Summer holidays are here and many people are jetting off to warmer climes to escape Ireland's rainy weather.
However, in the midst of the cost of living crisis, everyone is looking to get the best value for money when they are travelling.
With flights, accommodation, potential transfers - not to mention the cost of the actual holiday from food and drink to day trips and excursions - it adds up fast.
READ MORE: Ryanair rules on taking food onto planes to save money
One travel expert has shared what she does to get the most bang for her buck on holidays, RSVP Live reports.
Kate Berski, a writer from the UK, has some travel tips and tricks she shared to her TikTok followers on how she managed to get free upgrades and dodge cancellation fees.
She said: "If you're planning on booking a hotel anything soon, you want to hear my top hotel hacks.
"I'm going to save you money and hopefully get you a free upgrade as well," she told her TikTok followers.
Upgrades
"First hack, the phone is your friend. Instead of booking online, which is super tempting, always phone the hotel directly and ask them what their best rate is.
"Often, they'll match and even better the rate and sometimes they will offer you an upgrade on the spot as well."
The travel expert says she has found that the later she arrives for trips, the more likely she was to receive a free upgrade.
"That's because they know they're not gonna sell the room so they might as well give you a better experience. So if you can, the later you go, the more chances of a free upgrade.
Cancellation fees
"Final tip is if you've missed the cancellation window, super annoying, you don't want to pay those full fees. First, try to move your reservation to a much later date and then cancel it.
"Often you can completely avoid the cancellation fees or paying the full room fee that way".
She also adds that mentioning a special occasion when asking for an upgrade is also a useful tip.
