Start dreaming of those white sandy beaches
IF Christmas is getting a bit much and you are dreading the cold winter months to come, maybe you need a break.
We are heading into peak holiday booking season, as Britons start dreaming of sunshine and sand, and Brexit isn’t going to stop us.
Half of us say Brexit uncertainty will have no impact on their holiday plans for 2019, according to research by holiday specialist On the Beach.
The pound may have fallen sharply against global currencies but almost nine out of 10 refuse to cut back on foreign holidays.
On the Beach marketing director Alan Harding said one in three will be taking more breaks next year: “A week or two in the sun is a top spending priority for hard-working Brits.”
TAKE A BREAK
If you cannot wait for summer, January offers the cheapest city breaks, said Emma Coulthurst, consumer advocate at comparison site TravelSupermarket.com: “Crowds are low and package prices cheap, although the weather is less reliable.”
Prices change all the time but at time of writing two nights in a four-star hotel in Rome, 20 minutes walk from the Colosseum, costs £77 per person, departing Liverpool on January 23.
Coulthurst said January offers good value holiday packages to southern European resorts, with a week in the Algarve starting from £164 per person, rising to £210 in Malta and £240 in the Costa del Sol: “The weather is cooler but the lack of other tourists and feeling like one of the locals can make up for that.”
SUMMER FUN
May is the cheapest of the summer months for those wanting a short-haul package holiday to the beach.
Prices currently start from £119 per person for seven nights in the Costa Brava with two travelling, including flights and three-star accommodation.
Algarve prices start at £140 a person, the Costa del Sol from £159 and Mallorca from £162.
June and September are good months to take a long-haul holiday for those without schoolage children. Seven nights in Orlando, Florida, in the three star Seralago Hotel start from £385 per person, departing London Heathrow or Gatwick in June.
If you have to travel in the school holidays the final week commencing Sunday August 25 currently offers the best package prices, Coulthurst said.
The four-star VitaSol Park in Lagos, Portugal, offers selfcatering from £285 a person, based on two adults and two children travelling together.
WHEN TO BOOK
As a general rule, the earlier you book the better, especially if travelling at busy times such as Easter, the May bank holidays, and summer holidays.
Coulthurst said last-minute bookings work best if you are flexible over when and where you travel: “Just be prepared to accept whatever is left as there may be less choice.”
Make sure you are comparing like with like when examining packages, for example, selfcatering versus all-inclusive.
You can save money by flying at off-peak times such as late at night, early in the morning or in the middle of the week. “Tuesday tends to be the cheapest day to depart the UK,” Coulthurst said.
PLAY SAFE
Book with a credit card if possible, as that way you get protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, which covers spending between £100 and £30,000. This gives you added cover if your holiday company, airline or other travel arranger goes out of business. There is no protection if you pay by cash, debit card, cheque or bank transfer.
For added security, look for companies with Atol cover although this only applies to package holidays, it doesn’t cover DIY travel and hotels.
Karen Hogg, head of insurance at Sainsbury’s Bank, said you should buy travel insurance the moment you book your trip: “This means you are protected if you have to cancel your trip for any reason before departure.”