Twenty-one travel hacks to transform your holiday: From the trick to getting a hotel upgrade to the cheapest days to book flights, expert advice from the Mail's experts By Tom Chesshyre Published: 11:54, 23 August 2024 | Updated: 11:54, 23 August 2024 e-mail View comments Everyone has a cunning ‘travel tip’ or two up their sleeves – from putting ‘fragile’ stickers on luggage in the hope they will appear on the baggage carousel first, to eating chocolate to reduce the effects of jetlag and dressing smartly in the hope of an upgrade at check-in. All well and good (if they actually work). But the bottom line for most is: how can I save money on my holiday? We’ve consulted travel experts across the industry to bring you 21 hacks that every traveller should know about.
Choose the local currency for payments When paying by card, you should always opt for the local currency rather than pounds – thus avoiding potentially unfavourable currency conversions made by retailers. The automatic system of converting to pounds used by retailers abroad is known as Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) and can cost you an extra 5-7 per cent on purchases. By opting to pay in the local currency, the transaction will be made according to the standard daily rates set by Visa or MasterCard.
Likewise, if withdrawing currency from a foreign ATM, always select the local currency to avoid paying DCC, which is effectively a way to squeeze more cash out of unwitting customers. From travel insuran.