Yes, yes, we may have only just left the previous summer, but that doesn’t mean you should hesitate to start looking at your options for your summer holiday in 2020. It really is true a lot of the time that ‘the early bird catches the worm’ – so how can you be sure of being that ‘bird’ this year? 

Look into booking independently, instead of a package holiday 

Great savings can be had if you don’t take it as gospel that the pre-packaged deals will always be the most competitive ones – but of course, you’ll need to be alert to the best opportunities to save as and when they arise. 

A service like Skyscanner can be useful in this regard, enabling you to look at all the fares available for a particular destination on or around your chosen dates. You never know – you might find yourself saving literally hundreds of pounds on flights. 

Use price comparison websites – but with healthy scepticism 

There’s a good reason why price comparison sites for the likes of package holidays, car hire and travel insurance continue to be popular and trusted today – they really are very good at bringing their users the most attractive rates. 

There’s at least one thing to be wary of, though; some of the companies represented on these sites may strive to win your attention by stripping away so many extras, such as levels of insurance cover, that while the headline price they present you with is enticing, it doesn’t truly represent the best deal. No-frills airlines have long been especially guilty of this, but today, so many other firms can also be. 

Thankfully, today’s price comparison sites are getting better at accounting for pricing complexities. However, it’s still important for you to check and double-check what you’re getting in a summer break before you book. 

Inform yourself about when deals become available 

You probably don’t need this article to tell you that the finest holiday deals can often be had when you book early – but what even constitutes “early”, given that different holiday providers often throw the wraps off their summer deals at different times? 

There’s only one thing for it – you need to arm yourself with knowledge. For example, as reported by the ChronicleLive website, Mr ‘Money Saving Expert’ himself, Martin Lewis, recently revealed that great holiday deals for 2020 are becoming available from the budget airline easyJet right now. 

Sure enough, though, he also advised bargain-hunters to commit as early as possible, asserting: “Buying the moment [deals] are released means super cheap holidays for next summer.” Americans can use a free tax calculator to do their personal taxes as soon as possible and have the best chance of scoring some great deals to the UK, for example. 

Don’t think in terms of the headline price alone 

Remember that the true definition of a ‘bargain’ holiday isn’t governed solely by how few pounds and pennies you are forking out for the deal in question. That’s because what you actually get out of your chosen holiday will also go a long way to determining its true value. 

Let’s say you’re thinking of a break in gorgeous Spain or Portugal, for instance, but would also like to lose weight in the year ahead. Would you be best served by booking a plain Portuguese or Spanish package deal from the usual holiday-industry suspects, or paying what may be only slightly more for something a bit more imaginative and interesting, such as a UK fat camp from Prestige Boot Camp?Prestige Boot Camp is just one of the quirkier holiday providers out there that are well worth considering if you want to be able to look forward to a summer break with a difference in 2020. Sometimes, finding a genuine summer holiday bargain simply comes down to applying a bit of ingenuity, alongside a close consideration of what you really desire from such a getaway.