The great getaway is in full swing with thousands of Sots planning a trip abroad or a sunny staycation this summer as travel rules remain relaxed for most popular destinations.
And according to financial guru, Martin Lewis, millions of people across the UK had already booked summer holidays before the cost of living crisis began to put additional pressure on household finances, with thousands of Twitter users responding to his online poll saying they plan to travel overseas this year.
Writing in the latest edition of the MoneySavingExpert.com newsletter, he wrote: “Around 60% of the 60,000+ who replied to my Twitter poll last week said they plan to leave UK shores and holiday abroad this year (or already have).”
To help everyone planning a trip at home or abroad, the consumer champion has created an essential list of 18 things everyone needs to do before they travel to keep costs down and have a hassle-free holiday.
His mammoth list covers passports, airport parking, health cover, foreign currency, accommodation bookings, air travel seating, Covid tests and more.
He explained: “With the first big post-lockdown holiday season fast approaching, it's never been more important for your pocket to prepare.”
You can read the full list on MoneysavingExpert.com here and a few key points below.
Check your passport
Passport renewals and applications can take up to 10 weeks so make sure you get your documents sent away with plenty of time to spare to avoid a last minute panic.
Travellers should also bear in mind that many countries in Europe require them to have at least three months left on their passport from the date they intend to leave their destination, while some other countries, particularly in Africa or Asia, require six months.
This rule means that if you are planning a holiday to France until July 24, for example, your passport would have to have an expiry date of no earlier than October 24.
Or if you were travelling to a country such as Turkey that employs the six-month passport rule and departing on that same date, your passport expiry date would have to be January 24, 2023, or later.
Accommodation costs
If you’ve booked accommodation and notice it is now cheaper than when you booked it, Martin says that you may be able to do a ‘rebook trick’ that may save you money.
He explained: “If the price of your hotel has dropped and your booking allows free cancellation, simply rebook for less.”
He also advises using comparison sites to check prices to make sure you get the best deal.
Beware holiday scams
Lloyds Bank recently highlighted how holidaymakers are being duped out of nearly £3,000 on average while people planning caravan staycations are losing nearly £400 to scammers.
The bank said the volume of scams being reported, which are linked to holiday bookings, has increased by 33% over the past year. The average amount lost to flight fraud was £2,955, with victims of package holidays and hotel-related scams losing around £2,342 and £1,231, respectively.
And with many people opting for UK-based holidays over the last 12 months, Lloyds said scams linked to people booking short stays in caravans has more than doubled with staycationers losing on average £374.
Martin warns that the situation is “rife right now” and if you’re looking online for a getaway, “you are likely to be targeted by scammers with ads for fake package holidays, hotels, flights and especially caravans”.
Be vigilant and remember, if something looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Airport parking costs
Another great tip from the Money Saving Expert is to book airport parking in advance, even if it’s on the day you’re travelling as pre-booking online before you get there is a sure-fire way to save a fair amount of cash.
Mobile roaming charges
Martin explained: “This summer is the first since 2016 where you can't roam-like-at-home when in EU countries.”
To make sure you don’t get hit with high charges on your mobile phone bill, check with your provider what their roaming charges are for EU and non-EU travel.
Martin says that charges are “usually £1-£2 a day to get your home phone & data package abroad”.
Find out more about roaming charges on the MoneySavingExpert.com website here.
Health insurance
Not to be confused with travel insurance, if you hold a current European Health Insurance Card (the EHIC entitles you to access state-provided healthcare when visiting the EU), this remains valid until its expiry date. After then, or if you do not have an EHIC, you will need to apply in the same way for a Global Health Insurance Card or GHIC.
Neither the EHIC or the GHIC is a replacement for travel insurance, as it will not cover you for all medical costs, or the cost of emergency repatriation back to the UK, but it will give you free access to local GP’s - read more details about GHIC on the NHS website here.
Read all 18 holiday need-to-knows on MoneySavingExpert.com here.
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