12 holiday savings tips: cheap tricks to save you €100s

Holidays can be expensive, there’s no denying that!

Costs can creep up unexpectedly and totally blindside you if you don’t give your trip enough thought and planning. 

Whether you travel every now and again or jet set as often as possible, we can all get caught up by spiralling costs when abroad. It’s easy to think that the significant expenses are out of the way once you’ve booked your dream hotel, your ideal flights and organised your holiday insurance. But that’s just the beginning of what a trip finally costs. Those daily expenses can creep up to be a hefty sum by the end of your journey. Planning for holiday savings can also be part of your New Year’s resolutions.

So, to make your budget stretch as far as possible, we asked our community to share some of the easiest ways to save money on holidays—all of which we tried and tested.

This way, you can get the most out of your trip, and your money after booking your holiday.

1. Go off the beaten track

You may be used to holidaying in particular hotspots such as Spain or France, but these destinations often come with a hefty price tag. So why not try exploring off the beaten track? Plenty of destinations offer better value for your money and an alternative family adventure.

You could try a budget beach holiday in Albania, an eastern European destination that offers sunshine, history, and far fewer tourists than pricier Croatia or Montenegro. Alternatively, look for holidays in Romania, Bulgaria, Poland or more affordable Greek islands such as Andros, Kos, Tinos or Naxos. Some deals in these destinations are subject to specific criteria such as booking dates and availability.

If you’re particularly open-minded about where you go, you can search holiday comparison websites anytime and anywhere to see what results appear.

You could discover a new favourite destination that you’re keen to return to.

2. Embrace the outdoors

You could enjoy a cheap family holiday abroad by camping or caravanning and enjoying the great outdoors.

It is cheaper to hire a motor home for a holiday than rent a family room in a hotel or book an Airbnb big enough for a family.”

You can book for as little as a few days to a month and get a discount for booking longer to save more. Cooking in the camper also saves money on eating out or booking half or full board. Honestly, even just driving 1.5 hours from our home seems like we are visiting somewhere far more exotic or far-flung.

You’ll find thousands of UK and European sites on Camping.info.

3. Use budget travel comparison services

There are a booming number of travel apps that can help you to slash your holiday costs. For example, I use the Hopper app, which lets you find deals on everything from flights to hotels and car hire. You can save up to 40% on some flights and hotels. Simply choose a destination and access a colour-coded calendar showing the cheapest dates to travel.

Kayak is a good place to start if you’re looking to slash the cost of flights. You can use filters to include the cost of checked-in bags to compare the full price you’d pay for a flight. Other options include Momondo, Google Flights and Skyscanner, which allow you to easily compare prices across different airlines.

You can also use Kayak and Skyscanner to compare hotels, along with others such as Booking.com and Hotels.com. You can filter by star rating, amenities, and freebies included in the price.

4. Haggle hard at the last minute

If you’re flexible with travel dates and willing to be spontaneous, haggling for a cheap last-minute deal could offer significant savings. Some last-minute deals are subject to specific conditions such as booking dates and availability. Hotels and travel agencies often drop prices closer to departure if rooms or packages are still available. The later you leave it, the more willing they might be to strike a deal.

You’ll get a lower price if you can travel outside peak periods, such as in March, May, June (before Jaanipäev) or October. Try searching for the holiday you want on sites like ReisiDillid and Tuusik.

Once you’ve found the holiday you want, try haggling with tour operators directly for a cheaper deal. You can also try negotiating directly with hotels, as they may be willing to offer you a better deal than you’ve found online if they have rooms to fill.

5. Slash food costs on your trip

Food costs can build up when you’re on holiday. This is especially true when you spend on breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day…and that’s even before we’ve considered the daily gelato!

You might think that slashing food costs means compromising and forgoing that yummy dessert or extra pastry at breakfast. If you plan wisely, you can still enjoy the foodie experience you want and pay much less for your local cuisine and treats. For example, to save, consider reusing items like cereal bags instead of clingfilm or finding cheaper meal alternatives.

Fancying a Michelin starred dinner or eating at a top restaurant in the area? 

Yeah, these can be expensive; but they don’t have to break the bank. 

If you’re splashing out on a treat restaurant, check the lunch menu instead of the more expensive dinner menu. Typically, lunch menus can be cheaper, and you still get the ambience, experience and delicious food you’ve been craving.

Also, don’t forget that restaurants in central areas of cities tend to charge quite a bit more for their dishes than those in less visited streets or neighbourhoods. We always stroll away from the main thoroughfare and search for a local restaurant that catches our eye. It’s a great way to find cheaper and utterly delicious meals that tend to cost much less.

Another great way to save on holiday expenses is to eat local dishes. These tend to be much cheaper than international dishes that aren’t easily found or must be imported to the area you’re visiting.

6. Pay with a no-fees overseas card

One of the easiest ways to keep costs in check is by getting an online bank account that doesn’t charge you any fees when using your card abroad. Imagine a two-week trip with multiple transactions a day…those fees can build quite quickly.

If you have any questions about fees and charges, contact your bank or card provider if you need assistance. Find a card that doesn’t charge you to use it or withdraw cash abroad, meaning everything from that extra scoop of gelato to the sparkly new hat won’t cost you a penny extra.

Remember, whilst your card provider won’t charge you, some ATM providers may apply a charge. You’ll be notified of this before you go ahead with the withdrawal.

Remember, too, that paying in the local currency is usually best when you’re spending abroad. Choose this option when you pay on a card machine as you’ll often get a better exchange rate if your money isn’t converted into euros.

7. Shop around when there

If you’re anything like us here at MoneyHub, you’ll be leaving with at least one keepsake from your holiday. To avoid paying more than you need to, shop around and purchase something local to the area. This means you won’t be stung by buying something that’s had to be shipped to the destination.

Plus, you’ll be supporting local producers, too.

Also, don’t forget that many locally produced keepsakes will be in other shops or stalls across the place you’re visiting. Make sure to shop around and see what an average price looks like. 

Prices can inflate quite significantly in areas frequented by many visitors.

8. Visit attractions for free

Not all admissions and tickets to exciting places need you to part with your hard-earned cash.

Yes, many do charge an entrance fee, but it’s always worth checking their website while planning your day. You see, many places either offer ‘free days’ or ‘free evenings’ on certain days in the month.

For instance, many museums in Barcelona, the Louvre in Paris and the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice have free days. The Louvre offers free entry on the first Friday of the month after 6 p.m. (except in July and August), and the Gallerie dell’Accademia offers free entrance on the first Sunday of the month. Plan your visit around these times, and you’ll have saved yourself a hefty sum.

9. Find the best-priced tours

Typically, the cheapest way to book a tour is with local companies running and operating tours. You can either scout out different providers near the area you want to visit or use apps like GetYourGuide, which partners local tour providers with travellers.

It’s always worth noting that going directly often helps negotiate costs, especially if you’re booking more than one tour with the same provider. Also, check for tours at off-peak times and avoid public holidays või weekends; these times can cost more.

Finally, always ask about last-minute cancellations or availability. If tours are already running, providers want to fill them up as much as possible and you might be in for a deal.

10. Be flexible

Now, this might seem obvious, but trust us: Being flexible is one of the best ways to save money on your holiday abroad.

Prices can increase when you have rigid requirements for tours, tickets and reservations. Be mindful of how you can jiggle plans around and be open to local customs and daily routines that might mean some times of the day can be more (or less) expensive. Naturally, if you’re taking children, you’re kinda stuck for the dates when children are not at school.

11. Use savvy apps

Apps like CityMapper help you find the best route for your travel by showing all possible modes of transport in real time. They’ll even show you price estimates for different modes. Plus, the app has live wait times and ETAs, so you’ll never have to worry about missing the bus or train or not knowing what stop to get off—it’ll alert you in real time!

Another brilliant cost-saving tool is the app, TooGoodToGo – which is available in destinations across the world. This app allows you to have discounted takeaway meals/pastries/coffee from restaurants and cafes that would dispose of their food at the end of the day. Take a look on the app, find a restaurant you like and have a restaurant-quality picnic on the beach.

TKTS is another fabulous app that allows you to bag discounted theatre tickets in places like Broadway in New York. Typically, they will show availability for shows on the day itself (and some within a week) where seats haven’t been filled up. You can get such a good deal and pay a fraction of the cost of a full-price ticket.

More apps listed in our holiday booking guide here.

12. Use reward schemes and other discounts

Financial providers, airlines, hotels and many other companies offer reward schemes. These enable you to earn points or miles for your everyday spending that can be redeemed for discounted flights or hotel stays. 

Some reward scheme member offers are subject to specific conditions such as booking dates and availability. You can boost your benefits by booking flights during off-peak periods or taking advantage of reward scheme member offers.

Maximise your holiday savings

Fortunately, there are ways you can take a well-deserved break without worrying too much about the strain it puts on your bank account. 

From travel apps and beautiful cheap holiday destinations you’ve likely never heard of to making use of reward schemes. There are plenty of innovative ways to find cheap holidays abroad these days.

So, there we have it, our insider holiday savings tips that’ll help you save €100s while abroad!