5 top travel tips to make your holiday easier
Holidays can be expensive, that’s for sure. Getting everything organised for your trip can be quite a challenge, too. So we’ve compiled these simple tips to save you money and allow you to enjoy your time away to the full.
Scanning travel docs
It’s a good idea to scan your travel details, passports and insurance information then email them to yourself. That way, if the worst happens and they get lost or are stolen, it will make it much easier to get your documents replaced by embassies or travel companies if you can produced your scanned copies.
Paying with your card, not currency
Gone are the days when you had to get your currency before you travelled. So why not avoid the stress of queuing at the bureau de change and make the decision to pay mainly by card while abroad. It will take one thing off your To Do list and paying with a card is usually cheaper than changing money at the airport anyway. You can always use the ATMs abroad for some extra cash and paying by card is safer and more convenient.
Avoid ‘squanderlust’ at the airport
The shops and cafes in departure lounges know they’ve got a captive audience but do try and resist the temptation to go on a spending frenzy as you while away the time before your flight. Research shows that a third of Britons admit to blowing any leftover cash at the airport once a holiday ends. So take time to consider whether you really need a pair of overpriced gold flip flops. Is that bottle of bizarrely coloured liqueur truly an amazing offer or is it going to languish at the back of your drinks cabinet once you get home?
Book in advance
Pre-book as much as you can before you go to save time and money. Not only can you get excited at planning all your excursions in advance, it is much cheaper and you can enjoy a sense of satisfaction as you bypass all the queues. Hiring a car is usually cheaper if you do it in advance, so take advantage of all the comparison websites online to find the best deal.
Pay it forward
You’ll have seen the charity collections at the airports for unwanted currency. With 86% of Britons admitting to having leftover change, it’s a nice gesture to donate any change that’s just going to gather dust at home, before leaving the country. Figures show people have an average £36 of leftover currency. Of course, you could save it for your next trip, provided of course you’ll remember where you put it, but if you’ve enjoyed your well-earned break, why not pay it forward?