Top tips: Affordable villa holidays

Villa holidays are increasing in popularity but how do you make sure you really get value for money?

Data from Holidaylettings.co.uk has seen a 43 per cent increase in demand for private villa holidays this summer. Not surprising when you envisage sitting by your own pool in glorious sunshine, cool drink in hand and not having vast throngs of people shattering your peace.

With a few handy tips from Caxton FX, the foreign currency specialist, you’ll find a villa holiday is more affordable than you think.

Book direct
To maximise your pounds make sure you book direct with owners. By cutting out the tour operators and agents you avoid their mark-ups and also choose how you transfer your money. Handy websites, where thousands of owners advertise for bookings, such as holiday-rentals.co.uk and holidaylettings.co.uk are good a good place to start for finding properties to book direct.

Beat transfer fees
Once you’ve decided on where to go and which property is for you, your next step is making payment. Using you bank; you’ll get uncompetitive exchange rates and be charged for making the transfer. Caxton FX Online Payment won’t charge you any transfer fees and offers lives rates so you can make the most of currency volatility. For further details head to caxtonfx.com.

Buddy up
Why not go away with a group of friends or if you’re a family, team up with another family? Grand Chateaux in the South of France, offered by Gascony Secret, can work out under £300 a head in high season if you fill all the beds. To get booking, go to gascony-secret.com.

Times to go
Avoiding peak season (July – August) isn’t always possible if you are a young family. You can still make savings by avoiding flying Saturday to Saturday or Friday to Friday, when booking a rental, as those are the priciest times for flights.

Travel money
It’s important to plan your holiday money in advance. Recent research conducted by Caxton FX, found customers would be €60 worse off if they bought euros at an airport rather than getting a Caxton FX prepaid currency card. All Caxton FX currency cards can be used anywhere you see the MasterCard acceptance mark, whether it be online, in store or at an ATM. You’ll get great rates and won’t be charged overseas ATM fees. Perfect for buying your groceries!