When is the best time to book a holiday?

If I had a pound for every time I was asked this question, I would probably be booking another holiday of my own!

The honest answer is that there is no single perfect time. It depends on where you want to go, when you can travel, who is travelling and how flexible you are prepared to be.

Some people love the excitement of a spontaneous escape; others prefer to plan ahead, secure exactly what they want and have plenty of time to budget. Both approaches can work, but the travel market has changed and last-minute bargains are no longer guaranteed.

When should you book early?

I recommend planning nine to twelve months ahead if you are:

• Travelling during the school holidays, Christmas, Easter or half term

• Planning a honeymoon, milestone celebration or bucket-list holiday

• Looking for a particular hotel, suite, villa or room category

• Travelling as a larger family or needing inter-connecting rooms

• Booking a safari, cruise, ski holiday or tailor-made itinerary

• Requiring accessible accommodation, mobility assistance or a specific cabin

• Travelling to destinations such as the Maldives, Mauritius or the Caribbean

• Hoping to spread the cost over a longer period

Popular hotels, family rooms and convenient flights can sell surprisingly quickly. Booking ahead usually gives you more choice, rather than simply whatever is left.

Cruises

Cruises can often be booked 18 months to two years in advance, and there is a very good reason for this.

Popular itineraries and the most desirable cabins sell first. By the time a sailing becomes “last minute”, there may be very few cabins remaining, and the choice of cabin location, dining time and flights can be extremely limited.

If you are considering winter sun, a special itinerary or a cruise next summer, do not assume that waiting will produce a better price. Early offers may include reduced deposits, onboard credit, drinks packages or other added benefits.

School holidays and festive breaks

If you must travel during Christmas, Easter, February half term or the main summer holidays, earlier is generally better.

For summer holidays, many hotels and tour operators release early-booking offers during the previous autumn, with additional promotions sometimes appearing in January.

Free child places and the most popular family rooms are limited, so availability matters just as much as price.

Lapland, ski holidays and special Christmas experiences can also sell exceptionally early, particularly for weekend departures and school holiday dates.

City breaks and short-haul holidays

For an ordinary city break with flexible dates, four to six months can provide a good range of flights and hotels. However, you should book earlier if you are travelling during a major event, concert, festival, sporting fixture or Christmas market weekend.

Short-haul holidays are currently available to book through to October 2027, giving you plenty of opportunity to plan ahead and spread the cost.

Long-haul and once-in-a-lifetime adventures

Long-haul beach holidays, safaris, wildlife experiences, touring itineraries and multi-centre trips benefit from early planning. Specialist lodges and experiences can have very limited capacity and may sell out more than a year ahead.

I already have some long-haul destinations available into 2028, so it is not too early to start discussing future plans, even if you are not ready to confirm immediately.

Late escapes

I can still find some excellent late escapes, particularly outside the school holidays, but flexibility is essential.

You may need to consider:

• Different departure airports

• Midweek flights

• Alternative destinations

• A different hotel or room type

• Travelling just before or after the busiest dates

A late holiday can offer good value, but waiting does not guarantee that the same holiday will become cheaper. In many cases, the best flights, hotels, cabins and room categories will already have sold.

My advice is simple...

If you have fixed dates, specific requirements or would be disappointed to lose a particular holiday, book ahead.

If you are completely flexible and simply want to get away, let me search for the best late availability.

Either way, I can help you find the holiday that is right for you and your budget.