Booking a package holiday is a great way to save time and money, but when you book can make a big difference to the price you pay. So, when is the best time to lock in?
Here are our top tips for every scenario, whether you’re planning a family trip in the school holidays or an off-peak escape to an underrated spot.
When Is the Best Time To Book a Package Holiday?
The best time to book a package holiday – where your flights and accommodation are bundled together – depends on when you want to go and how flexible you can be with your plans.
So, we’ve broken it down into the main booking scenarios, with our expert tips on how to beat those pesky price hikes.
And it’s worth saying that all of these are general rules of pricing trends, which will hopefully help you understand when you need to start looking.
But before we begin, let’s explain this:
What do we class as a ‘popular destination or resort’?
Think the usual suspects: Spain, Greece, Turkey, the Canaries, Orlando – anywhere that’s a perennial favourite for UK holidaymakers, especially in peak season.
It’s also worth noting that even a lesser-known destination can behave like a “popular” one if the specific hotel or resort is super exclusive, has limited availability, or is particularly well-rated – demand for that one property can push it into the same booking rules as the big hitters.
What do we class as a ‘less destination or resort’?
Think destinations like Tunisia, Egypt or Bulgaria – places that don’t see the same rush of demand as the classic favourites.
It also applies to hotels and resorts with plenty of availability and less hype.
Or, resorts in a popular country that’s a little out the way, such as Alanya on Turkey’s Antalya Coast. Lower demand generally means more flexibility and a better shot at last-minute deals.
Booking in School Holidays or Peak Season
Let’s begin with the one we know a lot of people struggle with – booking a holiday in the peak period (damn you peak pricing!) Yes, we’re talking about school holidays where it feels like the world and their dog are all competing for a getaway.
"I want a package holiday to a popular destination or resort"
If you’re set on a specific hotel or resort in a popular destination, and you have specific dates in mind, there’s only one piece of advice we can give you: look early – as much as a year in advance – and if you’re happy with the price, get it booked.
Basically the rule is: the less flexible you are, the more important it is to get things locked in – or you risk missing out altogether.
There’s always a chance you could find a cheaper price by holding out – some research has found late deals to popular spots like Spain and the Canaries can occasionally undercut early bookers.
This is usually because operators have overestimated demand – but it’s a gamble, and for peak dates you’re more likely to lose availability than win on price.
Booking early also means you can jump on any sales or offers, including free child places, which can cover flights, transfers, accommodation and food.
If you’ve booked a non-refundable trip, my advice is: don’t look at the price again. But if you have booked with flexibility, or with a company that offers price matching, make sure you track the prices so you can swoop on a better price should it come along.
If the price is too much, you can of course keep an eye on the price especially during sales periods, or in the couple of weeks before you’re due to go. You could strike gold, but you could also end up not going at all…
"I want a package holiday to a less popular destination or resort"
Great news – you have more time to play with if your preference is for a destination or resort that’s less popular, because there’s likely to be less demand.
However, if you’re still keen to make the most of offers, like free child places, then it’s still a good idea to scope out the prices early on and again, if you’re happy with the price: get it booked.
If you’re holding off, just take a note of who is selling the packages you’re interested in and sign up to their newsletter lists and follow their social media so you know when sales hit which could save you money.
You’ve also got more chances of nabbing a last minute bargain, which we’ll discuss next.
"I don’t care where I go, I just want to go away "
Maybe you’ve left it late, have a strict budget to stick to or you simply can’t be bothered to search a year in advance – we get it!
And this is the one scenario that does work for booking something last minute. Pricing trends suggest that the best package deals tend to come around 8-10 weeks before travel, thanks to tour operators slashing the price in the hope they can shift some extra holidays.
As for super last minute, there can be options though you cannot be picky with where you go. For this, you’ll have more options if you’re looking 1-2 weeks out as online travel agents normally package up flights and hotels to create package holidays. Flight prices tend to go up in the last week, and so in some cases you may see package holiday prices rise then too.
However, there can still be deals as close to 1-2 days before if demand is still low, or if a tour operator slashes the price even more.
We recommend using pages that list last minute deals to make this as easy as possible for you.
Or, you can use our handy tool which lists holidays leaving in the next 5 days.
Booking in Shoulder Season
The shoulder season is that sweet spot between peak and off-peak – think late May or early September – when the weather’s still holding up, the crowds have thinned out, and the prices finally start playing nice.
"I want a package holiday to a popular destination or resort"
Travelling in shoulder seasons used to be a bit of a holiday hack, but they are getting more popular thanks to rising costs and temperatures in certain destinations during the summer.
So if you’re hankering to fly off to the likes of Greece or Spain outside of peak times, you may not save quite as much money as you would have in the past.
Therefore, it’s worth tracking these prices up to a year in advance, noting who is selling the packages you’re interested in, signing up to their newsletters and social media accounts, and checking in to see how the price fluctuates in their sales.
And as always, if you see a price that you think is a good deal: just get it booked.
Pricing is unpredictable, and the goal here is to simply be happy with the price that you have found so you can focus your attention on getting excited for your holiday instead.
If you’re a little more flexible on where you want to stay, you can leave booking until 8-10 weeks before when tour operators may dip prices if demand hasn’t outstripped supply. But for popular destinations, this will happen less.
For last minute deals, you’re more likely to have success for holidays in early May and late September, but the entire shoulder season should still offer some gems if you’re looking a few days before you’re due to go.
"I want a package holiday to a less popular destination or resort"
This is where the fun begins! You don’t need to book way in advance for a shoulder season package holiday to a less popular destination – you can generally find competitive prices even in the weeks before your preferred departure date.
However it doesn’t hurt to plan in advance either but why not keep an eye on prices a few months out to get an idea of what costs you can expect, and decide what would count as a good enough deal for you to hit book.
Sales periods and around 8-10 weeks before you want to fly are good time to check in, and you can also probably bag a decent deal last minute too.
Booking in Off Season
The off season is the polar opposite of peak season – think deep winter in the Med or the rainy months in far-flung destinations – when demand drops right off, prices follow suit, but you’ll want to weigh that saving against dodgier weather.
"I want a package holiday to a popular destination or resort"
One way to dodge the high price tags of popular destinations is to visit in the off season. This is the time when the weather is the least favourable or reliable, and most people prefer not to visit during this time.
If you’re happy to just go with the flow, come rain or shine, you can access some really decent prices, even for popular destinations. Because you’re visiting off season, you’ll likely find deals right up until your departure date, even for somewhere popular. And since we’re mostly talking about winter, you can take advantage of Black Friday, Christmas and New Year sales to knock even more off the price.
"I want a package holiday to a less popular destination or resort"
This is the perfect scenario if you’re someone who loves 5 star luxury but hates to pay for it. You can score incredible deals on hotels during the winter months, when fewer people travel.
Just be aware that not all facilities may be open, as this is typically a time when hotels carry out improvements and repairs. So you may find building work going on or some things are closed unexpectedly. It’s the trade-off for paying rock-bottom prices for a fancy resort.
James and I actually did this for a 5 star resort in Turkey, visiting in January during the off season – and we booked only a few weeks before. You can find my review below!
Because it’s low season and you’re not visiting a popular destination, deals will stick around right up until the last minute – because you aren’t fighting hoards of other holiday makers for the same stays.
And again, the winter sales periods – Black Friday, Christmas and New Year – are an ideal time to book for even bigger savings.
Chelsea's top tips for booking a package holiday
- Check comparison sites as well as direct – sites like TravelSupermarket and ice lolly can help you figure out where to find the best deal may be, though remember to check which packages could with extras like bags and transfers.
- Take summer holidays at the end of August/ early September – prices tend to fall right before the schools go back, so travelling the last week of August or the first week of September will help you save.
- Go in winter to bag a bargain – my absolute favourite hack for experiencing 5 star luxury for an affordable price is to stay in the off season. The trade off is that some facilities can be closed and the weather can be mixed, but when you’re staying somewhere lux it’s all about appreciating the services and facilities instead!
The Best Time To Book a Package Holiday Depends On Your Specific Holiday Requirements
There’s no single “best” time to book a package holiday – it depends on where you want to go, how popular that destination or resort is, and how flexible you can be with your dates.
As a general rule, deals tend to cluster around 8-10 weeks before travel, with a smaller window of opportunity 1-2 weeks out too – though prices can rise again in the final week as flight costs climb if booking through an Online Travel Agent.
The real super last minute deals remain with booking with tour operators, like Jet2holidays, TUI and British Airways holidays.
Overall, the golden rule remains: the more flexible you can be – on destination, dates, or how last-minute you’re willing to go – the more likely you are to find a dream deal.
