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Getting a good deal on your holiday

By: Milo Sprygada


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We are less than six months into a new decade and the UK has already experience more than its fair of travel chaos. From strikes to snow storms, to latest ''incident'' volcanic ash, us Brits have more than one good reason to think twice about booking an overseas holiday this summer.

But it seems that we are not so easily dismayed. A survey by Travelzoo shows although 24% of respondents were affected in some way by the ash cloud a massive 84% said they were not going to change their future travel plans as a result. This proves the resilience of the British public, as we now view holidays as necessity not a luxury.

If you have put off booking a holiday this year because you were worried about costs and travel disruption, then here are some ways to save money without forsaking quality.

Flexibility will make the difference between a cheap but mediocre holiday and a cheap but value-packed holiday. These are the questions you should bear in mind. Can you travel from a regional airport or fly at 3am? Do you mind travelling in a group? Are you willing to take your kids out of school? Do you even mind where you are going, or is a good deal on sun, sand and sea more important?

If you can travel from Birmingham or Manchester instead of one of London''s airports you can save quite a tidy sum, particularly if you are booking a package deal. Most travel companies now offer regional flights, but sometimes they buy too many seats on the plane from Manchester and everyone ends up flying from Gatwick. To shift these extra Manchester seats they chop the price in half.

If you are booking direct with an airline, look for antisocial flight times. Most low-cost carriers get burdened with rubbish take-off and landing slots, which most people will avoid like the plague. If you can fly at 3am instead of 3pm you can save ?20 on a flight that only cost ?30 and you get the whole day at your destination.

Likewise it''s not just the time you fly but the date too. July and August as well as the various half-terms can be around 30% more expensive than travelling outside of these times. In most southern Med destinations the weather is still warm and dry in May and June as well as September and October and you won''t have to pay a premium for it. Just make sure you give a good excuse for that suntan when the kids go back to school.

Travel like other commodities is cheaper per person if you buy in bulk. This is most easily expressed in accommodation. A four-bed apartment will not cost twice as much as a two bed one so per person you will pay a lot less, and you will probably benefit from better facilities.

Finally, if you aren''t fussed about where you sun yourself, check out the last minute or late deals pages on the major tour ops. If you can travel to Mexico in two weeks you can save ?300 and if you go to Turkey instead of Spain you''ll get 50% off. Flexibility is key.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

#Pen name# is a travel writer and was inspired by Thomas Cook''s diverse ideas for short holidays to compose this article.

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