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WIN BIG THIS SUMMER

YulianK
SMARTY Community Manager SMARTY Community Manager
SMARTY Community Manager

SMR0157_Summer_Giveaway_Featured_Post_600x420px_Opt1@1x.png

WIN BIG THIS SUMMER

From a posh picnic to a grand getaway!

Would jetting off with a friend to Europe for a fabulous 4* city break complete your summer?

Well, it’s one of the BIG prizes up for grabs in our huge summer giveaway – win 3 nights in a 4* hotel for two with return flights, private airport transfers, travel insurance and £200 spending money. And when it comes to choosing the destination, you’re the boss. Take your pick of return flights from selected UK airports to either Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, Dubrovnik, Lisbon, Paris, Prague, Rome or Stockholm. The prize is worth over £2,500!

That’s not all, there’s loads of these great prizes up for grabs too:

  • Fortnum & Mason picnic hampers x 5
  • Luxury three-piece luggage sets from Rock x 5
  • GoPro HERO 12 cameras x 5
  • Beats SOLO 4 wireless headphones x 5
  • Tile Pro 4 pack (to keep track of your luggage) x 5
  • Tile Pro 2 pack x 10

HOW CAN I WIN BIG?

It’s so easy. Just answer this question to be entered into the prize draw for your chance to bag our grand getaway or one of our other super prizes:

  • What is your best hack for summer getaway?

The Prize Draw opens 22/07/24 at 10:00 and closes on 01/09/24 at 11:59 (“Promotion Period”). 

To enter the Prize Draw entrants must be a SMARTY customer and have an active plan as at the end date of the Promotion Period.  Entrants must have registered for the SMARTY Community within the Promotion Period and be over 18 years of age and a UK resident (“Eligible Entrants”).

Only one entry per entrant. Winners will be selected at random.

For full terms click here

Team SMARTY


UPDATE - COMPETITION CLOSED

The competition is now closed and we will draw the winner from all the eligible entries. Keep your fingers crossed and an eye on your Private Message inbox.

Thanks to everyone who contributed some brilliant entries. We had almost three thousand posts !

Keep up the great work everyone; the SMARTY Community belongs to us all and succeeds because of your great contributions.

2,846 REPLIES 2,846

HannaDu_1448248
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

Be creative with accommodations

Brendon_1370193
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

Use the google travel explore page to find cheap flights to a random location, book some cheap accommodation and then use the rest of your cash to spend more there doing activities and making memories 

 

Kenneth_2688691
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

Just book and go

Kenneth_2688691
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

Just book Nd

Just book and go

 

FionaWa_1210146
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

 Bring an extension multi block with you so that you can charge all your devices easily

VeronaH_1075968
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

Pack smart, pack Smarty.

DawnSmi_2570243
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

Make sure you put your hotel/accommodation name on your mobile Lock Screen in case you lose your phone (i.e. if found please return to …)

BigBill
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

Watch the locals and follow them to the restaurants where they eat. I've done this for years and have always found great grub at the best price.

AdamMil_1649179
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

Never take to many clothes fatal mistake

S_1016830
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

Use Google trip planner to search for flights and hotels more easily!

AdamMil_1649179
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

Never pack to many clothes

TimLayb_1892277
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

Use cheap packing cubes to segregate underwear, socks, shoes etc in suitcase.

AnnaGre_1865680
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

I pack a shampoo bar instead of having liquid shampoo and being limited to 100ml 

DanielS_1724987
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

Check-in last minute for the best seats

StuartM_1529903
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

Download a local weather app 

PaulSmi_2192757
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

Dont forger to turn on your smarty roaming.

GarethF_2171842
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

Pack light and don’t check in luggage. That will allow you to quickly exit the airport and not run the risk of loosing your luggage.

sam_vasu
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

Head to a foreign supermarket (always a holiday highlight!) - get your own drinks and snacks, and serve them on the beach or balcony! Play some local internet radio on your phone and you’ve got all the experience of the bar for next to nothing 🙂

GaryFen_1090899
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

My best advice is to book the holiday for the period just before or just after peak season. Rearrange your work schedule if possible to make it happen because the benefits are well worth it: lower prices, fewer crowds, better availability and a more authentic experience once you're there with smaller crowds.

If you have children then it might be worth considering taking them out of school if it's only a short break. The best time is over a weekend, such as Fri to Mon so they miss as little school as possible, but try not to miss the start of a new term. Also check if your school issue fines for doing this - some schools do. Don't lie to the school about the reason, they will inevitably find out the truth. The experience of going on a short holiday can arguably enrich the child more than the few days of school that they miss, especially if your child rarely goes on holiday or is absent.

Jacqueli_452320
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

Roll your clothes when packing. It not only saves space, it stops them creasing so much. 

Christo_2278082
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

Wait till schools go back…!

FlyingCowboy419
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

Don't forget your sandals!

DamianA_2620392
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

Inform ur credit card company and bank that ur going on holiday, this way they won't stop any transactions due to suspicious activity. 

NandaMa_1492859
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

Don’t forget a cheap mini kettle – so many countries don’t have them in the room. Start saving those little mini milk sachets/sugars, etc from coffee shops in advance of your hols then pack them with a few tea bags and hey presto, your first cuppa of the day is sorted! Also, pack plastic bags of several different sizes for all eventualities, be it saving your pastry from the breakfast buffet for later, or separating off dirty clothes or muddy shoes in your case.

StephenJ_133511
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

Turn roaming off and use WiFi!

AashiqR_2364064
SMARTY Observer
SMARTY Observer

When I’m going trips on summer I always roll up my cloths into luggage. So it gives more room in luggage.

Badger
SMARTY Maverick
SMARTY Maverick

Get an international travel charger around 65w and do away with all the other charging mess in your bag. Tavel charger. Cable. Any country. Done. 

DavidPar_523157
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

best hack for a summer getaway is sign up to Chase bank for their debit card. Completely free to use outside the UK, choose the transaction in local currency and you get a better rate, no charge for using local ATMs. Money back (max 15gbp per month) for spending on the debit card.  Four ways to best the banks!

michael_1981485
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

Ensure my data plan is active 

KeithHa_1603165
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

Make sure you research the place you are going to stay and places around the area so you can make a plan for family days out in advance. And if you book days out in advance you can usually save some money! 

MICHAEL_2710207
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

Travel Light & always have an active sim data plan

Eleanor_1901095
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

plan, but don't over plan. Leave time for being curious, following your nose and discovering surprises. 

MICHAEL_2710207
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

Always travel Light & have an active sim plan 

JasonWe_2350411
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

Many European museums and art galleries are free to visit one day a week. Plan your trip around these and save lots of money!

SimonMa_1454266
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

Always paying local currency when paying on your card otherwise you get hit with a huge conversion rate

MarcusSp_236214
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

As well as taking photos, make some quick sound recordings on your phone too

 

PaulBur_1561463
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

Check you have the right Smarty package for your destination

MarcusSp_236214
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

As well as taking photos, make some quick sound recordings on your phone too

 

 

MartinFr_479987
SMARTY Pioneer
SMARTY Pioneer

Give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport and if going to a foreign country, get a translator app on your phone.

AndrewD_1512064
SMARTY Enquirer
SMARTY Enquirer

If possible, take hand luggage only on your flight to avoid baggage reclaim queues.