A better, cheaper way to holiday this Easter

If you’re looking for an excuse to pack up your wheelie bag and get yourself on a mini break, look no further. Spring is in the air and Easter comes up trumps again with a fantastic 4-day weekend to fill; so grab your sunnies and pack that passport. (While you’re doing that, here are a few tips to make your break cheap and very cheerful):

Use a travel app

If you’re looking for the best deals around then whip out your mobile and download some of the brilliant travel apps out there.

Whether you love the ease and expertise of lastminute.com, or the spontaneity of HolidayPirates, there’s always an app that takes the stress out of booking your perfect getaway and helps you get the best deal around.

If budget is your biggest concern, then we recommend taking a look at Hopper which works by predicting the future of airfares and hotel prices. It’ll tell you the very best time to book your flights so you can be sure of the biggest savings.

And if you’re looking to book something a little more intricate then we love Momondo. Just pop in your details for the cheapest and quickest flights, and get stuck in with multi-city bookings if you want to take in lots of places during your trip.

Popular destinations in 2019

Wherever you’re heading, it’s fab to know that you can still use your phone abroad in the EU at no extra cost on SMARTY. So, data comes out of your usual allowance and calls and texts are unlimited. Check out the full list of EU destinations you can roam in on SMARTY without paying extra - and get a little inspiration for your next escape while you’re at it.

If you’re still stumped about where to head, here are 19 of the most popular world-wide holiday destinations to watch this year - according to experts, Condé Nast Traveller:

1. Egypt
2. The Peloponnese, Greece
3. Matera, Italy
4. Perth, Western Australia
5. The Scottish Highlands
6. The Turkish Riviera
7. St Barth’s, Caribbean
8. Arles, France
9. Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico
10. New Orleans
11. Tahiti
12. Mozambique
13. Namibia
14. Chengdu, China
15. Transylvania, Romania
16. Patagonia, South America
17. Mumbai, India
18. Singapore
19. Tasmania, Australia

Get away for longer

If you do decide to travel further afield, you might want to check out the best ways to make the most of your annual leave. Over Easter it’s actually possible to take an 18-day holiday, while only using up 9 days of leave. Yep, really. If you finish work on Thursday 18 April (the day before Good Friday) and return on the 7 May you’ll be able to cash in on the bank holidays over Easter and early May and you’ll only need to book 9 days of annual leave. Get in!

Why not take SMARTY with you?

If Insta is your favourite travel buddy and you’re not already on SMARTY, then it’s worth trying us out with a free SIM while you’re away. Just pop it into your phone and away you go. And if, by any chance, you don’t use up all your data while you’re away you’ll get money off your next month’s allowance. Now you can treat yourself to those new flip flops 😎