Expert travel tips from Jasmine Birtles

TV presenter and journalist specialising in business and personal finance, Jasmine Birtles, shares her expert tips to cut the cost of travel

Go away with friends

Get cheap accommodation by joining up with friends or another family and renting a holiday cottage or villa all together.  There are thousands of organisations with properties all over the UK and Europe and usually the price for a cottage that sleeps eight is not double the price for a cottage that sleeps four.  It also means lots of fun to be had and a nicer property might be attainable if you pool your funds. 

Click here for Allaboutyou's holiday cottage ideas

 

Sign up for special offers by email

In exchange for your details and the chance to send advertising emails to you every now and then, lots of companies will send you promotional offers and let you know first about any sales events. Take advantage of this without clogging up your normal inbox by signing up for a free account to use for newsletters.  Travelocity has a newsletter that you can sign up for, as do Travelbag, Trailfinders, Expedia and lots of others.  It's also worth signing up for the newsletters for hotel chains as you could get special deals on hotel rooms. Accor Hotels has one as does Holiday Inn.

 

Take the bus

If you've got time to spare, the bus is an increasingly thrifty alternative to the train or plane. The appearance of the Megabus has forced other bus companies, especially National Express, to offer competitive fares so you can now travel to lots of UK destinations in a really nice coach for just £1 single.  National Express also have a 2plus2 annual family pass for £16 a year.  It allows two full paying adults to take two children for free. If it's just you and your child they also do a 1plus1 deal on the same basis. National Express also own Eurolines which operate all over Europe and have fares to Ireland, Paris, Amsterdam and other destinations for just £15 single.

 

Try a house-swapping holiday
If you have a family and need a big space (not just a couch) then you can swap houses with anyone in the world. It's usually for 2-4 weeks and cars are included. No money swaps hands. People post descriptions of their house and facilities, their exchange destination and how many people they would bring to stay in your house. Become a house swapper with Home for Exchange and Intervac.

 

Travel Britain using a railcard
Two out of three Britons qualify for a travelcard. Mature students and 16- to 25-year-olds can get a third off all rail fares across Britain with a 16-25 Railcard. The Senior Railcard will take a third off rail fares for those over 60; and for groups travelling with children make sure you have a Family & Friends Railcard.

 
Travel outside school holidays (...if you don't have kids)
Travel, hotels and holiday packages are significantly cheaper outside of school holiday dates. If you possibly can, travel during these times. If you don't have children and you're wondering when the holidays are look at Direct.gov.uk - the government's information site. It has all UK term dates and school holidays listed and you can search using your postcode. Put 'school holidays' into the website's search and you'll find it quickly.

 

Take advantage of partnership offers
Use existing partnership points or offers where you can. For example, if you're making a dinner reservation and have a railcard book with Toptable  and you will be rewarded with a free meal when you register. Loyalty cards like Nectar and London's Oyster offer a range of travel-related opportunities such as Legoland entry and discount theatre tickets.

 

Chuck the disposable camera
Most of us have moved into the digital camera age, which can be really great. You have nice shots, can take as many as you like, delete the ones you don't want, and you don't have to pay lots of money to have them printed while abroad, or carry film cases around. A good idea is to get a second memory stick - there are good prices at Staples - and use the following sites to print photos for free when you get home. By signing up to these four photo galleries you can get yourself 105 free digital photo prints. PhotoboxPixum give you 25 free prints - look out for special offers and discounts on personalised gifts. Kodak Gallery give you 30 free prints - you can store, share and print your summer photos for free, and turn them into high-quality gifts. Pics then cost from 5p. Snapfish give you 30 free prints - they cost 10p each after that. Photobox give you 30 free prints - get prints from just 5p each plus 1GB free space to store your photos. They offer an excellent service and are highly recommended.

Get the right travel cover
Insurance policies for travel can range between £20-150, but the policies are generally the same. If you have more than two holidays a year, you are better off getting annual cover. But you may need even more expensive cover if you are doing winter sports or visiting the United States. Basically, the greater the excess, the lower the premium. Insurers know you are more likely to make small claims than big ones, but you will both make more if you don't claim for small items. If you don't claim for small items because of a high excess, you will retain your no-claims discount and next year's premium will not be increased. The best thing is to shop around online.

 

Drive carefully to save petrol
It goes without saying that you must drive carefully anyway, but be aware that stopping and starting often and zooming along the motorway will not help you financially as you'll use more fuel. Plan your trip and where you are going to stop for petrol using PetrolPrices.com.

 

Train compensations
If your train is delayed or cancelled and the problem was down to the train company, then you have the right to claim a full refund for day tickets if it made you miss your intended train. If you arrive more than an hour late at your intended destination station you are able to claim at least a 10% refund. You will need to keep your ticket as evidence, but you can claim other expenses such as a taxi to complete your journey (as long as you keep the receipt). You can claim refunds at the station, by writing to the train-operating company or by using one of their complaint forms. The independent national rail watchdog Passenger Focus can help rail passengers get the best deal.

 

For more help and information on all aspects of making money, saving money and living a richer life, see Jasmine's new website Moneymagpie.com