How to Save Money

Travel Information & Travel Tips

During tough times some people decide not to have a holiday in order to save money. This is not a great idea because everyone needs to take time off work to recharge their batteries and taking a well earned family holiday need not cost the earth. If you want to cut back on your travel expenses you can decide to holiday closer to home allowing you to drive to your destination instead of paying for flights, get back to nature on a camping holiday, search for discount hotel accommodation or simply take advantage of some of the money saving travel tips on this webpage.

Holidays are supposed to be a lot of fun, however it only takes one mishap to turn your family holiday into a nightmare of a trip. So if you are travelling overseas for the first time or going on holidays somewhere different make sure that you do a little research first. Do your planning before you go away, ask friends or relatives for travel tips if they've been there before.

Alternatively you can search the internet for travel information about a particular holiday destination, however always take what is written on the internet with a grain of salt because generally people only put their opinions about a holiday on the internet if they are really happy or really annoyed. The vast majority of holiday makers who had a good time do not post their holiday experiences online. So the next time you are looking to take a holiday take advantage on the wide array of helpful travel information and travel tips about packing, airline flights, hotel accommodation and travel insurance listed below.

Travel Insurance Tips

• There are many different types of travel insurance cover available on the market now such as backpacker travel insurance, business travel insurance, adventure travel insurance, domestic and international travel insurance. So it is very important that you get the right one for your circumstances to ensure that you are not paying too much but are still covered for anything unfortunate that happens on your travels.
• If you are planning on doing any sort of thrilling adventure activities (including skiing) on your holiday then make sure that you get an adventure travel insurance policy that covers you for that, as many of the more cheap or basic travel insurance policies will not cover any accidents or medical expenses resulting from so called 'dangerous activities'.
• The best place to obtain and compare travel insurance quotes from different companies is online. You can even compare the discount rates for the different types of travel insurance policies that are available, but always read the terms and conditions of each policy to make sure that you are comparing apples with apples and are covered for the type of travel activities that you will be doing.
• After you have booked you flights and accommodation take out travel insurance immediately if you are thinking of doing so. A lot of claims are for unforeseen cancellations before you leave so you might as well be covered right from the start and it costs the same amount no matter when you take out the cover.
• Some credit cards provide free travel insurance as an added benefit and this can save you money, but make sure that you read the fine print because some of them have so many catches that it makes them worthless.
• If something unfortunate happens when you are travelling or backpacking then always make sure that you contact the local police and get a police report, because with most insurance companies a claim will be difficult to verify without one.
• If you plan on taking 2 or more holidays in a year then you should compare the cost of taking out long term or annual travel insurance as opposed to getting multiple single trip travel insurance quotes. The benefit of taking out an annual travel insurance policy in not only that it may be cheaper but also that it will cover you for weekends away throughout the year.
• Comprehensive and even budget travel insurance policies allow you to make a claim if your luggage is lost whilst travelling or flying. However, when an airline loses you luggage they generally are able to get it back to you within a few days and most travel insurance companies only allow a claim if the airline takes more than a certain number of days to return your luggage to you. So read your insurance policy carefully, be aware of how many days constitute lost luggage to the insurer and keep a dated record of everything that happens if you do lose your luggage for use in any potential future claim.
• In most cases if an airline loses you luggage they will get it back to you within a day or two and you will not be able to make a claim on your travel insurance, however nearly all airlines will give you some monetary compensation to buy essential items if your luggage doesn't arrive at the same place that you do. In this situation simply show your baggage receipts (which are normally stuck to your tickets or boarding pass) to the lost luggage counter at the airport. Most importantly, put your anger aside and be courteous and polite to the staff there as they are only there to help and if you are rude you may ruin your chances of getting any compensation.

Holiday Travel on a Budget

• Bargain overseas holidays are available if you choose a country where the cost of living is low in comparison to your own country.
• Countries where holiday tourism is still developing will give you much more value for money than the more traditional holiday destinations.
• Another travel tip for families to save money is to book a family suite or large serviced apartment instead of two interconnecting hotel rooms. The room rate will not only be cheaper but you will also save money on food by having the added luxury of your own kitchen facilities.
• On some shorter flights you can save money by choosing not to have an in-flight meal. Instead eat before your flight or pack something to take with you.

Travel Tips for Booking Flights & Holiday Accommodation

• Most airlines have sales on flights provided that you book in advance, so book your travel early to take advantage of these low fares.
• If if is at all possible try to travel during off peak and non-school holiday periods as the accommodation and flights are significantly cheaper.
• For holiday accommodation, check if you can find like minded friends or family in a distant location that you can exchange homes with in a type of house sitting or B & B arrangement.
• Use the internet to save money on your travel accommodation, flights, cruises, tours and even car hire. Online travel websites are the best source of discount holiday rates, like Wotif, Web Car Hire and even Not One Night where you can book your vacation well ahead of time without having to pay the full amount up front.
• For flight and accommodation travel booking consider purchasing a holiday travel package deal as they are often cheaper than booking everything separately. Do check the fine print, however, because they sometimes come with drawbacks like 'no cancellations' or fees for making changes to the dates.

Car Hire Travel Tips and Information

• When you are booking car hire make sure that you compare apples with apples and always check what is and isn't included like insurance, fees for an extra driver, higher excess and limitations on how far you can drive the car. All of these extras can really add to the cost.
• If you have pre-booked your car hire then find out if the car hire office is actually at the airport. Some car hire companies require you to get a bus or taxi from the airport, which can add to the cost and is a real hassle at the end of a tiring flight.
• For people travelling with babies and toddlers you may want to consider taking you own infant car seat. This can save you money and means that you know how safe the car seat is going to be, however, just be sure that the car has an anchor point for the car seat and the airline will let you check in the car seat without any extra charge.
• Beware of the car rental companies that want you to return the car with an empty fuel tank as you are rarely able to do this and consequently you are paying extra for the unused fuel.
• Always leave enough time to fill up with petrol when you are returning your hire car. As a matter of fact you can probably fill up anywhere within 50kms of the car hire office because most fuel gauges don't stop pointing to full until quite a while after you fill up.
• When you get to your destination have one person wait and collect the luggage whilst the other person goes ahead to get all of the paperwork for the car hire out of the way. This will save you time by beating the queues that form at the car hire counter when a large flight arrives.
• Always, always check the condition of the car before you set off especially any scratches, dents or chips on the windscreen. If you find anything make sure that it is marked on the documentation before you leave and registered with the car hire staff.
• The car hire staff should give you the contact details for accidents or breakdowns with your documents, but it is best if you confirm all of this with them before you leave.

Save Money on Tourist Attractions

• Before you book any train or transport tickets do your research online first because some of them have peculiar price structures. For example it is much cheaper (almost half price) to book a train ticket for the channel tunnel (the chunnel) from London to Paris as a return ticket instead of a one way ticket (provided that the return date was more than 2 days from the departure date). This anomaly occurs because they offer a discount to people staying in the destination city for more than 2 nights, so, to save money, book a return ticket and simply throw it away when you reach either London or Paris.
• Most places of interest such as museums and other tourist attractions will offer you a cheaper entry fee if you commit to be a visitor by booking your tickets online directly with them before you leave home.
• Some tourist attractions and museums have special days where entry is free or significantly reduced. For example in Paris there is free entry on the first Sunday of the month to the Louvre and the Picasso Museum. Also in New York the Bronx Zoo has a 'pay what you can afford' day on Wednesday.

General Travel Information and Tips

• A good travel tip to help you save money is to get some money changed into the local currency before you travel overseas, because the foreign currency exchange rates at your personal bank will be much better than they are in the country you're visiting.
• When you are visiting a major tourist destination try to avoid shopping or eating there because the vendors will charge you more money than normal. You will find much better value for money and have a more well-rounded experience if you travel slightly off the beaten track.
• If you have a credit card which gives you reward points then utilize it to book your flights, hotel accommodation and car hire. That when when you return from your holiday you will be able to get a little present from all the points that you've accumulated.
• Long weekends can really help to recharge your batteries, but they can become costly. A great travel tip to save money is to take the Monday off rather than the Friday. Flights will be cheaper this way and hotel accommodation on a Sunday night is much cheaper than on a Friday night.
• For a memorable, low budget holiday or weekend away go camping in either a registered camping ground with full facilities, or for the more adventurous, in the woods.
• Be very cautious when considering taking out a travel loan in order to fund your next holiday abroad. A holiday is something that should be earned and you may be left with a sour taste in your mouth after you return from holiday and have to spend a long time repaying the travel loan and the associated interest.

Packing Tips for Holiday Travel

• Most people travel with black suitcases so it can often be hard to identify your luggage from the rest of the crowd. A simple coloured ribbon or unique sticker will make your black case easy to find.
• Always pack your important items that can't afford to lose, such as jewellery or medications, in your carry on luggage.
• If you are travelling with more than one suitcase then it is a good idea to pack some of each persons belongings into each suitcase, so if one case goes missing then everyone still has a change of clothes.
• I always like to pack one change of clothes in my carry on luggage, so that I'm covered in case my bags don't end up at the same place I do.
• Always carry a backup copy of your travel documents, a photocopy of your passports and a recent photos of your family, just in case they are needed.

Holiday Travel Planner for Children & Babies

• For young families thinking of travelling on holidays keep in mind that the cost to fly with a baby is much less than it is to fly with a toddler. Also do your research on the airlines because they all charge different amounts for babies & children as well as having different criteria as to what age a baby is classified a child.
• If you are flying with a baby and they are drinking formula milk then make sure that you take enough for the entire flight. Also make sure that you can buy more formula at your destination or, if not, then take enough with you.
• When flying with babies plan ahead when it comes to feed time, as most airlines will simply give you some warm water in which you can heat up the milk bottle and this generally takes between 10 and 15 minutes.
• Always ask how many bags you can check in because some airlines allow just 1 per person and don't allow infants flying without a seat any baggage at all.
• The first thing that you should do when you arrive at your family holiday accommodation is take the time to child proof the rooms. Family travel can be fun but the last thing that you want is an accident or a breakage that costs you money to spoil your holiday.
• Tempting though it may be never leave young children alone at night in your holiday accommodation, even if they are sleeping. Toddlers are very curious and they might decide to go wandering onto the balcony or start playing with the electrical sockets. There is also the risk of a fire or any number of other things happening.
• On holidays always be aware of the dangers of water. Whether it is at the beach, pool or river never assume that a lifeguard or someone else is responsible for looking after your children.