5 Vacation Booking Hacks to Get the Best Deals

If you’ve found yourself gazing into your office screensaver of the Maldives dreaming of palm trees, white sand between your toes, and exotic cocktails, then it might be time to consider dusting off that suitcase and booking yourself a vacation. Whether you’re looking for a luxury beach getaway or jam-packed city break, researching a few handy travel hacks is an absolute must if you want to bag the best deal for your hard-earned cash. Follow these top tricks and tips to ensure you avoid the higher price tags.

Use comparison websites

It’s always a good idea to use a free online comparison website to compare the various different flight and hotel prices for holidays. This does all the hard work for you and can save you a lot of cash which can otherwise be spent on vacation clothes! These websites will essentially scan tons of travel providers and present you with all of your options priced from lowest to highest. It will save you hours of trawling the internet.

Look for last minute deals

If you’re willing to risk it, and you’re not too worried about where you head off to, last minute vacations may be a great option for you. Hotels don’t want any empty rooms after all, so you might find that prices drop dramatically a week or two leading up to the date of departure. You could save yourself a few hundred dollars simply by waiting it out and be flexible.

Clear your cookies

Have you ever looked at the price of a vacation only to find it increase a few days later? There’s a reason for that, and it’s a little bit sneaky! If you’ve been searching for vacations, your cookies (you know, the computer ones not the baked goods) will store your data and tell websites where you’ve been surfing on the web. This can cause prices to increase as it becomes clear that you’re looking to book yourself a vacation. To avoid this, simply clear your cookies so you can browse with a clean slate. If you’re unsure how to do this a quick Google will tell you all you need to know.

Use a student or ISIC card

You might be able to enjoy a few discounts with travel agents if you’re a student or in possession of an ISIC card. An ISIC card or “international student identity card” is an internationally recognized scheme which enables you to benefit from a number of exclusive offers and discounts. In the US the card costs just $20 for a year, which is a small price to pay considering the dollars you could save on your vacation booking!

Wait for the sales

If you want to book like a real travel pro, then you need to be aware of the various different sale periods throughout the year. As with clothing stores, travel agents, and airlines regularly hold flash sales which can see flight prices slashed by up to 50 percent. January is always a great time to score discounted rates on long haul flights. It’s also worth signing up to email newsletters or travel agents as you may receive early access or a heads up when it comes to the next sale.

Written by: Jessica Foreman