How To Get The Best Value Travel Deals For 2023

The travel industry is solidly recovering from the impact made by COVID-19, but with rising costs across the board and a weak pound, it looks like that recovery won’t mean a return to dirt cheap travel anytime soon. But there are still ways you can get maximum holiday for minimum spend.

With a little planning and some savvy travel shopping, your 2023 holiday is still affordable, and you could even bag a bargain. Here are our tips for getting the best value deals on your 2023 holiday.

Book as soon as possible

There was a time when a last-minute deal was the best way to get a bargain-price holiday. For those of us who didn’t mind being flexible with our plans, there were some incredible trips to be snapped up by waiting until out suitcases were packed and we were ready to go. But travel companies and airlines are more cautious now. Rather than slash prices at the last minute, airlines are opting to run fewer flights. This means you need to book as early as possible to get the best deal. With fewer flights and high demand at peak season, the prices are more likely to go up than down the closer you get to your holiday. So book early to secure your trip.

Choose a destination where the pound goes further

For travellers, it’s a shame that the pound is weak right now, especially against the dollar but also against the Euro. It means if you travel to America or Europe, your money isn’t going to stretch as far as it once did. But there are still countries where the pound gives you lots of bang for your buck, and if you opt for one of these destinations, you’ll find that your holiday funds go a long way. You can check the relative cost of consumer goods across the world on a site like worlddata.info.

Turkey is an especially good option for Brits right now: the pound has gained by 76% against the Turkish Lira this year compared to last year. Turkey has always been a popular destination due to the sun, beaches, historical places to visit and the hot air balloon destination of Cappadocia, but now it’s especially attractive for those looking for a value for money deals on travel, accommodation and excursions. Other countries with a favourable currency conversion at the moment are Japan, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Argentina, Hungary, and Egypt.

Go all-inclusive

All-inclusive holidays have seen a bit of a lull in popularity in recent years, as holidaymakers prefer to control their spend, and/or opt for local restaurants and bars for a more authentic experience. While these considerations still apply, all-inclusive holidays are set to be more popular in 2023 because of the way they help holidaymakers budget. The very name ‘all inclusive’ tells you what you’re getting: once you’ve paid for your holiday there are no further costs for your food, drink or accommodation, so you can top up your plates and glasses without having to top up the bill at the end of the evening. Of course, it’s especially good value for big, blow-out holidays, and less so if you know you have a small appetite or don’t drink much.

All-inclusives also means you don’t have to worry about exchange rate fluctuations. Everything is paid for upfront so there’s no need to stay alert on how much you’ll get for your pound while you’re there. Also, there’s no need to think about card transaction fees for meals out. All this makes all-inclusive holidays a great deal for the cost-conscious.

Be flexible about when you travel

This is a hard one for families to navigate, as travel times are limited to school holidays. But even within this timeframe you can look at days of the week and times of the day that are cheaper for flying. Weekends are always more expensive for travelling, as most people prefer to take weekend-to-weekend off work. If you can be flexible and change this to Wednesday-to-Wednesday, you’re already getting a better deal.

If you don’t have a family, travelling in term time is cheaper and if you do have a family, the last week in the summer holidays is always cheaper than earlier in the holidays. If you’re prepared to travel at night or very early in the morning, you can also make some significant savings on your flights.

It’s important when you’ve booked your holiday to protect it with travel insurance for total peace of mind against unexpected issues. Switched On Travel Insurance is packed with features including a 24/7 emergency medical helpline, up to £20million in medical cover, up to £7,500 in cancellation cover and automatic protection against COVID-19 related issues.  Find out more here.

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