How to get the Lowest Rates on your Annual Vacation

Whether you're a sun-seeker or a ski bunny, everyone likes a great value vacation, so how can you make sure you achieve the best rates on hotels and flights? You could spend hours trawling the internet for cheap hotels or fly at the most inconvenient times imaginable – but one of the easiest ways to travel cheaply is to join a travel club like Hotels Etc.

If you haven't come across travel clubs before, here is an explanation in brief. A travel club is a private members only program that offers various benefits to members in order to help them access discounted travel and entertainment all around the world. Private travel clubs offer far better deals than publicly available travel discount websites and travel agencies because the deals have been negotiated for the sole benefit of their members.

Members will pay for the privilege of being a member of the travel club, but the best providers make your membership a single one-off payment that's valid for life. You will easily recoup the initial outlay and much more by accessing the great deals available.

What can you save money on?

Most often, people join a travel club looking for discounts on hotels. You can achieve as much as 50 percent off hotels by joining – a considerably larger reduction in price than if you were to choose even a budget travel website. Hotels are available in more than 140 countries so you have access to slashed prices wherever you travel.

Beyond the hotels there are a variety of other accommodations which come at a discount, including camp grounds, resorts, cruises and lodging properties all around the world.

When you are away on vacation or simply enjoying a little time off in your home-town, there are also a variety of discounts on things to do and see to help you enjoy your leisure time.Discounts include: sports tickets, movie tickets, theme parks, golf, family outings and online shopping.

Why do hotels offer discounts at 50 percent to travel club members?

One of the great secrets of the hotel industry is that lots of them aren't full all the time and that goes for everything from budget motels to top of the range hotels and?characterful boutiques. If the rooms aren't full, the hotel simply loses 100 percent of their income for the night and there is no getting that back. Rather than have empty rooms, hotels are happy to offer travel club members big discounts to ensure they make some income on the space they have available. It's a win-win situation for hotels and holiday-makers really. They benefit from making money on the rooms and you get some great savings on your vacation. (Remember, a half price vacation means you could take twice as many.)

Discounts can be found for hotels any day of the year, including weekends and peak times.

Precautions you should take when booking bargain vacations

If you are looking for a getaway there are certain aspects you should take care to check before booking. Firstly, if you are not booking through a travel club you should take great care to note the validity of the website, especially if you are not familiar with it. By booking through a travel club like Hotels Etc you benefit from the assurance that you are using a secure and valid website. When booking your vacation check whether insurance is included in the total cost. If there is no insurance you could find that you are not covered for things like cancellations, lost baggage or illness and accident abroad and won't be able to claim compensation. Travel insurance is particularly important for active vacations or winter sports where getting an injury is a very real possibility. Your usual policy may not cover you for extreme sports so check the small print when you book.

Everybody deserves a vacation, and joining a travel club could help you achieve the trip of your dreams for less. It's not just beneficial for a single trip either, you'll be able to reap the financial benefits of your membership for the rest of your life. You'll access deals that can't be found by simply browsing the web or visiting your local travel agent.