When it comes to travel, it pays to be a bit clever. Here are 7 top money savings tips for your holiday in Alicante.
BOOKING TOO LATE OR TOO EARLY
Britons missed out on more than £46m in flight savings last year by booking flights at the wrong time. Crunching 2 years worth of Skyscanner data, travellers could have saved up to 29% if they’d booked at the right time. Big money as on a £350 flight, that works out at over £100!
TIP So next time you look at booking flights to Alicante, try Skyscanners Best Time To Book Tool to ensure you don’t pay over the odds. This tool not only indicates the ideal moment to book your tickets, but also reveals the cheapest months to travel. As Alicante Holiday Villas is totally flexible about length of stay, you can take advantage of the best deals!
SKIPPING TRAVEL INSURANCE
Travel insurance doesn’t have to cost the earth, yet millions jet off on holiday without cover, risking £1,000s if something goes wrong. While you might only have to fork out £200-£500 to replace a lost passport, if you pick up an ear infection, need an air ambulance etc it could run into thousands of pounds. TIP However, don’t opt for the insurance offered by your airline as a standalone policy is cheaper. And buy one as soon as you’ve booked your holiday, or you will have no cover for cancellation or anything else that might go wrong before your holiday. Some bank accounts offer travel insurance as a ‘free perk’ but check the cover is suitable before relying on it. At present, if you travel to Alicante, remember to take your European Health Insurance Card, but this is NOT a substitute for travel insurance. It only entitles EU Citizens to Spanish medical care at the same rate as Spanish citizens, but it won’t cover all your costs, or bringing you back to the UK, which in an air ambulance can cost £25,000.
PAYING ON THE DAY FOR AIRPORT PARKING
Your airport parking space can cost up to £190 LESS simply by booking online a few hours ahead. You can save hundreds of pounds by paying for your parking space in advance rather than paying on the day (£385 for a week in Gatwick South’s Premium short-stay car park versus £195 booked the previous day). TIP You can save even more by booking with an approved off-site parking provider such as APH or Purple Parking. Or look at checking into one of the on-airport hotels the day before you fly – you can get great deals that cost less than airport parking alone. For example, on the day checked, the turn up cost for a week’s valet parking was actually £100 more than the price for a night’s stay at Bloc Hotel, Gatwick, including 8 days’ valet parking and fast-track access through airport security. Try airport parking comparison sites such as Skypark Secure, which gives you official, off-site and hotel parking options at 28 UK airports.
CURRENCY EXCHANGE
Whilst sterling is weak, it is more important than ever to get maximum value from your money and that means pre-ordering your travel spending, rather than exchanging it at the airport. Search online for the best deals at Travelmoneymax. Some online providers charge a fee for home delivery on smaller amounts – typically £500 or less – but you can bypass this by collecting it yourself, or try your local Tescos branch who give competitive rates. On a transaction of €500, you could save as much as £55 – more than enough for a family meal out in Alicante!
CONSIDER FLYING TO MADRID IN THE SUMMER MONTHS AND PICK UP A HIRE CAR
Crazy as it may sound, if you are planning to hire a car for your summer holiday in Alicante, consider flying to Madrid during July & August, picking up your hire car at Madrid Airport and then driving the 4 hours down to Alicante. Madrid is notoriously hot in the summer months and Madrilenos flee to the coasts to escape the heat – therefore flights to Madrid are surprisingly cheap! TIP A quick check from London Gatwick to Alicante for 2nd August 2018 shows the cheapest fare at £165 compared to London Gatwick to Madrid for just £94! On a family of 4 that equates to a £284 saving! Car hire from Madrid for a week from 2nd August 2018 is showing an Economy 5 door rental for just £109 – worth thinking about!
USING CREDIT / DEBIT CARDS ABROAD
Your flexible friend could cost a fortune overseas. Most standard credit and debit cards charge a non-sterling transaction fee of 2.5%- 5% on foreign transactions, so spending £100 could cost £105. Then there’s the typical £1.50-£3 fee for cash withdrawals abroad and, in some cases, a charge every time you spend. Therefore sign up for a specialist overseas credit card that doesn’t carry these fees. The Halifax Clarity Mastercard, for example, has no charges on worldwide spending or cash withdrawals. TIP If a retailer in Spain offers to let you pay in Sterling – refuse! The shop will do the currency conversion, and it’ll usually be worse than your card. Always pay in Euros instead.
BUYING GUIDEBOOKS AND MAPS
These days a smartphone is the only guide you need! With roaming charges abolished in the EU, (and free WiFi in ALL Alicante Holiday Villas properties!) there are some great free apps such as the Lonely Planet Guides (free on Android and iOS) plus Google Maps area for Gran Alacant and Alicante! Happy Holidays!
We hope you enjoyed the article! Remember you can search for your perfect property in Alicante by using our alicante villa search on our home page. Please don't hesitate to contact us directly for help and advice.