Cheat the credit crunch by sneaking past the Euro-zone

There is more to making your hard earned cash go further this holiday season than sneaking past the Euro-zone. Cheapflights.co.uk, the UK’s leading flight price comparison website, has pulled together a suitcase full of suggestions to help you pack some serious value for money on your holidays.

“It’s not just about where you go this summer,” says Cheapflights.co.uk’s General Manager, Francesca Ecsery. “Taking that trip is all about timing if you really want to get more for your money.”

Introducing a little industry insiders trick called the ‘shoulder season’:

The shoulder season is the period of time between peak and off peak travel. The benefits of travelling during shoulder seasons are plentiful. Not only is it a cost saving exercise, it can also enhance the quality of your holiday, enabling you to avoid crowds and enjoy a truly relaxing time away. So – if you want to get ahead in the holiday game – aim for the shoulder.

On the weather front, travelling off peak can mean you avoid the stifling heat which will keep you hiding indoors in air conditioned hotel room when you could be out enjoying a respectable level of sunshine.

BEACH BENEFITS
Beach resorts in the Mediterranean experience their highest temperatures during the summer months and can often be too much to bear, so beat the heatstroke by taking time off in September or October where a deal to Reus in Spain would ring in the cash register at just £224 compared with £599 for a similar holiday in August.

“The general rule of thumb for picking a shoulder season is to avoid school holidays and the “obvious” times to travel, but remain as close to high season as possible,” says Ecsery.

SKI SOLO
For those who prefer the ski slopes, resorts open their doors in late November, but experience their peak around Christmas week. To enjoy the privacy of your own slope for half the price, head out in early December or try some spring skiing around April or May.

Destinations like Chamonix in France or Courmayeur in Italy offer excellent spring skiing. A flight price comparison for deals to Chamonix during peak season falls around a whopping £829 where as off peak offers a dramatic reduction at only £289.

SHOULDER SOMEONE ELSE’S SEASON
If getting around the peak seasons proves too difficult, why not fly during them but select a destination that is in its shoulder season. The Caribbean is an all time favourite for this kind of holiday so long as travel to islands along the hurricane belt is avoided.

The pearl of the Caribbean, Barbados, along with St. Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago, are all off the hurricane belt enjoying an extended shoulder season of June through October where prices fall by half and the worst that can happen is a brief tropical rainstorm.

“Travel during a shoulder season can often be so much more rewarding than it is during the high season as it offers relaxation in its highest form. You’re free from the stress of overpaying for flights and hotels and you get to unwind properly without the crowds of vacationers. My personal favourite off peak holiday is a visit to Portugal in September,” says Cheapflights.co.uk’s General Manager, Francesca Ecsery.

For more trade secrets, visit Cheapflights.co.uk/travel-tips/shoulder-seasons.html.