December 10, 2024, 6:52 am | Read time: 3 minutes
A summer package holiday with the family can quickly cost several thousand euros. If this price can be reduced, it will have a noticeable impact on your wallet. This is how you can make it work.
Booking your vacation early can save you money. But the time of booking is not the only factor when it comes to travel prices. With the following tips, you might be able to get your dream trip for even less.
Overview
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5 Tips to Save Money on Your Vacation
1. Choose your Departure Airport Wisely
Is it holiday time in your state but not in the neighboring state? It can be worth taking a look at the departure airports there. Check whether your desired trip is also offered more cheaply from a nearby airport in the neighboring state. The difference can be considerable.
2. Use Flexible Travel Durations
According to the German Travel Association (DRV), it pays to be flexible when planning your trip. It is often particularly cheap if the trip does not last exactly two weeks. According to the DRV, it is often cheaper if the trip lasts 10, 12, or even 15, or 16 days. It can also help to choose departure days during the week rather than on Fridays or weekends.
3. Observe Instead of Booking Blindly
Before you commit, you should get an overview of the prices. The consumer advice centers recommend observing the costs for your desired trip over a period of time. This is the only way to find out whether an offer is really cheap.
4. Use Several Comparison Portals
Not every comparison portal offers the same conditions. According to consumer advice centers, the price depends in part on the commission the portals charge providers. “While some portals collect quite high commissions from providers, others only charge minimal brokerage fees.” It is therefore advisable to compare prices across several platforms in order to find the best offers.
5. Compare Tour Operators
The DRV, which represents the interests of many travel agencies and tour operators, emphasizes that an identical package tour from one tour operator costs the same across all sales channels — whether in the travel agency or on the Internet. This is stipulated in the German Commercial Code, which mandates that the tour operator sets the price of a trip.
However, price differences can be found from tour operator to tour operator. Offers for a specific trip to a specific hotel from the same departure airport can vary in price with individual tour operators, for example, due to different airlines, departure and arrival times, and stopovers. Or due to individual agreements with the hotel.