Get the best deal

“To get the best price on flights, book in the wee hours,” say Reigo Eljas, country director for www. lastminute.com. “Tickets that were on hold overnight, usually for business travellers, are released at about 1am, so be an early bird and grab that worm!” For the cheapest stay on a city break, arrive on a Sunday. That way weekend travellers will be gone and corporate guests won’t have arrived yet. Plus, you’re much more likely to get an upgrade to a suite as the hotel will be quieter. Many cities that are popular with business travellers, such as Frankfurt, Zurich and Milan, have great room rates at the weekend when they’ve left. You can sometimes nab 5-star hotels for under £100 a night. “Often booking direct with a hotel can lead to great savings, as many keep the best deals for their loyal customers,” says Debbie Neate, head of marketing for Hallmark Hotels (www. hallmarkhotels.co.uk). “Be sure to sign up to hotel group newsletters to be the first to take advantage of flash sales or discount codes.”