In this week's millennial money episode, Damien Fahy and I speak about top money-saving tips for your holiday.
Damien Says:
Turn off data roaming
What is data roaming?
Data roaming is the high-cost fees you may have experienced in the past if you forgot to turn off your mobile data when travelling to another country. Data roaming charges happen when you phone connects to another network when abroad, and a bill normally racks up if you forget to turn off your mobile data connection as your phone is trying to connect to the internet even when you are not actively using it.
How do I turn off data roaming?
Upon landing in the country you are travelling to, make sure you have turned off data roaming before turning off airplane mode on your device. You can do this by going into:
- Settings
- Mobile Data
- Mobile data - off
(On some Andriod devices you can turn off mobile data by swiping down the menu at the top of your phone and clicking onto the mobile data icon to turn it off).
If you are visiting a hotel or a villa it is best to connect to the wifi and avoid data usage entirely, but it is worth remembering that most hotel wifi networks are not completely safe, so avoid accessing personal details where possible.
EU mobile roaming charges have been scrapped, therefore it is free to use your data in a country within the European Union, depnding on your bundle deal. (This does not include Turkey as it is not within the EU, which is a common misconception).
How to get cheap travel insurance
The best way to get cheap travel insurance is to shop around. Also, if you're looking for travel insurance and you suffer from a medical condition or you are over 65 there are specialist insurers that you can use to get a better deal. If like me you suffer from a particular medical condition then you know that it costs a fortune to get travel insurance, but there are specialist insurers out there and we cover them in our article: "How to save on travel insurance with a pre-existing medical condition"
For more ways to save on travel insurance, see our article: "How to save money on your travel insurance".
Save on airport parking
Another tip to help you to save both money and stress when going on holiday is to stay in an airport hotel the night before you go away. Many hotels provide complimentary parking for the duration of your holiday meaning you can simply pick up your car from the hotel car park and drive home. You may not necessarily save a huge amount of money (and in some circumstances you may pay slightly more) but it can save you a lot of stress and mean you are rested before your flight.
You could also consider using Just Park, which is a service that connects people who have a spare parking space with those who require one. Many of the people you connect with will not only allow you to park on their drive they'll even throw in a free trip to the airport.
Take out car hire insurance in the UK
If you are planning to hire a car when you go on holiday, organise it before you go in order to get the best deal. If you don't manage to sort out the car hire before you go, at least sort out the waiver insurance before you go, as this can save you hundreds.
What is waiver insurance?
Waiver insurance is the insurance cover that hire companies try to sell you to reduce the excess for any damage that may occur to the car. It is always incredibly expensive and poor value for money. Visit icarhireinsurance.com to get cheap waiver insurance before you go and make sure you tell your hire car company that you don't need additional insurance as you already have it.
Both Lauren and I have done this recently and saved lots of money in the process.
The best way to take money on holiday
Finally, what is the best way for you to take money away on holiday?
I would definitely recommend getting a Revolut card. A Revolut card is a prepaid card which means that you can spend money on holiday exactly as you would at home, ensuring you don't get charged any transaction fees. You can also withdraw cash using a Revolut card without being charged, but only up to the value of £200 per month. (Some ATM's may still charge, so make sure you check)
There are a few other cards that do not charge when you spend abroad, such as Starling Bank and Monzo, however they are fully-fledged bank accounts and so require a little more input to get set up.
Read our reviews (linked above) to find out more about the app-only banks or alternatively read our article: The best way to take money on holiday.
If you have any particular burning questions or topics that you would like to be discussed, email [email protected]. Head over to our social media accounts too:
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