before the start of the season.
It is absolutely not necessary to empty the family piggy bank six months before the vacation. Many hotels simply take your card details as a guarantee of booking, but do not charge money. There are a lot of options with the possibility of canceling the reservation without penalties. But it is better to specify in advance the date before which you can cancel the room for free. However, options without the possibility of canceling the reservation are usually cheaper. Therefore, it is better to immediately weigh all the pros and cons.
Always compare the price of the selected hotel on its official website and in different booking systems. Study the offers of tour operators. Their prices for the same rooms may be lower due to the large package discounts that hotels offer them. It is also better to compare the cost of air tickets on airline websites and with different operators. But you can save on tickets in another way.
Major tour operators often offer installments: at the time of booking, you can pay only half of the cost of the tour, and the other half — two weeks or a month before departure. The price of the voucher is usually fixed. It will remain the same even if the exchange rate changes.
Or pull to the last
If you are easy on the upswing, are not afraid to take risks and are ready to change your vacation plans, then do not forget about the burning tours. A couple of days before departure (or a couple of weeks, if you need to apply for a visa to the country), prices for tours may drop by 20-30%.
Large, and especially chain hotels, can also sharply drop prices for the next dates if they understand that they still have free seats. If you catch such offers, you can check into a chic five-star at the price of an average three.
However, with tickets such numbers are rare. On the eve of departure, there are usually only expensive tickets and inconvenient flights.
Consider all expenses
When choosing a home, you should not focus only on its cost. Try to take into account all the upcoming expenses. For example, apartments usually cost less than hotels. But if the products in the country are expensive, then you can spend as much on food as you would pay for "all inclusive".
A hotel on the outskirts may cost less than a hotel in the center, but you will have to spend a lot of time and money on transport to get to the main attractions.
Conversely, if you were planning to rent a car to drive around the country on your own, there is no point in settling in an expensive hotel in the city center. There may also be problems with parking. By the way, its cost is also worth finding out in advance.
Stock up on currency
Running to change money at the airport when you arrive is not the best idea. Usually there is the most unprofitable rate, plus more exchange fees. It is better to study all available currency exchange methods in advance and choose the most suitable one for you.
Prepare for unexpected expenses
Of course, it is better to calculate the vacation budget in advance and try not to get out of it. But pleasant and unpleasant surprises cannot be excluded.
Car rentals often require a deposit. It will not be fully returned (or not returned at all) if you return the car at the wrong time, with an empty tank and ice cream-stained seats. Car insurance, as a rule, does not fully cover the damage. So if you scratch the car, you will have to pay again. At the rental office, you can ask for full insurance, but it will cost more than the standard one.
Hotels also often take a deposit in case you get something dirty or break.
Plus, a child can crash an expensive floor lamp in a restaurant, and the airline can send your luggage to another country.
Pleasant surprises are also possible. Suddenly you will have a chance to get to a concert of a famous singer or a game of your favorite football team.
In all these cases, a credit card with a large grace period will help out.
Get insurance
If you are unlucky enough to get sick on vacation, it can have an unpleasant effect on your budget. Medicine is expensive everywhere, and there may simply not be enough money for treatment. And spending money on a doctor's appointment, set aside for rest, is usually the last thing you want. So you should not give up insurance and perceive it only as a requirement for obtaining a visa.
Keep in mind that insurance, which is included in the package by default, is not always the best option. Often they cover only part of the costs for doctors, and the other part will have to be paid for independently.
It makes sense to study the offers of several insurance companies and choose exactly the option that suits you. Many insurers issue policies for those traveling abroad via the Internet.
Insurance coverage is often included in the premium bank card service package. Check with your bank: maybe they will issue you a policy for free or at a discount. And the amount of coverage in this case may be even more than the standard traveler's insurance.
Save money on the way to the airport
Getting with suitcases by public transport is not the most convenient and not even always the cheapest option. It is better to calculate all the options for getting to the airport from home and from the airport to the hotel. If you are going on vacation with the whole family, tickets, for example, a transfer from a travel agency may be more expensive than a taxi.
There are often parking lots near airports where you can park your own car for a few days. If you are leaving for a short time, it may be cheaper than a taxi. Such parking lots usually have a free shuttle service to the departure area. In addition, the car will be safer than in the usual unguarded parking lot at home.
In some cities, you can use cardsharing — you can rent a car for a little money for just a couple of hours to get to the airport and leave it there. At the same time, you will not have to pay for parking at all.
During the vacation itself, you can also save money and even earn.
Book in advance
If the vacation dates are already known to you for several months, it is better not to delay until the last, but to book hotels, tickets or vouchers in advance. Large hotels and tour operators usually give big discounts for early booking. Plane or train tickets can also cost you 30-50% cheaper.
The choice of housing options will definitely be much more. Since cute and inexpensive small hotels, as a rule, sell out rooms long before the start of the season.
It is absolutely not necessary to empty the family piggy bank six months before the vacation. Many hotels simply take your card details as a guarantee of booking, but do not charge money. There are a lot of options with the possibility of canceling the reservation without penalties. But it is better to specify in advance the date before which you can cancel the room for free. However, options without the possibility of canceling the reservation are usually cheaper. Therefore, it is better to immediately weigh all the pros and cons.
Always compare the price of the selected hotel on its official website and in different booking systems. Study the offers of tour operators. Their prices for the same rooms may be lower due to the large package discounts that hotels offer them. It is also better to compare the cost of air tickets on airline websites and with different operators. But you can save on tickets in another way.
Major tour operators often offer installments: at the time of booking, you can pay only half of the cost of the tour, and the other half — two weeks or a month before departure. The price of the voucher is usually fixed. It will remain the same even if the exchange rate changes.
If you are easy on the upswing, are not afraid to take risks and are ready to change your vacation plans, then do not forget about the burning tours. A couple of days before departure (or a couple of weeks, if you need to apply for a visa to the country), prices for tours may drop by 20-30%.
Large, and especially chain hotels, can also sharply drop prices for the next dates if they understand that they still have free seats. If you catch such offers, you can check into a chic five-star at the price of an average three.
However, with tickets such numbers are rare. On the eve of departure, there are usually only expensive tickets and inconvenient flights.
Consider all expenses
When choosing a home, you should not focus only on its cost. Try to take into account all the upcoming expenses. For example, apartments usually cost less than hotels. But if the products in the country are expensive, then you can spend as much on food as you would pay for "all inclusive".
A hotel on the outskirts may cost less than a hotel in the center, but you will have to spend a lot of time and money on transport to get to the main attractions.
Conversely, if you were planning to rent a car to drive around the country on your own, there is no point in settling in an expensive hotel in the city center. There may also be problems with parking. By the way, its cost is also worth finding out in advance.
Stock up on currency
Running to change money at the airport when you arrive is not the best idea. Usually there is the most unprofitable rate, plus more exchange fees. It is better to study all available currency exchange methods in advance and choose the most suitable one for you.
Prepare for unexpected expenses
Of course, it is better to calculate the vacation budget in advance and try not to get out of it. But pleasant and unpleasant surprises cannot be excluded.
Car rentals often require a deposit. It will not be fully returned (or not returned at all) if you return the car at the wrong time, with an empty tank and ice cream-stained seats. Car insurance, as a rule, does not fully cover the damage. So if you scratch the car, you will have to pay again. At the rental office, you can ask for full insurance, but it will cost more than the standard one.
Hotels also often take a deposit in case you get something dirty or break.
Plus, a child can crash an expensive floor lamp in a restaurant, and the airline can send your luggage to another country.
Pleasant surprises are also possible. Suddenly you will have a chance to get to a concert of a famous singer or a game of your favorite football team.
In all these cases, a credit card with a large grace period will help out.
Get insurance
If you are unlucky enough to get sick on vacation, it can have an unpleasant effect on your budget. Medicine is expensive everywhere, and there may simply not be enough money for treatment. And spending money on a doctor's appointment, set aside for rest, is usually the last thing you want. So you should not give up insurance and perceive it only as a requirement for obtaining a visa.
Keep in mind that insurance, which is included in the package by default, is not always the best option. Often they cover only part of the costs for doctors, and the other part will have to be paid for independently.
It makes sense to study the offers of several insurance companies and choose exactly the option that suits you. Many insurers issue policies for those traveling abroad via the Internet.
Insurance coverage is often included in the premium bank card service package. Check with your bank: maybe they will issue you a policy for free or at a discount. And the amount of coverage in this case may be even more than the standard traveler's insurance.
Save money on the way to the airport
Getting with suitcases by public transport is not the most convenient and not even always the cheapest option. It is better to calculate all the options for getting to the airport from home and from the airport to the hotel. If you are going on vacation with the whole family, tickets, for example, a transfer from a travel agency may be more expensive than a taxi.
There are often parking lots near airports where you can park your own car for a few days. If you are leaving for a short time, it may be cheaper than a taxi. Such parking lots usually have a free shuttle service to the departure area. In addition, the car will be safer than in the usual unguarded parking lot at home.
In some cities, you can use cardsharing — you can rent a car for a little money for just a couple of hours to get to the airport and leave it there. At the same time, you will not have to pay for parking at all.
During the vacation itself, you can also save money and even earn.