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Whether you’re shopping the sales for a big holiday in 2026, or just getting organised for a trip that’s already in the diary, there are plenty of steps you can take to drive down costs.
If you’re a regular traveller, you’ll already know the more obvious money-saving tips: steer clear of tourist traps, look out for discounts and say no to the hotel minibar.
But did you also know that you should never get a UK train ticket at a ticket machine, pay overseas in pounds or accept car hire insurance at the rental desk? Or why you should probably swap Heathrow for Istanbul as your departure airport on long-haul adventures?
The same goes for booking a trip – savvy holidaymakers know to travel off-peak and set a budget and stick to it, but how many know why you should make your next hotel booking on a smartphone rather than your laptop, and why it pays to opt for a seat on the right of the plane?
The Which? Travel experts carry out detailed research and undercover investigations all year long, tirelessly testing out money-saving hacks to ensure you aren’t ripped off on holiday. Below, you can read the best of the travel team’s advice for saving money on trips in 2026 — and we’ll keep adding new tried-and-tested tips and tricks as we discover them.
From the cheapest destinations for 2026, to advice for securing cheaper car hire abroad, and how to get the cheapest Eurostar tickets in the sale, this insight could save you hundreds of pounds on your next holiday.
Inspiring destination ideas from the experts for only £36.75 for the year. Plus, get £100 off holidays with Trailfinders, the Which? Travel Brand of the Year
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It’s easy to panic and add extra bags to your booking, especially last-minute while you’re packing. But ask yourself: do I really need a carry-on or checked case?
Budget airlines often tempt travellers with advertisements for ‘cheap’ extra baggage. But when we checked the price of taking a cabin bag on more than 1,500 easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air flights, we found that the cheapest advertised price was hardly ever available.
If you can manage travelling with just an under-the-seat bag, max out the space without going over (it will cost you if you do). Ryanair's allowance, for instance, is just 40 x 30 x 20cm, so search for a bag that fits these exact dimensions.
Adding extra checked bags can more than quadruple the cost of your flight if you’re flying with a ‘low-cost’ airline. In fact, we found that so-called ‘ultra-cheap’ flights with no-frills airlines ended up costing a family of four hundreds of pounds extra if they wanted to check in luggage. If you really do need extra baggage allowance, book with a better airline, such as British Airways or Jet2. Both allow a personal item and a larger cabin case as standard with their tickets – we found this works out cheaper every time.
Always check cabin bag rules ahead of time, including new airport liquid rules. And if you need to fit more into your bag, don't believe the hype about packing cubes. We’ve tested them.
Apart from a couple of exceptions, paying for a seat next to your companion is usually unnecessary. If you booked seats at the same time, most airlines will seat you together for free anyway.
Which airlines let families sit together for free? In our most recent airline survey, 93% of BA passengers who didn't pay extra told us they were seated together anyway, and the airline guarantees that children will be seated with at least one adult family member. That was also the case for 90% of both Jet2 and easyJet passengers who didn’t pay. Jet2 and easyJet told us that they will try to seat families together, and that each child under 12 will be seated close to an accompanying adult. However, easyJet advises checking in as soon as possible to increase the likelihood of sitting with your group.
Only Wizz Air and Ryanair passengers need to be concerned. 61% of Wizz Air passengers were seated separately unless they paid for reserved seats, while 62% of Ryanair passengers faced the same separation unless they paid to sit together.
Surprisingly, there is no rule that forces airlines to seat parents next to even the smallest children. Ryanair expects adults accompanying children under 12 to buy a seat reservation.
Another temptation that arises before you even arrive at your destination is to pay for more legroom. But you don't have to spend more to get more space. Simply book a seat on the right-hand side of the plane with the letters D, E or F (as opposed to A, B or C). Our research shows that standard seats on the right-hand side of many planes (including Ryanair) can offer anywhere between an extra half-inch to an inch of legroom compared to those on the left.
Find out your flight number's model of plan on Google Flights, then type it into AeroLOPA to find out if this trick will work for your next flight. Seats in front of a bulkhead or at the tail end of the plane are also generally a little more generous.
Skip the pricey legacy brands. We asked more than 1,300 Which? members about the suitcases and cabin bags they've owned, and they told us that Tripp was as good -as if not better than - Samsonite, despite its bags costing a third less on average. For a more stylish, long-lasting option, Eastpak came out on top with an 82% customer rating, although you’ll pay a bit more for the brand's durability and design.
Find a good-quality suitcase that costs less using our survey of the best suitcase brands in 2026
You’re likely to make staggering savings on airport parking if you book ahead, as prices have soared since 2019. Heathrow’s short-stay car parks cost £661.50 per week at the turn-up price, but when we checked, that’s reduced to £111 even if you book just two hours in advance - saving £551.50. Some providers allow you to pre-book even as little as two hours in advance and still pay less than the turn-up price.
Shop around for parking options. We’ve found that third-party providers that operate outside the airport's boundaries almost always offer better value than their on-site equivalent, but pick your provider carefully. We recently caught rogue operators stealing from cars, speeding and dumping vehicles. Find out which car parks are safest – and cheapest – in our review of the best airport car parks.
All our Which? Recommended Providers (Sentinel, APH, Cophall, I Love Meet and Greet and Sentinel Leeds Bradford) also offer sign-up and promotional codes of 10-15% for those who book directly via their websites.
Pay-as-you-go airport lounges — where everybody’s welcome to enjoy food, drink, magazines and an escape from the crowds — are now more expensive than ever. Lounges that cost £29 on average in 2020 cost £42 this year – an increase of 45%. And despite this, when our inspectors visited lounges at every major UK airport, they found that only two of the 25 they checked were worth the cost.
Several other lounges in our survey received decent marks, but you should only visit them if you can get a deal. When we checked, the cheapest price was never when booking through the lounge operator, and only sometimes when booking via the airport. Comparison sites such as Holiday Extras often provide the cheapest price on airport lounges. Get extra value for your visit by planning ahead to eat your main meal there and checking the menu online first to see if you’ll be able to enjoy a drink or two as part of the package (some lounges now charge premium fees for certain drinks).
Are airport lounges worth it? Read what our undercover inspectors had to say.
If you’ve ever found yourself caught up in airport chaos, you might be tempted to splurge on fast-track. But don’t assume paying your way to the front of the queue will always be quicker. According to data from the CAA and individual airports, the average wait time at UK airport security is only between five and seven and a half minutes. This increases to 8-10 minutes at the busiest times, but many airports don't even guarantee that fast-track queues will be quicker.
When we analysed queue data from 7,000 passengers, we also found that fast-track airport security is generally a waste of money, with the average wait time at Gatwick, Heathrow and Edinburgh being around 15 minutes, and at many airports it's even faster. So, unless you’re travelling at peak time (between 4am and 9am), or through airports that our survey respondents have told us have longer queues (including Manchester and Birmingham), it’s probably not worth it.
Read more, and check queue time estimates for 30 major UK airports, in our guide: Is fast-track worth it at the airport
Decent cover doesn’t have to cost the earth. Choose a plan that fits your travel style and needs rather than automatically opting for the most expensive one. Saga, Barclays and Holidaysafe ranked highest in our latest rigorous research into the best travel insurance.
Check what your bank has to offer, too. Some of the best-rated policies in our survey, such as those from Barclays and Nationwide, come bundled with bank accounts. They offer extensive coverage at a lower cost, especially if you’re travelling with family, as they include partners and children for free. Remember to always read the policy documents to ensure you’re covered for every eventuality.
Read our guide on what to look for in a good travel insurance policy.
Hiring a car abroad for your next trip? Car hire companies have several ways to part you from your cash, and time and time again we’ve found that you’ll pay over the odds for insurance if bought through the car rental provider – up to £183 more per week than specialist insurance bought online.
Not only are policies from independent insurers up to 10 times cheaper, but they also provide better coverage for common issues such as scratches and punctures.
Find the best car hire companies in 2026, and discover the best-rated car hire insurance providers.
When you’re visiting popular attractions - whether that's the Louvre or the Colosseum - try to buy tickets directly from the official website, and resist the temptation to purchase tickets for ‘guided tours’ unless you know what you’re paying for.
Our travel experts found sellers peddling tickets to top attractions for as much as triple the original price, without any significant extra benefits.
Learn to spot rip-off attraction tickets
No city break is complete without a trip to a museum or gallery, but admission prices can eat into your budget, especially if you’re travelling as a group or family. But many European cities offer free entry to cultural sites, museums and galleries on the first weekend (or sometimes first Sunday) of the month.
When we crunched the numbers to calculate how much you could save by using this trick in popular city break destinations, we found that you could save up to £140 for a family of four for a day’s sightseeing in Florence.
Read more tricks for cheap sightseeing on city breaks
When using your card abroad, there are two golden rules to avoid hidden fees:
Never pay in pounds. Instead, pay in the local currency to avoid foreign transaction fees of up to 3% (a charge from your bank for the conversion).
Use a fee-free card to dodge charges of up to 3% on cash withdrawals and spending abroad.
The Lloyds Ultra Credit Card, the Halifax Clarity and Barclaycard Rewardscards are the best travel credit cards, and Which? Recommended Providers Chase, First Direct and Starling Bank offer the best debit cards for travel.
If you can’t - or don’t want to - take out a dedicated bank account or credit card for travel, and prefer not to carry large amounts of cash on your trip, another option is to use a prepaid debit card, but do so with caution, as these can come with fees that add up quickly.
Read more about the cheapest way to spend money abroad.
Cash machine and withdrawal fees can add up. Checking in advance whether card or cash payments are more popular in your country can help you estimate how much cash you’ll need for your trip, and could prevent you from having to nip to overpriced cash machines if a shop or restaurant refuses to take your card.
Habits are different across Europe. In Portugal and Spain, cash is used for more than 50% of transactions, whereas in the Netherlands and Belgium card payments are more common. Our guide to spending money abroad lists the top countries where you’re more likely to need cash, plus the cheapest way to withdraw cash abroad.
Ever found yourself puzzling over how much to give a waiter or tour guide? The social custom of tipping varies so much from country to country that even seasoned travellers can find themselves scratching their heads.
If you leave a tip after your meal in Japan, you’ll likely be chased by your waitress trying to return your ‘lost money’ – while in Poland, saying ‘thank you’ to your waiter before receiving your change signals you’re happy for them to keep it all (potentially an expensive mistake). In many European countries, 10% of your restaurant bill is a respectable tip – but in the States, that’s an insult. You’ll need to fork out at least 20% in tourist areas.
From the taxi driver in Athens to your safari guide in South Africa, see our guide to tipping overseas.
Instead, book online. Our mystery shoppers checked ticket machines up and down the UK and found that they charge up to 154% more than buying online. Many hide cheaper ticket options, such as advance fares, or don't ever offer them. For example, a one-way fare from Northampton to Cardiff was £107 at a machine but just £43 online.
Read more: How to get cheaper train tickets
Around once per season, the National Trust gives away attraction passes that are worth up to £50 and give you access to a historic house, castle or garden. They’re popular, so you’ll need to act fast when they go on offer.
To find out more, read our guide on how to get a free National Trust Pass in 2026.
It’s likely that meals at some of your favourite restaurants are eligible for 50% discounts using the First Table app. We like this app because it’s transparent, reliable and there are no strings attached.
All you need to do is book a table at an ‘off-peak’ time through the First Table website and you can get cheap restaurant deals (usually 50% off food) on breakfast, lunch and dinner at hundreds of restaurants, from cheap eats to fine dining across the UK, including in big cities.
You’ll just need to pay a fee of £4-£8 for the table reservation, but it’s usually well worth the savings you’ll make on the food bill, especially for groups or families dining out.
We’ve also scoured the Michelin site for the cheapest Michelin-star restaurants in the UK and across the world to help you enjoy fine dining for as little as £20.
By making wise choices at the booking stage, you can save even more on your holiday. Follow these tips next time you’re planning a trip.
When we tracked the price of 24,000 short-haul package holidays from Jet2holidays and Tui – the UK’s biggest tour operators - over nearly a year, we found that prices were usually cheapest when booked in advance.
Increased demand for holidays in recent years has made last-minute deals few and far between. Six of the 10 countries our experts tracked came out as cheaper when booked in advance, including Portugal, Italy, Croatia, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands and mainland Spain. There were better last-minute deals to be had for destinations such as Bulgaria and Cyprus. You can still find deals if you are completely flexible on both your dates of travel and destination.
Browse the Jet2holidays last-minute deals page or the Tui last-minute deals page for more offers – top tip: last-minute holidays from September onwards are much cheaper.
Read more: Are last-minute holidays ever cheaper?
If you want to make savings on a bucket-list trip abroad — for example to Sydney or Tokyo — start with your departure airport. You could save thousands by skipping London airports such as Heathrow or Gatwick, and instead flying via alternative airports, including Istanbul, Copenhagen or Oslo.
We found flights as cheap as £30 to Istanbul, and onward flights to top long-haul destinations are often hundreds of pounds cheaper.
Check our guide to the best alternative departure airports for the cheapest long-haul flight deals, and follow our seven tops for making your flight with Ryanair cheaper.
As handy as price comparison sites like Skyscanner, Kayak, Trivago are, it’s important to remember that they can show differing results. Lock in the best deal by checking multiple sites.
Mobile-only discounts are often carried through onto comparison sites, so make sure to browse on your phone or a tablet if you can.
Read six more tips for getting the most out of hotel comparison sites and flight comparison sites.
The travel team swears by cashback sites for making savings on trips. Though these sites don’t lower upfront costs, you can sometimes claim a percentage back if the company you’re booking with participates in the scheme — savings which add up over the course of one or several trips abroad.
Avoid paying over the odds on hotel stays by booking via a smartphone rather than a computer. We found that Booking.com, Expedia, and Hotels.com often offer mobile-only discounts, with savings of up to 40% on select listings.
We were able to save hundreds on some hotel stays just by booking on our mobile rather than a computer. And don't skip checking directly with the hotel — sometimes it will match or beat booking platform prices, possibly adding perks such as breakfast or room upgrades (see below).
Read more: Why is it cheaper to book a hotel by phone?
With so many travel comparison websites, it can be hard to know which genuinely has the best deal and if you should book with them. This begs the question: once you’ve found a deal online, is it better to book a hotel directly or with a travel comparison site?
Every time we price-check popular hotel booking and comparison websites, we find that booking directly with the hotel is most frequently the cheapest way to get the best room rate. Hotels are often tied into contracts with booking platforms, which means they can't offer a lower price on their own website. But they can offer a cheaper deal when customers deal with them directly.
In other words, pick up the phone and give the hotel a call to get the best deals.
Read our other money-saving tips for hotel bookings
Solo travellers often pay more, according to a Which? Travel investigation, even when booking a single-occupancy hotel room or cruise cabin. So, if you’re travelling by yourself, pick a company that won’t charge you for single supplements.
According to our research, the best holiday providers for solo travellers include Which? Recommended Providers One Traveller and Jet2 Holidays, along with Co-op Holidays and British Airways Holidays.
Grabbing Eurostar sale tickets for less than £30 may sound too good to be true, but our research shows that sale prices as low as £27 are genuine and among the cheapest prices available — though fares from £29-£39 are more common and easy to find.
We consistently find that booking during these flash sales or well in advance offers the best savings, especially if you can travel midweek or at off-peak times. We’ve even found weekend tickets at these low prices.
To get cheap Eurostar tickets, head to Eurostar's website and choose between the destination tabs at the top of the page, depending on where you want to visit. Pick a date on the calendar indicating that fares start at flash sale prices. Finally, hit 'check train times' to find which travel times have cheap fares available.
Our grocery shop is costing more than ever, but those extra pounds could convert to a UK hotel break, a Eurostar ticket or even a flight to a Caribbean island.
We compared popular schemes from Avios, Nectar, Tesco Clubcard and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and found that points collected for every pound spent – in supermarkets, online and for fuel — can be redeemed for holidays. When it comes to booking your trip, Avois can be used with many airlines, like British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Qatar Airways. Nectar points can also be converted into Avios points.
Boost your Avios balance by using an Avios credit card. Which? Recommended Provider American Express offers 20,000 Nectar points (worth 12,500 Avios) if you spend £2,000 in the first three months—just be sure to pay off your card in full to avoid interest charges.
The British Airways American Express credit card also allows you to earn one point per £1 spent. In addition, if you spend more than £15,000 in a year, you can get a companion voucher, which gets you a second seat for a friend or family member travelling on the same flight and cabin as you, in economy class.
Read more on the best air-mile credit cards in 2026
Choosing an all-inclusive package holiday will most likely save you money compared to doing it yourself, especially if you plan to spend plenty of time at the resort. Our research found that all-inclusive beach holidays are cheaper than DIY holidays in seven out of 10 popular destinations.
If you do plan to go all-inclusive, consider a holiday in Morocco, the Canary Islands or Bulgaria - our analysis of more than 1,300 all-inclusive summer (2025) holidays found these to be the most affordable options for all-inclusive holidays, on average.
But pick your all-inclusive wisely, or you could end up splashing out on sneaky in-resort extras. Our research shows that all-inclusive holidaymakers spend an average of £119 per person per week on things such as snacks and cocktails, despite everything being supposedly ‘included’.
Avoid budget online travel agents, which will offer cheap deals upfront but leave you paying through the nose onsite for things that aren't actually included. Instead, invest a little more in a top-value all-inclusive provider upfront, and enjoy a holiday without unexpected costly add-ons.
Hoi An has ranked among the cheapest long-haul destinations for a couple of years, but as of 2025 it was the holiday spot where your money will go the furthest, with prices having dropped by around 11% since 2023.
Following that is a Cape Town holiday, which is still an excellent choice for a long-haul trip in 2026. Not only was it rated one of the best cities in the world by 2,000 visitors rating long-haul city breaks, but it’s also a cost-effective destination — even if prices have risen over the past 12-18 months.
If you’re planning a short-haul trip, you can also make big savings by being a little more original with your destination. We’ve done the leg-work for you, from digging up the best underrated European cities that keep things budget-friendly without compromising on experiences, to finding out the cheapest Greek island, to discovering the best destinations in the Med for cheap winter sun.
Thinking outside of the box when you’re booking a cottage stay can lower costs. After analysing thousands of prices for a week’s stay in UK cottages, we found that the priciest cottage holiday destinations such as Oxfordshire can cost up to £1,693 on average for a week’s stay, whereas Northern Ireland, the cheapest, costs £905 - that’s an enormous saving of £788.
Another trick? In many cases, going inland could help bring down costs. We found that visiting Suffolk and staying close to the beach increased the cost of a week’s stay by 28% — a £317 difference. The difference was 19% in Sussex, and 17% in Northumberland.
When we crunched the numbers, we found that Costa Blanca was the cheapest destination for a seven-night package trip — in fact, it was the only destination we found with stays for less than £900pp for a week in August. It was closely followed by Tuscany at £929. Those destinations were primarily cheapest because of the range of accommodation available, but we found great options for reasonable prices at both.
Three of the top 10 cheapest destinations were the Canary Islands — read our guide to the cheapest package holiday destinations to find out more.