How to start saving
Well it's that time of year again when I grab my passport and head of to sunnier skies in an attempt to top up my ever dwindling tan.
But I often wondered how I can I get 5 star quality at 3 star price.
Every now and then I would see some adventuress sole sitting in the airport lobby waiting for a cheap flight cancellation to hop on to. But the thought of not having a hotel when I get to a destination leaves me in quiet/grudging admiration of their frugal free spirit. So what is one to do to get a quality cheap holiday without the associated risk of having to sleep on a beach when you get there.
Here's the rub, whilst trying to book a holiday to Tenerife a couple of years ago I decided to try and save a little cash by booking my flight and hotel separately, whilst it did seem to save a little money on the brochure price by the time I added the cost of airport transfer this basically negated any saving I had made. I then spotted a late deal in my local travel agent. It was only a two star hotel but provided a return fight, half board accommodation and hotel transfers at little more than the price of a standard flight. After flying out to Tenerife and finding that although the restaurant in the Hotel was passable the hotel rooms were a little substandard I left my wife at the poolside after depositing the cases in the room and headed out credit card in hand to find a better quality hotel( 5 star). To my surprise the hotels which had been quoting me prices of 150-200 euros a day only a few weeks earlier, were now prepared to let me stay in a pool view room at little more than 400 euros for the week on a bed and breakfast per room basis. The food at the two stars was OK although the nights we didn't fancy it we just dined at a local restaurant which added a few euros but all in all the savings were worthwhile.
The cost of the same one week holiday in the brochure were £850 (1275 euros) per person for me and my wife that gives us 2550 euros in total for the brochure. The overall cost for my package was £200 (300 euros) per person for the late package 600 euros in total and 400 euros for the hotel that gives a total of 1000 euros for the week a saving of 1550 euros on the brochure price. Needless to say we now employ this tactic most of the time.
But I often wondered how I can I get 5 star quality at 3 star price.
Every now and then I would see some adventuress sole sitting in the airport lobby waiting for a cheap flight cancellation to hop on to. But the thought of not having a hotel when I get to a destination leaves me in quiet/grudging admiration of their frugal free spirit. So what is one to do to get a quality cheap holiday without the associated risk of having to sleep on a beach when you get there.
Here's the rub, whilst trying to book a holiday to Tenerife a couple of years ago I decided to try and save a little cash by booking my flight and hotel separately, whilst it did seem to save a little money on the brochure price by the time I added the cost of airport transfer this basically negated any saving I had made. I then spotted a late deal in my local travel agent. It was only a two star hotel but provided a return fight, half board accommodation and hotel transfers at little more than the price of a standard flight. After flying out to Tenerife and finding that although the restaurant in the Hotel was passable the hotel rooms were a little substandard I left my wife at the poolside after depositing the cases in the room and headed out credit card in hand to find a better quality hotel( 5 star). To my surprise the hotels which had been quoting me prices of 150-200 euros a day only a few weeks earlier, were now prepared to let me stay in a pool view room at little more than 400 euros for the week on a bed and breakfast per room basis. The food at the two stars was OK although the nights we didn't fancy it we just dined at a local restaurant which added a few euros but all in all the savings were worthwhile.
The cost of the same one week holiday in the brochure were £850 (1275 euros) per person for me and my wife that gives us 2550 euros in total for the brochure. The overall cost for my package was £200 (300 euros) per person for the late package 600 euros in total and 400 euros for the hotel that gives a total of 1000 euros for the week a saving of 1550 euros on the brochure price. Needless to say we now employ this tactic most of the time.
posted by Zebadey at 6:11 AM
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