Using the internet to cut your travel costs

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In the last couple of decades, the internet has grown exponentially into a tool that can be used for just about anything, a tool that practically dominates our everyday lives. Today, it is often our first point of call to check the news, buy a new camera or book a cheap holiday. 

Holidays are famously affordable when they’re booked on the internet, with everything from the flights, hotels to the cheap holiday insurance sporting slashed prices on various websites. Before you go ahead and book the first deal you see, milk the internet for all it is worth to save yourself a small fortune.

As an example, if you want to secure yourself cheap travel insurance compare deals on price comparison sites like moneysupermarket.com. That way, you can assess a vast list of the best deals on the internet on one website and choose the one that’s best for you.

When it comes to flights, there is, as you will know, a multitude of budget airlines that will potentially save you hundreds in this area. Most of the best deals are advertised, inevitably, on the home page of their websites, but it doesn’t hurt to do a little digging around for something that not everybody is going to see. Sites like Expedia.com offer flight and hotel packages to save you even more, but many of these kinds of deals are only available on the internet.

The same applies to hostel websites. Telephone bookings often incur an extortionate booking fee, but if you turn to the web, you might be pleasantly surprised. We’re not saying that there are absolutely no booking fees on the internet, because there are, but you may well come across a money-saving gem if you do your research.

Another way you save money on your travels is by booking the airport transfers (if applicable, of course) before you actually travel. If it’s not already booked, people often take advantage of the fact that you have no other choice than to get a transfer from the airport by hiking up the costs of their services.

Advanced booking is also the way forward if you plan on doing anything special on your travels. Things that require specialist equipment, like rock climbing, or group bookings, like ocean excursions, not only have reduced costs but also guarantee that you actually get a place.

Not everybody plans this far in advance, but it just goes to show that it can save you a significant amount of money if you do.