Believe it or not, Easter is just around the corner and while it is a great time for a quick getaway, consumer advocacy group Choice has a few words of warning.

Easter Sunday falls on March 31 this year, and plenty of people will be making the most of the long weekend and heading away.

Between getting all the chocolate eggs and hot cross buns, on top of organising a quick vacation, a few things might slip the minds of keen travellers.

“Wrangling accommodation, flights, hire cars and more can be stressful – particularly at a time where scams are so widespread and budgets are tight,” Choice journalist Liam Kennedy said. 

Fortunately, Kennedy has a few tips on how to stay safe when travelling over Easter.

Be wary of travel scams

Scams are popping up everywhere these days and they have only become more efficient through technology.

Kennedy warns people need to be careful when booking through popular and largely trusted sites.

After using websites to book accommodation, such as Booking.com, people should be wary of any emails or messages that have links to attachments, asking for personal or financial information, Kennedy said.

“If you receive these messages, verify what you’re being asked to do by contacting the accommodation provider directly,” Kennedy said.

If booking a short-term rental on a platform like Airbnb, be wary of being asked to make payment outside of the platform as it could be a scam.

Just to be safe, Kennedy suggests only making payments through the platform. 

Make sure you only make payments through reputable platforms.

How to get the best accommodation deal

These days, with the cost-of-living crisis, everyone is seeking the best deal.

It’s worth doing a bit of research to find the most suitable deal and comparing prices across several websites.

Once you have found something with the right price, Kennedy suggests contacting the accommodation directly and see if it can “beat” the price listed elsewhere.

“We also suggest filtering your searches when looking for accommodation to providers that offer free cancellation,” he said.

“Then, if something comes up or you find a better deal your finances won’t be impacted.”

Is travel insurance worth it?

It’s probably best to weigh up whether getting travel insurance is worth it, especially considering many trips over Easter are relatively short.

“If you’ve paid a lot for your holiday, are hiring a rental car, or travelling with a lot of equipment, it might be worth purchasing domestic travel insurance,” Kennedy said,

“However, if you’ve scored cheap accommodation or a budget airfare, then you might be better off claiming what you can from the accommodation or airline provider if needed.”

Know your consumer rights

Whether it’s Easter or Christmas or even just a mid-year holiday, you should always be aware of your consumer rights.

In the event of a flight being cancelled, getting payment for accommodation, meals, transport or phone calls are at the airline’s discretion, Kennedy explained.

However, asking for assistance when needed is always worthwhile.

“We recommend holding on to your receipts if you’re out of pocket due to a flight cancellation,” he added.

“Airlines address reimbursement claims on a case-by-case basis, so keep your spending to a minimum, as unfortunately you may not get your money back.”