How to find low cost sun holidays

We all love to get away from it all. The hustle and the bustle, the work emails, the housework and endless lists of chores. Having a few days or maybe even a few weeks on holiday, relaxing, unwinding and making memories is amazing. It’s not always easy to afford a holiday though, especially if you have children in the school system. Even more so at the moment when everything we are paying for is rising in price. Let’s have a look at how to find some low cost sun holidays.

Budget & book well in advance

How do you prepare your finances for a holiday? If you get to the time you want to book something and then need to find the lump sum in one go, you need to start looking at planning better. By putting a little bit of money aside throughout the year, you can get to the time of booking and already have the cash set aside to pay for your holiday. Set yourself a budget for your holiday and that can be the goal amount that you want to set aside.

By dividing that amount by 52, you can figure out how much you need to save every week to pay for your summer holiday. You could save monthly instead by splitting the total by 12. When you have the money in place, you can book far enough in advance to get a good price whilst also ensuring that you actually have a holiday to look forward to. Book via a cashback site, pay with a cashback card or do both to claw back a little extra.

Find some sun in your own country

For lots of people looking for low cost sun holidays, they start by looking abroad. It makes a lot of sense because you can head to a place with pretty much guaranteed sunshine. However, you will pay a substantial amount for that. Have you considered staying in this country instead? There are some absolutely stunning parts of the UK that have been known to be hotter than some of those places you are looking at visiting abroad.

You don’t have to pay for a hotel either! How about camping? Lots of them have fantastic facilities that are completely different to what you just pictured in your head when you read the word camping. Some of the campsites you can find are just minutes from a beach as well. Maybe hire a campervan, caravan or motorhome if you don’t like the sound of sleeping under canvas. So you can enjoy incredible sands and waters, whilst making lots of incredible memories.

Try an alternative location, date or flight time

Looking at the typical holiday hotspots can leave you staring at the screen when the price pops up. This can often happen if you are looking at popular locations. Have you considered booking a holiday in a different country from the usual ones? This way, you really can find low cost sun holidays. Check out some different countries, that still have incredible patches of sunshine.

Did you know that the date that you fly, as well as the time that you fly, can have a huge impact on the cost that you pay for your holiday? If you have kids in school, have you considered taking them out for a holiday? That way, you won’t pay the extra cost that comes with school holiday vacations. You will often pay more for popular flight times, so choose a quirky time to save some cash. Go against the obvious, think outside the box and save money.

Don’t assume package deals are always the cheapest

It is all too convenient to bundle everything together in one package deal. That way, you pay once and everything is taken care of. However, even though it might come across as savings, don’t assume that a package deal is always the cheapest way to get you where you want to be. Your holiday could come in below budget, saving you money, if you book individually. Organise the flights by themselves, the transfers, and the hotel too. Of course, you might get a great package deal but it is well worth looking around to save money on everything that you are booking. It’s always important to secure that travel insurance too.

Book at the very last minute

Perhaps the best way to book low cost sun holidays is to wait until the very last minute. How do you fancy having your bags packed and ready to go to a gorgeous destination, before actually knowing where you are going? This is a great idea to save money as you can grab a last minute deal from companies looking to fill airplane seats and unbooked hotel rooms. The holiday companies would much rather earn something, than nothing, so if you are able to hold off until the day before travel, you can book a holiday at a bargain price. We’ve all seen those Hollywood blockbusters where the couple turns up at the airport at the last minute and book themselves a holiday.

Whilst you might not want to leave it until the check-in desk, you can certainly find something amazing to book 24 hours before you want to travel. You might get an absolute steal to a completely idealistic location you’ve always dreamed of going to or perhaps even find a new favourite hotspot which isn’t crawling with tourists. Even last minute holidays need a bit of planning as you need to be ready to go at a moment’s notice. This one isn’t for everybody, but it can be a fantastic adventure!

Final thoughts

Whilst we do want to keep an eye on the purse strings, ensuring that there is plenty left to look after the bills, if you are in need of some time away, low cost sun holidays are a great idea. Figure out the best way for you to get to the destination you want. Where do you want to go? If you want to top up your tan, discover some culture and fill up your body with the sun’s wonderful Vitamin D, these tips and tricks about low cost sun holidays can get you there.