£100 off energy standing charges, Do y ou pay tax on savings?, 26 holiday booking ha cks, 4 x £175 FREE cash, 60+ coupons

Get 18 days off for just 9 days' leave!
Plus 25 more holiday tips, tricks & hacks to safely save in UK & abroad

Cheap flights, insurance, dollars, car hire, euros, is your passport valid?, GHICs, beat school hol hikes & more

Chilly January is the hottest month for holiday bookings - especially for the summer getaway. Many are booked, some are booking, and others have it burning a hole in their to-do lists. So we've tips on how to keep costs grounded and hassles away, whether you're booked or planning to...

1. How to get 18 successive days off for just 9 days' annual leave. This only happens every four or five years, so sort it quick, as soon everyone will be trying to do it. See 18 days off for 9 days' leave.

2. Going abroad? Check NOW if your passport will expire within 6 months of you travelling OR will be over 10 years old. If either of these are true, you may have a problem if you don't renew it beforehand. Check our list of 'what's a valid passport?' rules for common destinations. If you do, get on with it, as it can take time - see cheapest way to renew passports.

3. The 'rebook & cancel' trick is your friend. Aim for free or cheap cancellation when booking hotels & car hire. In the run-up to the summer holidays, we'll be telling you - if you've got free or cheap cancellation on car hire or hotels, check to see if you can get what you've booked cheaper. If so, rebook it then cancel your original. We're always swamped with successes such as this one that Steve tweeted us: "@MoneySavingExp Booked a Melbourne hotel well in advance a few years ago. It was quite expensive because the Formula One Australian Grand Prix was scheduled for that week. When it was moved to the week before, prices dropped and we rebooked, saving over £300." See the rebook & cancel trick for more help on exactly what to do.

5. The cheapest way to spend abroad is on the RIGHT plastic, smashing bureaux de change. Sort it now to save hassle then. Normally when you pay on plastic abroad, your card provider gets near-perfect exchange rates but charges you a 'non-sterling exchange rate' fee of around 3% - so £100 of foreign currency costs you £103.

HOWEVER, a few top specialist cards don't add that fee, so you get the same near-perfect exchange rate in every country that the card provider does and some even give you cashback on top. Our top picks are...

- Chase: Easy to get, top exchange rates & 1% cashback. While it's a debit card, you don't need to switch bank to get it - just grab the Chase Bank* app (there's no hard credit-check either). Not only do you get near-perfect exchange rates, no ATM withdrawal charges or interest, it gives 1% cashback on spending in the UK and abroad (max £15/mth) - so you get an unbeatable near-perfect rate AND cashback.

- Barclaycard Reward: Top credit card, so extra protection (though do pay off IN FULL). Buy something on a credit card costing £100.01 to £30,000 and you get Section 75 protection. So buy something abroad and if owt goes wrong once you get home, you don't need to go back to the far-flung shop. If you're going to do that, then you need a credit card, so our top pick overseas one is Barclaycard's Reward Visa, which also gives near-perfect exchange rates, no ATM fee and 0.25% cashback on spending in the UK and abroad. Yet only do this if you'll pay it off, as Martin always says, IN FULL each month to avoid interest. More in Top credit cards for travelling abroad.

- Get FREE £175 cash towards your holiday, and near-perfect debit card exchange rates, if you'll switch banks. The top-rated-for-service First Direct 1st Account* currently pays switchers £175 free cash, and has a debit card that gives near-perfect exchange rates on spending. More on this and the £3/mth fee version from Santander Edge in our free cash for switching current accounts note below.

PS: When we say 'near-perfect exchange rates', that means compared to the rate on the day you spend. If you're worried about rate changes and want to lock in some money at today's rate for peace of mind, you can do that with the top prepaid travel cards.

6. Just want travel cash? Speedily compare bureaux to find the best deal. If you want some cash with you just in case, find top rates through our TravelMoneyMax comparison.

7. Going to Europe? Check your free EHIC/GHIC is still valid. These cards give access to state-run hospitals or GPs in EU countries for the same price as a local - so if they don't pay, you don't pay. Yet 1.8m EHICs are expiring this year, so check yours. If it's set to become invalid, see how to safely get a free GHIC (same card, new name). DO NOT GOOGLE - often shyster sites try to charge you for something that is free.

13. Whichever way you're booking, pay on plastic, especially a credit card, for extra peace of mind. Buy something costing £100.01 to £30,000 and pay for any of it on a credit card (even 1p or, more practically, the deposit) and Section 75 laws mean your card provider's jointly liable with the retailer, so if things go wrong you can go to it. Just pay the card off in full so there's no interest.

Unfortunately, this doesn't usually apply if booking with a travel agent, as the fact it's an intermediary breaks the Section 75 relationship. Even then though, paying on any plastic, debit or credit still gives you useful chargeback protection, which means a better chance of getting money back if things go wrong.

14. Use cashback to maximise savings. If you're already a Quidco member, you can get increased cashback on travel this Friday (31 January). Plus new members can also get a £28 bonus when they spend £5 before 11.59pm on Friday using our new member deal. Quidco travel cashback deal.

21. French, German, Belgian or Dutch Center Parcs can be half the UK price - especially in school hols. That's even after the cost of flights/ferries. Simon told us on Facebook: "We went to French Center Parcs and most are a carbon copy of the ones in the UK to the degree that the layout of the swimming area is the same. And yes, we saved £££s." For more, see Center Parcs tricks.

22. How to find cheap UK hotels. Our full cheap UK hotel tips guide takes you through it, but here are a couple of our faves...

- Secret hotel sites. Where they only tell you a star level and a rough location until you pay, but there are sneaky ways to uncover its real identify before.
- Stay in university digs outside term time for a surprisingly cost-effective way of staying centrally - especially good for Oxford & Cambridge.
- How to find top self-catered deals. Our cheap rentals guide includes tips to find five-star accommodation at two-star prices. It's tougher in the school holidays, but we found a three-bed cottage in Windermere at £585/wk in late Aug, compared with £2,520/wk for three rooms in a nearby swish hotel.

23. Booking car hire? Booking early tends to be cheapest. Early booking has tended to be the cheapest route in the past, but over the last year we've seen last-minute bargains too, so as we say above, booking a deal with free cancellation is key. Compare prices using Skyscanner*, Kayak*, TravelSupermarket* and Carrentals*. Our Cheap car hire guide takes you through it, then...

24. Avoid the car hire excess insurance trap - many get caught out. Basic car insurance is included in the hire, yet at the pick-up desk, firms often try to fear-sell you excess insurance as an add-on, claiming without it an accident - even a scratch - could cost £1,000+ extra.

These policies can cost an extra £150+ a week, but you can get a standalone policy for just £13.56/wk via MoneyMaxim's comparison site*, and also check our up to 20% off excess insurance codes. Then when you arrive, tell the car hire firm you don't want its add-on.

Yet even with it, they'll try to put you off, tell you it doesn't work, or try to make you jump through hoops, so be prepared...

- To leave a refundable deposit of possibly £1,000+ on a credit card.
- Often debit cards aren't accepted.
- It usually needs to be in the name of the person who booked (though some are the main driver). If not, they won't accept it, so check first.
See more in car hire insurance help.

25. Hostels are usually dirt cheap, not dirty, eg, stay in a wooden lodge from £45/night. Hostels aren't just for gap-year students in far-flung destinations. There are loads across the UK and they don't have age restrictions (though some aren't suitable for young kids).

Don't automatically think shared dorm either - many offer private rooms and some even throw in free Wi-Fi and breakfast. For something different, Youth Hostels Association London Lee Valley comprises six wooden lodges within Lee Valley Regional Park (great for walks and watersport), and private en-suite rooms begin at £45/night for two people. See MoneySavers' top UK hostel picks.

26. A few quickies to finish... A bit early for some of these for most, but just in case you're going sooner, check out our guides on how to slash the cost of airport parking, find how to avoid seat reservation charges, grab free airport lounge access and avoid hidden roaming charges.