Special package deals and discounts
There are lots of fantastic deals for families on the market such as free child places and you should investigate these early in the year as they do go quickly. The general rule is that you should book early for better choice even if that does mean that you may miss a last minute deal.
Check the small print and what you are paying for. Generally you will have to share with your children and you should check the size of the room you are expected to share as the holiday company’s idea of how many beds fit in one room may differ considerably from yours. You should also look into the hidden or additional charges, whether travel insurance is included, what the cancellation policy is and how far in advance you need to book. Have a look at free child places and other special offers with Sunway, Panorama and Directholidays.ie and Budget Travel.
Bottom line-look at the extras
Look at all the extras and add them all up as they do add up and the bottom line is what is important. Extras can include fuel surcharges, seat reservation fees, baggage charges, excess luggage charges, golf bag charges, transfers, sea views, charges for cots, charges for breakfast, airport charges, transfer charges, credit card charges for reservations and supplements for under occupancy if you are taking a free child place.
Take a deep breath and take out the calculator before you buy.
Always ask for a discount
If you are booking with an operator always ask for a discount. Come to think of it ask for a discount whatever you are doing.
Book early or late?
Book early for free child places and extras such as free childcare. Then again there are such good bargains out there for late offers at the moment you might do well to also book late. It is a tricky one in this topsy turvy time!
Certainly family packages are great value at the moment with deals staring at €199 from companies such as Budget Travel who are running a massive sale. Aer Lingus, BMI and lots of other airlines have great bargains and sale as well. It seems hard to believe that you will do better by holding off.
Currency Game
Think about playing the currency game. With near parity with sterling at the moment look at booking in sterling as there are huge savings to be made. This goes for accommodation as well as buying and renting ski gear and equipment online.
Better still think about taking a holiday in the UK with themeparks, the great sights of London and Scotland and just a quick ferry ride to get to Wales there is lots to see and do with the family as well as making a smart currency driven holiday decision.
The US also looks like a good bet with airfares and hotel rooms falling as a result of the credit crunch and the currency position of the dollar as well as the impact of the recession on the plans of those in the US for home vacations.
With the weakness of sterling against the euro many travellers from the UK have decided to look at alternatives to euro zone countries and as such this year the traditional areas of France, Spain,Italy and Portugal many see a drop in interest from UK visitors. This may well bode well for those with euro to spend looking to book a DIY or last minute holiday.
You will find lots of family friendly travel tips and advice in our research and advice section to help you book the right family holiday. Check out also the experiences of other parents and travellers in our parents forum and add your own experiences as we are a great believer in real parent's experiences as the best measure of whether somewhere will suit you for your family holiday.
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