If you want to go overseas, start planning right now. You can save anything between 10% and 15% if you book in advance, says Charmaine McFarland of Travel Counsellors.
Airlines always have about 10 “cheap” seats, but once these are sold prices increase substantially.
Many tour operators offer early-booking discounts. Club Med, for example, has special travel offers between October 24 this year and May 1 next year, excluding the Christmas week (December 23 to 30). If the booking is paid by June 30, adults save up to R2680 and children up to R1340. Spaces are limited, so book early.
Flight Centre’s marketing manager, Dillon Serretta, offers more useful advice: pay upfront for extras. Buying tickets for public transport, museums and theatres will eliminate standing in long queues and will protect you from currency fluctuations and increases.
Get it all
Fully inclusive packages are becoming a must for all travellers. The marketing manager of African Encounters, Juan Nel, says holidays that include such things as excursions, entry fees and drinks can save you a lot of money. These include just about everything: flights, airport transfers, sports, entertainment, food, drink and travel insurance. Knowing you will not have to spend another cent gives real peace of mind.
Use a travel agent
The internet is not always the cheapest or the easiest way to find the best deal. Liezl Gericke, general manager of STA Travel, says airlines give special fares to certain travel agencies. Travel agents can also make suggestions on how and where to cut costs. A good travel agent can be your one-stop shop for a professional service. He or she will deal with all the things to do with flights, such as times, transits, visas and accommodation.
Discounts
Did you know that being a teacher entitles you to scores of discounts? STA Travel offers special teacher fares at the same price as youth or student fares. As a teacher you can also buy a card that gives you loads of other discounts. For a once-off payment of R100, the international teacher identity card gets you travel discounts worldwide, including accommodation, museum entrance fees, cultural events, movies, nightclubs and more.
Bye bye budget blues
Here are some other useful tips:
- Travel with a friend, says McFarland, not just for company, but because some suppliers offer two-for-the-price-of-one. In June and July Club Med is running a promotion for couples, in which you get “half off your better half”. This applies to certain resorts in the Maldives, Phuket (Thailand) and Cherating Beach (Malaysia) and translates to a 50% saving on the second person travelling.
- Be flexible with departure dates, choice of airline and routes and you could pick up some good deals, according to Buchanan Execu Travel. Instead of looking at the extra touchdown on your flight as a waste of time, why not add the location to your itinerary and see a new place. It recommends that you also book car rental because it usually works out cheaper. The alternative is to get on the bus as a local would or use your own two feet to see your destination at a slower pace.
- Hostel accommodation is good value, says Gericke. If a dormitory is not your cup of tea, many backpacker hostels offer private rooms. Hostels always have good tourist information and are the best places to network with other travellers and get advice on where to go and what to avoid.
- Eat with the locals, but beware of drinking tap water and check out the prices before the bill comes, says Serretta of Flight Centre. He recommends that you pick up a free tourist map in the airport or hotel lobby; it will be an excellent reference tool and often has discount vouchers attached.
Value for money destinations
Top five value-for-money mid-year destinations:
Mauritius, Singapore, Thailand, United States, Cyprus
Top five value-for-money year-end destinations:
Zanzibar, Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Turkey