How to save on family holidays

Here are some suggestions to help reduce the cost of family holidays - when you need to book them during peak times.

1. Book early, January holiday discounts and free child places are often not as good a deal as they seem, they can still offer the best value for peak-time holidays. Cheap flights on peak weekends at the beginning of school holidays usually sell out within days.
2. Book a holiday at the end of August or end of August plus the first week in September. These weeks are normally significantly cheaper than the late July / mid August peak.
3. Build your own holiday. Book a no-frills flight, a villa direct with the owner and car hire via a broker (not forgetting low cost / high cover insurance and airport parking). Click back to the index, then click on the relevant pages and we'll tell you how to get the best deals on all of these travel items.
4. Choose a mid-week flight / crossing. Fares on ferries and airlines are generally cheaper on Wednesday than a Friday or a Saturday.
5. Look for late deals. There is a risk, but if you don't mind where you go and are able to be flexible on dates then you should be able to find a holiday at a much better price than in the brochure. Teletext is a great resource for this. Go online and look at their TV ads. You can click through them at your own pace.
6. Have you thought about France or Belgium? Both offer some of the best-value rural and seaside accommodation, and by driving yourself you are able to save on the flights and the car hire. Even with a ferry crossing, they often work out cheaper than accommodation in Britain.
7. If you are looking for a short break and like centre parcs, check the prices at their holiday villages in Europe and check the prices of similar holiday villages (such as sunparks in Belgium). Most of Europe have half term and winter holidays at different times to the UK.
8. If you have younger children (who, lets face it, will be happy where ever you go), take a budget holiday with them (go camping), then use the money you've saved to get a great holiday at a great price for you (minus the kids) during school time. All you need is someone to look after the children......