How to Plan a Budget-Friendly 2025 Holiday

Planning a holiday doesn’t have to break the bank. With a little creativity and forward-thinking, you can enjoy a memorable getaway in 2025 without overspending.

We’ve compiled a list of money-saving tips to help you secure an affordable holiday. From finding affordable destinations to making the most of loyalty programs, this guide will help you plan a fun and budget-friendly getaway.

Set a Realistic Budget

Firstly, we recommend setting a budget that you can stick to to make paying off your holiday as easy and stress-free as possible. Make sure you put a budget that is well within your means, considering things like bills, long-term savings and other priorities.

Once you have a total budget in mind, break it down into categories to cover all potential expenses. This will help you avoid overspending in one area while leaving other essentials underfunded. Remember, things like transfers, luggage, car hire and holiday essentials can add up, so make sure to plan for all aspects of your getaway.

To make things easier, we suggest breaking down your budget into these categories:

• Travel Costs (30–40%): Flights, train tickets, car hire or fuel.
• Accommodation (25–35%): Hotels, hostels, rentals or campgrounds.
• Food and Drink (15–20%): Dining out, groceries and snacks.
• Activities and Entertainment (10–15%): Tours, attractions and events.
• Extras (10–15%): Souvenirs, tips and emergency expenses.

By setting these categories early, you’ll know exactly how much to allocate to each part of your trip.

Prepare for Unexpected Costs

No matter how well you plan, surprises can happen. For instance, you might encounter delays and require extra transport or hotel stays, medical expenses, or even changes in currency exchange rates. To avoid stress, set aside at least 10% of your overall budget as a buffer for unexpected costs.

Use Budgeting Tools

To help yourself stay on track, you can use budgeting apps like YNAB (You Need a Budget) to set your budget and track your spending. Or, if you prefer, you can create a simple spreadsheet or use banking apps like Monzo and Revolut to set daily limits and track your spending in real-time. These apps also give you better exchange rates and allow you to withdraw cash with little to no fees.

Platforms like Omio are also great for comparing costs for flights, trains and buses, allowing you to save on transfers and transportation once you arrive at your destination.

Choose a Budget-Friendly Destination

Location is a big thing when it comes to securing low-cost holiday prices. Instead of heading abroad, why not try an English staycation in scenic destinations like the Yorkshire Coast or Norfolk Broads? These locations are reasonably priced and can be reached within a matter of hours. By visiting these destinations, you’ll save on transport costs with the option to drive or travel by train available.

If you love staycations, it may be worth considering investing in a motor home. Although these may initially prove quite pricey, they make travelling and holidaying across the UK and Europe much cheaper in the long run. 

If you prefer to holiday in Europe, consider budget-friendly countries like Poland, Hungary and Portugal. Oftentimes, low-cost airlines like Ryanair, Easyjet and Wizz Air provide cheap flights to these locations from the UK.

Time Your Holiday Right

You can enjoy affordable holidays in more exotic destinations when you travel off-peak. You can save hundreds on off-peak flights to places like Thailand, Sri Lanka and Mexico. Just make sure you use flight comparison sites like Skyscanner or Google Flights to find the best deals.

Travelling outside of peak periods like the school holidays, summer and Christmas can also save you a fortune. The shoulder seasons (April-May or September-October) often offer more enjoyable weather, fewer crowds and lower prices.

Another way to get discounts on holidays, specifically package holidays, is to book well in advance. When you book early, oftentimes, you can secure your booking with a small deposit and pay the rest off in stages throughout the year. If you want a low-cost city break or a week in the sun, last-minute deals can also provide discounted rates. You can find these on sites like Lastminute.com, Jet2Holidays and On The Beach.

Pack Light to Avoid Fees

One of the aspects of travel which can quickly add up is luggage. To keep costs low, we recommend packing light to avoid fees. Save on baggage fees by travelling with hand luggage only. If you’re heading off on a city break for a weekend, you may even be able to get away with a small cabin bag, like a backpack, which is included in your flight price. If you need to check in luggage, make sure you weigh your bags before heading to the airport to avoid costly overweight fees.

Take Advantage of Loyalty Programmes

A great way to secure savings is to sign up for airline and hotel reward programmes to earn points on your bookings. Many UK banks like Barclays and HSBC also provide air miles and flyer rewards with selected credit cards. With credit cards, sometimes you can also receive free travel rewards and discounts such as money-off airport lounges, so it’s something well worth looking into.

Find Affordable Accommodation

You can cut costs on accommodation by looking for budget-friendly hotels, hostels or short-time rentals on sites like Booking.com or Airbnb. These are especially good for young travellers looking to meet new people. You should also choose accommodation with kitchen facilities to save on meals.

There are also plenty of alternative lodging options you can consider. Campgrounds and caravan parks are perfect for low-cost adventures. You can even try house-swapping through platforms like HomeExchange.

Save on Food and Drink

Food and drink are usually what the bulk of your money is spent on while you’re away. To keep these costs down, visit local supermarkets or markets for affordable groceries and cook your own meals, instead of eating out every day. You should also pack snacks and meals for day trips to avoid overpriced tourist traps.

If you do want to eat out, seek out authentic eateries and local cuisine away from the main tourist areas. These places are often much cheaper and offer better quality food. You can find the best local restaurants using websites like Tripadvisor or by simply asking locals.

Plan Affordable Activities

Ensure you make the most of free attractions like museums, parks and beaches while you’re on holiday to save money while enjoying the local sites and scenery. Usually, you can also bundle up to save on popular tourist activities with things like city passes. These give you access to multiple attractions at discounted rates, so make sure you check to see if your location offers these.

If you’re travelling with friends and family, keep an eye out for group discounts. Places like museums and galleries also tend to offer cheaper tickets for students and seniors, so it’s well worth checking if you’re eligible.

Book your 2025 Holidays with NetVoucherCodes

If you’re looking for more helpful ways you can book your next holiday without spending fortunes, you’ll find all you need to know to keep costs down in our Top Money-Saving Travel Tips guide. Plus, don’t forget to check out our Travel Category Page, where you’ll find all the latest and best travel promo codes and discounts for 2025 & 2026 getaways. Whether you’re planning your next summer holiday, an Easter staycation with family, or looking for affordable accomodation in the UK & Europe – we keep our promotions up to dates with the best deals from Jet2Holidays, TUI, First Choice, Lastminuite.com, Haven and so many more of your go-to online travel agents.