Black Friday travel and shopping tips: how to get real deals in 2026

Save passport details and payment information in your airline or travel accounts before the sale. The best fares on popular routes can go quickly.

• Compare the final price, with bags and seats added, against the price you tracked.
• Read the change and cancellation rules. The cheapest fares are often the least flexible.
• Check what the discount covers. Sales can exclude school holidays or apply only to certain rooms or routes.
• Ignore countdown timers. If the price isn't right, many offers come back on Cyber Monday or Travel Tuesday.
• Check consumer protection. For UK holidays that include flights, look for ATOL protection before you pay.

Not sure what the last day is about? What is Travel Tuesday explains how it started and what deals to expect.

Black Friday isn't only about booking trips. Plenty of people travel to shop, whether it's a long weekend in New York for Thanksgiving and Black Friday or a city break in Europe timed with the sales. And a lot of us use the sales to buy what we'll need for next year's trips. These Black Friday shopping tips work whether you're shopping at home, online or abroad.

1. Write a list and a budget. Decide what you actually need, from a new suitcase to headphones for the flight, and set a limit. Black Friday is built to make you buy things you didn't plan for.
2. Check the price history. Add items to your wishlist or basket a few weeks early and note the price. If the 'Black Friday price' matches what you saw in October, it isn't a deal.
3. Sign up for store newsletters and apps. Many retailers give subscribers and app users early access or extra discount codes, and that's often where the first and best stock goes.
4. Compare the same model, not the same name. Electronics often come out in Black Friday-only versions with slightly different specs. Check the exact model number before you compare prices.
5. Check return policies. Some sale items have shorter return windows or are final sale. If you're shopping abroad, find out whether you can return in your home country or only in-store.

1. Go early, and go midweek if you can. Stores are busiest on Friday morning and Saturday. If the deals run all week, an early weekday visit is calmer.
2. Plan your route. In a big shopping district, map out the stores you want in order, so you're not crossing the city twice.
3. Keep your phone online. Mobile data lets you check online prices while you're standing in the shop, scan for store coupons, find the next branch if something's sold out and pay with your phone. That's much easier with a local data plan than hunting for shop WiFi.
4. Watch your belongings. Crowded stores and busy streets are prime spots for pickpockets. Keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket or a zipped bag.

1. Pay in the local currency. When a card machine abroad offers to charge you in your home currency, say no. That conversion is set by the merchant and usually costs more than letting your own card provider convert it.
2. Use a card with no foreign transaction fees. Small fees on every purchase add up quickly on a big shopping day.
3. Check if you can claim back tax. If you live outside the EU, you can usually claim a VAT refund on goods you take home from EU countries. Ask for the tax-free form when you pay, and keep your receipts.
4. Buying a phone? Check the SIM. Every iPhone sold in the USA since the iPhone 14 is eSIM-only, with no physical SIM tray. Make sure the phone is unlocked and works with your home network before you buy. Our iPhone eSIM guide explains how eSIMs work on each model.
5. Check plugs and voltage on electronics. Gadgets bought in another country may need an adapter or may not support your home voltage, and warranties don't always carry over.

1. Leave room in your luggage, or add an extra bag to your flight budget before you go. It's usually cheaper booked in advance than at the airport.
2. Know your customs allowance. If you're heading back to the UK, check the allowances for bringing goods into the UK before you buy big, and keep receipts handy.
3. Think about shipping. For bulky items, shipping home can work out easier than carrying them, but compare the cost and any import charges first.

The best Black Friday deals, whether it's a flight or a new pair of headphones, go to people who did the homework first: a list, a price history and a budget. Keep watching until Travel Tuesday, read the terms and return policies, pay in local currency when you shop abroad, and sort your data in the same sale with a Three eSIM from Sim Local, 20% off until 4 December, so you are connected from the moment you land.

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