Top tips for booking your holiday
February 4, 2025
If you are dreaming of getting away this year, this handy guide can help you navigate your booking journey, giving you the best chance of avoiding any mishaps along the way.
Don’t get scammed
Time spent on research is time well spent and could save you money.
Check up on who you are booking with. Is that holiday letting website legit? Have you heard of that travel agent? Check online reviews.
Be particularly careful if you are booking an apartment or house to rent abroad. Don’t make payments directly to the landlord – make sure you pay through the booking website only. Scammers sometimes try to lull you onto other websites to complete payments. Don’t make payments through bank transfer– use your credit or debit card instead.
Read more about accommodation scams.
Package it up
You have enhanced protection if you book a package holiday. So, what is a package holiday?
A package holiday is a booking which includes at least two different travel services (transport, accommodation, car hire, guided tours/waterpark ticket activities etc). The two (or more) travel services must be quoted as a single price. It must be at least 24 hours long or involve at least one overnight stay.
If something goes wrong on your trip, the package holiday provider must fix the problem. If they don’t, and you are forced to make alternative arrangements at your own expense, the package provider should refund your expenses. Failure to do so within a reasonable amount of time gives you the right to terminate the package holiday contract.
You are also protected if the company goes out of business.
Shop around for travel insurance
It’s a good idea to pay for travel insurance, but you should shop around to get the best deal and the right cover. Take out insurance as soon as possible because you could lose out on protections if you delay.
If you already have health insurance, check if it makes any provision for you getting sick abroad. If you are travelling in the EU, be sure to bring a European Health Insurance Card. It’s particularly important to have travel insurance if you are travelling outside the EU/UK.
Travel insurance may cover you if you need to cancel your holiday, become sick while you are away, or it might compensate you for lost luggage. But policies vary, so you need to check what is covered. If you have a pre-existing health condition, or you plan on taking part in risky activities like skiing, be sure to check you are covered.
You can read more about travel insurance.
Read the terms and conditions
When you are booking, whether it’s a package holiday or you are buying your flights and accommodation separately, take some time to read the terms and conditions of your booking. Pay particular attention to cancellation policies – what happens if you cannot go, or have to change your booking? Also check any terms that give the company the right to make changes to the details of your booking. If you are being charged a deposit, find out what are the conditions that apply to it.
The same applies if you plan on hiring a car. Check what your payment includes, so you are not left with surprising fees when you go to collect or return the vehicle. The total charge should be clear at the outset, but if you are not sure of anything, don’t be afraid to contact the company.
Know your flight rights
When you travel by air, you have rights when something goes wrong. These apply if your flight is delayed, or cancelled, or you are denied boarding.
You are entitled to ‘care and assistance’ for delays of two hours or more for flight journeys of less than 1500 kilometres (the delay must be greater for longer flights). This means the airline must give you food and refreshments, hotel transport and accommodation if needed, and two telephone calls. If you arrive at your destination more than three hours late, you may be entitled to compensation.
Read more about your flight rights.
Return to News