So, you’ve already enjoyed your summer holiday and think you can’t afford to get away for another 12 months? Wrong! Why not consider a few days away on a city break in the coming months? There are a plethora of budget flights on offer to tempt you from your sofa this autumn, and these tips on how to save money on city breaks may just help you make up your mind once and for all!
Choosing your destination
• Approach your city break with an open mind – the likes of Paris and Rome are iconic yes, but that also makes them expensive. Consider less mainstream options and the savings will soon add up.
• One of the very best things you can do is sign up to newsletters; Dealchecker, Travel Zoo and Groupon, to name but a few, send weekly newsletters with a whole host of their weekly deals and you can often bag a one or two night stay with flights for £100 per person or less!
• Failing that, check out Skyscanner – not only can you find cheap flights any day of the week, they also send a weekly newsletter showcasing lucky dip flights from across Europe, sometimes starting from as little as £16 return!
Transport
• To really cut back on costs, don’t even think about flying on a Friday or over the weekend – the cheapest flights are always during the week and unfortunately, usually at pretty unsociable hours but it will definitely help to keep the costs down.
• Have you ever thought about taking the Eurotunnel and then an onward train? This is usually a better option for a slightly longer city break but you may well be lucky and manage to bag yourself a fantastic deal.
• When it comes to getting around the city you have a few options; hire a car of course but look out for fuel policies whereby you can return full when you hire for three days or less. When it comes to other options like trains and tubes, buy multi trip tickets. Even if it seems more confusing when using a ticket machine in a foreign language – it is worth it for the money you will save.
Accommodation
• As well as signing up the newsletters mentioned above, there are a host of other options when it comes to accommodation. Going on holiday doesn’t automatically mean you have to stay in a hotel after all; consider the likes of hostels. Facilities are great and for a fraction of the cost and with the option of shared dorms or private rooms too, there’ll be sure to be an option to suit you. Remember that more often than not on a city break the only time you will really spend in your room is when you will be sleeping, as you will be out exploring during the day so the facilities aren’t as important.
• If you are dead set on staying in a hotel however, be sure to utilise the services of Trivago who scour the web and identify the cheapest rate for your chosen hotel, taking out a lot of the hard work for you.
Activities
• A lot of cities now offer discount cards which allow you to visit a number of top destinations for a one off set fee. Visit the tourist board website of the city you’re visiting to find out if such a card exists.
• Scour voucher code websites before you travel to find out about discounts for entry fees!
Extra Costs
• It’s the little extra costs that we often don’t consider which tend to eat away at our budget such as snacks and bottles of water here and there. Rather than nipping into the first shop or café you see, track down the cheapest supermarket as soon as you arrive and stock up on multipacks of water, fruit and other snacks. You can store them in your room and take enough to see you through your explorations each day in the city.
• This one probably goes without saying but for a short city break, checking in your luggage really isn’t necessary; fly with hand luggage only!
• When dining out, consider the set menu options at restaurants – they are often delicious and far cheaper than the typical menu. Alternatively, consider trying out some street food vendors!
So, follow these tips on how to save money on city breaks and enjoy a short break away in the coming months for less. What tips can you add?
