Travel tips

Travel Tips

More travel. More savings. Let's go!

Travel and spending tips to help you save money, stay safe and get the most from your next adventure.

Advance tickets

Why pay more? If you know where you're going early on, take advantage of lower booking prices and save smart. The award-winning The Man in Seat Sixty-One website gives great advice about booking land travel around the world and is a useful starting point for affordable travel.

Start saving NOW

Budgets are great - but there’s always a chance you’ll go over. Start saving as soon as possible for your trip and aim to bring more than you plan on using. Why not switch on Save the Change® and when you buy something with your Halifax debit card, we'll round up the amount to the nearest pound and transfer the difference into your nominated Halifax savings account.

Passport expiration date

Even if your passport doesn’t expire for a few more months, some countries won’t let you travel if it expires in less than six. Visit the home office website to renew - it's cheaper to do so online than to fill in a form.

Tipping

Depending where you are, you could end up offending someone if you tip too little, or even too much. Find your perfect percent before you travel. Which? has a guide to tipping in some of the most common holiday destinations.

Pouvez-vous parler en anglais, s'il-vous-plait?

You don’t have to be a master of the language, but before you travel it’s best to learn some simple phrases for greetings, basic needs, and money terminology. It will also go a long way showing locals you tried. Download the app Duolingo for lots of free bite-sized language lessons.

Free air travel

Frequent traveller? Register for free with your favourite airline and start collecting frequent flyer points or miles to take off your next journey.

Read a travel book

Become your very own guide for the price of a book. Your overall travel experience will feel much more fulfilling if you’ve already learnt about the area you’re visiting.

Buy travel money in the UK

Avoid exchanging currency while you’re at the airport or outside the UK because they often have higher exchange rates and can carry commission fees. Did you know Halifax delivers travel money to your door for free?

Tourist traps

For popular attractions like the Vatican in Rome, or the Louvre in Paris, book your ticket in advance and avoid the queues. For city tours and safaris, wait until you’re in the country to find sellers - take advantage of local knowledge for a lower price.

Say yes to local currency

If you're ever asked if you want to pay in the local currency or sterling when using your bank card abroad, choose local currency to save money on extra local currency conversion charges.

Be safe

Think about what you'll do with your cash, passport or other valuables when you're abroad. Consider keeping them separated in different places so they wouldn't all be stolen together - in a money belt under your clothes, in different places of your luggage (socks and shoes are useful for this!), or in your hotel or guesthouse's safe.

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Check out our travel checklist

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Buy travel money

Get travel insurance

Send money abroad

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