Plan your vacation affordably: With this planning the perfect vacation will work

The Christmas season is an exciting time of year, but it can also be very expensive and the hope of having an affordable vacation decreases. You could save some money by finding a cheaper way to come home for the holidays. Typically, airlines increase their fares during the holidays due to increased demand. If you want to avoid high flight prices, you should plan some flexibility into your affordable vacation, book your flight early, and use appropriate search tools. If the fares seem exorbitant or you don't want to fly, you can also plan a road trip with a friend, take the train, or hop on a bus. To make an affordable vacation possible, all you have to do is book a trip reasonably.

Since affordable vacation airfares become expensive during the holidays, you can try to plan your affordable travel route to depart before the holiday rush and return after. If you are self-employed, this can be a good option. Also, if you have a lot of flexibility at your workplace.

See if you can work remotely. You should ask your boss if it is possible to work remotely for a few days. If you get permission, you can stay a few extra days and take advantage of the benefits of cheaper flight days.

By booking a connecting flight, you may be able to save some money. However, you should weigh the cost savings against the higher risk of being delayed or stuck at the connecting airport. Consider how much savings are worth the additional risk of being late and missing your flight due to an issue at the connecting airport.

Before you start searching for travel bookings and get lost in wishful thinking about your affordable vacation, write down a euro amount that represents the cost savings that would be worth it to you to make a connection versus buying a direct flight. Use this amount to support your decision-making.

Plan an affordable vacation: How about a long-haul package vacation

Do you want to travel further and book a vacation? May, June, and September are often the cheapest months of the year to embark on a long-haul package vacation, for example, June 2019 has been the cheapest month so far to travel to Orlando, USA.

Emma Coulthurst, a travel commentator on a travel price comparison website, says, 'The cheapest months of 2019 for a long-haul flight or package vacation are May, June, and September. These are shoulder months and you can expect warm, comfortable weather, fewer crowds, and better prices as long as you avoid seasonal breaks and school holidays like the May holidays and the mid-term week.'

In these months, long-haul destinations are usually not saturated with tourists, as most children are attending school. May, June, and September are therefore the perfect time to start for a sunny escape to a more distant destination.

Looking for a summer vacation for the whole family? The cheapest 7-night package prices during the school holidays are usually in the last week of the school holidays.

For example, if you want a relaxing vacation on the Portuguese coast this summer, you can pack a 4-star package vacation to Lagos, Portugal, for four people starting at €400 in this week of the summer holidays.

Book your trip: Research and compare prices beforehand

Booking a trip reasonably in advance helps to make it possible to have an affordable vacation. When comparing package vacations with self-designed holidays, make sure to consider baggage fees, airport transfers, and local taxes. Tour operators like Bye Bye, Ecco Reisen, and TUI will offer packages without hidden extras, so make sure the deal is really as good as it seems. Remember that a 20 kg checked baggage can cost up to €110 to Europe in high season and transfer costs can also be extremely high, so you should add them to the cost of the base flight and accommodation before comparing it with a package vacation.

The same applies to long-haul vacations. Sometimes specialists like Alltours Reisen can offer cheaper packages than if you were to buy a flight and hotel separately. Comparison websites like Trivago or TripAdvisor are also useful as they search numerous websites for the same property and you can find significant savings.

Experience an affordable vacation: Before you book, call a travel agency

This may negate the purpose of doing it all yourself, but in many cases, they will actually find lower prices for you. Even if they can only match the price you already have, at least you have an expert on the other end of the phone for emergencies. Remember that many online sites do not offer the same service! You just have to implement your plan for an affordable vacation. Book a vacation and go!