How to travel more while spending less in 2026

The prime holiday season is fast approaching, and if you're anything like me, you're itching to book something. Whether it's a romantic getaway to Italy or a trip to Greece with the family, it's the best time of the year.

But the cost of a holiday can easily add up, and I'm not too keen on my wallet feeling too much lighter. Luckily, our money-saving experts have picked up on some handy tips and tricks over the years to help you save on your next vacation.

Read on to find out everything you need to know to travel more while spending less.

What are the best ways to save in holidays?

Some of the best ways to save on holidays include booking all-inclusive, booking in December, opting for a package holiday, visiting a budget-friendly destination, or vacationing in winter instead of summer.

Book all-inclusive

With all the various booking sites around, it's difficult to know whether all-inclusive holidays are actually more affordable or simply too good to be true. One fixed price that often includes flights, transfers, food and drink can often look like you're saving quite a bit of cash.

To help you decide, we've previously looked into whether or not all-inclusive holidays can actually save you money, and more often than not, they do, in fact, work out cheaper.

In short, it all depends on when, where and who you're booking with.

Request a room on a higher floor

This one is for all those who love a good hotel room, without the premium price tag. When we previously reached out to Hotels.com, they actually told us that "the higher the floor, the more premium the rooms, so don't hesitate to ask for a room on an upper floor".

We advise that you book your hotel as usual and request a room on a higher floor upon arrival. This then ensures that you won't pay any extra for a higher quality room that's further away from noisy streets.

Book for December or January

While everyone loves booking holidays during the Summer, breaks tend to work out cheaper when you book stays in December or January. In our previous piece, where we explored how to get cheaper hotel rooms, we found that some of the best prices for hotels are available in mid-late December, before they skyrocket around New Year's Eve.

Hotels.com told us, "The first two weeks of January are usually the quietest travel weeks and the perfect time to grab a bargain. You might think travelling around the holiday season would cost more, but in fact, corporate hotels have great availability and prices in the last two weeks of December."

Best holiday booking apps

There are a variety of holiday booking apps to choose from nowadays, which can be super useful when it comes to finding more ways to save on your holiday.

Based on our expertise, we recommend Booking.com. They offer a wide variety of flights, hotels and apartments, and you can book them all in one place, with the click of a button.

We also recommend customers sign up for the rewards programme, as you can get exclusive discounts and extras.

Package holidays

An easy way to save on your next holiday is to look out for package holidays. The head of Hotel Partnerships at lastminute.com, Martin Kleinman, previously told us, "One amazing way to save money is to buy your flight and hotel together if you're going abroad. You not only get protection if something happens, as it's classed as a package holiday, but hotels love it as you're less likely to cancel, and airlines love it as they've got a better idea of seat numbers on planes."

It's also worth keeping an eye out for deals and promotions throughout the year, and the best way to do that is by signing up for newsletters or following holiday companies on social media.

Best budget destinations

Factoring in the price of a flight is just as important as budgeting for a hotel and can more often than not be the deciding factor in your holiday. We discovered some of the best travel destinations for budget travellers, and found that the most expensive flights were to countries such as Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Chile, while the cheapest flights were to Poland, Portugal and Spain.

The easiest way to track what you're paying for flights and accommodations is by using comparison websites. We recommend using Booking.com, Hotels.com and Expedia for this.

Use comparison websites

Booking a holiday can often be confusing, with just how many comparison apps and websites are available now. Luckily, we've done the hard work for you and looked into whether Hotels.com is legit, and everything you need to know about them before you book.

Comparison websites are a convenient way to make sure you're paying the lowest price possible. Outside of the sites previously mentioned, we also recommend checking Expedia, Skyscanner and KAYAK.

Book a winter holiday

Winter holidays are quickly becoming more popular, as prices are generally lower than in the Summer months. If you're used to travelling in the summer and need some winter holiday inspiration, we've rounded up the best winter travel destinations that you're sure to love.

You just can't beat the prices or the stunning views for locations like Prague, Portugal, Budapest and Bruges.

Use discount codes

At MyVoucherCodes, we have a long list of travel and holiday discount codes and offers ready for you to use. We have pages dedicated to Hotels.com, lastminute.com, Expedia and many more.

We have a full list of discounts available, whether it's for airport parking, flights, UK stays or holidays abroad.