Martin Lewis' ULTIMATE money-saving tips for your next family holiday

Going abroad with the kids for half term or planning a family holiday in the sun? Martin Lewis' genius tips could save you £££s.

One of the biggest issues affecting families travelling abroad is the new rules around passports.

And this could cost families up to £2,400 EACH on lost holidays says the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

Which is why Martin Lewis, who has shared his money-saving holiday tips in his MoneySavingExpert.com newsletter, is urging people to check 2 things ...

If you're travelling to certain countries in Europe, including Spain, Greece and Portugal, your passport must be valid for valid for 3 months (and sometimes 6) after the date you intend to leave the EU country you are visiting.

It ALSO must have been issued in the previous 10 years. These are both changes introduced after Brexit.

If you do need to renew, do it NOW as the UK Passport Office has been inundated with requests. If you leave it too late, you might be forced to cancel your holiday.

'It says to allow 'up to 10 weeks' to get a passport, but I'm hearing it's taking even longer for some, and paying to 'fast-track' isn't an option for many as there are few appointments', warns Martin.

This next tip from Martin is super easy to do and could save you LOADS ...

If you've had your trip sorted for a while, it's always worth checking if your hotel is cheaper now than when you first booked.

If you have free cancellation, you can rebook your accommodation and potentially save £100s.

Planning on using a credit card on your family hols? Martin warns that some card providers add on a 3%(ish) 'non-sterling' fee when used abroad. And that could add LOADS to your holiday spend.

A way to get around this is by using specialist travel cards. There's a full list of the best cards to use on moneysavinggexpert.com

Another tip for when you're abroad is ALWAYS choosing to pay in the local currency in a shop or when making withdrawals at an ATM. It means no fees will be added on.

With the UK leaving the EU it means we can no long 'roam like at home' on our phones when in EU countries.

To avoid huge phone bills, Martin recommends checking with your mobile provider before heading off on your family trip. He says, 'The charges are usually £1-£2 a day to get your home phone & data package abroad.'

A full list of providers is here.

For outside the EU, roaming charges are costly. However, if you go abroad a lot, then a specialist global roaming Sim may be just what you need.

Making sure all the family can sit together on flights can be pricey.

A family of four could be charged over £200 to sit together but Martin thinks this is unnecessary.

Instead, check in as early as you can and you should get to sit together, as long as there are seats available.

Children under 12 are usually guaranteed to sit beside one adult and there may be allowances for those with a disability.

Moneysavingexpert have a guide on how to bag your seats for free and the rules for each airline.

Car hire prices have skyrocketed since the pandemic so families are being urged to book early to get the best deal.

It's a good idea to compare prices on Skyscanner, Kayak, TravelSupermarket and Carrentals.

Once you have your car all set, be prepared for the insurance hard sell when you pick it up.

Most hire companies include basic insurance but will try and sell the 'excess cover insurance' which can cost £25 a day.

Martin suggest shopping around for this extra insurance which you can get from around £2 a day.

With little ones in tow, you probably want to park as close to the airport as possible. But it can be costly.

The best advice is to book as early as possible says Martin.

However, even pre-booking on the day of departure will save you money.

And if you're dropping someone off at the airport, there are often ways to avoid the fees which are as high as £7 in some airports.

See MoneySavingExpert's Beat 'kiss and fly' charges.

And finally, as well as saving you money Martin also has a top tip to stop you LOSING money in a holiday scam.

Martin says, 'If you're looking at holidays, then you are likely to be targeted by scammers with ads for fake package holidays, hotels, flights and especially caravans.

'If you get an out-of-the-blue email or WhatsApp message offering deals, be very careful. Always do independent research, and if it isn't from a legit source and seems too good to be true, it probably is.'

Check out MoneySavingExpert's page on how to avoid holiday scams.