When it comes to planning your next big getaway, the most exciting thing to book is the holiday itself. Once those flights are confirmed, a hotel chosen, the countdown is on and it seems like the worst is over in terms of spending huge amounts of money. However, there are a few holiday essentials you don’t want to forget and should consider budgeting in when overviewing your entire holiday expense.
Why to Book Travel Insurance
Many holidayers forego getting a travel insurance policy when taking a trip, making the assumption they’ll be fine and it’ll be a waste of money and paper printing off the 20+ page documentation. But it’s important that you do, especially as a one off single trip policy can cost under £10 as long as you book it enough in advance. Travel insurance not only covers the event of you having any kind of accident or falling ill, it also covers any currency you take with you and loss of luggage. Use comparative sites and find the lowest price for the level of cover you want.
Buy Currency Before You Get to the Airport
There are plenty of things you can pick up last minute at the airport, but unlike last minute deals on holidays they’re rarely the best value for your money. The same applies for getting your money exchanged at the airport. Whilst convenient if you have left it to the last minute, the branches at the airport offer poor exchange rates that mean you don’t get as much for your money. If you really are stuck in a sticky situation, at the very least buy your currency online and choose to click and collect at the airport you’re flying from. By booking in advance though, you can afford to shop around, compare different retailers and their rates and find the best place and time to exchange your travel money.
Save on Airport Parking
So often airport parking is left until the point where you rock up to the airport and realise just how extortionately priced onsite parking is. Really, you can save over 50% on the cost of your space whilst you’re away. Simply use amazing comparative tools and get cheap Airport Parking through Parking at Airports. Parking at Airports will take your selected dates and gather all the best deals for parking, including the different onsite and offsite packages. Choose between long and short stay depending on the duration of your holiday and pay even less with offsite, privately owned parking companies near the airport. Airport parking can be the biggest thief when going on holiday, but not if you consciously book in advance.
Don’t Be Stuck: Book a Transfer
Let’s face it, airports are always a little out of the way. It’s obvious. No one wants an airport sticking out like a sore thumb in the heart of the city, so it goes without saying you should expect there to be a car journey of at least twenty minutes between the airport and wherever you’re staying. The last thing you want is for this realisation to occur when you’ve just landed. Enjoy the ease of going straight from passport control and baggage collection straight into a car and to your hotel. Transfers needn’t be expensive either, a fraction of the cost of hailing a taxi then and there on the day.
Plan Your Excursions & Activities
Although you’ll have so much spending money whilst you’re away, you can make it spread that much further by booking certain things you’ll do on your holiday before you actually arrive. Whilst many holiday companies provide representatives that can tell you all about the excursions and activities on offer, these are often hugely steeped in price. It’s worth considering beforehand what kind of things you might like to see and do when abroad, from ticking off the local sights to getting an adrenaline rush with extreme water sports. Discovering the local companies that offer these types of activities can be comparably lower to and, especially in terms of tourist attractions, you may be more likely to get a more authentic and accurate experience.
The moral of the story? It’s worth planning. Avoid the stresses of working out how best to spend your time away and also take a load off your back by budgeting in your holiday finances. Booking in advance allows you to spread costs and pay off everything overtime rather than in one go. No need to make sacrifices on holiday money or that all important travel insurance. Tick these off your holiday prep list and you’ll be taking off before you know it.
