A cheap holiday expert has shared her top tips for squeezing the most out of your break without forking out too much.
Ahead of May half term, Chelsea Dickenson has provided her favourite tried and tested hacks for keen travellers in her role as holiday expert for TravelSupermarket.
With the high cost-of-living remaining in a lot of people's minds, but the desire to get away from life at home for a little while also there for many, working out how to keep track of the pounds is important.
Chelsea has shared some of her carefully selected top tips guaranteed to save holidaymakers’ time, money and space when they jet off on their summer adventures.
Ask for a free hotel upgrade
Most people dream of a hotel upgrade, but hardly anyone asks for one. Chelsea has urged members of the the public to be more proactive this summer when checking themselves in.
"A simple email asking to be considered for an upgrade can go a long way – keep your email as honest and authentic as possible – hotel staff will get these sorts of requests all the time and will often see through fake engagements," she said.
"Think the key is to be polite, complimentary, and not in any way demanding.”
Packing hacks
As with almost everything in recent years, the cost of getting your bags on a plane is more expensive now. Luckily, there are ample ways to save on packing storage space.
Chelsea advises: "Holidaymakers can maximise every inch of storage space available to them using hacks like de-stuffing and refilling neck pillows, wearing multi-pocket fishing vests and even stuffing bras to get the most out of their packing space."
Another top hack is purchasing something at duty-free, making use of the rest of the space in the duty-free bag to hide any packing overspill.
Exercising these tips ensures holidaymakers won’t have to splash the cash on last-minute check-in luggage.
Click and collect
A great a trick for parents with young children or travellers who struggle with airport liquid limits, Chelsea advises using the ‘click and collect’ facility at Boots outlets situated beyond airport security.
This will allow parents to carry on sufficient amounts of baby formula or allow travellers to stock up on sunscreen and other items that might require more than 100ml.
Not only does this save you time and hassle, the bigger items are generally cheaper-per-millilitre than the small travel bottles.
Airport lounges
For those who love to get to the airport nice and early and get into the holiday spirit straight away, Chelsea recommends airport lounges as a great value for money option.
Often priced between £30 to £40 per person, many lounges give visitors three hours to sit, relax and enjoy the complimentary food and drinks on offer. What’s more, lounges provide a quiet escape away from the chaos of departure terminals, ensuring a seamless start to every holiday.
This might not help you keep costs down, but it's a good way to keep relaxed and increase your chances of enjoying your holiday.
Check if the hotel has Club Rooms
Not every hotel will have these rooms, but Chelsea argues that a Club Room is a great way to make your stay feel more luxury without having to fork out too much.
"I recall a holiday where for an extra £26 per night, buffets were replaced by three course meals, as well as free food and drink at the hotel for 12 hours a day," she said.
House sitting and house swapping
If you are looking to explore beyond hotels and keep your costs down, Chelsea recommends exploring home sitting and house swapping websites that allow holidaymakers the chance to experience cities in their own space.
Aside from a small registration fee, this will cost travellers nothing.
