If you’re lucky enough to have secured tickets to any of the games of the 2010 World Cup, then you ought to be well into your trip planning by now. June will be here before you know it, and the prices on everything from flights to accommodation is only going to go up.

For those of you who have yet to book your flight to South Africa for this year’s big event, take heart – this series of articles will help you find the cheapest fares on air tickets to South Africa for the World Cup, determine whether it’s better to book individual pieces of the travel puzzle or go with a package deal, and know which airports to look at for flights from the UK to South Africa. We also have links to travel tips for South Africa and a list of the airports in World Cup cities in South Africa, so you’ll know more about how to get around once you get there.

Have a fabulous time at the 2010 World Cup!

How to Find Cheap Airfare from Europe to South Africa for the World Cup

Your biggest travel expense will be your flight to South Africa – so it makes sense to use all the tools you can to get the best deal possible. The tips outlined in this article are useful to know for other trips, too, and can save you money no matter where (or when) you go, but in a situation like the World Cup (when you know the airlines are going to be raising prices) it’s even more critical to save the most money you can.

>> Read more about finding cheap airfare from Europe to the World Cup in South Africa

What Airports to Use for South Africa Flights from the UK

Those of you travelling from the UK to South Africa for the World Cup probably don’t all live in London – so this article will help you figure out your options for getting from several of the UK’s major airports to South Africa (unfortunately, it’s not as easy or direct as you might hope).

>> Read more about your options for UK airports that fly to South Africa

Airlines that Fly From London to South Africa for the World Cup

Knowing what airports are best to get you from the UK to South Africa for the World Cup is half the battle, but it’s also good to know what airlines will get you there, too. This list covers airlines that fly from London to South Africa’s two biggest airports (Johannesburg and Cape Town).

>> Read more about which airlines fly from London to South Africa for the World Cup

World Cup Travel Packages from Europe: Bargain or Not?

There are all kinds of holiday package deals out there for the World Cup in South Africa, but just because they say they’re a great deal doesn’t mean they actually are. We know you’re busy, but with just a tiny bit of research you could save yourself quite a bit of money – and who doesn’t like saving money?

>> Read more about whether travel packages for the World Cup from Europe are a good deal

Travel Tips for South Africa during the World Cup

Even if you only spend the duration of the World Cup in South Africa, you’ll be doing more than just going to the games. You’ll need to eat, after all, and it’s good to know how to get around the country. And if you’ll be travelling in South Africa before or after the tournament, this article will be even more useful in helping you figure out what to see and do.

>> Read more South Africa travel tips for the World Cup

South Africa Airports to Use for the World Cup

Although Jo’burg is the primary airport most people are likely to use to get to South Africa, it’s a big enough country that you might just be flying from one city to another – whether that’s just to see different games in the World Cup or because you’re doing a bit of travel before you head home. This list of airports in South Africa covers only World Cup cities, but that’s most of the big airports in the country.

>> Read more about the airports in South Africa World Cup cities

photo by CLF

In this article, we’re going to look at a few of the main airports in the UK and what your options are for flying from them to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup. If you’re not in the UK, or your home airport isn’t covered below, you’ll still be able to utilize the tips listed below. Why? Because most of the airports listed below don’t have direct flights to South Africa! Getting to South Africa could require a bit of creativity on your part, but you might be surprised by what you could save just by travelling in a slightly non-traditional way.

>> Although this article is going to focus on departure airports in the UK, be sure to also read this article about the South Africa airports in World Cup cities to know what your alternatives are for arrival airports, too.

Flying from London to South Africa

The vast majority of travellers coming from the UK to the World Cup in South Africa will likely pass through London at some point – even if they fly from elsewhere in the UK, long-haul flights like the ones to South Africa usually depart from big hub airports. Luckily, in London there are a few to choose from.

• Heathrow – London Heathrow Airport is the biggest airport in the UK and the busiest on earth when it comes to international passengers. British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and South African Airways fly from Heathrow to Johannesburg, and South African Airways and Virgin Atlantic also fly to Cape Town. But while you’re likely to find lots of options when it comes to getting from Heathrow to South Africa, you might not find the best prices.
• Gatwick – Gatwick Airportoffers more flights on budget airlines than Heathrow does, but unfortunately doesn’t offer any flights directly to either Cape Town or Johannesburg. You could look at getting creative with your route and flying through a big hub like Dubai from Gatwick, but you’d have to get a spectacular deal on your flight from Gatwick to Dubai to make the hassle worthwhile.
• Stansted – Stansted Airport is even more popular with budget carriers, but not only doesn’t offer flights to Johannesburg or Cape Town – there aren’t even any flights to Dubai! You’d have to do some very creative booking, indeed, to fly from Stansted to South Africa (without stopping at Heathrow first!).

London’s other two airports, Luton and London City, also don’t have services to South Africa. So although they’re aces for budget flights throughout Europe, they’re not going to help you get directly to the World Cup. It’s still worth looking around, however, because if you find a super bargain price on a flight to South Africa from (let’s say) Paris or Amsterdam, any one of London’s smaller airports could get you from London to that hub easily and cheaply.

Flying from Manchester to South Africa

Manchester Airport ranks only behind London’s five in terms of passenger traffic in the UK, but getting from Manchester to South Africa is going to take the same kind of creative thinking you’d use if you were flying out of one of London’s smaller airports. While there are no direct flights to South Africa from Manchester, Emirates does operate flights to Dubai and many airlines (including many budget carriers) serve other big hubs in Europe – such as Paris, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt.

If you find that there are cheaper flights available from another major city in Europe than there are from Manchester or London, then your only hurdle is finding a cheap flight from where you are to that major city. And with the many budget flights from Manchester into Europe, that shouldn’t be a problem at all.

Flying from Birmingham to South Africa

Like Manchester, Birmingham has only one airport – but it happens to be served by quite a number of budget airlines. So getting from Birmingham to places throughout Europe (and many beyond as well) on the cheap is no problem whatsoever. But, also like Manchester, there are no direct flights from Birmingham to South Africa. So once again you have to be creative.

Emirates flies from Birmingham to Dubai, which is a big enough hub that you could get to South Africa from there with ease. And again, if the best deal on an air ticket to South Africa is from a major hub in Europe that’s outside the UK, all you need to do is find a cheap flight from Birmingham to that hub and you’re set.

Flying from Glasgow to South Africa

Scotland’s busiest airport is in Glasgow, which has two big airports serving the city.

• Glasgow International – Despite being Scotland’s busiest airport, Glasgow International Airport doesn’t have any direct flights serving South Africa. Once again, your options include: flying to London Heathrow, flying to Dubai (via Emirates), or flying to another major European city like Paris or Frankfurt. This is, of course, assuming you’ve found the deal of a lifetime from one of those other cities.
• Glasgow Prestwick – Prestwick is exceedingly popular with budget travellers who like to take advantage of how many Ryanair flights come and go everyday, but the list of destinations served from Glasgow Prestwick Airport is dismally short. Again, if you find an exceptional deal from a city like Paris to South Africa, then you should be able to find a cheap flight from Prestwick to Paris.

photo by IsakAronsson

The fact is that with any big event – whether it’s a sports event like the World Cup or a major holiday – the cost of things like airfare and accommodation will be higher than normal. With the World Cup, the price increases are even more dramatic, however, as this is an event that only comes along once every four years – and since it’s routinely billed as the most-attended sporting event in the world, the airlines know that people will be travelling for it. So even if you’re not typically a plan-ahead type, this is definitely the time to break that mould.

Keep in mind that the tips listed in the article below will help you save money on plane tickets for just about any trip you take – regardless of where or when you’re going – but they’re particularly useful when you’re planning a trip at a busy time or to a popular destination.

And before we get to the tips, if you’re looking for up-to-date information on the tournament and live blogs of the games themselves, look no further than the World Cup Blog, with a blog for every team in the World Cup.

Be Flexible

As with any list of tips to find cheap fares, the top tip in this case is to be as flexible as possible with your travel plans. It’s always a top tip because it works! Sometimes it can be challenging to be flexible, if you’re travelling for a particular one-day event or holiday, but with a multi-week event like the World Cup you have some room to work with.

The primary idea behind the “be flexible” bit of advice is that you don’t restrict yourself to only one day or time of day when you can fly. Many online booking sites now make being flexible as easy as checking a box near where you’re putting in your itinerary information (it should say something like “my dates are flexible”), which just goes to show how important this can be in finding a lower price.

If the booking site you’re using doesn’t provide a “flexible dates” option, you can still check several dates and times for lower fares – you’ll just have to do it manually. This means picking a few dates around your target date (on both the departure and the return) as well as a few different times of the day to see if you can find the “sweet spot” of a good itinerary and a cheaper fare.

Travel When Flights Are Cheapest

This may seem like an obvious statement, and a goal rather than a method of getting there. But it’s actually a piece of advice that ties into the one above. Specifically, it pertains to knowing when the cheapest days and times of the day are to fly, so that you can be a bit more targeted in your searches.

Generally speaking, the cheapest day of the week to fly is Wednesday. That’s followed by Tuesday and Saturday. So those three days are the first you should check when you begin your hunt for cheap airfare.

As for the times of the day that are cheapest, it probably won’t come as a surprise to you to learn that the flights that leave earliest in the morning are the ones with the lowest fares. Red-eye flights (overnight flights) can also be cheap, so if your search for early-morning departures isn’t yielding the low prices you’d like, check the last departure of the day as well.

Look at All Your Airport Options

This tip usually refers to checking out all the airports at or near your destination to see if one of them is particularly popular with budget carriers or is actually closer to where you’re ultimately going. But in the case of travelling to the World Cup in South Africa from Europe, it could just as easily refer to all the departure airport options in Europe, too.

Obviously, most people will have a home airport that’s closest to them and easiest to use. But it’s always a good idea to look at flights to your destination from other airports in your area in case they’ve got a particularly good deal going on that you wouldn’t have otherwise been aware of.

In terms of your destination, although most international visitors to South Africa arrive via the country’s biggest airport in Johannesburg, there are other international airports in South Africa you could choose to fly into if you were attending games in a city other than Jo’burg – or if you found a better deal into a different airport. And you won’t know unless you look, will you?

Do the Calculations on Package Holidays

You can’t get very far online these days looking for travel deals to the World Cup without finding what look like excellent offers on package holidays to South Africa just for the tournament. But unless you’re willing to sharpen a pencil and do some figuring (or, in the 21st century, fire up your computer’s calculator!), you can’t be sure those packages really offer the best deal.

It’s hard to deny the convenience factor with package tours, but if you take the time to break down the packages into their individual components you may find that you can get a better deal on an airline ticket if you book separately, or find a cheaper hotel or apartment rental than the one included in the package, etc. You may end up opting for the package, but don’t do that without knowing what you’re paying for first.

photo by Shine 2010

In fact, international airfare has been especially low this season compared with last, making now the economically smart time to get your passport ready and head out on an international holiday. With airlines like bmi offering up great company rewards and good flight offers, that business trip you’ve been putting off may not even be out of the question. bmi Special Offers. Book now for competitive fares.

2010 is the year of the travel deal

Whether you are searching for UK flights or looking to head a little further away this year, airfares are still super low right now. In fact, now is the perfect time to score a cheap air ticket. Christopher Elliott recently wrote a column on why 2010 will be the year of travel deals.

This means the low prices and cheap flights (especially international airfare could last well into next year. However, despite rising fuel costs, according bmi’s web site, the airline is no longer charging customers for fuel surcharges—whether you are hopping on a short flight to Spain or a longer flight to New York across the pond.

Book winter and spring travel now

If you are gunning to save money by booking your travel for winter or even next spring now (booking far in advance can be a great way to save cash), then you may just want to consider picking up some travel insurance to make sure you get reimbursed just in case something prevents you from actually being able to take your holiday.

Last-minute fares

If you are more of the procrastinator type (much like myself), then waiting and banking on getting a great last-minute holiday deal is another good way to save money the next time you travel.

While booking your flights in advance can be one way to save money, you can also sometimes really luck out with an insane deal at the last-minute. However, for those who want to guarantee they’ll be sitting on their flight to Malaga come January, you are best off booking now before prices get too high.

This includes offers from Simply Travel, which is now offering accommodation for w WHOLE week starting at just £180. If you are already dreading the grew skies of winter, booking one of these villas offered in Tuscany, Crete and Corsica may the perfect way to escape to sunshine this fall or winter. Check more Simply Travel – Special Offers

If a sunny holiday this winter is in the card for you and your family, you can actually save money by renting an entire house or apartment rather than trying to find a hotel. Luckily, there are a ton of great, cheap vacation rentals in Greece and Italy and many other sunny locales, where you can stay in not only comfort, but also save some of that hard-earned cash.

After you’ve scored a great deal on you vacation rental in Crete, you’ll be smiling ear to ear after you book a cheap ticket to Greece and realize that feta cheese, olives, and spanikopita are in your future (not to mention azure blue waters, whitewashed houses and stunning vistas.

If you would rather head to the land of pasta and Parmesan cheese, there are few places more idyllic than Italy in the Autumn. With the harvest season here, plenty of warm Mediterranean days left before winter turns and great deals on flights to Rome, an Italian holiday could be just what the doctor ordered this year.

Even if you hadn’t really been one to consider an all-inclusive vacation before, there are some truly amazing deals out there right now at some of the all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. I noticed just this week, for example, that Club Med is offering up packages starting at just $99/night. Cheap Caribbean’s site also had listings at resorts in Nassau, Bahamas starting at just $300 for 2-nights or seven nights in the Dominican Republic for just $499. Sounds like it may be time to book that beach holiday…

Sure, the economy is down, but so are airfares to just about everywhere. In fact, international airfare has been especially low this season compared with last, making now the economically smart time to get your passport ready and head out on an international holiday. With airlines like bmi offering up great company rewards and good flight offers, that business trip you’ve been putting off may not even be out of the question.

Whether you are searching for UK flights or looking to head a little further away this year, airfares are still super low right now. In fact, with summer behind us and the holiday travel season still months away, now is the perfect time to score a cheap air ticket. However, with gas prices back on the rise and airfares creeping back up, the low prices and cheap flights (especially international airfare) may not last much longer. However, despite rising fuel costs, according bmi’s web site, the airline is no longer charging customers for fuel surcharges. However, surcharges for everything from flights to Spain or flights to New York across the pond.

If you are gunning to save money by booking your travel for winter or even next spring now (booking far in advance can be a great way to save cash), then you may just want to consider picking up some travel insurance to make sure you get reimbursed just in case something prevents you from actually being able to take your holiday.

If you are more of the procrastinator type (much like myself), then waiting and banking on getting a great last-minute holiday deal is another good way to save money the next time you travel. While booking your flights in advance can be one way to save money, you can also sometimes really luck out with an insane deal at the last-minute. However, for those who want to guarantee they’ll be sitting on their flight to Malaga come January, you are best off booking now before prices get too high.

Kuoni has some great deals listed for holidays to a huge variety of locations around the world. Some of their current best specials listed on the site, include a deal for 7 nights in 4-star accommodation sand round-trip airfare to the Maldives for just £902. For not much more money, you could also be hanging out on a beautiful Thai beach, eating the delicious food and reveling in the clear water and warm temperatures this winter for just £1019 for 7 nights in a 4-star resort + airfare to Koh Samui, Thailand.

If you would rather strike out and travel on your own (and here at BootsnAll we will always encourage and give props to the independent and adventurous traveler), there are some great opportunities right now to get cheap international airfares and cheap tickets departing from the UK. With your plane ticket in hand, all you’ll need is some money in your pocket, an adventurous spirit and perhaps a guide to hostels around the world for a cheaper, yet totally satisfying holiday.

While I have always been a procrastinator at heart and often wait to book last-minute holidays, there is certainly something to be said about planning ahead. For those already starting to think about their summer 2010 holiday, Portland Holidays has some great prices for flights from the UK to destinations in Ibiza, Cyprus, Costa del Sol and Algrave. With so many cheap flights to Spain, Greece and other beachy destinations, you could have next year’s summer holiday planned before the leaves even start to change color.

If planning that far ahead makes you nervous (like it does for me), it might be worth checking out some of Portland’s great discounts on holiday for winter 2009/2010. If you are like me and crave an escape from grey skies and chilly temperatures in the winter, there are some fantastic savings on holidays to sunny locales for this winter. Portland Holidays even had a deal listed for 7 nights in a bed and breakfast, plus airfare from Gatwick to Algrave for just £239. While you may be able to score a cheaper air ticket to Malaga, you probably won’t find a better packaged holiday deal to a sunny locale this winter.

Whether you are visiting Amsterdam for the first time and need helpful hints on everything from where to eat to the best coffee shops to which museums are worthwhile or you are a seasoned traveler to Amsterdam who may just be in search of the best party hostels in Amsterdam, then the Amsterdam travel guide certainly can help you out in planning the break trip to the Dutch city.

With so many great specials at many Amsterdam hotels and with enough fare sales to make getting cheap tickets to Amsterdam plenty easy this time of year, it may be the perfect way to escape your everyday life and squeeze in a mini-holiday, even if it is just for a few short days. Plus, with summer coming to a close and many international tourists leaving Europe, you should find the city a lovely place to be in the autumn months.

Whether it’s the drugs and prostitutes that get you to Amsterdam or the museums and bicycles, Amsterdam certainly has a little to offer every kind of traveler. If you have a little more time on your hands than just a long weekend, you can also look into taking a 14-day river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam –where you can enjoy vineyards and medieval villages along the way.