THE pound’s recovering against the euro or, more accurately, the euro is plummeting – making holidays to the continent a little cheaper for us Brits.

However, overseas holidays are still far from good value these days, which is why it’s never been more important than to follow these ten key travel MoneySaving rules.

1 Get free holiday medical cover

THE free EHIC card is a Government scheme that entitles you to healthcare in all state-run hospitals in 31 European countries, as if you were a local. So in Spain it means free healthcare and in Cyprus you pay what the locals pay.

Everyone needs their own EHIC card, even children, so ensure you apply for them too. If you already have one, check it’s still valid. Many only last three to five years. Most importantly, keep it with you.

If you don’t present it when you need treatment, you’re not covered.

While it’s not a substitute for travel insurance, it’s perfect for emergency treatment, quick trips to GPs and possibly means you needn’t pay travel insurance excess. To get one, go to ehic.org.uk or call 0845-606- 2030.

2 Avoid the debit cards from hell

SHOCKINGLY, the very worst cards for spending abroad are some debit cards rather than credit cards (unless you don’t pay off the credit card in full at the end of the month).

That’s because Lloyds, Halifax, RBS, Santander and NatWest cards don’t just give poor exchange rates and charge for cash withdrawals overseas, they also charge a fee of up to £1.50 every time you spend. Thus, buy something for £3 worth of euros or dollars and you’ll pay £4.50 it.

If you’ve got one of these cards, at the very least, withdraw cash in one lump when abroad and spend that.

Better still, switch to a different card.

3 Carry a specialist overseas card

ALMOST every credit or debit card adds a three per cent “load” to the exchange rate when you spend abroad, so spend £100 worth of euros and it will cost you £103 (this isn’t shown on your statement). Four specialist credit cards don’t add this load, giving you near- perfect exchange rates, so get one just for spending abroad, but do ensure you repay it in full to reduce interest.

Vying for top place are Santander Zero and Saga (over-50s only) as they’re load-free worldwide and give cheaper cash withdrawals. Runnersup are the Post Office and Nationwide, though the latter charges a one per cent load outside Europe.

For full pros and cons on each go to moneysavingexpert.com/travelcards

4 Complain while you’re there

IF things go wrong on a package holiday, ask for a complaint form there and then. If not, you could lose compensation rights, because the rules say that you must give them a chance to get it sorted at the time.

Grab evidence: photograph grotty rooms if they don’t live up to the brochure; note down the what, where, when, how and why of problems; and keep receipts for any additional expenditure you incur. On your return, contact the holiday company and state what you want – a refund, compensation or just an apology.

5 Never pay in pounds

IF a retailer overseas offers to let you pay in pounds, reject it. It’s called dynamic currency exchange, and is common in Spain. It means that the shop will be doing the currency conversion.

And if you don’t know the rate it’s usually worse than your card.

That’s especially true if you have one of the travel specialist cards.

6 Should you get annual or single-trip travel insurance?

GO away three times or more in a year and an annual policy that covers the whole year’s trips is usually cheapest, though if one of the trips is to the US, it can be worth it if you do just one other trip.

Bear in mind though, if you get an annual family policy, it may only cover you if all the family travel together and not if one goes independently.

Usually, if you call and notify them of this, they do then allow it.

Annual policies are available for as little as £15 for a year’s travel in Europe for an individual or £25 for a family – for full information visit moneysavingexpert.com/travelinsurance

7 Car hire can be cheaper than a cab

BOOKING ahead can often get you car hire at a fraction of the price.

This can work out well, for example, between Malaga airport and Marbella, in Spain, where a taxi will cost you 50 euros each way, yet cars can often be hired for less. So you could get a week’s worth of trips for the cost of one taxi journey.

To find the cheapest, use comparison sites such as kayak.co.uk or car rentals.co.uk

8 Boost travel cash rates by £70

THE worst place to get your travel money is at the airport or ferry port, because rates are inflated for captive customers. Even if you order cash online to be picked up at the airport, you will get a better rate. The best way to do it is with comparison site travelmoneymax.com. For example, as I write, at the best place 500 euros costs £420 all-in, at the worst £477.

9 Halve the cost of airport parking

AIRPORT parking isn’t cheap, so, if possible, avoid. If you need it, reserve as early as possible for the cheapest rates. Many providers will let you cancel with no charge if your plans change. To find the cheapest, try comparison sites such as aph.com and holidayextras.co.uk. Consider booking a night in an airport hotel, which may offer a week’s parking with a night’s stay, which can be cheaper than parking alone elsewhere.

10 Haggle to cut up to 15 per cent off late package deals

IF you’ve not booked yet, while DIY holidays are all the vogue, don’t discount packages.

Holidays are created by tour operators and sold by travel agents, so identical vacation packages are on offer at many agents. Once you know where you want to go, the challenge is find who’ll sell it to you cheapest.

The best way is to simply call rival travel agents, including those who advertise in paper travel sections and see if they’ll beat the price. Keep going until no one will – this can cut the cost by a further 15 per cent.

Top tips

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We’ve designed an approved sign you can speedily print and put on your door or window. Get one at moneysavingexpert.com/coldcalls New iPhone surveys app: Online survey site OnePoll has launched a free app so you can earn on the go. It pays 50p to £1.50 per survey. To join, get the free app from the iTunes Store.

More details and online options at moneysavingexpert.com/surveys

■ Get Martin’s free tips and moneyoff vouchers emailed straight to you each week by signing up to moneysavingexpert.com/tips

■ TV money guru Martin Lewis runs the consumer revenge website MoneySavingExpert.com. Ensure you get his weekly email so you’re constantly saving money.