No-one can resist a bargain, especially where holidays are concerned. And happily, despite the rocky economy and the rising cost of, well, everything, low-cost holidays are still widely available. They are plentiful in fact – it’s just a matter of knowing where to look.
Start your search online by scouring the various tour operators’ websites. Generally when booking holidays online, you’ll automatically benefit from a small discount when compared to shops or call centres, because websites can be run with fewer overheads and therefore often fall into the ‘direct’ category. Most tour operators will advertise that their online holidays offer approximately 10% more savings than booking through the shop, but of course many shops will seek to match this given the opportunity, in order to protect their bookings.
Late deals remain one of the most popular ways to find and book a holiday, and there are huge savings to be had. The best way to go about booking a late deal is to keep your options open, and try not to get your heart set on a particular resort or hotel. Even better, consider several different top-level destinations too – keep a list of favourites in order of preference, and keep working your way down the list until you find a price and a holiday that suits your pocket, as well as your preferences.
If you choose to book last minute holidays with Thomas Cook or anothe large-scale tour operator, you’ll probably find the best range of late deals, given the sheer number of holidays and wide choice of destinations they have to offer. You could also go down the DIY route and organise your own flights and accommodation. This can present huge savings if booked early enough – remember that low-cost fares only go up in price the closer you get to the departure date – and you should also save money by cutting out the ‘middleman’.
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