The current value of the Pound Sterling has dropped to a rather depressing low against the Euro compared with last year and it is estimated that the average two-week holiday in Europe this summer will cost a few hundred pounds more than last year. Sounds rather depressing, don't you think?
But don't despair! You may not need to take the drastic step of abandoning all thoughts of sunning yourself on the Costa Brava this summer after all.
Personal finance and has assembled a 5-point plan to help you rescue some of those "lost" Pounds against the Euro and bring that summer holiday within your reach.
1. Air Miles credit cards
Did you know that there are several card companies offering 'flyer miles' credit cards which will allow you to accumulate air miles?
Lloyds TSB, Citibank and American Express all offer these cards as does, surprisingly, supermarket chain Tesco. It is very gratifying to know that every time you use your credit card to shop for your daily essentials, you can at simultaneously rack up air miles.
These various air miles schemes all operate in much the same way, that is they each offer either free or cheaper flights, together with other travel concessions, in return for spending on their cards.
What a super reward at no additional cost to you - after all, you are going to spend the money on essential stuff anyway so why not reap the benefits at the same time?
ChooseMoney has drawn up a comprehensive air miles credit card comparison table which will help you find the .
The American Express card is linked to British Airways and for each ?1 spent they offer 1 BA mile.
The Tesco Clubcard credit card gives you 60 Airmiles, or 600 BA miles, for each 250 Clubcard points earned. This is the lowest redeemable amount permitted. As an example, a flight to Paris requires 750 Air miles, or 9000 BA miles.
On the other hand, your first transaction on a Lloyds TSB/American Express duo card will credit you with an astounding 6000 BA miles, almost enough for that flight to Paris. Voila, bet you can almost hear your envious friends bidding you bon voyage.
2. Travel insurance bargains on credit cards
Travel insurance is one of those pesky necessities which are unfortunately unavoidable, whether you are planning to rock climb in Cassis or soak up the Mediterranean sun on the Costa da Sol, but with the right credit card it might not cost you anything at all.
Right - pull the other one. No, we really mean it!
Some credit cards such as Barclaycard and the Morgan Stanley Goldfish i24 card enable you to save as you spend by offering excellent comprehensive travel insurance when you pay for your holiday using their cards. Barclaycard offers free insurance for a single trip of up to 3 weeks for five people, whereas the Morgan Stanley Goldfish i24 card offers blanket multi-trip travel insurance on an annual basis.
A word of caution, though. It should be noted here that these policies are not the same as the Travel Accident insurance that many credit cards provide. Accident insurance is useful to have but it does not replace a full insurance policy.
3. How much insurance do you need?
It is important to have the right sort of insurance to cover every contingency, whether you pay for it yourself or are given it free with one of the credit cards mentioned earlier.
However, it is also important not to pay for more insurance than you are ever likely to need, so don't waste your precious holiday allowance by over-insuring. A hitch-hiking holiday in some remote country, for instance, would necessitate more travel insurance than would a tranquil boating holiday in France.
Be aware, though, that there may be restrictions on certain 'no go' destinations and there probably will be exclusions for more risky adventures.
For the average traveller, up to ?2 million in medical cover should adequately cover your needs for a conventional holiday, so don't be tempted by huge sums of superfluous and unnecessary insurance.
If you are lucky enough to take a longer than the average two-week holiday a year, it is more economical to take out annual travel insurance. Annual multi-trip insurance for a single person is in the region of ?25. Winter sports cover will cost about ?30 and for a couple or a family it would be just another ?10 more than that.
Age unfortunately has a bearing on what you would have to pay. Once you are 75 years old or over, the cost of travel insurance goes into galactic orbit and you will be fortunate if you can find anyone willing to insure you for under ?100. Sadly, there are no OAP discounts on this one.
4. Watch that credit card spending abroad
Generally, it is more economical and practical to rather than accessing cash from an ATM.
However, there are hidden costs in both credit and debit card transactions that you should be aware of so that you don't find any nasty surprises awaiting you.
The average charge on any card transaction is 2.5% per withdrawal but there is a minimum charge of ?2.50 in any event.
Some credit card issuers will additionally charge you a fee for using their cards in shops. With Lloyds TSB, RBS, NatWest, IF and Halifax debit cards you will pay a transaction fee every time you use your card.
It is important, before you start your holiday, to check the small print on your credit card so you don't get taken for a ride.
But all is not doom and gloom as there are some excellent deals available that are well worth looking into. Nationwide Flexaccount card is one that allows you to withdraw money from any ATM free of charge.
Then there is the Saga Platinum credit card which is totally free of charges for any transactions made in Europe. Then how about the Post Office Classic credit card that charges no transaction fees anywhere abroad and is not confined to Europe? That's really something, isn't it?
Then, as an added bonus, there is Abbey's Zero credit card that totally forgoes all fees on foreign transaction and cash withdrawals for the first six months, which should more than cover your summer holidays.
5. Stay within your budget by using a Pre-Pay credit card
A Pre-Pay credit card offers the perfect way to make the most of your holiday abroad with the minimum of financial stress once you get home. This may be just the product for the budget conscious traveller.
It works much the same way as a credit card, debit card and travellers cheque combined and you use it like a credit card except that you pre-load it with whatever amount you can afford and you can then spend up to that set amount, as you would with cash or travellers cheques. There are no credit or overdraft options available with this product.
The Post Office has an excellent pre-pay card in which all foreign transactions are free and it is also not subject to fluctuating exchange rates. It is even possible to top up the card in a crisis.
The amount you have loaded will remain locked in at the rate of exchange applicable on the day you purchase the card or top it up, regardless of any possible drop in the value of the Pound.
