What Trip: where to go, when to book and how to pay less, from a £39 city break to the trip of a lifetime

The cheapest good holiday is the one you choose by price first and place second. Start with Google Flights' Explore map or Skyscanner's "Everywhere" search, add a one-third-off railcard if you will take any train at all, and you can have a Eurostar city break from £39 each way, a package week in the sun with a £60-a-head deposit, or two weeks in Vietnam from about £1,300 by our reckoning, all without a single "secret" that would make a lawyer wince.123

This guide sorts trips by length and budget, says where to go and when, and then does the part most guides skip: the checked, dated hacks, each with its catch. It links to What Country for the longer write-ups of Malmö, Faro, Hurghada, Da Nang and Bishkek, and to What Movie and What Show if you are staying put.

Why not just book the first flight the algorithm waves at you? Because the algorithm is not on your side. It is, at best, neutral, and it has never once told anyone to go on a Tuesday in March.

At a glance: what each kind of trip costs

These are our own planning allowances per adult sharing a room, in pounds, set on 10 November 2026. They are not quotes. Use them to sense-check a real price, then use the hacks below to beat it.

The one fixed point: easyJet Holidays was advertising seven nights in Hurghada from £498 per person, two sharing, on 9 November, which is the real-world floor for the middle row.4

Weekend city breaks: three nights, no annual leave required

Lisbon, Budapest or Amsterdam: why, and why not?

Lisbon. Why: hills, trams, custard tarts and an old town you can cover on foot, with no need for a car. easyJet's own Lisbon page says hotel prices are lower from March to May and in September and October, and that those months also mean thinner crowds.5 Why not: the hills are real, the cobbles are polished into skating rinks, and Tram 28 queues are a tourist attraction in their own right.

Budapest. Why: grand riverfront, thermal baths and, for a capital, a price tag that feels like a clerical error in your favour. Why not: some central streets are loud at weekends, so look at hotels a few tram stops from the busiest nightlife.

Amsterdam by train. Why: Eurostar's cheapest London to Amsterdam tickets start at £39 each way, and you leave from a station rather than an airport. Why not: the cheapest fares are subject to availability and go first, so a flexible date is the price of a cheap seat.2

Getting there. Fly from Gatwick, Luton, Stansted or Heathrow depending on the route, or take the train if the destination is Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam. The cheapest Eurostar tickets between London and Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels start at £39; Amsterdam or Paris to Brussels starts at £25; and Brussels to Cologne, £16.50.2

One week of sun: package or build your own?

The Canaries in winter, the Algarve in spring and autumn, the Red Sea from October to April. That is the short answer to "where is warm when?", and What Country has the Faro, Tavira, Hurghada and El Quseir detail. Tenerife is the safe winter pick: reliably mild, a short flight by long-haul standards, and one of the few places where a package holiday is also a perfectly sensible way to travel.

Santorini and the Greek islands. Why: the caldera view is every bit as good as the postcards. Why not: Oia at sunset is the only place on Earth where several hundred people queue politely to photograph the same dome. Go in May or late September and you can at least see the dome.

Package or DIY? A package is the better value when flights, hotel, transfers and bags are priced in one go, and it carries more protection. A flight-only booking is ATOL protected only if you receive an ATOL certificate marked "Flight-Only", and ATOL has a "Check for ATOL" search for any company's name or number.6 DIY wins when you want one hotel of your own choosing and an off-peak midweek flight. Catch: when you build your own, you are the travel agent, the insurer and the complaints department.

Two to three weeks long-haul: Vietnam, Japan and the Maldives

Vietnam. Why: a long thin country that rewards a north-to-south trip, with cheap food and rooms once you are there. What Country covers Da Nang and Hue, the best months and the visa-free 45-day stay. Why not: the long-haul flight is the bulk of your budget, and tropical storms can disrupt travel from May to November.

Japan. Why: trains that leave on the minute, food that rarely disappoints and a country built for first-timers. Why not: it is an expensive flight and the busiest weeks, around cherry-blossom season and autumn leaves, are priced accordingly. UK passport holders can get a visa on arrival for tourism for up to 90 days; you do not need to apply before you travel.7

Do it for less. Long-haul fares are where error fares, flexible-date searches and price alerts earn their keep, and where a "split" holiday (flights on one booking, hotels on another) can cost less than a package. Catch: separate bookings mean separate protection, so buy proper insurance and keep a cash cushion for a missed connection.

The splurge: the Maldives, with eyes open

Why: an overwater villa is the closest most of us get to living in a screensaver. Why not: it is a long, expensive journey to a very small island, and the villa price is only the start; food, transfers and drinks on a single island are priced as if the sea were an optional extra. Check Foreign Office advice for any destination before you book, and buy a package from an ATOL-protected seller if you want the strongest protection.6

Shoestring, mid-range or splurge: what actually changes?

Shoestring. You trade comfort for flexibility: shoulder-season dates, hand luggage only, a railcard, a fee-free card and a hostel or small guesthouse. Why: it is the cheapest way to see a place properly. Why not: the cheapest fares and rooms tend to be the least flexible, so a cancelled plan costs you more.

Mid-range. You buy the thing that removes the most annoyance for the least money: a central room, a package with transfers, a bag in the hold. Why: it is where most of the value is. Why not: it is also where the headline discount is most likely to be a mirage, so compare the total, not the sticker.

Splurge. You pay for time and space: a better room, a direct flight, a guide who knows where the queue ends. Why: one great day is worth three adequate ones. Why not: the last 20% of the price rarely buys 20% more holiday, and protected payment matters more as the bill grows.

Why not just book the cheapest thing? The ten-minute checks

Check the border. The EU's Entry/Exit System has made passport queues longer, and the BBC reported in July that airlines need not rebook you free if you miss a flight in the queue. Its advice was to allow extra time, especially for the flight home.8 GOV.UK says the EU is expected to begin operating ETIAS, a €20 travel authorisation for UK passport holders, from autumn 2026, and that no action is required of travellers at this point. Anyone selling you an "ETIAS application" before the EU opens one is not the EU.9

Check the protection. There is no 14-day cooling-off period for accommodation, transport or leisure activities booked for specific dates, per Citizens Advice, so "I'll just cancel" is not a plan. Paying by credit card gives Section 75 protection on single items costing over £100 and up to £30,000, but it generally does not cover purchases routed through a third party such as PayPal, so read the free-cancellation deadline on every booking.10

Check the paperwork. Apply for a free UK Global Health Insurance Card through the NHS website, not through a site that charges for it. It lasts up to five years and covers necessary state healthcare in the EEA and some other countries, but it is not travel insurance.11

Ways to pay less: the hacks, checked and dated

Each of these was checked on the provider's own page on 10 November 2026. The catch comes last, because it always does.

1. Let the search engines pick the destination

Google Flights' Explore map and Skyscanner's "Everywhere" search start from your home airport and rank places by price; both offer a cheapest-month view, and both can email you when a fare drops. Google Flights can track a route or specific flight and email you when the price changes significantly; Skyscanner offers Price Alerts for fixed dates.1 Why: it turns "where?" into "where is cheap?". Why not: a cheap fare to a place you do not want to go is just an expensive mistake. Catch: alerts tell you the price moved, not that it will move again.

2. Take the train to Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam

Eurostar's cheapest London to Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels fares start at £39, and its Snap fares offer up to 50% off: you pick the dates and a time slot, invite up to three friends, and Eurostar tells you your train at least 48 hours before you travel. Club Eurostar members earn 1.2 points per £1 spent.2 Catch: Snap tickets cannot be exchanged, and every other Eurostar ticket can be.

3. Buy a £35 railcard if you will take three trains

Two Together, 16-25, 26-30 and Network Railcards each cost £35 for a year; the 16-25 card also costs £80 for three years. Each gives one-third off eligible rail fares, and the Railcard site says the average holder saves about £106 to £212 a year depending on the card.12 Two Together is for two people who travel together: if one of you ends the journey early, both tickets stop being valid. Network is for London and the South East after 10am on weekdays and all day at weekends, and covers up to three adults travelling with you. Catch: minimum fares apply to some weekday morning journeys.

4. Split your ticket, but know the rule

Buying separate tickets for sections of a journey is allowed under section 14 of the National Rail Conditions of Travel, provided the train stops at the station where you split. It will not always save money, and every ticket's own restrictions apply.13 The BBC reported back in 2020 that split tickets could be cheaper than a single through ticket, and that Trainline had launched a SplitSave tool to find them.14 Catch: a late train can make two tickets worse than one.

5. Pay a £60 deposit, not the lot

Jet2holidays lets you secure a package holiday with a £60-per-person deposit if it departs more than ten weeks away, and says you can then pay the balance as you like up to ten weeks before travel, or in at least three monthly payments with no extra fee. PayPal Pay in 3 is also offered for holidays under £3,000 departing within 70 days; it is a credit agreement, subject to status.3 Catch: the deposit is not a price freeze if you have not read the terms, and a late booking within ten weeks must normally be paid in full.

6. Try an error-fare alert

Jack's Flight Club has a free membership that sends one flight a week, a £48 "Takeoff" level and a £149 "First Class" level, with error fares listed among the paid tiers on its pricing table.15 Which? explains the catch: companies are not legally obliged to honour an error fare, and while Jack's estimates 70% to 80% are honoured, you should hold off booking non-refundable hotels and tours for at least a week.16 An error fare is a bargain with a probationary period.

7. Use a card that does not bill you for abroad

Starling says it charges no fees for spending abroad or ATM withdrawals and passes on the Mastercard rate; choose to pay in the local currency to get it.17 Chase says it charges nothing for spending abroad.18 Monzo's free account charges no foreign transaction fee and gives £200 of fee-free cash withdrawals every 30 days outside the EEA, then 3%.19 Which?'s October 2026 table lists the same three in that order of generosity.20 Catch: the cash machine itself may still charge, and your bank's own card may be a better "main" card than a new one you will forget in a drawer.

8. Check what your phone does abroad

MoneySavingExpert reported in June that most major networks except O2 had reintroduced roaming charges for Europe, that data-roaming spend is usually capped by default at around £45 a month, and that buying a roaming add-on may switch your cap off. It also has a comparison tool for travel eSIMs from 12 providers.21 Catch: "included" roaming still has a fair-use limit, so a week of streaming can run out sooner than at home.

9. Claim the perks hiding in your bank account

Monzo's £9-a-month Perks plan includes an annual Railcard worth up to £35, a Vue ticket every month and a Greggs treat every week; the Max plan, from £19 a month, adds worldwide travel insurance.22 Here is the honest catch: Monzo says you can cancel Perks within 14 days for a refund of the monthly payment, minus a £23 Railcard fee if you have claimed a Railcard; after that, cancelling before your 12-month anniversary means paying £2.09 a month to keep the Railcard.23 The rules are generous, the small print is specific, and the Railcard is a trial of the plan, not free money.

10. Take the sign-up bonus, labelled as a credit product

American Express's Preferred Rewards Gold card has a £195 annual fee, free in the first year, and an 85.8% representative APR including the fee. Head for Points reported on 5 November that Amex had raised its welcome bonus to 30,000 Membership Rewards points plus a £100 Selfridges eGift card for spending £3,000 in three months, with the offer running to 12 January 2027. The card also includes four Priority Pass lounge visits a year.24 Why: the points convert to airline miles. Why not: it is a credit card, so it needs a credit check and only makes sense if you clear the balance in full every month and would be spending the £3,000 anyway. Catch: the bonus is the bait and the fee is the hook.

11. Skip the queue, cheaply

Heathrow's Fast Track Departures costs from £12.99 per person when pre-booked and runs from 06:00 to 21:00. Fast Track Arrivals is £25 per person at off-peak times and from £35 at peak times.25 Catch: on a quiet Tuesday you have paid to skip a queue that was not there.

12. Pack only a bag

Ryanair's free personal bag is 40 x 30 x 20cm, and easyJet's free under-seat bag is 45 x 36 x 20cm including handles and wheels, and can weigh up to 15kg.26 Catch: a bag sized for Ryanair will fit easyJet, but an easyJet-sized bag will not fit Ryanair's free allowance.

13. Lean on Booking.com's free membership

Booking.com's Genius programme gives 10% off on stays at the first level, 10% to 15% at the second and 10% to 20% at the third, applied to the price before taxes and charges. Bookings of stays, flights, rental cars, taxis and attractions count towards your progress.27 Catch: it applies only at participating properties, and a cheaper room on the hotel's own site is still cheaper.

14. Turn spare loyalty points into flights

Tesco Clubcard vouchers can no longer be converted into Avios; the route into airline points now is Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club, which explains the exchange on its own page.28 Catch: points are worth most when you spend them on the flight you were going to take anyway.

15. Interrail, for a long way round

Interrail's Global Pass covers up to 33 countries, children aged 4 to 11 travel free with an adult, and a Youth Pass is for travellers aged 12 to 27 on their start date.29 Catch: seat reservations are extra on many trains, so price a route rather than a pass.

The verdict

For a short trip, take the train to Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam or fly to Lisbon or Budapest in the shoulder months, and buy the railcard. For a week of sun, compare a package with a deposit against building your own, and check the ATOL number either way. For the long-haul trip, set an alert, stay flexible by a week either side, and treat an error fare as a bonus rather than a plan.

The best deal is the one you can still use on the day. A £39 Eurostar ticket you cannot exchange is only a bargain if you are quite sure about Thursday.

Sources

1. Google Travel Help, Track flights and prices; Skyscanner Help, How do I find the best prices?, both checked 10 November 2026. · Back
2. Eurostar, cheap Eurostar tickets, checked 10 November 2026: London to Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels from £39; Amsterdam or Paris to Brussels from £25; Brussels to Cologne from £16.50; Snap up to 50% off, train times sent at least 48 hours before travel, Snap tickets cannot be exchanged; Club Eurostar 1.2 points per £1. · Back
3. Jet2holidays, part payment plan, checked 10 November 2026. · Back
4. easyJet Holidays, Hurghada, seven nights from £498 per person, checked 9 November 2026 (see What Country). · Back
5. easyJet, flights to Lisbon, "when is the best time to go", checked 10 November 2026. · Back
6. ATOL, Check for ATOL; ATOL, Package holidays vs flight only, 12 August 2026. · Back
7. Foreign Office, Japan entry requirements, checked 10 November 2026. · Back
8. BBC News, "Three things you can do to stop EU border checks at the airport costing you", 6 July 2026. Read the report · Back
9. GOV.UK, EU Entry/Exit System, checked 10 November 2026. · Back
10. Citizens Advice, cancelling a service you've arranged, checked 10 November 2026; Citizens Advice, getting your money back if you paid by card or PayPal. · Back
11. NHS, apply for a free UK GHIC, checked 10 November 2026. · Back
12. Railcard prices from the official pages for Two Together, 16-25, 26-30 and Network, checked 10 November 2026. · Back
13. National Rail, split train tickets, checked 10 November 2026. · Back
14. BBC News, "'Split ticket' rail fares to go mainstream, say experts", 11 January 2020. Read the report · Back
15. Jack's Flight Club, pricing, checked 10 November 2026; check the billing period when you join. · Back
16. Which?, "What is an error fare and how to find one for cheap flights", 11 June 2026. Read the guide · Back
17. Starling Help, can I use my card abroad, checked 10 November 2026. · Back
18. Chase UK, "Spend abroad, with no charges from us", checked 10 November 2026. · Back
19. Monzo Help, understanding fees abroad, checked 10 November 2026. · Back
20. Which?, "Best debit cards to use abroad and on holiday 2026", 6 October 2026. Read the guide · Back
21. MoneySavingExpert, "Cheap mobile and data roaming abroad", updated 30 June 2026. Read the guide · Back
22. Monzo Perks, checked 10 November 2026. · Back
23. Monzo Help, cancelling Perks, checked 10 November 2026. · Back
24. American Express, Preferred Rewards Gold card, checked 10 November 2026 (fee, representative APR, Priority Pass visits); welcome bonus as reported by Head for Points, 5 November 2026; confirm on Amex's own page before applying. · Back
25. Heathrow, Fast Track, checked 10 November 2026. · Back
26. easyJet, cabin bags; Ryanair, new free bag size, both checked 10 November 2026. · Back
27. Booking.com, Genius, checked 10 November 2026. · Back
28. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Tesco Clubcard, checked 10 November 2026. · Back
29. Interrail, Global Pass, checked 10 November 2026. · Back