10 alternative websites to cut the cost of your holiday

To help you get the most for your money I’ve pulled together a list of lesser known websites that could save you a fortune on your holiday.

1. www.redspottedhanky.com -Compare the price of retail train tickets impartially and independently for all train operating companies and train journeys in the UK. You won’t be charged any credit or debit card fees nor will you be charged any booking fees. And, unless you need next day delivery, you won’t be charged for the delivery of your ticket either.
2. www.skyscanner.net – cheap flights, simple.
3. www.petrolprices.com -Holidaying in the UK? Planing on driving? This site allows users to search for the cheapest petrol in their area quickly and you can receive regular e-mail alerts letting you know when the prices change.
4. www.holidaytransfers.com – These guy offer airport transfer services from thousands of destinations at an affordable price. Whether you want a holiday taxi, a shuttle direct to your resort, coach for a group trip or a limousine for something special they have a happy driver with a well maintained vehicle to get you there on a budget (apparently anyway).
5. www.couchsurfing.org – When you join CouchSurfing, you tap into their network of welcoming people worldwide. You can bypass the typical hotel experience by staying at the home of a local and learning about their culture. Or in other words – you can use the site to crash on people’s sofa for free.
6. www.icarinsurance.com – avoid getting ripped off with expensive excess waiver policies at the car hire desk when you arrive at your destination. These guys offer a range of policies that are fully comprehensive and accepted at all car rental locations worldwide. The excess payments on most hire car insurance policies are often over £500 and can be as high as £1500. The costs involved with insuring a car against these excess car rental payments are expensive, at least £9 a day from most car hire companies and often don’t cover the parts that are most likely to get damaged like the windows, tyres and roof. iCarhireinsurance.com offers policies which cover parts like windows, tyres and the roof, and is at a very affordable price from £2.99 a day and £39.99 a year. So book before you go and save money.
7. www.ski-hire-europe.com – The aims of ski-hire-europe are to reduce the cost of your ski trip – whether it’s to a luxury chalet in Zermatt or a self catered apartment in La Plagne – so you can spend more of your hard earned cash on things you really want to (like another ski break away maybe?)
8. www.hoildayswapshop.co.uk – This site was set up to give people from all parts of Britain the opportunity to take regular, affordable holiday breaks in their own country. Members are happy to open their homes to each other, free of charge, so that everyone can enjoy a holiday.
9. www.holidayautos.co.uk – They search the world for the best car hire companies and the best prices. They offer fully-inclusive pre-paid car hire – so no add-ons, no hidden extras.
10. www.travelmoneymax.com – Provides the best exchange rates for your holiday money giving options of collection or delivery, part of the Moneysavingexpert group.