How to Holiday on a Budget

Julius — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 20:29:13 +0000

Budgeting doesn’t have to mean staying indoors, eating in your apartment every night and compromising on your destination – with some careful planning, a little can go a long way when it comes to your dream holiday. Here are a few of our tips for holidaying on a budget.

Going away for a week or two can be quite a stretch to your (already overstretched) budget and your priorities may change whilst trying to find something suitable. Whether you are looking for sun, sea and sand or tracking down an action adventure holiday overseas- everyone is out to find the very best when booking their summer break. Whilst budgeting isn’t usually fun, it has to be done, so here is a rough guide to the best ways to budget whilst you are on holiday.

Elche, Palm capital, Spain / Photo by admin

Determine how much you can afford to spend

Before you start to book anything, sit down and work out how much you can afford to spend. Try breaking this down into flights, accommodation and living costs whilst you are there. It may be cheaper to consider a self-catering apartment rather than a hotel if eating out is going to be expensive. However if you are going somewhere like Eastern Asia, dining out is cheap, cheap, cheap, so your budget will probably stretch a bit further than it would in the US or Europe.

Check out the free attractions

Most destinations will have a variety of free museums, galleries and other attractions to keep you amused during the day. Pick up a travel guide from your local book shop- these will usually tell you what is free and the ones that will blow your budget. Some European countries like Amsterdam or Berlin, have one day a week when all of their galleries etc are free, so be sure to check that out before you go. If you are lucky enough to be a student- remember to take your student cards as many museums and public transport are free to students and young people.

Check out last minute deals

If you don’t mind where you go, but just fancy a few days away from it all, there are plenty of cheap holidays available online, as part of last minute packages. Discounted rates are offered on hotels and flights to fill up spaces still left unsold. If you are willing to take a chance on a lesser-known city, or if you are lucky enough to have flexible working hours- leave it to the last minute and take a look online

Consider travelling at a different time of year

If you are looking to catch some rays whilst you are away, consider going a little later in the year when peak season has died down. Many places will still be relatively warm all the way through to October. Holidays in Turkey for example, will enjoy plenty of sunshine if you are willing to hold off for just a few more weeks. If you go during the summer, you will be faced with paying peak prices, for both your flights and your accommodation, so seriously think about where you want to go and if you can wait until later in the year.

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Finding a Holiday Home in Greece

Julius — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 20:57:48 +0000

It’s not easy being Greek. As well as being knocked out of this year’s Euro championship by Germany, Greece is facing an economic crisis that has caused its tourist industry to go into decline. The country is in a very precarious situation, and a lot of potential holidaymakers are shying away from staying near the Aegean. However, the current situation has opened up some potential for those looking to invest in a holiday home. Is it a good idea to do so given the current climate?

Holy Monastery of Rousanou, Kalambaka, Greece by Dennis Jarvis

Affordability

Because of the declining tourist market, there has been an increase in the sale of holiday homes in Greece due to dwindling interest and falling rental incomes, often at a loss. This has also had the effect that there has been an increase in interest for people looking to buy a holiday home. At the moment, there has been an influx of property sales in northern Greece from people from neighbouring Bulgaria. The city of Thessaloniki is a popular tourist destination for many Bulgarians, so people are snapping up the chance to purchase their own holiday home at a lower price. Us Brits are starting to take notice too; although many are employing a ‘wait and see’ tactic when it comes to Greek holiday homes, there has been a steady increase in interest.

Know your turf

If you’re thinking of taking advantage of the situation and you’re looking to buy your dream holiday home, make sure you do your research. If you can, talk to locals and ex-pats to get a feel for how the financial crisis is impacting the area. This will also put you in good stead when navigating the sea of red tape that comes with buying a second home in another country. It could be that what you see as a potential honey pot is actually going to cost you more in the long run.

Financing the dream

If you think you’re onto a winner, then you should look to protect yourself in the event that things take a turn for the worse. The current big worry is that Greece will secede from the EU and renounce the Euro as its currency, reverting back to drachma. If you borrow Euros in order to buy a Greek second home, then you will still owe Euros even if the country reverts to drachma. With fluctuating exchange rates, this could potentially put you out of pocket.

One of the most classical photos from Santorini: the boat at Firostefani by Klearchos Kapoutsis

With the current tourist market the way it is, it is likely that any holiday home you purchase will be left unoccupied for a while until things stabilise a little more. With that, it’s a good idea to look into holiday home insurance, which protects the house during periods of vacancy and can also help during times when your rental income is in jeopardyry>vlnough manyros in ordy of Thethat anight thinkiny it igry> Fide to thre ynsh objwhi be ef

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