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If you enjoy travelling and do a lot of business or personal travel, then you may want to consider taking advantage of a travel credit card.  There are a number of different types of credit cards available to consumers, and one type of card is a travel credit card.  A travel credit card is also referred to as an air miles credit card, and offers the cardholder the benefit of gaining air miles for every purchase that is made.  The collection of air miles can then be redeemed for air tickets or travel discounts.

Travel credit cards are very popular amongst those who travel often, or travel far distances.  However, not all travel credit cards are the same.  There are some cards that will only allow you to receive air miles when air travel tickets are purchased on the card, while other cards give you air miles for every purchase that you make.  Other credit cards will usually offer a large up front air mile package where you receive a considerable sum of air miles on your first purchases, usually between 5,000-20,000 points.  So before you decide upon a travel credit card, you will want to familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions of the card.

As you are searching for a travel credit card, you should consider a few things, such as the interest rate on the card.  You benefit from a travel credit card, or any reward credit card by paying off the balance on the card in full every month.  Often travel credit cards, or any reward scheme credit card, offer higher interest rates than a standard credit card, and if you do not pay off the balance in full each month you will end up having to pay the higher interest rate on your purchases.  You will also want to consider things such as the expiration of the points. Often travel cards will only allow you to carry travel points for a specified length of time, which means that you will have to redeem them before a certain time.  So be aware of the expiration of your points, and how long they will last.   Remember to check the rates for borrowing money on the card - you may need to take out cash whilst abroad and this usually attracts a higher rate of interest and is always the last debt to be paid on a card.

A study by SAGA and Principal International shows that half of their survey group,  aged over 50 will consider buying abroad with Spain as the favourite location.

Spain’s proximity to the UK, its climate and its slow pace of life are the determining factors.

However, realtors do warn consumers to avoid combining a holiday with property shopping.  George and Eleanor Whillock  set up Keyhole Property Search in Mallorca.

Whillock said: “You have an absolutely beautiful island with a vibrant property scene, but it is very competitive. It’s easy to get it wrong. People make the mistake of combining a holiday with buying a house. The combination of sun and wine can lead to the wrong decision, [especially] with some agents who can be a bit pushy. That was our experience when we were buying, so we got involved in helping people into the marketplace.”

However, moving to Spain is not cheap.  Apartments cost up to £1m and villas can cost as much as £13.4m in Mallorca.

But, Spain does have investment potential. “People are looking at high inflation on property prices,” Whillock explains. “As an average across the island in 2005, prices rose by about 15 per cent. We bought our apartment in June 2005 and paid €430,000 [£288,000] for it. Today it’s worth €650,000 [£435,000].”

Recent reports reveal that many UK consumers are purchasing homes around the world for their retirement partially for the investment, and partially to provide a variety of options.

The number one draw for the content is the lower interest rates.  Homeowner loans are cheaper in Spain, but like all things, consumers are warned to get a reputable agent and do not rush into anything.

If you are planning on a vacation, the best way to stretch your money is by researching your options and buying as early as possible.  There are several good deals available that will give you the most for your money.  Whether you are travelling as a family or on your own, you want to plan ahead and get the best deals available to you.

If you are planning a trip to a place you have been before, than you should book the flight on your own online.  If, however, you are planning a trip to a destination you have never been before, you may want to consider using a travel agent, as they will be able to find you the best deal available.  But be aware, because agent will charge a fee for the services, but often if you book more than one ticket the booking fee is waived.  So check with your travel agent for quotes and charges before buying your ticket online, because you could be getting a better deal through the agent.  But it does help to shop around online.  There are some sites online, such as SideStep.com and BookingBuddy.com that allow you to see results from several sites and allow you compare prices much quicker and easier.

The time of year that you travel can make a big difference in the price of your ticket.  For example, it is cheaper to fly to Europe in the winter season, and you can get good rates in the early spring or late fall; summer is the most expensive time to fly to Europe.  Also European cruises are cheaper in the late spring and early fall because children are in school.  A cruise to the Caribbean is cheapest in September and October, and if you plan to fly to Hawaii, May or September is the best time to save on airfare and hotels.

By shopping around, being flexible, and planning ahead, you can save yourself hundreds on your next vacation, allowing you to have more spending money.  When you do search hard and find the best deal, you will feel that your trip was well deserved.

Booking your holiday online can be a great way of getting the exact holiday you want, while at the same time saving yourself a lot of money. There are, generally speaking, two main methods of holiday booking. There is the package option, where you visit the website of a holiday operator and book your entire holiday. This will include the cost of flights, accommodation, transport to and from the airport, and can also include your meals and even entertainment and activities. This is a great way of getting everything arranged quickly and easily without having to spend too much time on the entire process.

The other alternative is to go it alone and book everything individually yourself. These days you can pretty much book everything that a tour operator can book and the advantages are that you can customise every single detail to your precise taste.

Flights are the first thing that you will need to book and to do this you can visit the websites of the actual airline as well as specialist travel websites that search through hundreds of different offers. Many of these will also allow you to add your hotels and car hire, but they still allow you a lot more freedom as you can choose from hundreds of different options.

If you are booking everything yourself then you should also remember to factor in the cost of travel insurance, your food and your activities. As well as your spending money of course. However, booking your holiday online can be rewarding and also great value if you shop around. It is a lot of work though.