Certainly, if you are looking for cheap holidays, there are ways and means to secure the break you want at a price that is considerably cheaper than the norm.

1. When Should I Book my Holiday to Get the Best Price?

There is conflicting evidence on this matter depending on who you speak to. Conventional wisdom has it that booking your holiday as late as possible ensures you get the best deal; the thinking being that travel agents are happy to sell the holiday at a much cheaper price, rather than risk not receiving a booking and therefore lose money.

This is certainly true but there are other things to consider. Booking last minute to get cheaper prices means you have to have greater flexibility over when and where you travel, what facilities the resort offers and suchlike. This can be problematic if you have specific wants and needs for your holiday, such as crèche facilities, or want to travel to a particular resort or hotel.

The alternative to this is to go to the other end of the scale. Booking your holiday very early (by as much as nine months to a year in advance) means you often qualify for a variety of early booking discounts including money off the cost of the holiday, children travelling free or two-weeks-for-the-price-of-one offers, for example.

Booking earlier may not be cheaper than waiting to book very late, but it does mean that families can get the exact holiday they want at a cheaper price, rather than waiting until the last minute and hoping their chosen holiday still has vacancies.

2. Be Prepared to Haggle

Whether you have found an early or last minute deal, you can still attempt to save more money on the deal if you are prepared to do a little research and a bit of haggling.

Once you have located your ideal holiday, note down as much detail about the deal as you can. This includes information such as tour operator details, flight times, hotel, whether transfers or car hire is included, whether your holiday is self-catering, half or full board.

Once you have as much information on your holiday as possible, you can then simply call around the travel companies offering the same holiday and see which is prepared to beat the price you have been quoted. From just a few phone calls or clicks on a website, you can save a surprising amount per person off the cost of your holiday.

3. Avoid the Peak Seasons

If you are not travelling with children of school age and have flexibility over when you can take your holiday, it makes financial sense to avoid the peak periods. The major school holidays and half terms are always more expensive. Avoiding periods such as Easter, Christmas and the summer months of late July and August and instead looking to go on holiday in April, June or September can mean you get an equally outstanding holiday, with the same great facilities and weather, but at a fraction of the cost.

4. Going All-Inclusive can Work out Cheaper

Although it may seem more expensive initially, paying for an all-inclusive holiday, which includes all your meals, can work out considerably cheaper than half board and self-catering holidays. The costs associated with eating out or taking excursions can see the costs of a holiday spiral. Opting to pay for an all-inclusive holiday may be initially more expensive, but can work out considerably cheaper in the longer term than paying for everything when you finally reach the resort.

These four simple tips are a great way to ensure that you get the holiday you want, at the best possible price!