Summer seems to have finally arrived, and the school summer holidays are coming into view on the horizon. If you’ve been waiting until the last minute to try to bag a bargain break, now’s the time for the hunt to begin!
With a few sneaky little tips, it’s easy to get a great deal at the eleventh hours, whether you want two weeks somewhere hot, low cost UK breaks or a camping trip in the countryside. Here’s how:
Last Minute Bargain Break Tips
1 – Leave it as late as you dare
If you’re going to leave booking a holiday until the last minute, do it in style. Hold your nerve as long as possible in order to get the very best discounts. Those who really don’t mind where they go could leave making a booking until the week, or even the day before! Of course, if you have children to consider then ‘flying by the seat of your pants’ (literally!) may be slightly more difficult, but not impossible – kids are usually happy with a beach and a pool, wherever they end up in the world!
2 – Be flexible
The more flexible you can be, the better chance you have of bagging a bargain. This is not only in terms of dates and destinations but also flight times, airports and accommodation types. If you don’t have school age children in your party, booking July/Sept breaks either side of the school holidays will slash the price considerably.
3 – Scour online
Gone are the days of sitting in front of the travel agent in town – they can only show you the good deals for the company that they represent. Spend some time surfing holidays online and you can scour deals from every holiday provider – or even go DIY and build your own break.
4 – Pick up the phone
Once you’ve got yourself a shortlist of breaks, it’s worth picking up the phone before you click to book. Speaking to the tour operator, or even the hotelier, could allow you to play off different breaks against each other, bringing the price down a little further.
5 – Added extras?
Check what’s included in your break before you get carried away by ‘bargain’ prices. On a Butlins family holiday, for example, a wide range of activities and entertainment are included in the up front cost of the break, which means that you need to factor in minimal spending money.
There are many ways to shave pounds off the cost of your summer holiday, and make sure that you’re getting the very best value for money. Book last minute, if you dare, and bag a bargain!
Im just not that brave to just up an go at the last minute,,theres the animals that have to be cared for an whos going to watch the houses,,etc,,appointments an things to do an mail to be taken care of,,i know a lot of ppl who can go at a drop of a hat but sadly im not one of the,but good advice to those that can
I’m always searching for a good bargain because I don’t believe in paying full price. The only thing that holds me back from last minute trips are my three dogs. They cost a small.. fortune to put in a kennel. If it weren’t for them, I’d happily travel whenever I could 🙂
Last minute booking is great if you don’t have other responsibilities.
i will remember this the next time i have a last minute booking thanks for the tips
i am a teacher, and the last two summers i have done last minute booking, one to new york city, and one to colorado! they went great, we saved half the money, and since we were off for the summer, we weren’t really facing a time limit in case something happened, only downside is that we couldn’t sit near each other in plane, but the price we paid made up for that
I will remember these next time I have to book at the last minute
These are great tips – I hope! I want to find a great last minute deal, as that is the only way I can possibly go on a trip! I can see why many ppl just pay, b/c it is a lot of work to find a really good bargain! But it is worth it!