As well as finding ways to limit the amount of money you give to banks and other financial institutions which we discussed in part one (Making Your Euros go further when planning your summer vacation) there are various other ways to limit the amount you spend. The first of these is the selection of your destination.
One consideration which may affect your choice of both accommodation and location is whether you have family or close friends living abroad and if so where. Although it may not be a good idea to spend your week visiting an uncle who recently emigrated from the UK to Australia it may be a perfect opportunity to go see your brother or sister who relocated a year or two ago to the Costa Del Sol. However, assuming that this not an option you have to decide on where you need to go. With only short and often disappointing summers in the UK those who do not want to leave their vacation to the mercy of the vagaries of the weather will need to consider destinations further away. Without finding a discounted or cheap deal to an exotic location such as Fiji, Malaysia or Hawaii most destinations such as these should be put aside for a year. France, Italy and Spain remain among some of the most popular holiday destinations in the world for people travelling abroad from the UK, particularly the Mediterranean with its excellent weather continues to attract many summer visitors looking for the sun, however, the choice of your destination may greatly affect your overall holiday expenditure.
It is essential that you also give some consideration to the other expenditure on your holiday such as daily meals (which for a family of four can add up over the course of a week), drinks and other entertainment. The more popular the location the greater the likelihood that the prices will reflect this popularity. If not, your trip could turn out to be anything but a bargain as differing
Many southern Europeans do not travel to other countries for their summer holidays but spend the summer at a holiday resort within their own country - their equivalent of Bournemouth or Blackpool, just in the sun and it is in these areas that you can find good deals. In Spain many Spaniards shun the cosmopolitan areas around Marbella and the overcrowded tourist areas near Alicante for the quieter and more Spanish surroundings found on the Costa Tropical. Once they have arrived at their rental accommodation on the Costa Tropical the visiting Spanish have a reputation for not spending much and when they do they expect to pay the normal price for a glass of wine, plate of calamari or a bottle of water as they would when at home. Therefore the Spanish businesses on the Costa Tropical advertise their prices at a level which will appeal to Spanish holiday makers.
Finally, if you plan on flying, when considering the destination it is also a good idea to see which of the economy airlines fly to which airports and also check availability for the dates you want. To further save money it is best to research early on where the discount airlines fly to and find somewhere close to one of the routes which still has good seat availability on the flights.
The main resort towns of the Costa Tropical -- Almuñecar, Salobrena and La Herradura are all within a hour's drive of Granada and Malaga airports making arrival at your holiday apartments or rental villas on the Costa Tropical both quick and efficient. You will find a wide range of apartment rentals on the Costa Tropical south of Granada as well as Costa Tropical rental villas. This little known area is located south of Granada on the coast and has the impressive Sierra Nevada mountain range protecting it in the winter from colder weather.
Antonio Baptiste lives in Spain on the Costa Tropical an undeveloped and little known area of Andalucia you can find more information about the area on his blog http://www.costatropicalrentals.com
