One week in Spain = 3.5k – Is there a trick to finding a decent deal?

[Guest]

I will preface this I know we are incredibly lucky to be able to look at holidays abroad but how do people do it?!

We've always booked an air b and b the flights have been reasonable but to do a week in Spain next year with w kids is 3.5k?! Is that now the norm?!

It seems so ridiculous that the price is that much!

We went a few years ago to Portugal and it was nowhere near that!

Is there a trick to finding a decent deal? (and no we can't take them out of school as my other half is the vice chair of the governors-yes, he's one of 'those' people.

[Gemma]

Find a good travel agent and ask them to beat jet 2 price online. I’ve managed to save money every time. Just booked menorca for a family of 6 for less than 3k in august hols.

[Corinne]

We used to drive to Spain and make it part of the holiday, take 2-3 nights driving down and seeing some stuff on the way, ferry still inexpensive. Stayed in north Spain near Rosas was cheaper. Haven’t costed it recently though!

[Katrina]

I always book all elements separately myself. We’re a family of 7 (2 adults 4 children and a baby). I’ve gotten quite good at sourcing cheap flights. For example…..October half term I managed to book our flights as soon as Ryanair released them earlier this week. I’d already booked the outbound ones when I saw them for £22.99 each then as soon as the inbound ones got released I bought them for £35.99…..around £500 for flights for 7 of us during the October holiday including allocated seats and a bag (we have a washing machine so travel light). Same flights 2 days later are £2670 excluding the seats and bag. Package holidays are extortionate for what they are.

Have you looked on sky scanner for flights - it’s quite good for picking and choosing the cheapest days to fly if you look for whole months. Airbnb is fairly expensive now, I find Expedia cheaper

[Belinda]

I booked flights when they were released (easyjet was 6th October last year) and paid 500 for 4 of us incl a bag/seats

Also booked hotel around then with free cancellation (it was a little more expensive at the time but hotel had a sale later on so I cancelled and rebooked and saved a few hundred)

I think whole thing when flights and hotel added was about 2600 for 10 nights all inclusive.

I looked recently and for the exact same holiday it is coming closer to 6k.

Since I booked hotels have jumped crazy prices for this year.

[Sandra]

Look at less used airports Bordeaux or Bilbao both had really good flight prices. You could fly to one and out of the other and stay for a few nights one place and few another make an adventure. trains and buses really cheap.

[Fiona]

That is the norm in my experience, we got a great deal for May half term for 2 adults 2 children to Tenerife all inclusive for £2800 but I booked it almost a year in advance.

Our summer holiday for 2 weeks is almost £6000, crazy money but it is the norm, that same holiday is now over £8000, definitely pays to book early x

[Chloe]

We've found that cruises are cheaper than a hotel stay. We're staying in cyprus this year for £5500 for 7 nights AI for 2 adults and 2 children in a nice hotel. Next year we're doing a Royal Caribbean cruise for 2 weeks for the same price, so you definitely get more for your money cruising. It's not just for old people either my kids love a cruise, infact we don't see pur 10 year old as he makes friends and hangs out with them all day it's really nice to see different countries all in one holiday aswell.