Need some sand and sea this year, but can’t afford to splash out on a luxury holiday? It’s possible to still book an incredible beach holiday on a budget. Here are just a few tricks for helping you to book the beach holiday that you deserve.
Avoid tourist hotspots
The most famous resorts are always going to be the most expensive. Try searching off the beaten track for more upcoming resorts where the prices are likely to be much cheaper. You could even try out less known countries – rather than opting for Spain, France and Greece, consider the likes of Tunisia, Turkey, Croatia and Bulgaria. Such countries are seeing a huge rise in beach tourism, but are still very cheap – you’ll pay the same amount for a luxury hotel in Sozopol as you would for a basic hotel in St Tropez or the Algarve.
Opt for a staycation
You don’t have to leave the UK’s shores to have an enjoyable beach holiday. Whilst good weather may not be as certain, you can still enjoy the sand and sea as well as the other joys of the British seaside such as the great restaurants, amusements and watersports. Without flight costs, you’ll spend a lot less. You don’t even have to book a full week off – a weekend away in a Skegness Bed and Breakfast could be all you need. You may even be able to fit multiple beach holidays away into the year for the cost of an overseas holiday.
Go out of season
Summer is peak holiday time and hence the most expensive time to plan a getaway. You’re much better off going away after August or before June – with less demand, many flight companies and hotels will offer more competitive prices. This isn’t recommended for a staycation as the weather is likely to be more temperamental, however go abroad and you’re still certain to get decent weather in September or May. It’s even possible to take a trip to the Canaries in February and still walk around in a t-shirt.
Go all inclusive
When booking a resort, you can save a huge amount by opting all-inclusive. This usually involves a bundle in which your flights, hotel, food and transfers are all included. These packages not only save you the hassle of booking everything separately, they’re also often cheaper than were you to pay for these elements individually. All inclusive deals that include food and drink are particularly worth taking advantage of – with the option to eat and drink for free at the hotel every day, you could save huge amounts in spending money.
Stay in land
Hotels on the beachfront are often much more expensive than those in land. You may only have to venture five minutes in land and sacrifice a sea view in order to see the prices drop. Keeping your distance from major attractions such as the bar streets, amusement parks and shopping hotspots can also save you a lot of money – you may have to do a lot more walking to get to places, but it will be worth the reduced costs.
