When is the best time to book your Easter or Summer Family Holiday

There is a lot of information out there advising people when is the best time to save money when booking a family holiday. With some experts advising you book as early as possible, while others telling you to wait for last minute offers. Here at Schooldays.ie we have reviewed all the information available on the best times for booking holidays, especially around the Easter and summer school holidays. Please read our guide:

After reviewing lots of different literature on when is the best time to book your family holiday, the answer plainly is, “Well, it depends.” For long-haul international flights, city-breaks, or holiday packages, most experts advise you to book early to save money. However, here are some key times and dates:

For summer holidays - Book Early December

Generally, late December, January and February are the most popular months for booking both Easter and Summer breaks away. Although some travel agents offer late deals, it is best to book as early as possible, as often these early deals will come with massive money-saving discounts ( up to 30%) and great extras like ‘free-child place’ or ‘all-inclusive’ etc.

Lots of hotels release their first round of summer offers in December, so keep an eye out for these deals. By booking before December ( when most people begin planning) you can save money with early offers. If you are booking later in December of January, check expiry dates on all offers.

For Easter mid-term breaks - Book ASAP

With a two week long Easter mid-term school holidays in March/April, advanced booking generally begins as soon as offers start to go up for families looking to get the best deals for these dates. Cheap flights can start to vanish for popular places around Easter time much earlier than expected, so if you are thinking of travelling, book as early as possible.

Generally, travel agents, hotels, and resorts tend to advertise around October and November on mid-term deals, so try and get them quick. Other offers, come in late December (after Christmas) and in January, so keep an eye on what’s coming up and check travel agents for deals and expiry dates. If you are planning a more independent holiday with the kids, book flights now with low-fare airlines, and wait until next year to book accommodation.

What’s the cheapest day to travel

Travelling on a Tuesday has long been thought of the best day to travel for cheaper fares. Though now Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday is similarly cheaper as these are low days for business travellers. Early morning flights are cheaper again, and less likely for delays.

If you are flexible, book last-minute

If you haven't made up your mind about where to go next year for the school Easter or Summer breaks, don’t despair! There are still plenty of last-minute deals for all kinds of holidays available at late stages. By being flexible about where you want to go, your accommodation, airlines, flight times and dates you can find really cheap deals a couple of weeks before departure. Last minute tickets can be as low as €10 from some airlines.

Plenty of package holidays will sell discount deals if they have not filled required quotas on bookings for Summer and Easter time holiday resorts. If you and your family are flexible, these last-minute deals can save you a lot of money.