If you have your mind set on specific dates, this can really narrow your opportunity to save some money. If you can, be flexible with the date and even the location of your holiday as much as possible. It's usually cheaper to stay somewhere mid-week than at the weekend, and try to avoid public holidays and school holidays as prices will sky-rocket around these times. Compare different destinations as you can sometimes find that flying somewhere a little further away could actually make for a cheaper holiday. Your flight may cost a little more, but another city may have far cheaper accommodation. It's often cheaper to have a family holiday in Queensland than Queenstown, for example. Do some research on the local public transport systems, too. Accommodation is usually cheaper the further out of a city you stay, so provided there's a reliable, extensive network at your fingertips, you'll be able to save money - and see more of your chosen destination as an added bonus.
3. Use online networks
Depending on what type of accommodation you're after, online sites such as Bookabach, Airbnb, Roomorama or Couchsurfer are perfect for finding a bargain. New Zealand's Bookabach has more than 11,500 holiday rentals to choose from in more than 1000 locations, with a range of price and accommodation options. Airbnb offers full houses, private rooms or shared rooms in a range of international locations, so you can choose whatever best suits your budget. Houses and apartments can often be booked at a better rate than hotels and this way you're completely independent. Booking somewhere with kitchen facilities means you'll be able to save a fortune by cooking for yourself rather than eating out. Booking a private room in a host's house, or couch surfing will give you an opportunity to meet the locals, who will be likely to give you great insider tips on how to save even more.
4. Word of mouth
Read online reviews of a property before you book to check that the money you're spending is giving you exactly what the accommodation provider claims they have to offer. Reviews from fellow travellers can give an honest opinion of the facilities and services available. Remember that reviews are subjective, however, and one person's bad experience can be another's idea of a great stay — a busy nightclub right next to the hotel, for example. Read around to get a good representation of a place, and make sure you're looking at independent review sites like Tripadvisor . . . then take the very worst and very best reviews with a pinch of salt.
5. Go incognito
Just as when booking flights, open a private browsing or incognito tab, or delete your history and cookies. Websites track what you're looking at and each time you click back, they will increase the price a little. Searching in an incognito window means the website cannot track that you have been looking at the prices beforehand and will just show you the base rates. This is probably one of the simplest tips that can save you a fair bit of money before you even decide to book.
Tips
Do you have a tip for saving money when booking accommodation? Email sundaytravel@heraldonsunday.co.nz — we'll print some of the best in the upcoming issue.
