Taking the family abroad can get expensive when you’re limited to school holidays — but Martin Lewis has a nifty way to beat the peak-time price hikes.
In the latest edition of his Money Saving Expert (MSE) newsletter, the personal finance guru shared tips to save money on travel, with one in particular that’ll appeal to UK parents.
It’s all about working around term times in different areas, so will depend on where you’re based. First off, check when holidays start for you via your local authority’s website.
‘Most schools in England and Wales break up around July 23,’ Martin writes.
‘So book for before then if your school finishes sooner, eg, many in Leicestershire break up over a week earlier this summer.’
If you don’t fall into category though, don’t worry: holidaymakers in England can make the most of Scottish summer break, and vice versa.
Explaining the ‘Scottish trick’, which he says is especially good for those in northern England or northern Wales, Martin says: ‘Fly from Scotland in the last two weeks of August, even if you don’t live there.
‘As Scottish schools generally return around Aug 13, you can make big savings by flying the family out from Scotland instead.’
When the MSE team went looking for deals, they found the exact same late August holiday to Dalaman £151 per person cheaper when flying from Edinburgh rather than Manchester.
And it works in reverse too.
If you’re in Scotland, look to fly from England in late June or early July, before schools break up. According to MSE’s research, going from Liverpool instead of Glasgow cut the cost of a three-star all-inclusive week in Majorca from £1,155 per person to £569pp.
Don’t forget to factor in the cost of travel to and from the airport, as well as the price of a hotel (which may be necessary depending on your flight time and how far away you are).
It can also make sense to look into other countries’ holiday dates so you don’t pay over the odds.
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‘For example, book Disney World when many US kids are back at school in late August,’ says Martin. ‘A week’s family Disney stay was £223 cheaper than in late July.’
But even if you can’t wangle any of these dates, he advises waiting until the end of the summer to get the best deals.
Martin adds: ‘If you can, don’t jump to go at the start of the holidays. Hold off, then jet off in the last two weeks of summer, as prices drop rapidly at the end of August – likely because most people want to go as soon as possible.’
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With savings of £180 per person for a week in the Balearics, good things really do come to those who wait.
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