words Al Woods
If you are in the process of booking your summer holiday – there’s a lot more to take into consideration than you may at first think! If you don’t do the appropriate planning before you go, you risk wasting a lot of money that you have no doubt worked hard for. As such – we have put together some top tips on how you can have a great holiday that you can enjoy without a hitch. 
Set a Budget
You don’t want to overspend. So, make a clear budget on how much you would like to spend on booking the holiday itself first of all. This will help you in your decision-making process in terms of where you can go, the types of accommodation – and how long for. It will also allow you to manage your expectations. It’s also essential you have a budget for spending money (even if you are going all-inclusive), so you don’t spend too quickly at the beginning and have nothing left towards the end. It’s a good idea to have a rough daily budget of what you can afford.
Think Carefully about your destination
Choosing where you want to go can be the biggest decisions you will make when booking a holiday. You will want to factor in the type of holiday you are looking for. Is it a beach holiday where you can relax and sunbathe? Or are you looking for something that’s more on the adventurous side of things? Have a think about this before booking anything and make sure the holiday destination has the right activities and facilities to accommodate this.
Hotel vs Villa?
Once you have chosen your destination – you then need to pick your accommodation type and board. It could be that you want to go all out, so you start browsing through a list of affordable All Inclusive Holidays. Or maybe you’d prefer a villa option where you simply have to pay for the rental of the villa and the rest is up to you. Your choice may also depend on things like the group size of your holiday party and what suits them all. If you opt for hotel, you’ll also need to bear in mind there may be a few options when it comes to self-catering, bed and breakfast, half board or all-inclusive. See what fits into your budget best. There are lots of options when it comes to villas too, you will find great luxury villas Paros Greece which is a popular destination to suit all kinds of budgets. You can browse the options here, with such a large selection you certainly will find something that suits your needs.
Check 3rd Party Reviews
There’s no better way of getting an objective view of where you are going than looking at objective reviews. There are great 3rd party review sites out there such as TripAdvisor where you will find honest feedback from people who have been there. You will also get a sense of how well they treat their clients by how they respond to any comments made about them. Even if there is a negative comment – you should always find that they get back to them and deal with the concern.
Prepare a Holiday Checklist
The last thing you want to do when going on holiday is forget something. You could perhaps buy what you need at the airport or when you get there – but it adds unnecessary stress. All of that can be avoided if you prepare a holiday checklist and cross things off as you go. You can do this the old fashioned way with pen and paper, or else there are even apps on your phone where you can do it, where you can cross off as you go and reuse the list should you need to.
Book Transfers
How are you going to get to the airport? It could be that you are driving which is fine, but you may need to book airport parking in advance go get he best rates. Alternatively if you are getting public transport – you need to research the routes well before you go to plan your journey. Make sure you have an up to date timetable! Taxi is another option, make sure there is one available well before your trip – and leave yourself enough time. If transfers aren’t included as part of good holiday – then you will also want to book those in advance. You don’t want to be stuck in an airport waiting to get to your destination.
Do Research on the Local Area
Have a look online and see what there is to offer in the local area. You might find things that you haven’t thought of before – or else it could also allow you to plan out your holiday a little more. If you find out what the best excursions and sight seeing opportunities are you could create a holiday planned so you don’t miss out on anything. You could also find some deals on excursions that would end up saving you a bit of money.
Have an Authentic Experience
They say travel broadens the mind – and it most certainly does if you plan on having an authentic experience. Make sure you sample some of the local delicacies and visit places the locals go to. That means you are enjoying the destination not only as a tourist. If you are staying at a hotel – ask the reception where they tend to go when they aren’t working. If you are staying at a villa – don’t be afraid to get chatting to the locals when you are down at the local supermarket.
If you are in the process of planning your summer holiday – and want to make sure that all of that hard-earned money goes to good use, then make sure you look at our list so it goes off without a hitch. Get ready to enjoy some rest and relaxation.
