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Book outside of school holidays

The best tip of them all has to be avoiding school holidays as the price of your holiday is likely to rise significantly. To get an idea of how much more it would cost to travel inside term time, when you are choosing a date for a flight scroll back to show earlier dates and see how much more you would have to pay. Travel companies are fully aware how much higher demand is in school holidays which is why they adjust their prices accordingly. However being retired you should normally have more weeks available when you are free to travel. Times to avoid are Easter, half terms and the summer holidays which run from the last week in July until the start if September. Granted this is peak time but if you are going somewhere where it is hot from April to October then it can make financial sense to avoid the school holidays.

Book in advance OR last minute

OK ill explain this one. With some holidays it benefits you to book as far in advance as possible for example if booking cheap flights to a popular European destination. If you know your holiday dates in advance (as most retired people will do) then it obviously makes sense to book early and save. However some holidays are best bought at the last minute as airlines and hotels will have seats and rooms that they need to fill. If you are flexible over your destination and dates then wait to see what last minute holiday deals become available. This used to be done using teletext but most now use the internet to find the latest offers. Of course there is no harm going into a good old fashioned travel agent and doing the same thing!

Use a credit card, not a debt card

The reason for this is that an increasing amount of card fraud is being committed against travellers abroad. If you use a debt card and someone clones your details they can potentially empty your bank account in one go, leaving your with no money whatsoever. However if you only use a credit card, although they can make fraudulent transactions you will see these when you receive your monthly bill which when allows you to inform your card company. In other words you wont have to pay for them and then try and recoupe the money. Some credit cards also provide insurance cover for purchases so that if you buy something abroad that either turns out to be faulty or is not delivered, you can reclaim the purchase amount through the card company’s insurance cover.

This article was produced by Simon who runs pension website Annuity City. Visit them for the top annuity rates on the market.

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One thing that makes Stockholm so unique is that the large city is actually comprised of 14 separate islands, connected by a network of bridges. There are currently 50 bridges keeping Stockholm’s different areas within easy reach of each other, and many of these are attractions in their own right.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Mispahn

Despite the fact it is made up of islands, Stockholm has an enviably good public transport network, comprising trains, buses and underground subway trains. You can buy day passes that allow you to get around using any combination of these, as with most major European cities.

The climate in Stockholm is surprisingly mild for a Scandinavian country, though you will find that if you visit in December the days are incredibly short, with only 6 hours of daylight on the shortest day. By contrast, there are 18 hours of daylight at the mid point of summer.

There are so many things to see and do in Stockholm’s many thriving districts that there is certainly something for every traveller. You can check out the historical sights in the old town, or shop and socialise in the trendy districts of Norrmalm and Ostermalm. The nightlife is great, but be aware that drinks are very expensive in Sweden.

Stockholm is a truly great European destination for a city break, and with plenty of transport links and hotels it is easy to find a well priced deal for a trip there.

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