I find cheap holidays for a living
I SPEND most of my days scouring the web to track down the cheapest possible holiday deals – to share them all with Sun Club members.
Spending so much time filtering and flicking through holiday websites means I’ve gotten pretty good at seeking out a bargain.
In fact, I’m often finding UK breaks for under £5pp, city breaks for £99 and under, and even family holidays abroad for £150pp or less.
So I’ve decided to reveal exactly how I find these cheap holidays: the very best websites to use, and how to use them to bag the best deals.
Holidays abroad
Loveholidays and On the Beach are two incredible companies when it comes to bagging the cheapest deals.
Both offer package holidays which bundle in your return flights, accommodation and board of your choice – so there’s no need to worry about having to book it all separately.
Loveholidays
With Loveholidays, it’s really easy to filter breaks by all inclusive, family friendly, short haul, long haul and more.
Their cheap holidays page lets you pick between cheap all-inclusives, beach holidays, city breaks and even family holidays with free child stays.
You can also filter by breaks under £500pp or even under £300pp. Drag the slider bar all the way down to the bottom, and you may even find hols for £120pp or under.
For example, under the ‘Cheap Beach Holidays’ tab, I found a week-long holiday to a four-star resort in Magaluf in October for £119pp.
On The Beach
On The Beach works in a similar fashion, and their cheap holidays page is regularly updated with ‘our cheapest deals of the week’, which often start from a super low £100pp to destinations like Portugal and Malta.
This page also currently has a ‘cheap holidays for autumn under £500′ section.
Some of the cheapest holidays they’re offering this autumn are week-long breaks to Turkey (from £135pp) and the Canary Islands (from £180pp).
One of the best deals I found for autumn using the cheap holidays page to navigate the offers is for a four night break in The Algarve for £95pp.
Wowcher
As well as UK breaks, Wowcher is also great for booking holidays abroad.
Yes they have the classic £99 mystery holiday, but they also offer beach holidays, European city breaks, cruises and even long haul escapes.
These include a glamorous Lake Como getaway from £79pp, an all-inclusive Egypt holiday from £299, and even an incredible Las Vegas holiday with flights for £399.
I recommend browsing their cheap holiday packages page or all-inclusive holidays page.
Lastminute.com
Lastminute.com is another great site that does what it says on the tin – and more.
While the homepage often showcases some of the site’s best value deals, they also have specific pages rounding up cheap family holiday destinations as well as cheap adults-only resorts.
Plus the site is still king when it comes to bagging a last-minute break. This webpage rounds up the week’s best exclusive deal, plus an offer of the week and last chance bargains.
Offers of the week are certainly one to keep an eye open for – their most recent was for a trip to a 5* resort in Tenerife for four nights with flights for £484pp.
The site also has a loyalty programme which is completely free to join, and can bag you up to an extra 15 per cent off holidays and experiences.
The offers get better the more holidays you take, and as you climb the ranks you can unlock more and more perks.
These include free travel audioguides, 10 per cent off car hire and free lounge access if your flight is delayed.
Sundeals
Sundeals is the new kid on the block when it comes to cheap holiday deals, and is a new branch of familiar favourite holiday company TUI.
Here you can explore deals by budget (under £350, under £500, under £1,000) or by destination and more.
On their cheap holidays page, I’ve found all inclusive holidays from £234pp, beach holidays from £115pp and city breaks from £147pp.
Plus, the holiday company offers holidays with super low deposits from £30pp, so you can get your next break locked in for cheap.
Travelzoo
This is the only site you’ll have to pay for on this list, but my goodness is your membership worth it.
A Travelzoo membership costs £30 a year, but you can also try out 30 days of membership for £1.
Signing up means you’ll get Travelzoo’s ‘Top 20 deals’ dropped into your inbox each week, so you can easily have a quick browse to see if anything takes your fancy.
Or you can head to the site to browse cheap holiday deals broken down into loads of specific categories, from Asia Pacific holiday deals to island holidays and safari deals.
The best value to be found for foreign holidays here is for long haul breaks. The first time I came across their long haul holiday deals, I couldn’t quite believe my eyes.
You can visit gorgeous hotels in New York for £653pp, the Dominican Republic for £690pp and Mexico for £860pp – all for a week-long break including flights.
I even found an 11-night Egypt holiday which packs in your flights, four nights at a 5* all inclusive resort – followed by a Nile cruise which stops at major historical sights – for an unbelievable £549pp.
To be able to view and book these deals, you have to be signed up as a member.
Where to look
Where you’re looking for your holidays is equally as important as how you’re looking.
You might be tempted to hop online and look for the same familiar favourites you’ve been to before, such as cheap Spain or Greece holidays.
But if you’re open to trying somewhere new, I’d recommend not ticking the ‘destination’ box. Instead, go for ‘beach holidays’ and see what pops up.
That way, you’re opening up hundreds or even thousands of new holiday options – which massively increases your chances of finding something cheaper.
And if you know there’s somewhere you really don’t want to go to, you can just untick it from the left-hand column of the page. Easy peasy.
I’d recommend keeping an eye out for Bulgaria, Albania and Montenegro holidays specifically.
These three destinations are absolute powerhouses when it comes to an affordable beach holiday.
Bulgaria has all-inclusive getaways from £279 and flights from the UK under £15. Plus once you’re there, you can grab a meal out for under £9 and a cappuccino for just 88p.
Albania has been named the ‘Maldives of Europe‘ thanks to its beaches with bright white sand and electric blue seas, with holidays from £165pp.
Montenegro offers £255 holidays and even has been referred to as ‘St Tropez with Benidorm prices’ by one travel expert.
UK Holidays
Best Western GEM stays
Forget paying for just a bed for the night. Best Western’s GEM stays are hotel break packages with your room, food, and extra perks completely sorted for you.
The GEM packages stand for ‘Great Escapes, Memorable Stays’ and are centred around a huge variety of fun experiences.
The Somerset Family Escape package (from £123.38 per night) bundles in a family stay for two adults and one child with breakfast plus soft play access for the kids while parents can unwind in the spa.
Whereas the Ultimate Girls Night In package at Brackenborough Lakes & Resort reserves a hot tub lodge for two nights, breakfast each morning, three bottles of Prosecco and £15 takeaway credit per person from £44.50pp per night.
Wowcher
The UK holidays section of Wowcher is hiding some serious bargains, from spa weekends, to city hotel stays, to rural retreats.
Look for any offers with the pink ‘Price Drop’ label to find the cheapest deals.
Some of the top offers for UK breaks on Wowcher right now include a 4* break in Manchester for two with breakfast for £105, shaving 41 per cent off full-price.
Another fantastic offer is for a wellness retreat to Woodford Bridge Country Club, where four people can escape for four nights from £79 (£4.94pp per night).
Travelzoo
Travelzoo’s UK holiday deals are just as impressive as their deals for holidays abroad.
If you head to their UK hotel breaks, deals and stays page, you can find weekends away from as little as £59.
You can stay at one of the world’s oldest inns, The Olde Bell in Hurley, from £75 a night with breakfast. This saves you 48 per cent when compared to booking direct.
Another great deal is this two night break in Northumberland for £89pp, which puts you up in the Riverdale Hall Hotel which overlooks the Northumberland National Park.
And that super cheap £59 deal? It’s for a seafront stay in Eastbourne, with an overnight break for two at the The Lansdowne hotel, working out to only £29.50pp.
Remember, however, that you have to be a Travelzoo member to unlock these deals (£30 per year).
Holiday parks
Whether you enjoy pitching up a tent, cosying up in a caravan or even splashing out on a hot tub lodge, holiday parks have stays to suit all budgets.
Choosing to stay in a holiday park can be a fantastic way to tick off a new UK destination without having to fork out on an expensive hotel.
You can often bag a three or four night family break at a holiday park for £90-£100 if you know where to look, which would typically only get you one night in a hotel!
£9.50 Holidays
If you’re looking for a super cheap getaway, The Sun’s £9.50 holidays offer some of the best rates out there, which are often significantly cheaper than booking with the same park direct.
The bargain holidays are released in stages throughout the year, with the biggest Hols from £9.50 drop taking place in January,
As a Sun Club member you can bag your break earlier than anyone else – so make use of this perk!
Make sure to check the Sun Club Offers Hub and club950.co.uk to keep updated with Hols from £9.50 releases.
Parkdean Resorts & Park Holidays
If the £9.50 holiday booking window is closed, Parkdean Resorts and Park Holidays offer some of the best rates among UK holiday parks.
Look out for Parkdean’s last minute breaks page where you can bag a three night stay in Norfolk from £99 or Cornwall from £109.
Park Holidays have 50+ award-winning parks across the UK – their short breaks page offers stays from £129.
Want to save even more? Go for a cosy wooden glamping pod instead of a caravan with Park Holidays, and you can stay from £50 for a two night break. These pods sleep four, so that’s only £6.25pp per night.
