Short of buying a house or car, one of the biggest expenses for most people is to take that well earned break. It's not surprising then that this is one of the main areas where shopping around could save you a small fortune. There are many, many companies offering fights, hotels and holidays and prices can vary immensely. Huge savings can be made with a little effort.

Historically, this has meant a trip down to your local high street and grabbing as many brochures as you can carry from Thomas Cook et al and, to be fair, this is not a bad start, after all its probably one of the more convenient ways on choosing the most appropriate place in the sun.

When it comes to booking your holiday though, its a different story. Over a fifth of holidaymakers now use the web to book their get away mainly because of the convenience and potential money you can save. But lets not rule out the traditional Travel Agents just yet Thomas Cook, for example, now has an internet presence which may be able to offer 'on-line booking' savings.

But it doesn't stop there. There are now a multitude of internet sites ready to offer you massive discounts. One word of caution though, whenever you book a holiday, always make sure you do so with a company that is ABTA bonded so you are protected in the event of Travel Agent or Tour Operators failures.

With so much competition on the web, you maybe wondering where to start. Eager to assist, we have complied a list of some of the main competitors in this field, which you can find here