Six Ways For An Affordable Summer Holiday

Some Great Tips From The Post Office

Looking for summer sunshine but don’t want to break the bank? Here are six ways to head abroad and still economise on the cost of your holiday.

1. Look at your timings Transport costs are a big chunk of any holiday budget. Booking tickets as far in advance as possible can keep the costs down, as prices are likely to rise considerably as summer approaches. If you are open to travelling midweek, or to taking an early-morning or late-night flight or ferry crossing these fares can be cheaper too. You can compare prices at sites such as aferry.co.uk and skyscanner.co.uk.  If you don’t think you can afford a holiday in the peak summer months, it might be worth looking at an earlier break instead. There’s still a good chance of sun and prices are not as hiked as they would be in July and August.
2. Stay at a home from home Camping isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s not the only budget option for accommodation abroad. You could try a home exchange with a family in the country you’d like to visit. You can advertise your home online (most require a registration fee) and set the length of time you’re looking to stay at sites such as homeexchange.com, homexchangevacation.com or homebase-hols.com. Another option is to house sit for owners who need to be away from home but don’t want to leave their property unoccupied – you’ll need to provide references though. Find out more at sites such as mindmyhome.com and trustedhousesitters.com.
3. Sort your money out in advance Don’t expect to get the best rate of exchange at the airport. The bureaux based in departure lounges know they’ve got a captive audience. At the Post Office we offer great rates and 0% commission on more than 70 currencies. Order your travel money online and you can pick it up at a branch near you or have it delivered to your home for free.
4. Another way to keep on track of your expenditure is to put what you want to spend on a prepaid card such as Travel Money Card Plus from the Post Office. We offer 8 different currencies and you can hold a maximum of £5000 across your cards. If you need to check your balance or view your recent transactions visit the website or send an SMS from anywhere in the world. Find out more about our Post Office Travel Money Card.
5. Organise a group tour Specialist holiday companies are starting to tap into a previously untapped resource – you. If you’re a whiz at holiday schedules and plans and know how to organise people, then you could bag yourself a discount or free holiday from sites such as adventuresincorporated.com or adventures-abroad.com by becoming a ‘group leader’ for a trip away. This doesn’t mean you have to guide the group day to day and from place to place, instead you organise who will be going, where they will be going, and when.
6. Volunteer your skills If you’ve got a skill you enjoy and are open to sharing, volunteering abroad could be a holiday option worth investigating. Diving, teaching, nursing or aiding conservation projects in the destination of your choice is a great way to find out about a country, and all you’ll need to do is pay for your flight. Sites such as volunteerhq.org or frontier.ac.uk will give you some idea what’s available. If a break on the open seas is what you’re looking after, you could earn your working passage as part of the crew of a yacht. You don’t need to be a seasoned sailor to be taken on, sometimes cooking or mechanical skills are required. Check out the kind of roles available at the UK-based Crewseekers International crewseekers.net. A Membership fee applies.
7. Look at your travel insurance option Do you think not taking out travel insurance is a good way of cutting your holiday costs? Think again. Lost luggage and delayed flights can turn your dream trip into an expensive nightmare. If you’re travelling outside the EU taking out travel insurance is a given in case you fall ill while you’re away as you’re EU medical card won’t cover you in these countries.