IF you are lucky enough to be able to afford a holiday abroad this summer, the last thing you will want to do is end up getting stung by unnecessary costs. Here are three cost cutters that will help you avoid getting fleeced on holiday:

Credit cards
If you use your credit card in the eurozone to get cash from an ATM, you will also have to pay cash-withdrawal fees. Also, with some cards, you will be charged interest from the day you take out your money.
One idea is to preload the card – most issuers charges nothing for this (AIB, BoI, Permant TSB), except MBNA, EBS, Tesco. Pay off balance first. However, there is a security risk if you lose the card. Always have a note of card numbers.

Airport parking
Holidaymakers can avoid rip-off car parking rates by shopping around for the cheapest deals long before they take off for the sun. Those who simply turn up and park as near as possible to the terminal could be landed with a bill for up to €280 for a week’s parking - compared with just €35 if you book to park a little further away.
Dublin Airport Authority also offers ongoing discounts on its long-term car parking rates for advance bookings - the nearest long-term “Red” car park costs €52.50 for a week booked online, a 21pc discount on the standard €66.50 rate.
The cheapest deals we found were for the Carlton Hotel on the Old Airport Road, which charges €35 for a week’s parking and is open to non-residents; and €38.50 with the Crowne Plaza, both sourced through www.airportparkingsite.ie.

Car hire excess cover
When you hire a car abroad you should consider buying excess insurance cover before you leave Ireland. Otherwise, you will be liable for the first €2,000 of any the repair or replacement cost of the hired car. This is because most hire companies only cover collision damage waiver (CDW) and theft.
Excess is a voluntary insurance. You can save significant time and money purchasing a car hire excess policy before collecting your vehicle at the car hire desk. Decline the car rental company’s excess cover at the counter when you collect the car. If the car is damaged or stolen, the car rental company will charge your credit card for the excess amount and you can then claim for reimbursement on your policy.
The policy covers the excess on a car hire policy up to a maximum of €3,000 of damage to windows and tyres, fire, vandalism, theft or loss of use of the vehicle.
You can buy a policy to cover a one-off trip or you can buy an annual policy, which covers any number of trips. Typical costs for a one-off policy covering Europe are about €2.99 a day. The same policy covering worldwide and USA costs €4.99 a day.