Don't break the bank on holiday

Five tricks to cut your travel costs

Hands up if you want to spend extra money on your holiday this year? Nope, we didn’t think so. If you’re planning a holiday, read these simple money saving tips before you go any further. Copyright Martin Poole/Mood Board/Rex Features Take to Twitter An increasing number of companies have taken to Twitter to give their followers first dibs on bargain flights, so for anyone wanting to join in on the seat sale Twitter is the place to be. By putting their spare seats up for grabs on Twitter, companies gain more followers and fill some empty seats on flights whilst still making a bit of cash. This is a great opportunity for travellers to bag a bargain holiday too, so everyone’s happy. If you haven’t signed up to Twitter yet, it’s completely free and definitely worth it - especially if you manage to save some money on your next jet-setting adventure. But beware; these deals sell out fast so the longer you wait to bag the bargain, the less chance you will have to get in on the coveted deals. #welovecheapholidays. Negotiate with hotels Don’t worry about sounding cheeky; negotiating with hotels is a trick that all the money-savvy holiday makers use so there’s no reason why you can’t try it too. We’re always told to look on the positive side, but when it comes to negotiating with a hotel manager for the lowest price possible, the phrase ‘is that all you can do for me?’, when said in your most disenchanted tone of voice, could potentially save you hundreds. A great tip when negotiating hotel prices is to always speak to the manager. Receptionists don’t usually have the power to offer discounts or special deals so speaking to the manager is the best way of wangling a deal out of them. In most cases, the hotel manager won’t want to disappoint you or lose your custom, so sounding a bit disgruntled can be a handy little trick to use. If you don’t get the deal, you had nothing to lose. Go on, be greedy! Never travel without insurance Although we hope you don’t need to use it, having travel insurance is important to have as a safeguard just in case something does go wrong whilst you’re away. It’s a good idea to be covered for medical expenses, personal liability, lost luggage, and cash. If you need a pretty basic kind of cover for your trip, have a browse online to find out the best deals that the comparison sites are offering. If you’re over 65 or need cover for dangerous sports or pre-existing medical conditions it may be best to look for specialist insurance policies which are often tailor-made to suit your needs. However you go about it, make sure you get the best travel insurance you can because, as the saying goes, 'it’s better safe than sorry'. [Travelling from Heathrow or Gatwick Taxis and Chauffeured Service ] Shop around for the best exchange rates Refuse the rates offered by the airport; last minute panic buying can add a lot of unnecessary expense to your holiday and we’re sure you’d rather be splashing out on cocktails and cruises than buying your currency. If you know you’re going on holiday to a certain destination and the exchange rate is falling against your own currency, make sure you buy your holiday money in advance. The internet is a useful place to look for the best exchange rates; just make sure you don’t purchase from a company who charge a high fee for the courier service. Another option is to look on the high street where there are some excellent deals to be found on currency exchanges. Always keep a beady eye on exchange rates and always plan ahead to get the best deals. Switch off your data roaming We’ve all done it; you head off on holiday to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life but have an irrepressible urge to take a sneaky peek at your emails. Sometimes you might even be tempted to make a cheeky status update to make your friends back home envious. You then return home to an unexpected bill and realise it wasn’t such a good idea after all. Who would have thought that a photo of you drifting around the pool on a lilo with a cocktail in one hand and a fan in the other could cost a fortune? If you can’t help but use the internet when you’re abroad, make sure you switch off your phone’s data roaming option. Data roaming is when your phone automatically uses the internet to check for new emails, tweets, or status updates. The cost of this can be limitless, so make sure you switch the data roaming option off before you go away and use free public internet services instead.