Summer holidays cheaper, if you do holiday homework

Published on Monday 24 January 2011 12:26

A FAMILY of four could save as much as £1,500 on its summer holiday by shopping around for flights, car hire and currency, according to new research.

The study shows that the family could cut 1,430 off the cost of a holiday to Spain costing 2,464 - more than half.

The largest savings can be made when buying flights - particularly for those flexible over the dates on which they can fly.

Researchers looked at the cheapest available one-way tickets to a selection of leading holiday destinations for every day of 2011.

Within any given month it was found that travellers could make an average saving of 148 by switching from the most expensive day in that month to the cheapest.

The findings also show that it is important to book certain items at the right time. Car hire is much cheaper if booked several months in advance. Figures show that the price of a hire car for a holiday in August was 150 less if booked in March than if it was left until May.

Playing the currency market can also pay dividends. In 2010, shoppers taking advantage of fluctuating exchange rates saved an average of 49.89 for every €500 purchased or 43.92 for every $500. Changing money in advance on the high street, rather than leaving it late and using airport exchanges, also saves 47 for €500 and 40 for $500 exchanged.

Trevor Davis, a director of Co-op Travel, which commissioned the survey, said: "Doing your research, being flexible and booking well in advance can save holidaymakers sizeable sums of money, sometimes enough to pay for a second holiday.

"However, it's not always easy to spot the opportunity and can often require people to put in time, effort and understanding of how the market for holidays and services operate. Travel agents use these tricks every day to get better prices for their customers.

"However, with the growth of online booking, many holidaymakers are missing out on this advice.

"Hopefully, this research will be helpful to these people and save them a considerable amount on this summer's holiday."

Sean Tipton, spokesman for Abta, the travel association, said: "It is definitely worthwhile to shop around - and it can be fun too. January and February are the best time to buy.

"Demand tends to rise the nearer you get to your date of travel so it makes sense to book early. And at the moment a lot of companies are still offering a free child place. They will stop offering these when it comes to February."

Rochelle Turner, head of research for Which? Travel said: "There are deals around - and the more flexibility you have about when to travel the better. If you play around with dates and destinations you can get better deals.

"But if you have your heart set on a particular holiday it makes sense to go for it."

HOW IT ADDS UP

A SINGLE passenger could save as much as 253 on a trip to Florida by booking on the cheapest day of the month. By watching exchange rates, holidaymakers could save ten per cent of the money they exchange. People spend an average of 50 a day on holiday, so on a ten-day trip they could save 500. Booking a hire car three months ahead could save you 150 a week.