Although we've moved from credit-crunch into full-blown recession, and many of us are feeling the pinch, we're extremely reluctant to give up our holidays. For two-thirds of us, our precious holiday is the last thing we'd give up when we're having to cut spending. And it's not hard to work out why we feel like that. A holiday is something to look forward to, a time to escape everyday life, it offers the chance for relaxation, sampling a different way of life and culture, and the experience gives us great memories to look back on. So we've tracked down the best tips on saving money on that all-important break - see how we saved a total of £230.08...

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Exchange rates can fluctuate daily, so check the up-to-the-minute figures with our handy currency converter.

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Budget airlines can offer cheap fares, although miscellaneous fees and charges can make them less of a bargain. Try the fantastically flexible Budget Airline FlightChecker for European flights from www.moneysavingexpert.com. Type in your dates of travel, set your price limit and see the results. The FlightChecker searches Aer Lingus, Air Berlin, British Airways, EasyJet, Fly Thomas Cook, Flybe, Jet2, Monarch, Norwegian Air, Ryanair, Thomson Airways, Wizz Air. This is one of the best ways to find those elusive 'seats from 1p' that are promoted but which no one you know has ever nabbed.

For a flight from London to Paris leaving next Wednesday, returning a week later, British Airways quoted £205.15. Using the FlightChecker brought that down to £103.57, using EasyJet.

Sample saving: £101.58

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The European Health Insurance Card, or Ehic, replaces the old form E111. It entitles you to reduced-cost (sometimes free) necessary state medical treatment in all EU countries, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. It's free (despite ads you may see offering to get you one for a fee) and could save you money and hassle. Each traveller needs one.

Make sure you check the expiry date; three million cards that were issued after the Ehic was introduced in 2005 expired at the end of March 2009. To renew or apply for your Ehic online, visit: www.nhs.uk/healthcareabroad. Don't make the mistake of many travellers: it's not a substitute for travel insurance - see the next frame for cutting the cost of cover. 

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Unless you want to run the risk of being bankrupted if, God forbid, you or yours have an accident abroad (or even in the UK), take out travel insurance. An annual policy usually works out cheapest if you'll be going away more than once a year. You must shop around, though. The 'tick here for travel insurance' box on a holiday booking form is rarely the best option.

You can compare over 250 policies at www.moneysupermarket.com where the quotes for a week in Morocco leaving next Monday varied from £5.49 to £62.29. Sample saving: £56.80

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Megatrain (www.megatrain.com/uk) offers train journeys from £1, plus 50p booking fee. For my random journey to check its prices (London to Derby, next Monday, returning a week later) it offered a return fare of £19.50. You don't get your choice of any train in the timetable but if you can be flexible, it's worth a try. This compares with the cheapest return fare quoted on www.nationalrail.co.uk: £60.

Sample saving: £40.50

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Megabus (www.megabus.com/uk) offers coach journeys from £1, plus 50p booking fee. My random check produced a ticket price for London to Glasgow this Friday, returning next Tuesday of £19 single; £34 return. This compares with www.nationalexpress.com's £41.80 return. As with Megatrain, services you can travel on are limited.

Sample saving: £7.80

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Book a flight or a hotel on Expedia and earn 200 Nectar points (www.nectar.com); it makes no difference whether your trip is to Manchester or Melbourne.

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If you're using Heathrow or Gatwick - and 97 million passengers a year do - don't take the airport express train. It's one of the world's most expensive rail journeys per mile.

The Heathrow Express (www.heathrowexpress.com) from London Paddington to Heathrow takes 15 minutes and costs £34 return - cheaper with a railcard. Heathrow Connect (www.heathrowconnect.com) does it in 32 minutes for £17.80 return - also cheaper with a railcard. The Express has more luggage space and video screens; the Connect stops five times.

Sample saving: £16.20.

Even cheaper, take the Piccadilly line tube. An adult single to Heathrow costs £5.30 in cash (£4.80 with an Oystercard), and takes around 50 minutes.

Sample saving: £23.40

The Gatwick Express (www.gatwickexpress.com) from London Victoria costs £27.90 return for a 30-minute journey. Normal trains from Victoria to Gatwick Airport cost from £12.50 for a similar journey time. From London Bridge it's £18.40 return; similar journey time.

Sample saving: £15.40

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If you're doing a long drive to your destination, it's in your interests to spend less on filling up your fuel tank.

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Cut driving costsl