What shortcuts are holidaymakers employing to save money when away?

A holiday is the ultimate reprieve from a demanding career and the perfect way to break up the year. However, international jaunts don't come cheap. That's why UK holidaymakers are finding weird and wonderful ways to save money during their time away. To explore this topic in further detail, the DCC Forum commissioned Censuswide to survey 500 UK respondents who had travelled abroad in the last year. The results rendered were extremely telling about the resourceful nature of today's British holidaymaker.

Weighing up luggage costs

One of the easiest ways to save money on a trip abroad is to avoid unwanted extra costs at the airport - perhaps the most common of which is avoiding taking hold luggage that exceeds airline's weight limits. We were interested to hear that 31% of vacationers now carefully weigh their luggage before they arrive at the airport.

Off-peak bargains

Last minute deals used to be deemed reliable, largely due to airlines being desperate to sell off their empty seats. But the increasing volume of single business travellers has meant that flight providers no longer struggle to fill these spots. Now, instead, people are opting for flights in off-peak seasons or at undesirable hours in order to save money. In fact, our study revealed that 26% of UK vacationers adopt this approach when booking their flights. Similarly, the savvy traveller amongst us will even set up online alerts to take the leg work out of finding the best priced plane tickets. On the topic of finding affordable flights, Skyscanner advises leaving seven weeks before booking short haul flights and eighteen weeks for long haul journeys.

GPS tactics

Nobody likes getting lost abroad. Difficulties in navigation can often cause holidaymakers to spend more on taxis and public transport. The solution? Free map apps; these useful offline tools have quickly become a new holiday essential. According to our new research, 25% of UK travellers will opt to walk as much as possible during their holiday instead of shelling out on local transport options.

Skipping on travel insurance

One of the more surprising money saving trends revealed by the DCC Forum's poll was the number of holidaymakers who go abroad without insurance. The survey showed that one in ten UK holiday makers would prefer not to take out travel insurance for the sake of sticking to their budget. Despite its costly nature, it is always advisable to invest in travel insurance for your international excursion - whether it's a work trip or a relaxing vacation. Taking the time to shop around for the most competitive insurance provider is the best way to ensure that a trip is safe and affordable.

The new eating out

While some may consider dining out as one of the highlights of a holiday, others are cutting their costs by scrapping this element of their trip entirely. Our survey results indicate that 16% of Brits are choosing to eat-in during their holiday rather than splashing out on a meal in a restaurant. Similarly, 18% admitted to bringing their own sandwiches on flights to avoid forking out for expensive in-flight snacks.

Cardholders abroad

One of the key recommendations that the DCC Forum makes to cardholders is that they check the charges that could be incurred if they use their card abroad before they leave home and familiarise themselves with the choices available on a card machine abroad or at an ATM. This will help ensure consumers make the right decisions on card transactions while on holiday and gain greater transparency on how much they are spending while they are away.