How to Save Money on Holidays Abroad

A Thomas Cook survey has revealed that British travelers could be paying a lot more on holiday than they need to because they don't take the time to understand the country they are visiting or what to expect when they get there.

Out of the 12,000 people who responded, 28% admitted having no idea how much money to take with them, as they had no idea how much things would cost when they got there. With one in four admitting they had heavily overspent on items as they had no concept of their value in English money.

Around 8% of travellers said they took no foreign currency with them at all and just used their credit cards or withdrew from cash points in resort, meaning they added to their expenditure with extra charges for the privilege of doing so. One third of those surveyed admitted to wasting money in this way, meaning they were not getting as good value for their holiday money as they should.

Many holidaymakers admitted that travel money was one of the last things on their list when it came to getting ready for a holiday, leaving very little time to consider how much to take with them.

With just a little bit of planning ahead, holidaymakers could save themselves a lot of money. If you book your holiday through a travel agent, they should be able to tell you how much you could expect to pay for everyday items such as food and drink and even an idea as to how much some excursions may set you back.

Searching the internet is an excellent place to research your holiday before you go, whether you have booked through a travel agent or independently, you can read destination tips and also log on to forums where people have written reviews and have first hand knowledge of your resort.

Knowing how much things are likely to cost will give you a good guide as to how much money to take with you, saving you from those extra charges at cash machines and for paying by credit and debit card.

Choosing your destination carefully can also help with holiday spending, non euro countries offer good value exchange rates, and great value for money while you are there. Bulgaria, Croatia and Turkey are all excellent value non euro destinations while Gambia and Egypt holidays are ideal winter destinations with very competitive exchange rates.

So take just a little bit of time out of your holiday packing, to research your chosen destination and what to expect when you get there in order to get the best value for your holiday money.