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Have you booked your holiday package?

If not, check whether a last-minute deal is available at a discount, provided you have the visa or are ready to go to a single destination

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Summer is when families prefer travelling overseas for a holiday. If you are looking for some holiday ideas, or have booked your tickets and accommodation but are looking for cost-cutting tips or the best way to carry foreign currency, read on. 

Popular destinations

Europe is a popular summer getaway for Indian tourists. The most favoured destinations include Greece, the UK, Switzerland, France and Italy. Central European countries such as Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark are in demand this summer, says Karan Anand, head, relationships, Cox & Kings. Top picks for budget travellers are Bhutan, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and Singapore, while those desiring to visit exotic destinations prefer Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa and New Zealand, among others. 

“Travellers opt for a single-country destination or combine two, at the most three countries, to get their money's worth. This enables them to have a more immersive experience while on a holiday,'' says Anand. While Europe still continues to be a summer favourite, what has changed in the recent past is the way Indians explore Europe, says Neelu Singh, CEO and director, Ezeego1. “From exploring seven destinations in 12 days, the discerning Indian traveller has finally arrived to exploring a mono-destination in depth rather than country hopping every few days. It is a mix of the beaten and off-the-beaten path. They are going to visit the Eiffel Tower but are also tasting wine at Bordeaux, taking a hot air balloon ride over Loire Valley, camping in Corsica or enjoying a seven-course meal in Paris. There is a 20-25% increase in demand for single country destinations in Europe. Travellers find this more satisfying as they can explore a country in different ways and at their own pace," she says.

European countries like Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Germany, France and Spain are some of the most favoured destinations this summer. 

According to Neeraj Singh Dev, senior vice-president and head-e-commerce, Thomas Cook, those who are travelling overseas the first time or the second time are preferring destinations where there is visa on arrival or where the documentation process for the visa is simpler like Bali, Thailand, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, while those who are going for the third or fourth international trip are travelling to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, which are long-haul destinations and take 12-14 days.

Money matters

The appreciating rupee against the dollar will be beneficial for those planning a holiday overseas. With summer travel around the corner, customer sentiments have further improved giving impetus to outbound tourism, says Daniel D'souza, president and country head, leisure, SOTC Travel.

“We urge customers to pre-plan their itineraries to avoid the surge in air ticket prices. Opting for comfortable flight routes, on-demand car rentals and accommodation would be essential,'' he says,

According to Singh Dev, two kinds of travellers enjoy a cost advantage. One is those who plan early and take advantage of early-bird discounts. The second is the last-minute travellers. “On our website, we offer unsold last-minute inventory, at a discount of 10-15%. These are largely for destinations where either you are holding a visa or you have visa on arrival. For instance, a lot of people hold valid US visa and this gives opportunities for an on-arrival visa to countries like Dubai, Turkey, Philippines and so on,'' he says.

With the rupee appreciating against dollar and euro, closing a travel deal at the moment might just suit the budget-conscious travellers. With the money saved, you can either have longer trip or spend that amount on other personal expenses like shopping.

“If you are comfortable paying everything upfront, all-inclusive group tours are cost-effective wherein the sightseeing would include visits to attractions such as theme parks, shows, breakfasts, lunches and dinners,'' points out Anand.

Tips to save costs

  1. Hotels close to tourist attractions and city centres are generally expensive. You can find plenty of affordable stay option in the suburbs.
     
  2. In most countries, public transport is a cheap, safe, and a comfortable way to explore destinations. For example, when in the UK, buy a Brit rail pass for cheap train travel. Hop-on buses are also cheap and comfortable. In Dubai use the metro. Or hire a bicycle when in Europe.
     
  3. For cheap food and drinks, look for bars, restaurants and eateries where locals visit or by exploring the street food.
     
  4. Carry a multi-charge adapter to charge your mobile phones and tablets. Buying a new charger can be expensive.
     
  5. In Europe, carry a water bottle and fill it with tap water. In most places, tap water bottle is potable and buying bottled water can be expensive.
     
  6. Carry standard medicines for stomach ache, cold, fever, etc. In many countries, you cannot buy these medicines over the counter. Getting a doctor's prescription will cost as you have to pay doctor's fees and the medicine too can be expensive.
     
  7. When shopping look for malls that are away from the city centre and offer brands at high discounts. These could be about 69 km away from the city centre.
     
  8. Buy all items together and get a single bill as this makes it easier to claim VAT refund. The minimum amount for refund is 50 euros.

Carrying foreign currency

The various ways to carry foreign currency are cash, credit/debit card and forex cards. While cash is the easiest, it is bulky to carry and not save. Credit and debit cards are convenient to use but they are expensive as you have to pay conversion charge, a transaction cost of 3-3.5% and interbank charges.

Besides, they are also prone to hacking and skimming. If that happens you may not even notice fraudulent transactions on your card and if you do, you will be forced to block your card and apply for a refund on your return. This will restrict the regular usage of your cards.

The most convenient option today is the forex card. The only hitch is in getting a card as you have to apply for one and show document proof of KYC. But many banks allow you to apply for it on the bank's app or website and only by updating your passport number.

“With a forex card what you pay is what you get. There is no problem even if the rupee falls to 70 or 80 against the dollar. You can use it for withdrawing at ATMs and for swiping. And most banks offer 10-12 currencies which can cover most countries. In case the currency you want is not available, load dollar and swipe it in the local currency at your destination,'' says Phani Shankar, senior executive VP, Kotak Mahindra Bank.

Travel cards are a useful option for anyone who travels regularly, be it for business or personal reasons. “The first thing that people associate with travel cards are air miles. However, travel cards come with a range of benefits such as special discounts on select websites, airport lounge access, auto-upgradation, priority pass membership, premier check-in facility, excess baggage allowance benefits, spend linked miles if your spending exceeds a certain specified amount, and more. This is in addition to the other features such as joining bonus and dining discounts at partner restaurants,'' says Navin Chandani, chief business development officer, BankBazaar.

The best way would be to keep forex as primary card, credit or debit card as a back-up and a little bit of cash. “Using a forex card to swipe will also help you keep a check on your spends as the amount will be restricted to how much you load on it. In case you exhaust you can reload it through the bank's app or use your credit or debit card for emergency. Keep bare minimum cash for cab fare or coffee at the airport while in transit,'' says Shankar.

Summer holiday packages

Thomas Cook

  • Thailand/ Sri Lanka - (5 days) Rs 30,000
     
  • Bali/ Mauritius/ Maldives / Hong Kong - (5 days) Rs 60,000-70,000 
     
  • Europe - (6 days) starting from Rs 1 lakh onwards for trip, (10 days) approximately Rs 1.5 lakh
     
  • USA - (7 days) ( East coast or West coast) Rs 1.3 lakh, (11 days) Rs 2.2 lakh

Cox & Kings

  • Kazakhstan - Almaty - (5 days / 4 nights) - starting from Rs 60,392
     
  • Vietnam - (09 days / 08 nights)-starting from Rs 99,604

    Turkey - (05 days / 04 nights) - starting from Rs 80,013

    Greece - (04 days / 03 nights) - starting from Rs 81,328

*Packages: Prices are per person and could vary (common inclusions are airfare, hotel, transportation, local sightseeing) 

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