Six ways to a cheap last-minute holiday

The British summer was far from great this year. So it’s no surprise that a cheap last-minute holiday is on the cards for many 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 Opodo backs this up – it concludes 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 relatively last minute, just one week before. 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.

It’s clear that booking last minute is a lot more expensive for a short-haul flight but, if you’re willing to be flexible with your destination and travel times, you can often still find a bargain. Depending on the time of year and the destination that you’re booking, seasonal events usually mean much more expensive flights.

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, such as Ryanair and easyJet, tend to have flash sales – but you’ll only know about them if you have their apps or have signed up to their mailing lists.

For trips in Europe, you can potentially 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, Wednesday and 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 somewhere that isn’t 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! But, if you do decide to go on a break during the festive season, remember that many destinations around Europe, including Switzerland, Berlin and Copenhagen hit their peak season in winter, with tourists flocking to Christmas markets, ice caves and ski resorts so prices might be sky-high.

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 comes out cheaper. Boland says: “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, from an international airport, of five popular European tourist destinations – costing a whopping £562. Opting for public transport could significantly cut your costs. Hopping on a train from Milan to Lake Garda could cost as little as £10 each way, and takes half the time of a taxi.

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 Heathrow to Dubai International Airport started at £470, with a flight time of around seven to eight hours. A flight with a stopover cost £341 – but with caveats. You fly from London Heathrow to Bahrain, and from there onto Dubai. The layover at Bahrain airport is one hour and 10 minutes, making your total travel time just over 9 hours. Also, note that with stop-over flights, you could fly back into a different airport than you left from (perhaps not a problem unless you want to drive to the 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 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.