As thoughts turn to summer holidays, some of us are faced with the dilemma of how best to pay for our annual fortnight of fun in the sun. This can be especially expensive if you have a family and you need to take your vacation during school holidays, when everything seems to be more expensive.
Here are some of the costs that you will need to take into account before you travel so that you can budget effectively for the cost of your annual break.
Paying for the holiday
Obviously, you will have to pay for the holiday itself. If you don’t have the luxury of disposable funds, you may consider using credit cards. Provided you are intending to clear the balance before you accrue any interest, you could get something for nothing if you choose the right card. Cash-back or rewards cards may be the way to go.
For example, if you use a cash-back card to pay £2,500 for your family holiday, you could claim back anything up to £125 depending upon the percentage offered by the issuer. You must make sure that you pay off the balance in full before any interest is incurred to make this a worthwhile exercise.
Extras
Depending on where you are travelling to, you may also need to factor in extras such as taxes and other fees that you will need to pay in cash on arrival or departure from certain long-haul destinations.
In addition, remember that you will need to pay for transfers from the airport to your hotel if it’s not already included in the cost of your holiday.
Pets
If you have pets, you will need to arrange for them to be taken care of while you are away. Unless you know someone who is happy to do this for the cost of a holiday souvenir, the cattery, kennels or animal sitter are your options. All these options are expensive, but you can make savings if you have more than one pet. For example, two cats could share one kennel, saving you quite a bit of money over a fortnight.
Getting to the airport and parking
Depending on where you live in relation to the airport, you may decide to take a taxi. Get quotes from several taxi firms before booking, as prices can vary, especially if your flights are at ‘antisocial’ times.
If you decide to drive to the airport, you’ll need to park your car for the duration of the holiday. The most cost-effective way of doing this is to use one of the satellite airport car parking companies that exist around most UK airports. You drive your car to the car park where it is parked for you. You will then be transported to the airport by shuttle bus. Your car will be kept securely for you while you are away and you will be collected from the airport when you arrive back after your break.
Airport parking companies are much cheaper than parking your car in the airport car parks, and they are also more secure. Shop around for the cheapest airport parking companies before you book.
Your summer holiday need not break the bank. Use the tips above to save money and use the spare cash for extra excursions on your holiday