Planning your holiday is something you want to get right as a bad decision could spoil your time away. I have listed some tips that will help you to plan your holiday effectively.

Reduce the cost of you holiday by earning cashback

They are a number of ways of making holidays cheaper. Using cashback sites is one of the easiest ways of reducing the cost of your holidays by using sites such as Quidco you can earn cashback by booking flights hotels, holiday insurance and car hire. Quidco can also be used to earn cashback on normal day to day purchases and most UK stores are listed there so it is definitely worth while joining.

Do your research, find the best deal

When researching accommodation do not always assume that booking directly will be cheaper as that is not always the case. Many hotels have special agreements with larger booking companies such as Expedia, e-bookers and Booking.com. When I recently went to Thailand I got a free upgrade and complimentary late checkout when I booked via e-bookers, if I booked directly I would have paid the same price but no upgrade or late checkout. So look for the added value aspects rather than just price.

Be smart about how much luggage you take

For long haul flights this might not be a problem, but budget airlines normally charge if you want to check in a suitcase. So ask yourself if you really need it, if not you could save £25 – £40 per person. These budget airlines allow you to take on board hand luggage between 5 – 10kg (depending on which airline you use) ideal for short trips, but remember to reduce any liquids to under 100ml for any hand luggage.

Beware of rip off car hire fuel policies

Be cautious when booking car hire especially in Europe, most companies have a fuel empty policy which basically means you have to pay upfront for a tank of petrol. While on the face of it sounding convenient it is actually more expensive as in some cases they charge more than double per litre and they will not refund you any money if you only use half a tank. So check the fuel policy of each car hire company and make sure it suits you. Most larger companies such as Avis or Sixt give you a choice of fuel policies.

Use a Credit card or prepaid card for you spending money

Be smart about your money, consider using a credit card just for your spending on holiday or a prepaid credit card is also just as effective. Make sure and do your research on these as some have rates and charges that are not immediately clear. I have used a prepaid card for the last few years now and have never had any problems.

Don’t buy currency at the airport, get it in advance

For those wanting to take cash, be aware that you are very unlikely to get a good rate at the airport so it is worthwhile getting you foreign currency in advance. You can order and pay in advance and collect at the airport Travelex are the company that I use most.

Take out an annual Travel insurance policy

Be sure to check through any free travel insurance that comes with premium bank accounts and make certain these policies suit your needs. For those without these types of bank accounts taking out an annual policy is worthwhile, even if you only use it twice in the year it is cheaper than getting a single trip policy. There are a number of companies offering this but I normally use Argos Travel Insurance… yes I did not realise they did insurance either.

Get your travel accessories from the pound shop.

Don’t wait to get to the airport to buy you locks, travel pillows or adapters, in most cases these can be found in local high street shops. I bought my locks and travel pillow from a £1 shop, not the best of quality but they do last.

Take food with you on board Budget airlines

Why pay extortionate prices for food and snacks on board. When these can be bought from your local Supermarket or you can make yourself… liquids are banned not food so take your packed lunch with you.

Be wary of online travel agents

Watch out for online travel agents, they are not always what they seem.

Some act as a link between you and various third party suppliers of travel products (e.g. flight, hotel or transfer). Each product you choose has its own price independent of other products booked at the same time and creates a separate contract between you and the supplier of that product. So when you think you are booking a package you are not. So be careful about the companies you are using to book you holidays, research them.