Save money on travel

Get cheaper rail fares
UK train prices can be ridiculously expensive, although booking early can reduce costs considerably. Once you know the date you're going to be travelling, visit the Fares Query section of National Rail Enquiries site to find the cheapest train tickets available. At National Express you can sign up to receive email alerts when cheaper tickts for specific travel dates become available.

Book a budget hotel room
The easyGroup (which includes easyJet) has its own range of budget accommodation called, unsurprisingly, easyHotel. There are currently 10 hotels in six cities (five in London) and each room offers a bed and en suite facilities. The earlier you book, the cheaper the rates. The website also lets you book other budget hotels around the world.

Find cheap UK hotels
If you're looking for a place to stay in the UK, give HalfPriceHotels, a try. Just select a region, a theme (for example city, boutique hotels, or inns and pubs) and a month. The site will then tell you the standard rate for a hotel, the offer price and the saving you'll make.

Pay what you want for a hotel room
Priceline's Name Your Own Price feature can save you 40 per cent (or more) on a hotel's standard room rate. Choose a town and date, select an area and star rating, and then enter the price you want to pay. You'll find out which hotel you'll be staying in once your bid has been accepted.

Compare flight prices
Skyscanner is a superb flight-comparison service. Choose a departure airport, a destination (leave this blank if you're entirely flexible) and departure and return dates. The site will search all available airlines for the best deals and present the results by price, including estimated tax.

Track specific flights
Yapta is a useful website that tracks particular flight routes and emails you when the price goes up or down. Accordng to Yapta, the average flight price can fluctuate 400 per cent, so even after you purchase a ticket, Yapta will continue to track its price and if it drops below what you paid, and you're eligible for a refund or travel credit from the airline, Yapta will help you claim it.

Get the best exchange rate
When it comes to changing money for your holiday, it pays to shop around. The various bureau de change services have different rates and commission structures. To find out which bureau will give you the best deal, use MoneySavingExpert.com’s Travel Money Maximiser tool.

Calculate the shortest route
As well as getting you to your destination quicker, finding the shortest or most economical route will save you money on petrol. The ViaMichelin site not only plots the best route for you, but estimates the time and fuel costs.

Share car journeys
Sharing a car journey can also cut petrol costs, not to mention being kinder on the environment. If you can't find someone to travel with, give Liftshare a try. This free site matches people with journeys and is very easy to use. As well as car travel, it can find you people to share taxis with, and fellow walkers or bikers.

Fill up with the cheapest petrol
Oil prices have been falling recently, but not all garages feel obliged to pass the cut on to motorists. PetrolPrices shows you where to go for the best petrol offers in your area. Sign up for free to view the details and get regular price-change updates by email.

Get new tyres online
Replacing worn tyres can be expensive, but failing to do so is not only illegal, it's downright dangerous. Thankfully, you can save money by buying new tyres for your car online. Try eTyres or MyTyres for great value deals.

Avoid getting caught by speed cameras
Speed cameras are everywhere these days, and fines are constantly on the rise. SpeedCamerasUK has a vast database listing the locations of the many different types of camera. It also tells you the speed limit for an area to help you avoid accidentally picking up a fine.

Save money on days out
Family trips to theme parks and other attractions can cost an arm and a leg. DaysOutUK has thousands of suggestions for places to go, and hundreds of discount vouchers too. National Rail's Days Out Guide website offers two-for-one tickets for attractions in the London and South East area, while you can swap Clubcard points at Tesco for days out and other activities.