All Inclusive Holidays: How to Save While Travelling

Moneymagpie Team 4th Oct 2023 No Comments

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Planning for a holiday can be both exciting and incredibly stressful. Even if it’s much deserved, the current cost of living crisis can make bookings and reservations a chore. Recent data also shows that travel costs have risen over the past year. The price of a package holiday to Spain, Turkey, and Italy has jumped by 20% or more since last summer, while a week in Greece now costs 30% more. Meanwhile, airfares to top destinations such as Italy and Greece have jumped by 71%.

This doesn’t mean you have to forego travelling, however. If you’re the type of money-savvy traveller to have a prepaid travel card at hand to avoid going over budget on holiday, there is a solution to this dilemma — all inclusive holidays. Whereas prepaid travel cards eliminate the need to worry about carrying cash around once you’re at your destination, all inclusive holidays promise a similar worry-free mindset because you are simply pre-paying for an all inclusive holiday package with everything included.

What are all inclusive holidays?

All inclusive holidays help organise your holiday costs into one easy package. This includes flights, hotel, luggage, transfers, meals, drinks, snacks, and more. These days, all inclusive holidays range from huge hotels and resorts that feature international buffet places and à la carte eateries to smaller properties where you’ll be able to interact with the staff and locals more. Popular holiday destinations such as Spain, Greece, and Turkey are home to many all inclusive hotels and resorts sure to offer a range of all inclusive deals.

Below, we’ll look at some best practices for planning your next all inclusive holiday to make sure you make the most of your travel budget:

Book off-peak when possible
Read reviews before booking
Make the most of your inclusions

Book off-peak when possible

This is sound advice for all sorts of travelling — all inclusive or not — but because all inclusive packages are available for booking all year round, booking off-peak can save you even more money. Travelling off-season can help you dodge sky-high airfares during peak seasons, such as Christmas or summer holidays, and the destinations become a lot less crowded as well. Additionally, shifting your schedule just a couple of weeks can provide massive discounts, allowing you to budget your money for other aspects of your holiday.

Flying on off-peak days can help your wallet and bank balance even during peak seasons. For example, flying on Wednesdays and Thursdays is much cheaper than flying on the weekend. Aside from flights, you can also find lower-cost hotels, tours, and entry fees by avoiding peak periods such as weekends and school holidays

Read reviews before booking

Going on an all inclusive holiday may be exciting, but it’s still important to do your due diligence and research before finalising any reservations. One of the best ways to get your money’s worth when travelling is by reading reviews from others who have stayed in the hotels or resorts you plan on staying in. Reviews can give you a good idea of a property’s value and help set or manage your expectations.

Of course, you can also watch reviews of travel destinations, flights, restaurants, and accommodations. Many travel content creators post videos or vlogs of their holidays, which can give you a better visual idea of what to expect when you get to your destination. Everyone’s holiday experiences will vary, but remember that not all all inclusive hotels may be your cup of tea, so it’s best to stay at the ones you feel will give you the best value for money.

Make the most of your inclusions

Finally, stick to the holiday budget you originally planned. It may be tempting to want to splurge a little because you saved by booking all inclusive, but you may not be making the most of your inclusions that way. All inclusive holidays are typically meant to be relaxing holidays instead of wholly cultural experiences. Instead of eating away from your resort, do most of your dining on the property.

Keep in mind that by paying for your all inclusive stay, you’re also paying for an array of complimentary inclusions, from a la carte meals to breakfast or dinner buffets. While this means that no dish on an all inclusive menu will be marked as an extra cost, it also means that anything else you want to try that isn’t included — like an optional spa treatment, for instance — will be additional billing.

If you are looking to save money on your next holiday, going all inclusive is something to consider.

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.