The British summer is often a washout, so it’s no surprise that a cheap last-minute holiday is on the cards for most Brits. Late bookings can be costly but if you do it right, you can find some great deals.
If you’re planning a last-minute holiday, you’ll need to be prepared for limited options when it comes to flights and hotels. But there are still ways to get a cheap holiday if you follow our advice. Remember, regardless of when you book your holiday, you’ll need to choose travel insurance and find the best debit and credit cards to use on your travels.
How does a last-minute holiday compare to booking in advance?
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel said: “Flights, typically, are cheapest several months in advance but this varies a great deal by route because demand differs. Broadly, book long-haul travel as soon as tickets are released, while short-haul tickets are usually cheapest between three and six months in advance.” Data from Expedia backs this up, they conclude that the best time to book a flight is no more than four months before you fly.
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MoneyWeek used Skyscanner to see how prices differ when booking a short-haul and long-haul flight in advance and at the last minute. The short-haul flight is from London Luton to Lisbon, Portugal, and the long-haul flight is from London to New York. These prices were correct at the time of research and are subject to change, depending on when you book.
| Booking time | Price for short-haul return flight (Luton-Lisbon) | Price for long haul return flight (London-NYC) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week in advance | £167 | £591 |
| 4 weeks in advance | £144 | £562 |
| Seven months in advance | £58 | £332 |
It’s clear that booking last minute is a lot more expensive but, if you’re willing to be flexible with your destination, you can still find a bargain. A quick search on Lastminute.com found return flights to Malaga, Spain, for £98.99 leaving in seven days.
Here are some other ways you can bag a cheap last-minute holiday.
1. Opt for a city break
Although you’ll probably pay more for last-minute short-haul flights, they’ll still be cheaper than travelling long-haul. So, if you’re looking to get away soon, a city break could be just the ticket. If you spend most of your trip in one city, you’ll be able to do a lot of your sightseeing on foot, or by public transport, so costs shouldn’t escalate.
2. Download Ryanair and easyJet apps
Checking flight comparison sites like Skyscanner is always a good idea, but checking the apps of individual airlines also pays off. Budget airlines like Ryanair and easyJet tend to have flash sales – but you’ll only know about them if you have the app or have signed up to their mailing lists.
For trips around Europe, you can probably bag a one-way ticket for as low as £15. But these sales are normally for flights leaving in the next month or so. The Ryanair and easyJet apps are available on iOS and Android. For luxury package holidays, it’s worth downloading the Virgin Holidays and British Airways apps.
3. Travel off-peak
It goes without saying that jetting off during school holidays is expensive. According to Last Minute Holidays, the cheapest days to travel are Tuesday to Thursday and the cheapest month to travel is January (more specifically, in the first two weeks).
If you’re planning a city break, although you might want to avoid a downpour, you’ll probably be happy to not have the sun glaring down on you all day – which means you can travel outside of peak times, making your trip cheaper. For example, average temperatures in Seville, Spain, can reach 25°C, and around 20°C in Italy in April, according to CN Traveller.
Alternatively, you could consider going for a break to somewhere not known for its great weather – think Iceland or Scandinavia… After all, according to the Norwegians, there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing!
4. Let the train take the strain
Remember, you don’t always have to rely on flights. You can hop on the Eurostar and reach popular cities in Europe, such as Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels. Prices typically start from £39 one way but, again, the day and time you travel will impact what you pay. It’s always worth comparing flight prices with Eurostar to see which one comes out cheaper. Boland said: “If you can, try to wait for a Eurostar sale, which comes along at least every couple of months and usually brings the cheapest fares.”
Even if the Eurostar is a little pricier, once you factor in transfer costs from the airport to your accommodation, it could work out the same. Research by Virgin Media O2 reveals that cities in Italy and France dominate the most expensive places for airport transfers. Lake Garda, Italy, had the most expensive return taxi transfer of five popular European tourist destinations – costing a whopping £562.
5. Don’t fly direct for long-haul travel
Holidays far afield are often pricey because of the flights, so booking a long-haul holiday last minute can be expensive. But there are ways. If you’re willing to put up with a longer journey, you could opt for indirect flights. It can be exhausting, but the price difference can be significant.
We searched for flights from the UK to Dubai for three weeks away on Skyscanner. At the time a direct return flight from London Gatwick to Dubai International Airport started at £620, with a flight time of seven hours and 45 minutes. A flight with a stopover cost £377 – but with caveats. You fly from London Stansted to Budapest, and from there to Dubai. The layover at Budapest airport is three hours and 30 minutes, making your total travel time just over 11 hours. Also, note that the flight back lands at Luton Airport – a different arrival destination from your departure airport.
6. Use loyalty schemes and reward points
Signing up to travel loyalty schemes really can pay off. If you collect points with hotel groups or the likes of Booking.com and Hotels.com, look for offers they have, such as a free night in a hotel or a deal on the cost of your accommodation.
It’s also a good time to take advantage of any reward points you’ve built up. Some popular reward cards include the American Express credit card (a top choice in our MoneyWeek Readers' Choice Awards 2024) and the Barclaycard Avios Rewards. Avios points can cut the cost of your flight and even get you discounts on hotels. To cut costs further, it’s also a good idea to use a fee-free debit or credit card for travel. Chase Bank, First Direct and Starling are all fee-free when using the cards abroad.
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