Special Feature: Cost cutting holiday advice

Where did you go on holiday this summer? Maybe you were one of the roughly 20 million Brits who either stayed home to try and make the best of a very average British summer, or didn't even go on any sort of holiday. Of those 20 million, 68% are now desperate to get away and catch some sun or even forget summer altogether and hit the slopes for some skiing.

Last minute holidays are on the increase and this year has been a record year. Due to the recession, parting with cash has been a slow and drawn-out process and none of us feel we can splurge on a holiday when we're not just sure we are going to have a job next month. Therefore booking your holiday just weeks or even days before you are scheduled to depart is an ever-increasing phenomenon.

But with last minute holidays, little things can get forgotten. For instance, travel insurance is often overlooked or viewed as an unnecessary extra cost; getting your currency before you get to the airport to avoid the stingy rates on offer at the terminal is also sometimes put to the back of your mind and before you know you are queuing at Travelex trying to ignore the poor Pound to Euro rate you'll be getting. But another little extra cost that is almost always forgotten is getting to and from the airport and the cost of parking.

Getting to Gatwick airport for example is pretty easy whether by car or train. The Gatwick Express runs from London Victoria and mainline rail services run to and from the airport from London and the south at regular intervals. However, depending on how far you are coming from and how much luggage you are bringing this can be quite expensive and awkward for a family. For a family of four, including two adults and two children a return ticket on the Gatwick Express from Victoria will cost over £86. This stands in stark comparison to flights that can cost as little as £12 return to Stockholm for example – if you make the most of flight sales that is.

So what alternative do you have? Surely not driving? Well seeing as Jeremy Clarkson managed to drive from London to Edinburgh and back on one tank, surely a family of four with a fully packed car can manage the drive from London to Gatwick and back on less than a tank. So that could cost around £30 for example. You can book Gatwick parking in advance with Holiday Extras for as little as £4.94 per day, instead of the whooping £13 per day you'd have to pay if you don't book in advance. So you can park your car for less than £35 a week. Even with the fuel costs this is cheaper than the train and is far more convenient especially with kids, luggage and possibly even skis in tow.

247 Car Parking News