FOOL'S EYE VIEW
Top Travelling Tips!

By Alison Hunt (TMFAlly)
February 17, 2006

Hot topic of the moment is definitely holidays. It's all everyone I know can talk about -- must be something to do with the cold, rainy weather and the need for something to look forward to. Thousands of us are bound to be planning to check out various travel agents' windows/websites this weekend, desperate to put down a deposit and an entry in the diary. If you're one of them, here are some pointers to bear in mind:

1. Travel Agents

The High street may be convenient, but it's often not the cheapest place to get a great holiday deal. Before booking, make sure you shop around first. Remember to check out the Internet too, there are often competitive deals to be found online from Teletext, Expedia, Lastminute.com, EBookers, and Bargain holidays.

If you're interested in booking flights and accommodation, take a look at Cheapflights, Easyjet, BMI baby and Flybe. And for trips across the channel, Eurotunnel often offers some surprisingly cheap deals. Remember to check out the current promotion from Ryanair -- it's offering three million free seats, you just pay the taxes and charges (which usually equates to around £20 each way). And you can save a fortune on hotel rack rates, or find cheap B&Bs by booking in advance with HotelClub, Octopus, Lastminute or Eurocheapo.

2. Travel Insurance

Don't forget to take out some form of cover before you go, after all, you never know what might happen. And don't just buy it from your travel agent; this is usually the most expensive way to get cover.

Top providers offering the best combination of cover and value for money according to Defaqto include Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, Direct Travel and Sainsbury's Bank. Two weeks' European cover for a family of two adults and two children starts at £36 with Debenhams.

Annual Cover

Before you start looking, why not consider how often you are likely to be travelling in a year? If you're fond of taking two or more holidays, plus a handful of weekend or day trips, an annual travel insurance policy is likely to be the most cost effective. This type of policy can cover individuals, couples or families, for European or worldwide travel.

Top ranked providers for annual policies according to Defaqto include Travsure, Travelplan Direct, Debenhams and Yorkshire BS. An annual, European family policy costs just £78 with Debenhams.

3. Parking

Unless you can persuade a charitable friend to drop you off at the airport and pick you up on your return, chances are you'll either have to drive there, take the train or use a taxi. Which you choose depends on how many of you are travelling, what time of the day/night it is and how far you live from the airport.

Airport hotels can provide a worthwhile alternative for those with a long way to drive at less than social hours -- many include parking for the duration of your holiday, meaning that your stay can effectively be free. For those needing to park at the airport remember to book early -- you can generally save quite a bit on the drive up price. You can find out more about airport hotels and how to slash the cost of airport parking here.

4. European Health Insurance Card

For those planning to travel in Europe, don't forget that in addition to comprehensive travel insurance, many EU countries require UK citizens to carry their European Health Insurance Card (which has replaced the old E111 form). Those of you that ticked the appropriate box on your E111 last year should have been issued with the new card automatically, which entitles you to free, or reduced rate State medical care in EU countries.

If you don't already have your card, you can apply online, by phone (tel. 0845 606 2030) or by post. You can also apply for your spouse and any children under 16 at the same time as long as you have everyone's date of birth (and National Insurance numbers where applicable).

5. Money

Finally, one of the quickest ways to throw cash away abroad is to pay too much in currency conversion and fees. If you're one of those people who prefer to whip out your debit card on holiday, be warned. Not only are you likely to be stung with a loading fee of 2.75% every time you use the card, pop it into an ATM and you're stung twice -- first with the loading fee, and then with a cash withdrawal fee of around 2%. Blimey! And credit cards aren't much better as most of them also attract that same loading fee.

All debit cards charge a loading fee, so if you prefer to use your plastic abroad one solution is to apply for a credit card that doesn't charge -- you could even keep it solely for holidays. According to Moneyfacts, SAGA, CSMA, Caravan Club and Liverpool Victoria cards are the only cards which do not charge loading fees in the EU, with the Nationwide BS and Morgan Stanley I24 cards charging no loading fees worldwide. And the Nationwide BS debit card is the only card that allows cash withdrawals, worldwide, for free.

If you prefer to use currency or travellers cheques, Marks & Spencer, the Post Office and Travelex usually offer the best exchange rates and lowest commission -- though Travelex users should use a Maestro card if possible as all other debit cards attract a 2% fee.

So there you have it, some tips to get you in the holiday spirit. Forget the rain and book that trip!

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