Britain is becoming a nation of holiday hagglers according to a major new travel report issued today by Visa Europe. A quarter of us now always negotiate to get better deals before we head off for some fun in the sun and a mere 11% accept the first price that we are quoted for a getaway. However, our spendthrift ways seem to go out the window as soon as we hit the beach - more than a third (39%) admit that we will blow the budget on holiday this year and nearly two thirds (63%) will overspend by up to £200 a week.

Over 1,000 British holidaymakers took part in the Visa Europe Holiday Report, which revealed that over a third of Brits plan to take at least two holidays this year, with 60% heading for a beach based break. Over one in five (21%) are planning to take more holidays than we did last year, with the average break being between 11 and 14 days.

 

Marc OBrien, Visa UK Managing Director, said: Britons take 65 million trips abroad[1] every year, looking for great deals and taking advantage of independent travel options by booking over the internet. Yet our research shows that when we go abroad, it can be hard to stick to a budget. Simple tips like using your Visa card for your purchases and keeping track of spend by checking receipts can help your holiday budget go that little bit further.

 

More than half the people surveyed expect to spend at least £600 on travel and accommodation this year, with a further £250 a week on eating and drinking. Lounging around the pool appears to be top of many Brits lists as almost half of us wont be doing any sporting activity whilst away. However, whilst were enjoying ourselves, we are cutting back on spoiling friends and family back home, as nearly one in five wont bring back any gifts.

 

Marc OBrien continued: We know peoples holidays are sacrosanct so to protect yourself against any unforeseen events, use your Visa card to take advantage of the consumer protection it provides. For example if your airline or travel company goes bust, you could get your money back, subject to your banks terms and conditions.

 

In the battle of the holiday purse strings, women do claim to be more careful with their money on holiday than men, with 57% of females saying that they expect to underspend by up to £200 compared to 38% of males.

 

The package holiday is in danger of dying out, as nearly half of us (42%) now favour DIY trips abroad, choosing to book our flights and accommodation separately. The rise of low cost airlines selling cheap fares over the internet has arguably helped to fuel this rise, with just 22% now admitting to still booking package holidays.

 

Brits remain creatures of habit, booking months in advance to secure their preferred resorts and accommodation during the peak summer period. A third of people book at least three months in advance and over half (56%) spend time researching different options to get the best price.

 

Top 10 holiday haggling regions

1   South West 36% of holiday makers will always haggle for a better deal

2     North East 31% of holiday makers will always haggle for a better deal

3     East 30% of holiday makers will always haggle for a better deal

4 =  Yorkshire 27% of holiday makers will always haggle for a better deal

4=  North West 27% of holiday makers will always haggle for a better deal

6     London 24% of holiday makers will always haggle for a better deal

7=  Midlands 22% of holiday makers will always haggle for a better deal

7=  South East 22% of holiday makers will always haggle for a better deal

9     Scotland 21% of holiday makers will always haggle for a better deal

10   Northern Ireland 17% of holiday makers will always haggle for a better deal