7 quick tips for booking a holiday online

Overseas travel may be off your agenda for a little while, but if you plan ahead you can get the same exciting experience in your own backyard! Whether or not the task of planning a holiday fills you with joy or dread, we can all agree the end product, a holiday,  is well worth the effort. Whether its a relaxing beach holiday or an outback four wheel drive adventure, here's 6 tips for booking a holiday online.

1. Set a budget

One of the biggest benefits to online shopping is the ability to browse many products at once and compare prices. This gives you the upper hand to find Holiday packages, accommodation and local tours to fit in your budget.

2. Organise payment methods

While you may not be sending money overseas, you should still take care to ensure you're paying securely online. If you're looking to book a trip all at once through a travel agent online, they will often need you to pay a deposit (or more) at the time of booking. Options include paying via a debit card, such as our Visa Debit card, or via a credit card. If you're considering using a buy now and pay later company to fund your holiday instead of savings, you should keep in mind the impact this may have on your credit report and any fees and charges involved. 

3. Research tour group itineraries

If you’re not going to book an organised tour, research where other tour companies go – they generally stop off at all the hot spots so you’ll be sure to learn more about the area you are visiting through reading tour notes.

4. Consider booking through a local

Local companies might be able to offer a better price and more options than what you may find when searching on major booking comparison websites. You'll also be doing your part to support the local economy. Make sure to do your research and consider seeking advice from other travellers or reading reviews before you book.

5. Get advice

Scour travel forums such as Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor – you can either post a question and start a topic thread or just look through past topics to find what you are looking for. The hints and tips you get about where to go and who to purchase through are invaluable and if you see a trend towards a particular activity or company you can usually trust the advice is worth taking.

6. Organise transport before you leave

It doesn’t suit all destinations but if you do your research you’ll find there are many places where it is possible to purchase your transport before you leave.

If you're planning on taking a break from driving and utilising public transport options at your destination, you can often purchase transit cards online. For NSW you can purchase an Opal transit card online and for Queensland you can purchase a go card online.

If you're thinking of hiring a car, it pays to do your comparison first. Make sure you look at the fine print when booking a hire car, including your excess for damage and whether toll charges are included.

7. Use online tools to help you plan

Along with booking your holiday you can also use online tools to help you plan your holiday. If your goal is to have the ultimate family road trip, check out some of the trips and itineraries at Australia.com.  You can also search online for heaps of helpful packing checklists to make your trip stress free - just make sure you pack the new essentials like hand sanitisers and face masks.

If you’ve never purchased a holiday online before it can seem a little daunting. However, with enough time and research it can be well worth the effort, and even turn out to be really fun. With all the research under your belt, you’ll also be sure to help other travellers with your hints and tips!