A cheap holiday expert has shared some top tips for those looking to get away this October half term without it costing the Earth. The advice will be especially useful considering the huge drop in the value of the pound following Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng's budget last week.

With UK inflation soaring, many will have decided not to go on holiday at all this autumn. But for those who are willing and able to get away, the wise words of Chelsea Dickenson - the Cheap Holiday Expert - may come in handy. She shared her top tips with The Mirror.

Pick your destination wisely

The pound is very week, having slumped to levels against the dollar not seen in decades. This means that some locations will be more expensive to travel to than they will have been in some time.

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The USA is not the cheapest place to go to at the moment and not is the Eurozone but Chelsea says that there are bargains to be had in many European countries that don't use the Euro.

"It is all about looking for those places that are super affordable against the pound, where the pound goes a little further, where accommodation is cheaper than in the UK," Chelsea explains."In Europe, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Lithuania. Places in central and eastern Europe."

Go all inclusive

With the pound constantly changing in value it can be hard to plan ahead as you don't know how far your money will go in a month's time. But Chelsea has a tip to stop you worrying about fluctuating markets.

"Because we have no sway over what the pound will be doing, it has never been a better time to go all inclusive," she says.

"In terms of you're not having to think about everything versus the cost of the pound. If you're going somewhere with the euro, paying up front in pounds is a good idea as it's all done. You don't have to think about it again."

Consider a staycation

A lot of holiday destinations in the UK may appear very expensive at the moment if you're looking for something in October half term.

"Most of the really well priced places will have gone if you look now," Chelsea says. "You may think everyone is charging a fortune. But that's because people plan ahead to get their bargains."

But you shouldn't give up hope, the expert insists, as cheaper accommodation often gets freed up closer to the time. "I would keep searching and keep refreshing if you want to stay in the UK, because cancellations will happen," she says. "That is the best way to get the best value in the UK right now."

Don't be drawn in by cheap flights

It's a mistake to pick the warmest looking places that can be got to with the cheapest flights, Chelsea says. This often means you end up spending much more for somewhere to stay than you might elsewhere, as lots of other people will have had the same idea as you.

""People are often fixated on cheap flights, which are always fantastic, but for me, accommodation is key," Chelsea says. "It is your nightly costs. It will cost you the most."

Try house-swapping

Chelsea accepts that this idea may be a bit "rouge" and may not appeal to everyone, but she's a big fan of house-swapping. There are lots of websites that allow you to offer your house for a stranger to live in and you get to live in theirs in return.

You can apply the same principle to cars, using a peer-to-peer car-swapping service such as Turo, which can be a lot cheaper than renting a car out through a normal firm.

Use a map

When booking accommodation, many websites will show you options in the centre of a town or city, which will often be a lot pricier. Looking for places a little further away from the centre could save you money and may not be too inconvenient if the transport links are good.

Chelsea suggests using the map function on booking websites to look away from the centre.

Take the train

The closer we get to October half term, the pricier flights will get. The way plane tickets are priced means the more demand there is the higher the cost, so as people finalise their plans and book, the remaining seats will be more expensive.

However, in many continental European countries, train prices do not work in the same way and some networks have fixed, often heavily subsidised prices for seats. So booking yourself onto a train at short notice can often save you money and mean you travel in a more environmentally friendly way.

Train travel also makes a holiday feel like a bit more of an adventure. You see more of the country you are visiting and meet interesting people along the way.

Chelsea says: "I recently went from Prague via Bratislava to Budapest. I spent 21 pounds and I was in business class. I had my own compartment with a bottle of sparkling wine. Bottles of beer were 68p."

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