Cutting the Cost of a Winter Holiday

Now the summer has passed, it can all seem a bit doom and gloom with the winter fast approaching: dark mornings, dull afternoons and cold evenings wrapped up by the fire do not appeal to everyone.

With the majority of Brits opting to stay at home during the winter and seeking the sunshine warmer climate during the typical ‘holiday season’, some holidaymakers may overlook the fact that a winter holiday could be the best way to overcome the post summer blues.

The opportunities for a winter break are endless, ranging from skiing in The Alps to safaris in Africa and sunbathing in the Cayman Islands, but whatever your preference, you need to be savvy about which options you choose.

Typically, travelling further afield in the winter to opt for sun and sand will be more expensive than your standard mid-summer short haul flight to Europe, as will exhausting your holiday budget with the costs of ski passes, snowboarding equipment or top of the range, cosy log cabins in the mountains. With these considerations in mind, it is essential that you look into the other aspects of your holiday from which you can make a saving.

Take an all inclusive for example, yes you have to travel those extra (thousands of) miles for guaranteed high temperatures, but if you can find a hotel deal that includes meals and drinks within the board price, what you have stretched to on flights can be saved here. Normally, the evening meals and lunches are in the style of a buffet, so there is something to suit each taste, as well as alcoholic drinks being included, so even if you make the most of this before heading elsewhere for the evening, you are still making a small saving.

With regards to spending on ski passes and expensive equipment such as boots, goggles and salopettes, regrettably for some these are a necessity for this type of winter activity holiday. However, once you have invested in good quality equipment, you can use them time and time again for future trips. Big savings can be made again at meal times and on snack and beverages. There is nothing more cosy than coming back to your log cabin after an exhausting day out on the slopes to a hearty stew or home made broth. These are relatively cheap to make using local resources, and you can relax at home with family and friends, some local beers or mulled wine – made at home of course.

But what about prior to your trip? There is money to be saved whilst preparing to travel. Cheap holiday insurance, as long as it covers the essentials such as winter sports or travelling outside of Europe, can be obtained via comparison sites and search engines, and travel add-ons such as airport parking and hotels should always be pre-booked in advance to make substantial savings.

Take Airparks, UK airport parking providers as a prime example. Spaces are available at twenty three airport locations across England, Wales and Scotland including Gatwick, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Glasgow to name a few with discounts offered for those that book online prior to their trip. Airparks state that customers can save up to 60% on gate rates by doing so, leaving their car in secured car parks at every site and offer various parking options such as meet and greet, on and off site, and valet parking.

With so many ways to spend and save when it comes to winter travel, the best option is to prioritise the value of everything you will be spending money on. After all, holidays should be tailor made to suit you and your preferences accordingly, however, following the tips above should get you off to a good start.