With Christmas well and truly over many people will now be turning their minds to booking their spring or summer holiday. However, with 2011 having been another difficult year in terms of finances affordability will be a real struggle for some households. The good news is that with the variety of deals on offer consumers can cut back on the cost of their holiday without necessarily having to go without altogether, and exercising some common sense can go a long way in helping you to find some great deals for your 2012 holiday.

There are loads of different options available for those that want to go abroad on their holidays these days, and this means that you can enjoy increased flexibility and the chance to make big savings on the overall cost of your holiday. In fact, it is surprising just how much you can save on the cost of a holiday with a little research and time invested. Below are five tips that could help you to save on the cost of your 2012 holiday:

Consider booking separately: In the past most people went for package holidays when going abroad, but the Internet has made it far easier for consumers to take control and book their holidays in the way that they want rather than relying on a travel agent to do it all for them. You may find that it is cheaper to book your flight and hotel separately rather than going for a package deal, so make sure that you compare the prices of both so that you can get the best prices possible.

Book a hotel and flight together: many people use holiday sites such as Expedia and Last Minute to book their holidays these days, and you will find that if you book a hotel and flight together it can work out considerably cheaper than booking just the flight or just the hotel through the sites. Whilst this is not strictly a package holiday, which usually includes transfers and car hire as well as meals in some cases, it is a tailor made bundle that can allow you to benefit from savings that the travel sites can offer.

Compare, compare, compare: The power of the Internet can make it far easier to make savings these days, and this is something that consumers should take advantage of. Whether you are booking a flight, a hotel, or a package deal make sure that you compare prices from a range of sites, including price comparison sites, so that you can get the most affordable price without compromising on the quality of your hotel or holiday package.

Don’t assume no frills airlines are cheapest: With many low cost airlines now touting what look to be amazing headline prices a huge number of us may be tempted to go directly to their sites to make bookings. However, most no frills airlines charge a range of hidden fees, which can really bump the cost of the flight up. You may find that ultimately you are better off booking with a standard airline that has special offers rather than a so called low cost airline that keeps adding on charges for basic things such as checking in a bag.

Use your credit card to book: It is important to remember that as a result of the recession many airlines and holiday companies have gone bust, and because of problems with consumer protection laws for holidaymakers the consumer is not always protected. Make sure that you use your credit card to make your booking, as under the Consumer Credit Act you have more protection and a greater chance of getting compensated should something go wrong if you use a credit card.

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