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How to Bag Last Minute Summer Holiday Deals?

A growing number of people is foregoing the long standing traditional way of booking holidays in advance and are waiting till the last minute to book their summer getaway. With the popularity of online booking of holidays it has been observed that booking gain momentum 2 weeks before the holidays begin.

The uncertainty of jobs and the ease of checking availability and doing bookings online have increased the number of people waiting till the last minute.

Internet booking allows control over choice of destination and the chances of finding a good destination increase too but sometimes the availability might not be there if booking is made last minute. Also when holidays are booked six months prior, they turn out cheaper. This is especially true while booking a holiday during school breaks as in the peak season end-minute booking tend to be more expensive.

To bag the last minute deals a few pointers need to be kept in mind.

  • Get a head-start

Instead of looking to book holidays 2 to 3 weeks before taking off it is best to start looking out and booking 6 weeks in advance to get a head-start on the rush. This is especially true while going during school holidays.

  • Avoid peak times

Consider travelling in the second half of August instead of during Easter or July to avoid travellers rush if travelling during school holidays.

  • Avoid promotions

Prices and offers keep changing based on demand and supply thereby making the “original” price meaningless as the final bottom-line price is the one to be considered.

  • Look out for what price includes

Elements such as in-flight meals, resort transfer, breakfast, half board were included in the package earlier but now are charged separately so an all-inclusive deal for a family would be ideal to save.

  • Check correct site

Price comparison sites such as travel supermarket.com help to view different offers and compare. However the comparison for accommodation is difficult to compare as the type is not fixed, it could be a villa, country cottage, apartment or camping. It is best to compare stays on the sites that specialize in the specific stay and have last minute deals too.

  • Check France and Spain

Countries like France and Spain have more number of destinations, more flights and more accommodations too or more drivable routes like in France which can give last minute travellers options too for reasonable travelling.

  • Look-out for longer flights

Far off destinations like Turkey and Greece are great if package includes air fares too because costs for longer flights can be expensive. Also beware of cheap accommodation-only offers where flights are not included.

  • Beware of trouble-spots

While travelling to destinations such as Tunisia and Egypt where there is political turmoil or Cyprus where there are economic problems, it is ideal to wait till the last to book when conditions are favorable.

  • Travel independently

By waiting to book at the last minute you might land good deal on flights and accommodations but the options are limited. Instead you can check for cheap flights on certain dates and then look for accommodation.

  • Holiday within the country

This eliminates air-costs or ferries and only accommodation needs to be booked before-hand.

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