Every family wants to go on holiday and often it may be that you want to go abroad. Often this is not possible as the cost is too high, but there are ways to find low cost holidays that everyone can enjoy.

If you are not limited to going within the school holidays then I would strongly recommend avoiding these times as prices for flights and accommodation can often double during school holiday periods.

Make sure that you compare the same or similar holidays through a number of holiday brokers or direct with companies as I have seen the same holiday for over £200 less than on a previous site, making a huge saving by just doing a few searches. When you find a holiday that you like, be sure to read all the information. It may be that you are restricted on flight luggage or that transfers to and from the airport are extra. If this is the case then add on what you need to give you a total figure. You may find that once you have added the extras on it is actually cheaper to go with a company where the price quoted initially includes all of those things already.

If you are going away on holiday then you need to consider how you are going to look after your belongings and ensure they are safe. You should try and think about this when you are packing your case and take as few valuables as possible.

It is always nice to be able to take expensive jewellery and gadgets away with you, but are they all really necessary and how would you feel if you lost them? If you do need to take them with you then make sure that you put them somewhere safe for the trip, if flying then probably in your hand luggage (if permitted). This way you can keep an eye on them.

Once you arrive at your destination, find out if there is a safe in your room or if there is a safe you can use at reception to store any items that are really valuable. This may cost you extra and be a little inconvenient, but is usually money well spent.

When booking a holiday you can either purchase a complete package that includes your flights, accommodation, catering and occasionally travel insurance or you can arrange all of these things separately yourself.

If you go to a travel agent they will first discuss holiday requirements with you and budget and then they will show you a few ideas before discussing current offers with you. The benefit of this is that it is hassle free, you can get everything arrange in one go by one company without any messing around, however with any sort of convenience based product you will be paying a premium for that service.

Arranging the components of the holiday yourself will probably end up saving you money but it can be quite time consuming however you will end up getting more for your money.

Now it may be that you’d still rather pay a little more to take all the stress out of planning a holiday but either way it’s worth shopping around.

With so many different booking websites available offering the ‘best hotel deals’ and ‘cheapest room rates’ it can be hard to know which one will genuinely offer you the best deal.
The problem is that most of the independent booking websites are paid a fee by the hotels to advertise discounted rooms on their website, therefore not all booking sites have the same hotels on their books so comparisons can be hard to get.
My advice would be to choose 3 websites and check the prices of your preferred hotel, then once you have found the cheapest deal write down all the details of the offer along with the website that the deal is on and call the hotel directly.
Once you get through to the booking line state the details of the deal that you have found online and ask them what they can offer you if you book with them directly?
Most hotels will be keen to persuade you to do this as it saves them paying a fee to the booking site, this fee can be used then to further discount your direct booking with them.
Some hotels will offer you the same deal if you book direct but may (if pushed a little) throw in a free bottle of wine in the room or a discount on dinning with them.
It’s always worth asking as if you don’t ask then you definitely won’t get!

When packing for a trip abroad it can be tempting to think that you will need much more luggage allowance than is normally allocated however this need not be the case with these handy tips.

Choose a light case – It’s always good to be aware that some suitcases, particularly hard shelled ones with wheels can weigh quite a lot and can take up valuable weight allowance so always buy a light but sturdy case ideally made of fabric so that it’s easy to pack and store.

Roll your clothes – if you fold each item in your case it will not only take up more room but it will also get creased really easily, to stop this simply fold then roll your clothes and pack them in to every nook and cranny.

Make the most of your hand luggage allowance – most hand luggage allowances are quite generous so if you have heavy items such as shoes or electrical good then pop them in your hand luggage instead.

And if you still have too much luggage to carry why not send your luggage ahead using a parcel company, it can sometimes work out cheaper to do that than to carry extra baggage on your flight so well worth looking into.