Tips For Booking A Vacation

If you want to book a holiday or trip at a good price while also making sure you are booking with a reputable company, this guide is for you.

There are so many websites selling flights, hotels, car hire and holidays now that it can be difficult to know who you can trust. A price that looks amazing isn’t always a bargain, and unfortunately there are plenty of dodgy websites out there.

I have been travelling for over 20 years, and these are some of the things I do to try to save money while also avoiding scams, unexpected costs and nasty surprises.

Shop around

This is probably the most important tip I can give you.

Shop around for everything.

Flights, hotels, car hire, travel insurance, attraction tickets, airport parking and pretty much anything else you are buying for your trip.

Don’t find the first price and immediately book it.

Prices can vary considerably between different companies, so take a few minutes to check. Sometimes the difference can be surprisingly large.

Of course, if you are very rich and don’t care about saving money, feel free to book the first price you see!
For the rest of us, it is worth checking.

Check the site is reputable

Just because a website appears in Google and has a great price doesn’t mean you should immediately hand over your money.

Before booking, check what other people are saying about the company.

I usually check places such as Tripadvisor, Trustpilot and Google Reviews. I also look at travel blogs, social media and forums if I am unsure about a company.

Don’t just look at the price.

A website offering a hotel for £50 less isn’t much of a bargain if you never receive your booking!

Check for ATOL and ABTA protection

If you are booking a flight or holiday from a UK company, check whether the booking is covered by ATOL or ABTA protection, where applicable.

ATOL and ABTA are not the same thing and the protection you receive depends on what you are actually booking, so don’t simply assume that seeing a logo means everything is protected.

Check the company’s protection details before paying.
This is particularly important with package holidays and flight-inclusive bookings.

Check whether you need a visa or travel authorisation

Never assume you can just turn up!
Before travelling, check whether you need a visa, ESTA, ETA or another type of travel authorisation for the country you are visiting.

Also check the rules if you are transiting through another country.

You might not be leaving the airport, but depending on the country, your nationality and the type of connection you have, you may still need to meet certain entry or transit requirements.
Getting this wrong can result in you being refused boarding or refused entry.

And don’t assume your travel insurance will cover you if you simply failed to get the required travel authorisation. Always check the requirements before booking.

If possible, pay by credit card for larger purchases

For UK travellers, paying by credit card can provide additional protection for certain purchases.

Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act can allow you to make a claim against your credit card company for certain purchases costing more than £100 and up to £30,000 if something goes seriously wrong.

For example, if a company goes bust and you have paid for something that you never receive, Section 75 may be able to help.
There are conditions, so don’t assume every transaction automatically qualifies. Check the rules with your credit card provider if you are unsure.

Debit cards don’t give you Section 75 protection, although you may have chargeback rights in some circumstances.

Be careful when paying with PayPal

PayPal offers its own buyer protection, but don’t assume that paying through PayPal gives you the same Section 75 protection as paying the company directly by credit card.

If Section 75 protection is important to you, check exactly how the payment is being processed before you pay.

On a very small budget? Consider a hostel

If your budget is really tight, don’t automatically assume you need to book a hotel.

Hostels can be considerably cheaper, particularly if you are travelling alone.
You don’t necessarily have to sleep in a dorm either. Many hostels offer private rooms, so it is worth checking the prices before dismissing them.
Sometimes the difference between a hostel and hotel can be surprisingly small, so compare both.

Check whether booking through the app is cheaper

Some travel companies offer discounts or special prices when you book through their app.
Before booking on a website, it is worth checking the app too.
You might find a mobile-only discount or another offer that isn’t available on the normal website.
It only takes a minute to check.

Should you book everything together or separately?

This is another one where you need to shop around.
Sometimes booking a flight and hotel together as a package can be cheaper.
Other times, booking the flight from one company and the hotel from another can save you money.
Try both.
Get a price for the complete package and then compare it with the cost of booking everything separately.
Just remember that there can be differences in protection and terms depending on how you book, so don’t look at price alone.

Don’t forget travel insurance

Please don’t skip travel insurance just to save a bit of money.

Whether you need single-trip or annual travel insurance depends on how much you travel.
If you are taking several trips during the year, annual insurance can sometimes work out considerably cheaper than buying separate policies for every trip.
But don’t just compare the price.
Check what the policy actually covers, including medical expenses, cancellation, baggage, delays and any activities you plan to do.

Get annual travel insurance as soon as you book your trip

This is something I think a lot of people get wrong.
If you have annual travel insurance, don’t assume that you only need it from the day you fly.
If you book a holiday in January for a trip in July, there can be a long period between booking and travelling.
If you want cancellation cover to apply from the point you make the booking, your insurance needs to be in place at that point, subject to the policy terms.
For example, if you book your flight on 1 January for a trip in July, don’t wait until July to buy your annual insurance.
Check the policy wording carefully, but generally, the earlier you have the appropriate cover in place, the better.

If you have a criminal record, check the entry requirements

This is particularly important if you have a criminal record.
Some countries have specific entry or visa requirements relating to previous convictions. In some cases, you may need to apply for a visa or travel authorisation when another traveller with no convictions would not.
Don’t assume that because you have travelled somewhere before, you will automatically be allowed to enter again.
Check the official entry requirements for the country you are visiting before booking.

Always pay in the local currency when using your card abroad

This is one of my favourite money-saving travel tips.
When paying by card abroad, you will sometimes be asked whether you want to pay in your own currency or the local currency.
Choose the local currency.

For example, if you are in the USA and the terminal asks whether you want to pay in US dollars or pounds, choose US dollars.
If you choose to pay in pounds, the retailer or payment processor is usually doing the currency conversion for you, and their exchange rate can be considerably worse than the rate offered by your card provider.
This is known as dynamic currency conversion.
Your own bank or card provider may charge foreign transaction fees, so check what your card charges before travelling.
But if your card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, paying in the local currency will usually give you a much better deal than allowing the merchant to convert it for you.

Some travel companies I have personally used:

These are some of the companies and websites I have used myself for travel bookings.
I don’t like recommending companies that I have never personally used. If I haven’t used a company, I don’t think it is fair for me to tell you that I recommend them.
These are therefore companies I have personally used and have had good experiences with:

• Expedia UK (flights, hotels, cars)
• Expedia USA (flights, hotels, cars)
• Trip.com (flights, hotels, cars)
• Qeeq (rental cars and hotels)
• Aviasales (flights)
• Autoeurope (rental cars)
• Getrentacar (rental cars)
• CedarTree Insurance (Travel insurance)
• CoverForYou (Travel insurance)
• Medical Travel Insurance (Travel insurance)

There are plenty of other companies out there, of course. These are simply the ones I have personally used.

I would always recommend doing your own research before booking, even if I have had a good experience with a company. Prices, policies and services can change, so check the current terms before you pay.
The cheapest price isn’t always the best deal.
For me, the best booking is one where I have found a good price, know who I am booking with, understand what protection I have and have checked all the requirements before handing over my money.
That extra few minutes of research can save you a LOT of money and stress later.