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9 top tips to make your holiday £££ go further

Worried about the cost of extras like food, drink and activities on your trip? Here are our tips to make your holiday budget go further.

 

1. Choose a trip where the excursions / activities are included

The great thing about small group trips with Explore is that all the usual highlights are included – from entry to historic sites to the must-have experiences. We also include some lesser-known sites away from the beaten track, which take you under the skin of your destination, as well as some ‘twists’ that really give a flavour of local life. Some additional activities will be optional, but if you want to see as much as possible while reducing spending on your holiday, opt for one of our ‘moderate’ or ‘full on’ paced trips.

2. Choose a trip where lots of meals are included

Most of our trips include breakfast each day, but many include additional meals too. Some of our treks, such as Toubkal Long Weekend and the Inca Trail Trek, have several meals included - as well as boat trips like our Maldive Dhoni Cruise. On trips like these, there are often no alternative meal options. Where there are, we like to give travellers the choice. However, often we’ll discover a restaurant or eatery that really adds to the experience of a destination – and then we just have to include a lunch or a dinner! Have dinner with a local family just outside Tirapsol on our Moldova Short Break, or taste your way through the famous Sarlat market on our Taste of Southern France tour.

3. Eat like a local

Even if you’re not on a trip with meals included, you can keep costs down by choosing small, local places to eat and by dining on authentic regional cuisine. Our Tour Leaders know their destinations like the back of their hands, and are on hand to recommend the best and tastiest place to eat without blowing the budget. Generally speaking, if you eat somewhere popular with locals, you’ll find great food, a buzzing atmosphere and excellent value for money.

4. Check exchange rates

If you choose a destination where the pound is performing well against the local currency, there are real bargains to be had. We continuously monitor exchange rates, and regularly amend our prices accordingly. Keep an eye on our Discounted Trips page, which highlights our weekly price drops. Don’t wait till the airport to get your holiday cash. If you’re savvy, you can save £££ by changing your money when the pound is strongest, even if that’s several weeks or months ahead of your trip.

5. Take your own water bottle

Avoid buying dozens of bottles of water, and adding to plastic waste, by taking your own reusable water bottle on holiday. If visiting a country where the tap water isn’t drinkable, take a bottle with a filter like Water-to-Go and help save the planet from plastic waste, as well as reducing your spend. Win-win. 

6. If you're travelling solo, consider sharing a room

If you’re travelling solo on one of our small group trips, we’ll never charge you a supplement if you’re happy to share with another solo traveller of the same sex. Otherwise, keep an eye out for trips with low single supplements, where it can cost from as little as £55 extra to have your own room for the whole trip. If you’re considering travelling solo on an Explore trip for the first time, read our answers to the most-asked questions.

7. Travel outside high season, if you can

Avoid peak season and you’ll not only save money but you’ll avoid the crowds too. If you don’t have school-aged children or work in a school, and have the flexibility, travelling outside school holidays is a big money saver. While at first glance the climate can look less-ideal in shoulder or low season, often the ‘rains’ can just be for an hour each day, with the remainder of the time bright and dry. Read up on best times to travel, or chat with our expert team who will be happy to pass on their tips and advice.

8. Shop like a local

If you’re planning to bring back souvenirs from your holiday, avoid department stores and airport souvenir shops and instead visit markets and stores where the locals are doing their shopping. Be prepared to haggle, but within reason – an additional dollar or two might not be much to you, but can make a big difference to the vendor.

9. Check out our regular price drops

Sign up to our offers emails to keep up to date with the latest price drops and special offers.  We respond to changes in exchange rate, airline offers and deals from our agents to keep costs down. Be among the first to hear about holiday sales and savings by signing up to our emails.  
 
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