Whether you’re going away for this half-term, or planning a sun-soaked trip further down the line, be it a city-break or beach holiday, don’t let money worries get in the way of your fun!
With data showing 34% of people get hit with airport charges, Money.co.uk savings expert Lucinda O’Brien has put together some quick and easy travel tips to help you be money savvy when travelling abroad, and avoid paying the unnecessary charges!
Print or download your boarding cards at home to save yourself paying at the airport
“Your wallet could take a hit before you even leave the house, if you get stung with airport charges – but these are avoidable if you plan correctly.
If you forget to print your boarding card, your airline could make you pay for the privilege of printing it for you. Ryanair charges a £20 boarding pass reissue fee if you arrive at the airport without your printed boarding pass.”
Weigh your luggage before you leave home to make sure it is under the airline’s limit
“You could also get charged if your luggage exceeds the allowance. Weighing your baggage before you leave the house will give you the time to take some bits out or add some stuff to your hand luggage so your case stays under the weight limit.
If your hold luggage is over and you haven’t paid for extra, you might be charged. For example, Jet2.com charges £12 per extra kilogram.
But some airlines could refuse to carry oversized hand luggage. Ryanair refuses any luggage in the cabin that’s over the allotted weight. In some cases, they charge a fee of £69.99 to store it in the hold.
If you simply can’t be without your favourite jumper or jacket, you could try wearing it rather than packing it, to limit the amount of baggage you’re checking in and keep the weight at bay.”
Get your travel money before arriving at the airport
“Avoid buying your travel money at the airport. While the convenience of exchanging money at airports or popular tourist areas may seem tempting, the rates offered there are often much higher than you’d find anywhere else.
It’s also worth noting that ordering currency online can be more expensive if the delivery fees are high; your best bet is to go to a reputable currency exchange centre and pick up the money yourself. They tend to have the best rates and you can avoid delivery fees. Eurochange for example charges £5.00 delivery fees if you order less than £500 in currency.”
Make sure you have travel insurance
“Travel insurance can cover you against medical costs, theft, loss of your valuables, cancellations, delays and most other things that could go wrong on holiday.
However, you will only be protected if you get a policy with the right level of cover. When spending money on a policy, make sure everything you need is included to avoid incurring unnecessary losses.”
Phone your hotel before you travel to ask how much a safe deposit box and other extras costs
“Once you have arrived at your destination, you still need to be careful, as you could be hit with all sorts of unexpected fees and charges such as tourist tax or rental of your hotel’s safety deposit box.
Other unexpected costs include car hire excess charges, expensive taxis and using air conditioning in your room. Whatever services you use abroad, phone your hotel ahead to find how much you will be charged first and read the small print. It’s also worth finding out how much tourist tax is before you book, so you can budget accordingly.
Several regions of Spain, including Barcelona and the hugely popular Balearic Islands, have implemented a tourism tax which sees holidaymakers pay up to €4 extra per night during their stay. If you’re at a 5* hotel, this is often even higher.”
Check Tripadvisor reviews to find out about different hotels’ additional costs
“Some hotels offer free breakfasts, unlimited towels and coffee in your room, whereas some will charge for these extras. It’s always a good idea to trawl Tripadvisor reviews to find out which hotels offer the most freebies before you make your choice!”
Keep mobile costs down
“Although mobile networks have been forced to cut the cost of making calls, sending texts and using data abroad, roaming charges can still be a major holiday expense if you are not careful.
Some ways to keep your costs low are to set yourself a daily usage limit, call your mobile provider to see if bolt-on packages could save you money abroad, find out how much hotels, café and bars charge for wifi before you connect, switch data roaming off unless absolutely necessary and turn your phone to flight mode when not in use to avoid being charged for incoming calls.
If you travel a lot you might consider purchasing a travel eSIM from an online store such as Airalo which solves the pain of high roaming bills by giving you access to eSIMs (digital SIM cards). You can download and install a digital data pack from 200+ countries/regions and be use your phone without the massive roaming charges.
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