Ideas for a holiday on the beach

Summer is synonymous with beach for many Spaniards, both for those fortunate enough to live in coastal cities and never get tired of going, and for those who are from the interior and move to them every year. What will have the beach that you like so much in summer?

Sunshine, hot sand and fresh water make up a simple but perfect cocktail for holidays. Disconnecting from work by spending a few days simply resting at a beach destination is a very appetizing plan, no doubt. But what if we also do it economically, spending on the day to day as if we were at home?

To achieve this, we can follow these 8 tips for a holiday on the beach. Of course, the cost of travel and accommodation will always be present, but it is possible to reduce them and, as far as daily expenses are concerned, they do not have to exceed those of staying at home.

Plan as far in advance as possible

It may seem that the holidays are still very far away, that there will already be time to think about them. But right here is the main savings key in summer. The sooner we organise what weeks we can take at work, the sooner we can start looking for destinations and book transport and accommodation at a better price.

It’s obvious, but we can’t forget that the sooner we book, the better offers we’ll find. For example, according to Skyscanner, the flight finder, the best time to book cheap from Spain is 8 weeks before the date of travel.

Avoid high season, or avoid August

It is true that the activity of most Spanish companies decreases during the month of August and is therefore the best time to take a holiday.

Considering precisely this fact, if we have the opportunity to choose June, July or September we will enjoy our holidays more because, without renouncing the good weather, we will find fewer crowds, quieter beaches and, as far as this article is concerned, cheaper prices.

Avoiding the most popular tourist destinations

A beach, with more or less clear sand, with more or less beach bars and more or less people, is still an attractive place to rest and give us the real luxury of doing nothing.

Therefore, when it comes to choosing a destination, deciding for a less demanded one means savings in accommodation, meals and daily activities. It is as simple as reading reviews in Tripadvisor and looking for lodging in other towns near the destination we were looking at in the beginning.

Save on transport

There are three major concepts of travel expense: transportation, lodging, and meals. We have already seen that planning is the key to finding a better price when travelling to the coast. But you also have to consider which option interests you the most:

• Take the car? If so, we should consider a few tricks to save on driving.
• Or go by train, bus or plane?
• Share other people’s trips with Blablacar, Amovens or similar websites?
• The cheapest option, as long as it doesn’t imply an extra cost in displacements in the destiny, will be the chosen one.

Save with accommodation

If the intention is to spend several weeks near the beach, the accommodation will be the largest outlay we will have to face. Searching in advance is the key to finding offers; using social travel applications such as Airbnb or Homeexchange is a not inconsiderable alternative.

The first to stay in private homes at very competitive prices, the second to exchange home for a while with another user of the application and not spend anything on accommodation.

An experience that will never be forgotten by the little ones and that can be very economical for us is camping. The rent of the plot is much lower than that of an apartment, although we will probably see our rest compromised.

Save with food

It is also possible to reduce the third most important travel expense concept: meals. Choosing accommodation with a kitchen is essential for saving.

Bringing food to the beach is a very common thing that will allow us to adjust the budget of the holidays. If we stay with Airbnb or similar, it’s a good idea to confirm that a kitchen is available.

And instead of always going to restaurants, leave them for one or another occasion, just as we would if we had stayed at home. Knowing how to shop in the supermarket also applies when we are on the beach.

Alternative complementary activities

In the main tourist destinations of our country there are many attractions that seek to complement the leisure of visitors, such as shopping malls, theme parks, water parks, etc..

However, being creative and betting on simpler activities such as walking along the promenade, take a swim in the sea at dusk and make excursions to other towns or nearby beaches, we can also have a good time adjusting costs more easily.

Don’t leave the house plugged in.

Finally, before leaving home, it is advisable to unplug the electrical appliances and turn off the water. Switching to holiday mode in the fridge will save us a few kilowatt-hours, if not, it could also be a good time to clean and turn it off during our absence.