Holidays - saving money

I've just come back from an amazing holiday in Italy. Staying at Caddenabbia on Lake Como. To celebrate, here is some advice on how to cut the cost of your holiday!

1. Book online and save time and money. Many airlines/tour operators offer a discount if you book via the web rather than by calling so give it a go if you haven’t already. Check out flights for under £20.00 on the Flight Checker before you go - http://flightchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/
2. Book off-peak and mid-week if you can. You’ll find that hotels and flights are much cheaper during the off-season. If you don't have children going on holiday with you, avoid half term and school holiday weeks as they are always more expensive.
3. Don’t be afraid of asking for a reduction from a tour operator. Haggling is becoming more and more common place and it makes more sense to them to fill a place for less than lose it completely.
4. You can save hundreds of pounds by using one of the low cost airlines to jet off to a destination and then taking the local train somewhere more exotic – and expensive - to get to. Just grab a map and access the local tourist office and off you go!
5. If planning to do a lot of exploring in your chosen country, check out if they offer any suitable travel passes., special offers, discounts etc Also, discounts are sometimes available if you’re a tourist, 65 plus etc.
6. Buy your sandwiches and bottles of water before heading to the overpriced shops in the airport. Taking a picnic from home is even cheaper and means you don't come home to rotten food after your holiday.
7. Booking earlier will always save you money - not later as most tour companies would like us to think.
8. Contact the tourist office of the country where you are planning to head off to and find out if they have any special offers going. They may even know of a new hotel just about to open doing an introductory deal, for example.
9. Make sure you don't buy your travel insurance from a travel agent - this is nearly always the most expensive option. Use a comparison website such as www.moneysupermarket.com to help you find the best deals. Also check out some of the money cashback sites before you buy as you may get cheap travel insurance plus cashback!
10. Finally - Make sure you book your holiday from a reputable ABTA agent. Anything without this approval could stain your dream holiday with tears rather than with suntan lotion.