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Weekend getaways
By Hannah Ricci
The internet has surpassed the high-street travel agent when it comes to weekend breaks, but before you turn on the computer, think about how flexible you can be with your travel plans. The more open you are to different destinations, dates and flight times, the better the deal you'll get. But you can still find great deals if you have a set place and time in mind.
DIY trips - where you book each part separately - tend to offer the best rates for weekend breaks. There's also more flexibility in terms of where you stay and the time you travel - which is why they're becoming increasingly popular. Many people still favour package trips because it's all arranged for you - but that obviously comes at a price. DIY trips come out on top, but package deals are worth a look - particularly if you can afford to leave it to the last minute.
Anywhere, anytime
If price is your primary concern, Flight Checker from Moneysavingexpert.com is a great place to start. It scours budget airlines BMIBaby, Ryanair, Norwegian Air, Sky Europe and Flybe for the lowest of the low flight prices. You enter your departure and destination airport, and roughly when you want to go. You can also select to only see flights under a set price (prices are exclusive of tax, so allow for further £15-£25). However, Flight Checker searches solely by price and not date, so it's less useful if you want to travel on specific days and times.
Selecting all London airports to any destination, returns a wealth of flights. These flights could be as low as 19p - and, with taxes work out at a total of around £40 return.
When you take prices as low as these, you need to be willing to sacrifice pretty much everything else. Ryanair, for example, states that all fares are non-refundable and baggage entitlement is 15kg per person (it charges £5.50 for each extra kilo). Limited legroom and basic customer service are the price of flying so cheap.
Specific dates
If you need to be more specific with your travel requirements, 'screen-scraping' websites are the place to go. Travelsupermaket.com, kelkoo.co.uk, sidestep.com, traveljungle.com, skyscanner.net and, a recent addition, Kayak.co.uk are some of the best.
Remember that any saving you make on the flight could be wiped out if you need to book a cab in the wee hours on arrival. Many out-of-city airports have good transport links, but as time is precious on a weekend break, do your research before you book. Ryanair's bargain flight to Barcelona, for example, arrives at Girona airport and it then takes over an hour by train to reach the city centre.
Many people are under the misconception that airlines slash prices at the last minute. But this isn't the case - they tend to operate set pricing systems, so when all the cheap seats are snapped up, they're not replaced.
Where to stay
Once you've bagged a bargain flight, you don't want to blow your savings by forking out on overpriced hotels. So think about what you want. Is location or star rating most important to you? Of course, where you choose to stay will also depend on the purpose of your trip.
If you want to search for a hotel room by price and star rating, the best sites to search include Bedbookers.com, Hotels.com, Hotelpronto.com and Octopustravel.com. Unlike flights, there can be some great discounts on rooms the later you book. Sites such as Laterooms.com and Quickrooms.com are worth a look if you're prepared to leave it until the last minute.
Tripadvisor.co.uk offers each hotel listed with comments from previous guests, so you can read personal accounts of what the accommodation is like.
It's even possible to find a place to stay for free if you're open to trying something new - check out the site called Couchsurfing.com. People who are happy to have travellers stay in their spare room or crash on their sofa post notices - and you can also read reviews of previous guests. This can be a great idea if you want to meet local people or plan to visit an area off the beaten track.
Travelling essentials
Shop around for travel insurance and transport to the airport, so you don't lose what you've saved on flights. Comprehensive travel insurance is a vital part of any trip abroad, no matter how short. Try comparison sites like insuresupermarket.com, insurancewide.com or confused.com.
If you plan to ski or take part in extreme sports, take out a specific policy to cover this. And always declare pre-existing medical conditions, because it will affect your ability to claim if you don't. If you plan to travel overseas more than once in a year, you'll get a better deal with an annual multi-trip plan.
Getting to the airport can add on a big chunk if you don't plan in advance, particularly if public transport isn't an option. Asking friends or family to give you a lift to the airport is the cheapest option, but if your flight is in the middle of the night they may not be too eager.
Taking a taxi is probably the easiest way if you live quite close to an airport. Call several local companies to find the cheapest quote and book it both ways in advance - airport taxi ranks charge extortionate rates.
However, if you live further away, driving yourself and parking at the airport will probably work out cheaper. Just make sure you pre-book a space with one of the many airport parking companies - you can compare prices at airports across the country on Parking4less.co.uk.
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