How to save a bit of cash

[mightyducks]

Hi all, just recently been on a European city break, absolutely loved it and got the bug for another holiday abroad however looking for next May half term an all inclusive looks about £3.5 to £4 k for the 4 of us for a week, looked at the Algarve and Turkey . Is this what people pay? I had no idea these holidays were so expensive! Or do people have some secret ways of doing it cheaper … tell me please your best tips and tricks!

easyJet have already released some flights for summer 23. It's worth signing up to various airlines (I'm signed up to easyJet, Ryanair, WizzAir, Iberia Express, Vueling etc) and you'll hear when stuff gets released or when there are offers.
Use Skyscanner, Google flights, Momodo etc for searching for flights but don't book with them.
I prefer Skyscanner as it seems more of a comprehensive list. But none of them list all airlines.
Don't forget if you're going to say, Portugal, to look at TaP and Iberia etc for Spain.

I have never traveled AI, the thought brings me out in a cold sweat. I book flights on sky scanner to find the most cost effective times. Book accommodation through booking.com, Expedia or Airbnb. We usually travel to a few different locations within a country, mixing some villa/resort type locations with city apartments. We travel self-catering but eat out most evenings. This year we're spending three weeks in Portugal - the total cost for 4 including spends will be about £5k.

I paid £550 in term time (just us as kids are old enough to sort out their own holidays!) so £1000 min in school holidays seems about right. The £550 was cheap btw mostly due to covid restrictions keeping passengers away

When kids where kids we took road trips booking everything independently, saved maybe £1000 and more interesting. But fuel was less then!

I find all inclusive cheaper than paying for meals out. But I do book flights and hotel separate which saves a lot of money.
I'm just back from a week in Turkey. And the hotel I stayed in had waterslides and a funfair etc.

It worked out at around £450 per person so to me anywhere near £1000 is very expensive. Look on Travel Republic for hotels.

Or search yourself online and book direct with accommodation owner asking for their best rental rate.

If you ask avoid going via booking.com and airbnb.com and similar the up to 20% commission they charge is a margin open for negotiation.

We did AI every couple of years and self-catering in Germany or France inbetween and drive. AI means I don't have to think about DD asking for another ice cream or me getting another drink after dinner.

Normally we always booked flight and hotel seperately but did TUI this year as we found it a bit safer than the chaos we had in 2020 and we think it will be at least one more year before things go back to normality. We also found that with TUI DD still classified as a child while the hotels put her down as an adult (she is 15 in August and lots of hotels stop counting children from 11-12 onwards).

Play around with airports and destinations on skyscanner. We are taking the hit of a 3 hour U.K. drive to save £300 per person for flights. We go s/c and stay in basic but clean and friendly apartments/studios. This year it's costing £1100 for 2 for 3 weeks. 2 mins from the beach in a studio with a pool. Flying with Ryanair and includes 2 x carry on bags per person, pre booked seats and 1 hold suitcase.

I have a £1500 budget for our holidays. You won’t get AI for that in the summer hols, and if by some miracle you did I’m sure it would be horrible.

that budget is for flights, accommodation and any transfers.

I then take around another £1000 or so to spend on activities and food and drink. I find this works better for us. We wouldn’t be able to get a decent AI for £2500 in the summer hols. But can get a nice apartment/hotel with b&b and then eat out most of the time. That’s for 4 of us, 3 of us now counting as adults.

loveholidays.com have some all inclusive holidays to Turkey, one week from Sunday 28th May, is that half term?

They are from London Gatwick and for 4 are less than £600 per person.

We have used them before and they do have some good deals. They also let you search for any destination so can easily compare different places in one search.

Op if you pay less than £4k for an all inclusive foreign holiday in peak period for a family
then it will be pretty “budget”, which is fine if it weren’t for the fact that AI to be enjoyable really needs to NOT be budget.

if you are aghast at this amount, it might just mean this type of holiday that you want isn’t really available to you

Single parent and I paid £4700 for 8 nights AI
one adult two children