The energy crisis and rising inflation are making life difficult for many. Savings are being made at every nook and corner to get through the winter safely. Therefore, it is difficult to completely forego vacation. If you want to take a break in difficult times, you don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money. These tips are easy on the wallet.
When booking a holiday, the right time is of the utmost importance. Experts expect prices to increase, especially in spring and summer 2023. The good news: “There are still prices that are unaffected by inflation – because they were negotiated before the energy crisis,” explains Lukas Zirker, CEO of the Midnightdeal booking platform. This is how the company would set prices with hotel partners for an entire year. Therefore, a “rate independent of inflation until the first quarter of 2023” would apply to many offers, explains Zirker. Accordingly, the earlier you book, the cheaper the prices.
“As soon as the summer timetable for the next travel year is published, you might still be able to snag one or two bargains,” explains Carlo Speth, DACH editor-in-chief of Urlaubpiraten. In addition, travelers should also consider other airports than just the nearest one. Especially when there are holidays in your own state but not in the neighboring state, you can save here.
If you are planning a flight, it is best to look for offers in the morning. As the online travel portal weg.de knows, the flight systems are usually reloaded around 1 a.m. Flights released overnight are then visible on the website. In terms of price, it can also be worthwhile to start your holiday between Monday and Friday and not at the weekend. Getting on the plane earlier can also save you money. This also has an advantage, because there are fewer delays in the morning.
If you are flexible about the travel time, you should not go on holiday in the high season. Families are dependent on the children’s holidays, but here too anti-cyclical bookings can be made. For example, go to the Mediterranean at Easter and not during the summer holidays. But not only hotels and flights are cheaper in the low season, but also rental cars. “In contrast to the main season, the average prices for the holiday car are around a third lower,” says Thorsten Lehmann, Managing Director of Sunny Cars. In general, it is worth booking a rental car early enough. In most cases, the companies also offer to be able to cancel the car until shortly before the start of the trip. If you are also flexible in choosing the time and place, you can find real treasures on booking portals.
According to the experts at HolidayCheck, fewer price increases are to be expected for package tours in particular. Because the offer was usually negotiated with the hotels and other providers long before the start of the season. On the other hand, if you book the hotel and flight separately, you could end up paying more. The same applies to package tours: the earlier you book, the better. Vacationers should make sure, however, that consumer-friendly cancellation policies apply — should something come up in the end.
If you only fly with hand luggage, you save a lot of money. Because flights including checked baggage are significantly more expensive than without. The same applies if you found a cheap flight but still have to book a suitcase. Another advantage: You don’t have to wait at the baggage claim area at the airport, you can start your holiday straight away. Travelers with hand luggage can also save themselves the fear that the suitcase will not arrive in the end.
