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Booking a family holiday: share your top tips with ABTA. Voucher to win!

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    Booking through an ABTA travel company gives you peace of mind but don't be afraid to shop around for the cheapest prices.  loveholidays.com gives excellent prices for amazing holidays anywhere in the world with the same ABTA protection.  I booked a holiday to Turkey for me and my son, all inclusive for £700 in July.

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    Organisation is key! children have their own rucksack with activities and snacks whilst me and daddy get the important stuff in ours. 

    We make sure we are packed well in advanced so there is no last minute rush

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    Check TripAdvisor for REAL reviews of your hotel. Just because it's a five-star resort doesn't always mean it's amazing, unfortunately.

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    Research a suitable area to visit. Ensure there is plenty to keep you all amused and seeking good reviews on the area is a must. Pack plenty of snacks and games... a portable dvd player is very useful! I also reccommend bringing along some extended family... They could be useful babysitters! 

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    My top tips are to be as flexible as possible with your dates so you can get the best deal possible. Also, check your inbound flight arrival time - there's nothing worse than getting back late at night with young kids and then having to take them to school the following day!

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    Holiday villas and apartments are some times cheaper. book a comfortable and spacious holiday home instead of a hotel. Renting a holiday home for your family is a much more affordable and often value for money solution. Booking self catering accommodation allows you to prepare all family meals whilst controlling a budget!

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    School holidays can be expensive times to fly so its always good to find a bargain. A lot of flights for the coming year including school holidays and long weekends are heavily discounted from Christmas day through to just after boxing day. Usually people are too busy or poor or already on holidays and not thinking about the following years holidays to book so I guess the flight companies put their prices down in order to get more sales over that period so you may as well cash in on it. Another good trick is to go to sky scanner and put in the location you are traveling from and then put ''Everywhere'' in the destination and it will find you the cheapest countries to fly to. I have flown from London to Egypt for £98 return by using both of these tricks combined!  

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    I would suggest planning the date early for the holiday and book at times when deals are on. Right after Christmas is one of the best times.

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    Before booking your holiday, take everyone's interests and needs in to consideration and discuss with ABTA 
    Always explore online about any country you plan to travel too each country has different laws! Better to be safe than sorry! 
    You are best looking at any deals whether they are last minute deals or book in advance deals! 
    Happy Holidays! 

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    Always book 6 months before as it will be cheaper tickets 

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    always read reviews of hotels etc before booking and personal recommendations are very worthwhile because some hotels look good online but are not in reality.

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    All time spent planning pays of for an enjoyable holiday! Read reviews, do research. Be realistic about locations. A cheap hotel that isn't at the center of where you want to be might save money but if you're spending 1/2 hour each way getting to where you want to be it doesn't add to a relaxing holiday! Weigh up costs vs quality of time!

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    If you book separately, make sure your travel insurance covers cancellations

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    Make sure everyone's passport doesn't expire till 6 months after the end of the holiday.

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    Book early to get cheaper flights, do your research about where you are going.Get European medical card so you can get free access to doctors if you are travelling abroad,carry laundry capsules for your wash ,its easier

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    Book in advance and check prices to see if it is cheaper booking everything seperately 

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    Ask the kids what kind of holiday they like to have - what they enjoy doing etc.  Happy kids = happy parents!

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    Make sure you arrange travel insurance as soon as you book, to cover any possible cancellation costs.

    Check that everyone has a valid passport (different destinations have different lengths of time the passport need to be valid for).

    Make lists, check them, keep all paperwork and travel documents handy and make one person responsible for bringing it with another person double checking.

    We travel as a 4 and take a child each through security, ahead of us so we are there if they /we are called for random checks.

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    Book early for the best deals and free child places.

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    Be prepared to haggle with the holiday companies and compare, and share, prices you've been quoted. You'll be surprised how much they can usually do better deals than their competitors.

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