Budget Travel Intentions

Golden sunshine, white beaches, and plenty of cocktails – a trip with your mates can be a great experience. Lots of us flock to short-haul destinations each year to get our groove on when the sun goes down and to recuperate outside the next day. Popular destinations at the moment include Magaluf in Majorca, Zante in Greece and Ayia Napa in Cyprus.

Wherever you’re headed with your friends, there are a number of things you should keep in mind to help you have the best trip possible. I’ve been to a few places now so I thought I’d share my knowledge with you; here are some of my top tips…

Make sure you can afford it

Holidays aren’t exactly cheap, even with those great late deals. With many airlines you’ll find yourself paying extra for baggage and selected seats, so see if you can manage your trip only using hand luggage. When it comes to your accommodation, you’ll likely be looking for an apartment near the best clubs and bars, but don’t compromise on your safety for a cheap bed. You’ll want somewhere that has solid locks on the doors and a safe in the room for your cash and gadgets. For your travel money, look on comparison websites to see where you’ll be able to find the best deal. Either that or you can ask the bank of mum and dad to give you some extra euros…

Watch out for hidden charges

It’s worth noting that many apartment complexes will charge you a security deposit when you arrive. This is to protect themselves against damage or theft by occupants, so make sure you don’t lose it by doing anything silly. It might be worth emailing the apartment operator before you arrive to see whether you’ll need to have this cash available, and how much it will be. Don’t forget to collect your deposit when you leave or else you’ll be out of pocket!

Stay safe

Most destinations are pretty safe in themselves, but it’s important to keep your group close together so you can all take care of each other. When alcohol is involved, it can make a night’s events change from happy to angry in a couple of seconds, so don’t lose your head and get into trouble with other holidaymakers, bouncers or the police. Also, avoid going onto your balcony when you get back to your apartment after clubbing as sadly many people fall from theirs each year.

Watch what you eat

With no mum or dad to cook your meals, you’ll have to fend for yourself. Check that your hotel or apartment isn’t listed on the holiday illness hotspots list on http://www.on-holiday-claims.co.uk as this is a pretty good indicator of where you should avoid eating! Many places have fast food joints you’ll be familiar with, and there will be a choice to buffets too. Just make sure that there aren’t too many flies around and food being left uncovered. Otherwise you might need to go to a medical centre or pharmacy to get some medication, which isn’t much fun when you’re on holiday.