What would you say if I said that it is possible to get cheap holidays while having as much if not more fun than you ever would have if you went for the more expensive holiday destinations and accommodations? It’s true. Much of the time, spending less on the actual accommodation, car hire, etc, and saving money on your flights means that you have much more available cash to do the exciting things that you would otherwise miss out on.
Also, I find that the less money I go away with the more inventive I get when it comes to looking for things to do. If the hotel is a bit crummy…it’s only a place to put my head after all and who wants to stay stuck in the hotel for the whole trip… if you’ve blown a stack of money on the hotel you just might not want to leave it.
There are three different aspects of searching for a cheap holiday that I would like to look at in this article and they are destination, accommodation, and transportation. So, without further ado let’s begin. Let’s start with your destination. Many people find that staying in their own countries provides them with a load of opportunities to save money especially when it comes to the family holiday. There are so many advantages to staying in your country. For a start, you don’t have to fly anywhere (for the most part anyway). Sometimes the cost of a flight abroad is one of the largest single expenses. I only have one son so whenever we go abroad there is only three people at most to pay for. But imagine the expense of flying abroad if you have more than one child, say like my parents who had nine kids…impossible!
Another advantage of staying within the borders of your own nation is that in most cases you are going to be able to speak the language. And many people find that they are much more comfortable being able to purchase the same kind of food that they are used to, going to bars and restaurants and knowing that the produce that they are buying is going to be at least similar to what they get back home, being able to shop in familiar supermarkets and shops, while all the while having the feel of being in holidays, etc, you know what I mean. In the UK, many people from the cities will venture to the coast to visit the seaside towns such as Blackpool, Cornwall, or Great Yarmouth. Also, there are also over 1000 islands around the coast of the UK, many of which are considered to be holiday destinations for the native population. Another popular holiday destination for British tourists who still want to feel a bit of home is a visit to the island of Gibraltar which is off the southern Spanish coastline.
How many US citizens will never leave the shores of their own country? This is because of the immense diversity that is available to them within US borders. One of the most popular family holidays in the US is the road trip. This form of vacationing has even become hobbyist for some US citizens. And where better for such adventures to take place than in the States of America, birthplace of the automobile and home of a fantastic network of excellent roadways. This is one of the cheapest forms of vacation because not only can you make use of your own transportation, you can also stop to rest where you please, go wherever you please, and basically do exactly what it is that you want to do. The end result for any enthusiasts of this mode of travel is to celebrate the highway and the automobile, to experience the different cultures within their own nation, experience the diversity of nature that is the US, and to some people to take in the history of the route itself. And, technology has really brought the road trip into its own over the last few years with the invention of GPS navigation systems. Also, you can purchase an RV which is as comfortable as your own home. Now, there is a really cheap holiday!
Okay, I know many people are now saying well there is a big beautiful world out there to explore, why should we stay in our own country. And, you’d be right. There are many destinations that you can travel to outside your own country which are going to guarantee you a cheap holiday. We all know about the Asian countries of the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand etc but what about going to destinations which is a bit more expensive and luxurious such as the Maldives.
Cheap Holidays
Taking a holiday to a place such as the Maldives can still come out to a relatively cheap price if you do your homework first. There are many, many islands that are part of this archipelago and it is an absolutely beautiful place to visit. You will find however that booking an all-inclusive holiday will be a lot cheaper than trying to find restaurants and bars every day. Many of the islands won’t have any restaurants or bars on them, you’ll be lucky to find a local shop, so you have no choice but to book an all-inclusive holiday. Even if you choose one of the larger islands with plenty of outside shops, bars and restaurants, your Maldives holidays can start to become very expensive. This is a long haul journey from most people so the flight is going to cost you a lot of money to start with. It’s a tourist economy and indeed natives have copped on long ago that there is money to be made from anybody who can afford the flights and accommodation. For instance, in many of the areas a bottle water will set you back about four dollars. The basic advice is always to do plenty of homework before you go to any destination such as this. There is heaps of information out there, you just have to spend a little bit of time looking for it.
Okay, what about accommodation? Your search for cheap accommodation is essentially going to be conducted in the same way regardless of whether you are looking for holiday hotels, holiday villas, or a cheap camping site. You don’t need me to tell you that the first place to look is on Google, or whichever search engine you have a preference for. But there are plenty of particular websites that you might not come across with a Google search. One website that you can use to find hotel rooms is Hotwire.com. This website basically allows you to bid a particular price on a hotel room. This way you can get big discounts. The only problem about using this site to choose your hotel is that you are not told the name and address of the Hotel before you bid. You are only given the approximate location of the hotel and don’t find out the actual hotel until your bid has been accepted.
Another way of finding cheap accommodation is to go directly to the travel search engines such as travelocity.com, lastminute.com, and expedia.com. Here you are likely to get some great deals not only on holiday hotels booked well in advance, but also you will be able to find a holiday home in the destination of your choice. Lastminute.com is one of those websites where you can take advantage of booking a holiday at the “last-minute”. This is especially beneficial if you have some time off work and you don’t have a particular destination in mind for your trip. You can get some real bargains on other forms of accommodation such a holiday cottage in the cotswalds or a log cabin in the andes. Just choose the destination that you think you would like go to and see what’s on offer…it’s simple, fun, and above all it’s really adventurous. You can see the top destinations, the top city breaks, and the top-flight offers on this site also. If you want last-minute deals in the United States then the site that you should look at is Travellerspoint.com.
Another way of finding cheap holiday accommodation is through your local travel agent. Much of the time, these are the people who are in the know when it comes to spotting travel deals and can often get you some very good bargains. This is especially true if it is your local travel agent and you have an established relationship with them. If you’re looking for a holiday home, your local press might be a good option. There are also plenty of forums that you can visit where you find out lots of useful information about the destination that you are travelling to and people who are advertising their holiday homes for rent.
Holiday Villas
Finally, I want to talk a little bit about transportation. There are two different types of transportation that you should concern itself with. The transportation that is going to deliver you to your destination and the transportation that you are going to use once arrive at your destination.
If we go back to the example earlier about the road trip, in this instance you’re obviously going to use your transportation to both get you to your destination and get you around while you are there. We touched lightly on the recreational vehicle as a means of doing the road trip and I’d like to go bit more into detail here. Not everyone has the financial ability to purchase their own recreational vehicle. You can buy a second-hand campervan for little money but unless you’re a mechanically minded individual you should think twice about this option. There are some great deals to be got these days with breakdown companies like the AA who will get you a spot of bother in case of a your vehicle stopping. But, having to constantly nurse an old vehicle throughout the entire vacation is not going to make for great relaxation, which is the most important ingredient of any vacation. Another option is to rent an RV. There are so many different factors that are involved in getting the best deals and again it’s up to you to do some considerable homework in finding the best.
There are plenty of search engines available to get good deals on flights. There are so many carriers throughout the continental United States, Europe, and Asia that offer budget rates across their whole network of flights. In Europe, Ryanair is one of the largest budget airlines. Be careful though because many of the airport destinations are off the beaten track so to speak. For instance, if you are flying into Barcelona, the airport that Ryanair flies into a located about an hour outside the city itself. So, unless you’re willing to spend that extra money that you saved on the flights on hiring a taxi, you are going to have to step onto a bus.
Bus tours are a popular way of going on vacation these days also. Whether partake in these bookstores in your own country or you venture abroad it’s a cheap way of getting you around. It’s also great way of seeing the major tourist sites. Not everyone is into this kind of travel but it’s an option if you don’t want to miss the important tourist attractions.
Some tips on renting a car for getting you about once you arrive at your destination include booking the car well in advance. As the time gets closer and closer to your departure date, the availability of cars will diminish. Less cars available equals more demand, more demand equals higher prices. Also, you will also save money by choosing a small car. Obviously, you are going to need enough space to comfortably fit the amount of occupants that are with you, but don’t go overboard and think that you can afford a Mercedes. Choose a diesel, it is cheaper to run than petrol. Also, try and get a deal where you bring the car back full of gas. If your car rental requires you to bring the car back empty you will more than likely lose money because most people will not take it down to the wire, they are afraid that they’ll run out of gas before they get to the airport. Whereas, if you bring the car back full, you can fill the car well before you arrive at the drop-off point and still have a full tank, or full enough not to notice … a winning situation for you!
The site in general is being written to try and give lots of information about different aspects of cheap travel. Over on the right hand side, in the sidebar, you will find information about the top 15 recent posts, the categories, the most popular posts, and any other websites that we find to be informative. Have a trawl through the site and hopefully you find some writing that is interesting and fun, but most of all I hope that you find the information to be informative and helpful. Remember that the most important thing about any holiday, even if you are going on cheap holidays, is to have fun, unwind, and come back to your everyday life feeling fulfilled. Unless you really have to, don’t just go on holidays and sit on your ass doing nothing. There is a whole wide world out there to see and so little time to see it in. The most fondly remembered memories of our travels are for the most part involving events that have happened spontaneously, things that you didn’t expect to happen. If you hide yourself in a hotel room, or a hotel complex or whatever then you are essentially cutting yourself off from all that spontaneity. Find yourself some cheap flights, a rubbish hotel room, and an old banger to get you around and you will find that you enjoy your destination with the money that you have saved. Thank you for reading down as far as you have and I hope that your holidays bring you immense happiness and fulfilment.
Kind regards and good luck
Art
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