Let’s be real – trying to live your best summer life during cozzy livs is a struggle. But you can still have your big summer on a budget by getting creative when you book your next holiday… Our latest cheat code is here to show you how to save serious money by only paying for the bags and transfers you need. Love to travel light or don’t need a ride? It’s time to take control of your trip and ditch the checked luggage and coach journey.
Here’s how you can keep the cost down by only paying for the bags and transfers you need…
Seek out a cheap deal to stick to your budget from the start.
Skip checked luggage
Propaganda we’re not falling for: everyone needs a checked bag to themselves. Most of the time, you end up just filling the case with things you don’t need because you’ve paid for the luggage, so you ‘might as well’ throw in all your earthly possessions or it feels like a waste of money. Well, it doesn’t have to be this way… if you don’t need a bag, don’t pay for one. Why should you pay extra for luggage you won’t use? Make it make sense.
Attention, couples. If you and your love go hand luggage-only on your next week-long trip, you can save £120* – that’s enough for a major meal out or a bucket-list experience right there. Plus, if you pick a holiday with TUI flights, you get a 10kg cabin bag each included for FREE. It’s not just money you’ll save, either – skip waiting at the airport and give baggage reclaim a pass. That panic when your suitcase is the last one to come out? You don’t know her.
…or share a case, instead
If the hand luggage life isn’t for you, that’s totally fine – you’ll still save in a big way by cutting down on the number of checked cases you add. Share one 20kg bag between two and you can save £60* – that’s cocktails at the boujie rooftop bar paid for. You won’t miss that outfit you always bring but never wear when you’re three spicy margs deep…
Going away as a fam? Teach them sharing is caring and keep it cheap by splitting two 25kg bags between four – kids’ clothes are basically tiny, anyway, so you’ll have more than enough room. They might not be happy when they find out they can’t take the entire contents of their bedroom, but there’ll be no complaining when you get tickets to Siam Park with the £150* you saved – it’s pretty hard to sulk when you’re sending it down a waterslide.
Top tip – check out our top packing tips to make your luggage allowance work as hard as poss.
Ditch the transfers
There are two types of people on coach transfers. You either love them – you’ve just landed, your holiday starts NOW and you’re soaking up the sights out the window… or, you hate them – AKA you’ve still got PTSD from that school trip when the kid next to you vommed everywhere. Well, we’ve got an announcement to make: you don’t have to book transfers if you don’t want to. Whether you hate coach journeys with a passion, you’re hiring your own car or you’d rather source an Uber when you get there, skip paying for transfers you don’t need and you could save up to £30pp.* If your priority is saving time, it makes sense to swerve the coach and go direct instead – you’ll be poolside with a piña colada before they’ve even reached the last hotel stop. Ofc, if you need a ride, go ahead and add your transfers as usual. They can still work out super budget-friendly, with our shared transfers starting from just £6pp.*
Ready to embrace your inner budget babe? Browse our deals and remember – if you don’t need bags and transfers, don’t pay for them x
Psst… check out all of our travel hacks for more ways to keep the cost of your holiday down.
Looking for more articles? You’ll find them on the Inspire homepage.
Author and pronouns: Daisy Colley (she/her)
Last updated: 20/06/2025
* T&Cs apply.
Luggage:
- £120 saving based on the average price for flights departing between 1st May and 31st October 2025, comparing 2 x 20kg return hold luggage vs no hold luggage, also based on a 7-night duration with TUI Airways.
- £60 saving based on the average price of return hold luggage for flights departing between 1st May and 31st October 2025, comparing 2 x 20kg bags vs 1 x 20kg bag for a 7 night holiday with TUI Airways.
- £150 saving based on the average price of return hold luggage for flights departing between 1st May and 31st October 2025, comparing 4 x 25kg vs 2 x 25kg bags for a 7-night holiday with TUI Airways.
Transfers:
- £30pp saving based on shared return transfer prices in Cancun between 1st May and 31st October 2025.
- £6pp price is based on shared return transfer prices in Hurghada between 1st May and 31st October 2025.
You may also like
Travel hacks)
)
)
)
)
)