Seven tips to help you book a bargain last minute family holiday
Hoping to get away with your family this summer, but don’t have much money? Read seven tips to help you book a bargain last minute holiday.
With the school summer holidays starting for many UK children this week, parents may still be debating whether or not their budgets will stretch to being able to afford a family trip away during the notoriously expensive period.
For those who intend to spend the weekend researching the best deals available for a week or two of escapism in the sun over the next six weeks, Nick Drewe, discounts expert and founder of online platform Wethrift has provided his top tips for money-saving when booking a holiday.
1) Book last minute to bag a deal
Being flexible when travelling with children can be very challenging, especially when visiting international destinations. Booking last minute can score you a hot deal when searching for a family holiday during peak travel time like the summer holidays.
See what package holidays are available with heavy discounts, instead of purchasing flights and accommodation separately. Booking last-minute, however, will mean that your travel plans will need to be pretty flexible, so this tip is best suited for smaller families who don’t have a summer calendar packed full of plans.
Top tip; Download the Chrome extension ‘CheaperThere’. When booking online through comparison sites, click on the extension, this will find you the best price for the flight or hotel you have your eye on.
2) Beat dynamic pricing strategies by going incognito online
Many flight and accommodation booking sites will utilise dynamic pricing strategies – this is where they will increase the price of flights of accommodation if you are regularly browsing them online.
By switching your browser to incognito mode or clearing your cache, you can beat dynamic pricing and aim to bag a cheaper deal when booking online.
3) Bag cheap flights using Google Flights
Utilising Google Flights is a great way to bag the cheapest deals on airfare. A key benefit is that the platform has multiple different filtering options to help savvy shoppers hone in on the best deals.
Click ‘Explore Destinations’ and it will suggest when and where the most affordable flights are from your chosen location.
4) Book activities online rather than in person
Travelling with children means keeping them entertained day and night, to do this you may want to visit some of the different tourist attractions the destination has to offer.
Booking online saves you time and money. There are often deals available for major attractions when booking in advance, or through special promotions.
If you plan to visit multiple attractions during your holiday, a group pass that gains you access to multiple attractions may also be a worthwhile investment.
Not only can this save you money, but you may actually be able to get a few attractions for the price of one, depending on where you book. And be sure to utilise group booking tickets and discounts where available.
5) Fly midweek
Booking your trip to begin and end midweek will often save you money, as airfares are often cheaper in comparison to the weekend. Being flexible with your dates is a great way to maximise your savings and bag the cheapest deals on flights by securing those last few seats on the plane.
6) Set up a price alert on the Skyscanner app
Rather than continuously checking for flights, many TikTok travellers bag cheap airfare by setting up price alerts in the SkyScanner app. Not only will this save you time, but will also keep you updated as flight prices fluctuate daily, meaning you can take advantage if prices drop.
7) Search for apartments or villas rather than hotels if booking for larger groups
Hotels are great for a lot of reasons, but booking an apartment through Airbnb can be really beneficial for larger families or groups who would need to secure multiple rooms in the same establishment.
When staying in a villa or apartment complex, you will most likely have access to kitchen facilities, where you can cook your own meals to save money on eating out or paying higher costs for all-inclusive options.
