If you're thinking about booking a getaway in the next few months, then there are plenty of things you can do to ensure your trip doesn't end up breaking the bank.
Whether you want a week skiing in Aspen or a sun-drenched cruise while everyone at home is shivering, we look at the best ways to cut the cost of your holiday...
Pick a package
It's often cheaper to book a package trip than to organise accommodation and travel separately yourself.
In fact, you could save hundreds of pounds by booking a package holiday, plus you'll be covered by the ATOL scheme.
This means that, if your tour operator went under you'd be refunded. If that happened while you were overseas, ATOL would pay for you to finish your trip and come home.
Over at travelsupermarket.com, there are some great winter breaks at very affordable prices, and you can still enjoy luxury accommodation.
For example, there's seven nights all-inclusive on the Red Sea Coast for just £369 per person, while you can book a seven-night cruise in the Canaries, including flights, for just £619 each.
Or, if you want some winter sports action, you can have seven nights self-catering at a four-star chalet in top ski resort Bankso, Bulgaria, for just £380 per person.
Leap on a last-minute deal
If you don't have a dream destination in mind but just want a break then how about the excitement of booking a last-minute deal? It'll cost less and you could end up visiting a country you'd never normally have thought of.
There are loads of deals currently available at travelsupermarket.com's last-minute offers page.
You could have seven nights at a four-star resort in the Costa Del Sol for just £263 per person, departing from Manchester in December, or seven nights at a five-star hotel in Turkey for £468 each if you can drop everything and travel this month.
Steer clear of school holidays and weekends
If you have children then booking early can still help you find a decent winter holiday bargain. But if you're child-free then booking outside of the school holidays can help you find a much cheaper deal - plus there won't be too much of a queue for the water slide!
Most schools have their Christmas holidays from around December 17 to January 3, so if you can steer clear of those two weeks then you'll be able to find a really competitive deal.
You should also avoid flying at weekends if possible, as the cost is usually much more expensive than if you fly mid-week.
Manage your money
Once you've booked your holiday, sorting out your holiday spending well in advance is likely to leave you with a lot more money to spend while you're away. Here are our top tips...
Cash
Do you tend to buy your foreign currency at the last minute? If you put off buying your holiday money until you're actually at the airport then the chances are you'll end up missing out on much more competitive exchange rates elsewhere.
The very best foreign currency rates are available online and some companies enable you to arrange to collect the notes at the airport if that's easier. Compare foreign currency deals over at travelsupermarket.com.
Credit cards
Remember that if you're planning to use your credit or debit card overseas, you should check what foreign usage fees you'll be charged. It's usually better value to use a credit card designed for overseas use, like the Halifax Rewards Clarity card, offering 0% fees for worldwide use and an APR of just 12.9%.
Another option is the Post Office Platinum Card, with an APR of 16.9% and no overseas fees in Europe or worldwide. You also get three months 0% on purchases, which is handy if you want to spread the cost of your holiday spending.
The Sainsbury's Gold Credit Card charges just 9.94% APR on purchases and balance transfers and has no usage fees for anywhere in the world.
It also comes with travel insurance for the whole family, although there is a £5 monthly fee. Frequent travellers may well find the benefits easily outweigh the fee.
Prepaid cards
Another popular option is a prepaid card, which gives you the convenience of a credit or debit card but without any additional fees.
There's a huge variety of cards on offer and it's worth taking a few minutes to work out which is best for you. Most card providers offer sterling, euro and dollar cards, so you can pick one that matches the currency of the country you're visiting.
For example, if you're travelling in Europe, the Caxton Euro Card is free to apply for, free to use in shops and free to withdraw cash from an ATM.
Meanwhile, the FairFX Euro Currency Card Special is free to apply for and use for purchases, but you pay a €1.50 fee for withdrawing cash.
Don't assume the Caxton card is necessarily the best for you, though. In fact, £1,000 will buy you €1,130 with CaxtonFX, while you'd receive €1,135 with FairFX. On top of that, exclusively through moneysupermarket.com, you'll receive a £5 bonus if you load more than £500 to the FairFX card.
Obviously the more money you're loading the card with, the bigger the difference the exchange rates will make.
So, if you plan to make many ATM cash withdrawals then the Caxton card could be the right deal for you, while if you plan to make just a couple and mostly use the card for purchases, then FairFX may be your best option.
Caxton offers dollar and sterling cards too, while FairFX also has sterling and dollar options.
Compare all your extras
If you're booking a few extras for your holiday, take the time to shop around and find the best deals.
From car hire to day trips, comparing the market to find the best deal for your money can save you a lot of cash. That's cash that could go on an extra-special evening out or a few souvenirs.
Arrange airport parking early
Never simply drive to the airport and park your car - you'll pay way more than you need to for your parking.
In fact, research conducted by travelsupermarket.com earlier this year found that some travellers could save over £300 for three weeks' parking, simply by booking their airport parking in advance.
By booking ahead, you'll save money that could be far better spent enjoying yourself while you're away.
Don't cut corners on travel insurance
The worst expenses of any holiday are the ones you weren't expecting. Whether that's emergency medical costs, replacing stolen cameras or extra hotel rooms because your flights are cancelled - unexpected holiday costs can really hit holidaymakers hard.
So, it's important to buy a decent travel insurance policy before you go - and comprehensive cover is usually much cheaper than you might think.
If you're a frequent traveller then an annual multi-trip policy will usually be better value than buying lots of single trip policies.
Bear in mind that the cheaper the policy, the less cover it will usually provide. It's worth paying a bit extra to have insurance that will cover a wide range of eventualities.
Cut costs on Christmas travel
Do you know where you're spending Christmas this year? If you know you'll be visiting family then booking your flights or trains as early as possible can save you hundreds of pounds.
At such an expensive time of year, that's got to be useful! For example, if you book soon, you can get an advance single from London to Edinburgh for just £13, or Birmingham to Sheffield for just a tenner each way.
Please note: Any rates or deals mentioned in this article were available at the time of writing. Click on a highlighted product and apply direct.
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