An ever-growing pool of do-it-yourself websites and apps is available to help you find the very best value holidays abroad with relatively little effort, writes CONOR POPE

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

Is it better to book early or late? Do the last minute deals exist, or will you be left sleeping under a tarpaulin outside a Cretan airport for two weeks? It really depends.

Typically, the best-value fares booked directly with airlines go online about six weeks out from departure – unless your destination is hosting a special event at the time you want to go, or if it is a particularly popular holiday destination which is not well served by air carriers – in which case all bets are off.

We have heard stories of people playing last-minute holiday roulette with tour operators or airlines and ending up with amazing beachside villas for a song, but the reality is when it comes to flights and accommodation, the more organised you are, the better value you get.

This is particularly so if you are booking a family holiday at a peak time – deals on flights or packages for families to popular destinations in July and August are as rare as hen’s teeth, and if you manage to find one it will be as attractive as a hen’s beak.

LEAVE IT LATE

On the other hand, if you are flying alone or as part of a relaxed couple and don’t really mind where you end up – and have the flexibility to postpone your holiday at the very last minute if flights or accommodation don’t materialise at a price you are willing to pay – you can get very cheap holidays by leaving it late.

If you are willing to gamble, make sure you check out online booking services, such as skyscanner.net, which now also has a natty smartphone app allowing you to find the best value flights for the lowest prices. We also like checkfelix.com– both a flight and hotel comparison and booking website (although the hotel section is only in German). Last week we were able to find flights leaving Dublin for Madrid at the end of the month for just over €200 for a couple.

The same flights with more established carriers flying the same route cost us €250. Another similar site is kayak.co.uk, which promises to search hundreds of travel sites to find you the best value for money.

WEAR YOUR LUGGAGE

Everyone hates baggage charges. Well, everyone except the airlines, who just hate the baggage itself and use the charges as both a revenue generator and as a way to stop us packing like a dowager aunt boarding a transatlantic crossing when we’re jetting off for our two weeks in the Costas.

You can either pack lighter or buy a JakToGo. This coat is sold as "wearable luggage" which "converts seamlessly and conveniently from a compact bag to a wearable garment, kitted out with 14 huge pockets, sufficient to hold 10-15kg of clothes and other personal items". It normally costs €79.95 but is selling on jaktogo.comuntil the end of this month with a 10 per cent discount. It also comes as a dress (seriously) with a price of €62.96. Yes, yes, it may look kind of ridiculous – but it will save you money.

NEVER ON A SATURDAY

Last year, British consumer group Which? highlighted the benefits of travel date flexibility. It found that families could save £800 (€930) on a summer holiday by moving the day of departure away from a Saturday. The cost of a holiday in Mallorca for a family of four in August cost £2,334 (€2,706) if they travelled on a Saturday morning. The same holiday leaving on a Thursday evening cost £1,480 (€1,716) – meaning a saving of £854 (€990). Another holiday to the same destination with a different tour operator cost £2,536 (€2,941) based on a Saturday departure, but £655 (€760) less if the family left on a Friday.

AND NEVER TRAVEL PEAK

People without children should never go on holidays in June, July and August, when demand is at its peak. The cost of a two-week holiday in the Cretan resort of Stalis for two adults in the first two weeks of July will set you back about €800 per person. A two-week break booked in the same complex in the same resort in the second two weeks of May will cost nearly half that amount.

CAST YOUR NET WIDER

It's not only Ryanair and Aer Lingus who fly out of Ireland, so check other airlines. You can occasionally find deals with online agents, such as Ebookers.ie, Expedia.co.ukand Lastminute.com. Currently, eBookers.iehas a range of late offers including three nights in a three-star hotel in Madrid for €256 per person, or three nights in a four-star hotel in Barcelona for €283 per person, while seven nights in Mallorca can be had for €287. All breaks are in early May.

When it comes to casting your net wider and you are looking to save money, quite often package deals with well-known tour operators leaving from Belfast as opposed to Cork or Dublin can cost a whole lot less. For long-haul flights, don’t confine searches to the UK hubs. Flights to South America, Asia and Africa can be cheaper from Paris, Amsterdam or Frankfurt.

DEAL DIRECT

Real savings can be made by renting holiday properties directly off the owners – you will get better value for money and a more quirky place to stay too.

Check out Airbnb.comfor an impressive array of rentals. It has properties in 19,000 cities across 190 countries. We were able to find a two-bed apartment overlooking the Sagrada Famila in Barcelona for just over €20 a night, while at the opposite end of the scale there are palatial villas up for grabs for €1,200 a night. When it comes to city breaks we also like vrbo.com, which has listings for some amazing city centre apartments across Europe and the US. When you're surfing for longer breaks in beachside houses check out villarenters.comand holidayhomesdirect.ie.

DO DEALS

Remember to sign up to online coupon services such as Living Social and Groupon for the places you are planning to go. Do it now and keep an eye on restaurant and activity discounts. When you see a bargain, buy it (the sites offer up to 70 per cent off), stow it away and redeem it during your holiday.

FREE MONEY

There are scores of travel companies touting for your business right now, but one which we remain quite taken by is fatcheese.ie. It is not a travel site, but a cash-back site. By shopping at more than 800 online retailers via its portal you can get up to 30 per cent, or a fixed amount, up to a maximum of €120, back in cash. It has deals with many airlines, online tour operators, hotel chains and resorts, so if you are considering booking with one of them anyway do it through these people and get some cash back.

FREE FOR ALL

Free wifi does exactly what it says on the tin. It uses GPS to locate and display various wifi hotspots near where you are. It has more than 10,000 locations all over the world contained in its database. It could help you avoid some of the horrendous data charges that operators impose.

Once you’ve found your wifi hotspot you can use the Viber app to make all the calls you want to fellow Viber users at absolutely no cost at all. This app and others – including the better-known Skype – allow smartphone users to bypass the mobile phone providers which have been gouging consumers for years.

GO: ON A BUDGET

READERS' TIPS:

We asked on Twitter for top tips when on holidays. Here’s just a sample of the responses.

Take out separate car hire excess cover insurance. Hire firms charge a fortune for this, but a separate policy can save much. Dave O'Sullivan

Go self-catering if you can and don't eat in restaurants all the time. DIY lunches can save a fortune. Chantelle Wallace

Sandwiches. Bring them to airports. In a clear plastic bag etc. Count that as a health tip too! Mark Sexton

Gonna be on an island for a fortnight? Buy a fishing rod. €20, save a lot of money avoiding restaurants . . . we're Irish, not rich. Larry Clavin

If staying in a hotel, get up and eat the inclusive breakfast, don't laze in bed. Fill up on brekkie, no need for lunch. Karen Mulreid

Eat where the locals eat, off the beaten track. Great food at half the price of "tourist trap" restaurants. Aoife Somers

Drink the local hooch. Robbie McDonald

Bring own grub. Put bottled water into freezer the night before, then you have ice cold drinks all day, plus keeps picnic bag chilled. Michelle Maher

Couch surfing! Great way to meet interesting people, see a city/place from a different pt of view – and free accommodation! Ailish O'Donoghue

Save every €2 coin that lands in ur pocket from jan until the holiday! It adds up in no time and u never miss it! Barbara Geoghan