I thought it would be useful in the credit crunch times we live in to note a few ways of reducing the cost of next year’s family vacation to Florida.

Yes if you are coming from the UK the exchange rate of the £ and dollar is not as good as it was last year. Recession is around the corner, but with a little planning and research you can still have a fabulous holiday, for less than you might first think.

Here are a few of our tips;

1 The internet is a great tool for finding flight bargains. If you are flying from the UK remember that English and Scottish school holiday season vary, so peak season in one country might be mid season in another. Personally we have saved £100’s per ticket by simply crossing the boarder!

2 If you are going to use a credit card to pay for your holiday use a card which is commission free such as the Nationwide Gold card, otherwise you will come back to a credit card statement with a few £’s added to each transaction.

3 Sign up to airline company newsletters such as Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Flyglobespan, often these give you advance warning of special flight sales or sign up for our own newsletter.

4 Don’t stay in an expensive hotel, stay in a privately owned villa, not only do you get the space and luxury accommodation, it can often works out cheaper than hotels even for smaller families.

5 Book a villa directly with an owner and not through a travel agent, why pay them commission when you can book direct and talk to the owners. There are many great vacation rental sites out there to choose from.

6 Only book theme park tickets for parks which you are certain you will have time to visit. Often families particularly on their first visit do not allow sufficient time for each park and therefore do not get to visit all the intended parks or simply scratch the service of the parks offerings by the end of their stay.

7 Consider annual passes, particularly for the water parks around Orlando. These often work out cheaper if they are not included in your regular ticket bundle. A year ticket might work out cheaper than buying tickets on 3 occasion, lets face it, visiting a water park 3 times in 14 days is quite possible.

8 Search the internet for your car hire and buy all the insurance you want before you go, rather than deciding at the car rental company desk, when you are tired after the flight, you will be in holiday mood, this allows for better budgeting and decision making.

9 If you intend to book your vacation rental property at short notice don’t forget to checkout the late deals at Wannavilla.

10 Again don’t forget to check the internet for travel insurance, its so easy to use price comparisons tools rather than taking the first product you come across, 10 minutes research can save a lot of cash!

11 Think about the currency exchange rate and take into account any fees which might wipe out the advantage of the headline currency rate, compare by asking what is the total amount of net cash you get back?

12 Now go off and enjoy a great vacation with more spending money in your pocket.

If you are planning a Florida package holiday next year, instead of booking the full package holiday through a travel agent why not book independently, cut out the travel agent middleman and save some money, whilst having a bit of fun planning your holiday!

The internet makes it so easy to find competitively priced flights, try searching on - fly drive holiday florida, you maybe surprised at the options available. Ever thought of staying in a privately owned villa but been put off by the travel agent surcharges for not filling the villa? Well privately booked villas can be more affordable than you first think, make up your own package holiday.

With vacation rental sites such as Wannavilla you can find a vast array of privately owned villas to choose from, including the more modest villas to truly outstanding luxury villas with every possible extra you could think of as standard.

So why stay in a villa while you’re vacationing in Florida and not a hotel? Simply because a villa has everything you need and much more without the price tag and restrictions of hotel lifestyle. Staying in a hotel is fine, if you want to eat out every single night, share your room with all the members of your party with no thought of privacy or individual time for relaxation.

A villa is a luxury house with plenty of space and privacy for everyone, many having their own private swimming pools. What better way can their be to relax and soak up the Florida sun whilst sunbathing by your own private pool, with the kids burning off their excess energy in the pool?

Instead of a bedroom which you share in a hotel, villas afford you a more relaxed vacation, you don’t all have to go to bed or get up at the same time and why should you are on vacation! You have space to read a book, play a game, watch TV, sunbathe, play in the pool or simply relax.

These days there are many different villa styles available up to 7 bed accommodating 16 people. From the luxurious, with spas, extended decks and grand furnishings, to the simpler - two bedrooms, kitchen and bath. Whatever your preferred accommodation, a villa can accommodate! Villas with heated swimming pools, disabled access, computer, CD/DVD players, internet connections, non-smoking homes, pool/game rooms (some with game systems), baby facilities cots (cribs), highchairs, air conditioning/fans, alarms and linen/crockery/cutlery, are all available.

Wherever you’re staying in Florida, a vacation rental home is the answer to your accommodation needs. Whether it is just having the comforts of home on hand while you’re on vacation, or a means to have family and friends stay in the one location, a villa rental is the only way to have your cake and eat it too.

Thought we would mention some of the more unusual sights in Florida away from the regular attractions.

Publix Cake Water Tower – If your celebrating a birthday whilst in Florida - drive past the headquarters for the Publix grocery store chain in Lakeland, you will find a water tower in the shape of a giant birthday cake complete with candles that light up at night.

Upside Down House -Located on International Drive this is Central Florida’s only upside down attraction. It really is a head turner, particularly to those not expecting it to be there., inside it is an amusement park for the mind, featuring over 100 interactive exhibits for the entire family to experience. Spook Hill -Whilst visiting Lake Wales in Florida, close to the Bok tower is Spook Hill, one of the many gravity hills or magnetic hills which exist. Here is a place where the layout of the surrounding land produces the optical illusion that a very slight downhill slope appears to be an uphill slope. Thus, a car left out of gear will appear to be rolling uphill.

Worlds Smallest Police Station -If visiting the North of Florida, located just south of Tallahassee, is the smallest Police Station in the World. Historically when the town did not have a main police station, the police parked their vehicles outside the booth.

Live Mermaids - If you have never seen live mermaids before – pay a visit to Buccaneer Bay water park at Weeki Wachee Springs on the Gulf Coast of Florida. After taking a dip in the water park within the natural spring water, enter the underwater theatre where mermaids regularly perform their show.

Can you add to them?