What are your best tips for saving money on family holidays? Share to win a £300 Love2Shop voucher, courtesy of Lloyds Bank. NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

We all know that taking the family away can come with a hefty price tag, but in the cold, dark months everyone could do with having a bit of sunshine to look forward to later in the year. Lloyds Bank would like you to share advice on finding a great family getaway that doesn't break the bank.

Here’s what they said: “Holidays with your family can create memories that last a lifetime, however sometimes your finances can overshadow the time away. Whether it’s early, meticulous planning or a spontaneous last minute break, we would love to hear Mumsnetter’s tips for getting the most value from a family holiday" – Lloyds Bank

We know Mumsnetters are a savvy bunch, so what tips do you have for keeping the cost of your holiday down?

Do you venture off the beaten track when it comes to choosing a destination? Would you plan your own holiday package to find the best individual deals and eliminate unnecessary extras? Maybe you go away with other families to share the cost - or go for self-catering options to control your budget?

Whatever your tips, Lloyds Bank would like to hear them for saving when it comes to booking your family holidays: whether at home or abroad.

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw and one MNer will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks,

MNHQ

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Plan in advance to save money on hotels and air travel..think about going on a slightly different route to save money!

Self-catering is the way to go. You don't need to be chained to the kitchen. Picnic and buffet style food is fun on holiday and it means you can stock up on drinks and snacks for day trips without having to pop into cafes all the time. Plus, if you're off abroad, take your time and research which countries are giving great exchange rates.

The main saving we find is to shop around especially online as often there are really good all inclusive deals which means you don't need much spending money

Divide up your holiday money into daily budget amounts and put them in sealed envelopes, that way you will have to really think about whether you need to go over budget on that day.

Budget for a set amount each day and stick to it. You then have the option to spend extra at the end of the holiday if you don't spend set amout or bring money back witn you

By all means search online for your perfect holiday, find the one that ticks all the boxes but in past experience do not actually book it on line. Call up the company and speak to a "real person", make friends and chat and tell them about this holiday that you have found but say that you are a little unsure of booking it as it is over your budget - it has never failed for them to come down a fair bit on the price. You never know you may even come away with some extras too. I find it always pays to speak to a real person!

Book your flights the day they are released. It will save a fortune

If eating out lunch set menus offer great bargains, if you want to push the boat out Michelin star meals can be had for £25 for 3 courses at lunch time

We always buy sunscreen coming out of the summer when its reduced - it still has a decent shelf life.

Friends take us to the airport to save on parking charges & we return the favour.

Set a budget and stick to it, don't get carried away.

We collect vouchers that are printed in the Sun newspaper. They offer a wide range of holidays from £9.50 per person. I live 20 miles away from the nearest Haven holiday park saving hundreds of pounds on holiday travel costs. You will find everything you need on site and your entertainment pass will keep holiday makers busy throughout their stay with Havens schedule of entertainment and events. For a small additional cost I take my Labrador Alfie and Dalmation Bobby with me, saving on kennel bills.

When on holiday we hae saved money by pacing the treats,,,,so if Fair we go near the end of the week,, we limit eating out and miscellaneous items like ice cream etc and then on the last day go a bit mad!!

Book a self catering apartment, that way at least most meals can be made there cheaple, rather than paying to eat out every meal.
Buy lots of bottled water in the supermarket and take them with you when you go out as it costs far less than buying water or fizzy drinks from beach vendors.

Go self catering - make sandwiches for lunches, buy ice creams or ice pops from supermarket and store in freezer - works out a lot cheaper

If you've found your perfect holiday, it's WELL worth hopping on to another device before you hit the 'buy' button. Sometimes a 'new' customer gets a lower price - so if you've researched on your phone/tablet, login via a desktop to make the final purchase, or vice versa. You can also delete cookies in your browser settings to remove any trace of your search, for the same result.

Consider taking out an annual family travel insurance policy, which will probably pay for itself after just a couple of trips – but check first if you have existing coverage via a bank account.

Use baking soda, soap, and hot water to make cleaning baby bottles a snap

Read trip advisor and plan visits to places while you are away as much in advance as you can. That way you can keep an eye out for discounts and deals. Check Groupon and Living Social for the area you are travelling to, and take as many things as possible with you like bottles of pop and snacks etc, even if you are staying in a hotel.

Try and lose a travel agents. If you book flights hotels etc it often works out cheaper and its always worth using a cashback website if buying online. Also sometimes a phone call to the hotel about the possibility of staying can be worthwhile as sometimes they will know a bit of money off to get you to stay.

this year we're on a budget - so it's a cheap selfcatering holiday this year.

Best tip I was given, go right at the end of the school summer holidays if you are going to France, most French schools go back a week earlier than in the UK so the last week the prices drop. It's also worth looking at centreparcs in France in October half term or May half terms - both of these the local French children don't have a holiday, so even with a crossing to France, it's half the price of Centreparcs in England for those weeks. (I haven't looked at Holland but apparently similarly cheap those weeks).

If you aren't going self catering, look at the costs of all inclusive compared to half board - don't just price the lunch cost, but the costs of snacks, drinks, icecreams etc. It does often end up being a cheaper deal if you are likely to stay on the resort for most of the day anyway.

Also check if you can book via a cash back website like quidco.

I manage to have several short breaks a year, by staying in caravan parks. All your entertainment/activities are on site, we go swimming, to the park, small soft play area, we go to the kids clubs if its something good like pizza making. In the evening there is kids entertainment, bingo, quiz, cabaret. Not everybody's cup of tea but seeing as often its just me and DD, it's all I need to keep her happy.

We take most of our food with us, just cereal and toast for breakfast, then a mixture of cheese, ham, eggs, bread, sausages, baked beans, ready made mash etc, so that we can have a variety of meals made very simply. We usually treat ourselves to one meal out per holiday, or buy some chips to eat with ham and eggs.

The only costs that I incur then are for a few drinks each evening. For me its about taking time off work and spending time with DD.

I also have a short break in a travelodge right on the seafront. we have breakfast on site which is usually cheaper if book in advance, and eat so much we dont need to eat again until tea time. we also take coffee and muffins back to the room and have occasionally made a sandwich for later.

When you're planning/researching try to factor in all of the possible costs. Often a self-catering holiday flying from a popular airport isn't any cheaper than a seemingly more expensive an all-inclusive holiday from a local airport once you factor in airport parking, additional mileage to the airport and buying food/meals.

Equally we find that when we're abroad we don't spend an awful lot since DC are happy with the pool, the beach and any kids' activities. We have however had some very expensive holidays in the UK paying for day trips, castles, theme parks, local attractions because the weather has been so awful there wasn't much else to do.

Lots and lots of research before hand to plan free/low cost activities and days out to do while you're there. Picnics are a must if the weather is up to it! Xxx

We save up ba points and book out flights on points where ever and when ever we can. We stay with friends, make sure we exchange currency at a good rate beforehand, make sure our heating is turned down at home, appliances off etc (count the pennies and the pounds will count themselves!!) We also do a lot of europe holidays to germany which seems to be a really unpopular destination from the uk as it's always really reasonable and we hardly ever meet any english people!!