We might still be in summer right now, but autumn will be here before we know it - and there is still plenty of time to book a getaway. However, travel experts have urged people to avoid one money-saving hack that could potentially ruin your holiday before it's even began. 

It's no surprise that holidays can be expensive, especially when it comes to booking accommodation. One trick to keep costs down is to use a VPN to change your online location when booking flights or hotels. But the pros at Travel Republic say it’s a gamble that could leave you without a holiday and without your money.

TikToker @nicoletravelandlife recently shared a video showing a travel hack that uses a VPN to get money off of flights and hotels this summer.

She claimed that by using a VPN to switch your digital location to somewhere outside the UK,the price of the booking will be reduced after conversion rates are taken into account. After using it, she was able to save £1,254 on her holiday to the Maldives.

The video has over 11.7K likes and 11K saves, and while some users have been left impressed, others aren't convinced.

One asked: “I tried this but then it wanted a card to be used from that country to pay?”

The experts at Travel Republic have warned against using the VPN hack to book your next holiday. 

They said: "While booking your holiday via a VPN might seem like an easy way to save money, it could cause problems that lead to your holiday being cancelled. 

"One of the main reasons we would not recommend using this hack is that it could cause your booking to be flagged as fraudulent, even if you have paid in full. When the VPN virtually changes your shown location, an alert may be sent to the booking provider via their website that flags the transaction as suspicious.

"This is especially likely if your card details and billing information are based in a different country from where your VPN is set."

Your holiday might end up being cancelled or the transaction flagged as fraudulent, and you could be blocked from buying from that booking agent again in the future.  

Although many people choose to use a VPN to protect their privacy online, the travel experts warned that not all of them are trustworthy. 

They said: "Free VPNs in particular may log any data you input while using them, and sell it to third parties.

"If you’re using one of these untrustworthy VPNs to book your holiday, then any personal and financial information you use as part of that booking could be at risk."

If you are using a VPN to buy something online, make sure to turn it off before inputting any sensitive information. This will help reduce the risk of your data being stolen as well as help avoid any issues with the bank or travel provider.