The travel expert’s advice for getting the best deal – and he says ‘don’t’ do anything

Travel expert Simon Calder has shared some essential tips to secure the best deals on your next holiday and warns to be cautious when exchanging your holiday money. Speaking on This Morning, Calder, who frequently appears on various news and talk shows to offer the latest travel advice, was asked by host Alison Hammond to share ‘five last minute deal tips’ and ‘the best way to get that last minute deal’. “.

Calder advised that the first step is to check with a travel agent, a practice Hammond admitted he no longer does, although he did in the past. The travel guru pointed out that this is something people should start doing again.

He said: “They have access to great deals. They can also very well gauge what will work for you. So go to a travel agent. Second, book a suitable holiday package.

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“So that includes your flights and accommodation. It will include luggage for your flight and transfers to get you to your resort and will provide you with absolute gold-plated consumer protection”.

In terms of getting the best value for money, he suggested some destinations that travelers should consider: “If you want value, you have to look either to Portugal, which will be the absolute bargain destination in Europe from West,” reports the Liverpool Echo.

“Otherwise, go east. Bulgaria is great value there, but also places like North Macedonia and a big star this year, Albania.”

Discussing other travel tips, he emphasized the importance of timing when it comes to exchanging travel money. He said: “Make sure you don’t mess around with your holiday money and that means you should use plastic in a lot of places. But if you get euros, don’t take them to the airport when you’re on the road, you should plan ahead of time to post them home for a very good price.”

He also mentioned currency exchange for those traveling to Turkey: “If you’re going to Turkey, wait until you get there to get your money because you’re going to get there in a terrible way and then finally the insurance travel, of course (is) essential. and make sure you have your GHIC Global Health Insurance Card.”

For those who don’t know, the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) allows UK residents to access necessary healthcare provided by the state during a temporary stay in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. The service received will be on the same terms as a resident of the country they are visiting, which could be free or at a reduced cost.

The NHS has clarified that the UK GHIC is the successor to the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). For those who currently hold an EHIC, there is no immediate concern; remains valid until the expiration date.

However, once an EHIC expires, individuals will need to apply for a UK GHIC as a replacement. Applications for a new card can be made up to nine months before the current card expires.

You can apply for a card through the NHS website here. The health service warns you to stay away from unofficial websites as some may charge you a fee to apply.

The NHS warns that the UK GHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance. It is recommended that you obtain private travel and medical insurance for the duration of your trip.