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It's not too late to bag a great (and cheap) summer holiday – here's how

Availability is low, but does that mean prices are high? - Contact the author
Availability is low, but does that mean prices are high? - Contact the author

There are two types of holidaymaker. Type one is the super-efficient and organised person who plans and books their summer holidays months in advance. When January comes – often even before that – they get straight online, hunt down the early offers, the cheapest flights or the most attractive looking villas, and they snap them up. Then they relax and look forward to their holidays.

Then there is type two. They can’t relax because they still haven’t booked, even though there is only a little over a month to go before the school holidays start. Perhaps they lead more complicated lives; perhaps they were worried about Brexit or the election and didn’t want to commit too far ahead. Perhaps they just feel they are being canny and will be able to bag a last-minute bargain. Maybe they just enjoy the thrill of spontaneity and are happy to take what they can find at the last minute and still expect to have an excellent time.

Holidaymakers are leaving it later than ever to book - Credit: AP/FOTOLIA
Holidaymakers are leaving it later than ever to book Credit: AP/FOTOLIA

Whatever the reason, there are still hundreds of thousands of you out there who plan to take a summer break, but haven’t taken the plunge. Why so many? And what are the prospects of still finding a decent break at a reasonable price?

The first point to make is that there are far more type twos than there were, say, 20 years ago. Back then, tour operators would expect to sell about 35 per cent of their entire stock of summer packages in January. Last-minute deals – at least during the school holidays – were an afterthought, a way of selling the last few remaining seats on charter flights.

Now, January is still the busiest month, but it only accounts for about 20 per cent of summer sales, as more and more of us leave it much later before we commit.

The travel industry hates this shift in booking patterns, of course. It is bad for business because tour operators not only like to get their hands on as much of our money as early as they can, they also want to be able to match supply to demand. By leaving it until the last minute, we make it much harder for them to plan.

The secrets to saving money on your holiday hire car (advice)
The secrets to saving money on your holiday hire car (advice)

But then we don’t rely on tour operators as much as we used to. One reason for the increase in the numbers of late bookers is that we all feel much more empowered. We don’t have to go to a travel agent to help find a few remaining seats on a charter flight in order to get to the Med. We have far more choice of flights, and if the hotels are booked out, we can search Airbnb or any number of accommodation websites for an alternative. And we are prepared to leave things startlingly late. Google sees two distinct annual peaks in searches related to travel – one in January, and one in mid-July.

The travel industry hates this shift in booking patterns, of course

Figures from the fares comparison website Skyscanner are even more revealing. They show that last year two thirds of bookings for summer flights were made in June, July and August. Fewer than six per cent were made in January. And bookings for this year are following a similar pattern. Of course, these are flights bought by independent travellers – those who are booking travel and accommodation separately, not ready-made package holidays from a tour operator. But it is still a remarkable insight into the mindsets of today’s holidaymakers and how late they are prepared to leave things.

But does brinkmanship like this end up costing extra? You might think, especially with the way that airlines try to increase fares the nearer you get to departure, that it would. But data – again from Skyscanner – suggests that for many destinations, booking close to the departure date can actually get you the best fares.

The data shows that the best time to book summertime flights to its five most popular destinations in the Mediterranean is between four and seven weeks in advance – that’s around now for August departures. As our table shows, a family of four buying flights to the Algarve could save £100 on the average fare by booking a few weeks rather than months ahead.

Best time to book a holiday
Best time to book a holiday

It’s much harder to judge whether you save on package holidays by booking this late, because there is no way of getting at the data, and as already explained, operators will never confirm that it is cheaper to book late. But, whether you are travelling solo, as a family or as a couple, you certainly won’t be left high and dry – there are still some great options out there. Overleaf we have picked out 20 of the best deals still available this summer, and we also set out our five-point plan to help you find others.

Five tips for finding a bargain

1. Know what’s left?

It helps to know what your options are, so I talked to more than a dozen operators and villa agencies about their best availability during the school holidays. Thomas Cook gave me the most detailed overview – at least as far as sun and sand holidays go. It claims there is still lots on offer in much of Spain and the Canaries, including Menorca, Majorca and Tenerife; but Ibiza, the Costa Blanca and Fuerteventura are looking tight.

However, Tui says it does have packages available to Ibiza and Alicante, as well as Majorca and Lanzarote. Another good option that was highlighted by Thomas Cook was Turkey (both Dalaman and Antalya), though it does say sales are increasing.

Overall, according to Abta, bookings to Portugal have been heavy, as have those to Greece (up by a sharp 11 per cent, with Cyprus up 10 per cent). Greek specialist Sunvil says it has general high-season availability across the islands, but some types of accommodation are heavily booked – for example, apartments featuring a pool.

Some operators still have availability for Ibiza, pictured - Credit: AP/FOTOLIA
Some operators still have availability for Ibiza, pictured Credit: AP/FOTOLIA

Ionian Island Holidays says Kefalonia and Lefkada are best for late bookings. Villa specialist Simpson points to better availability in Corsica, Majorca, Turkey and Tuscany. At the top end of the market, Scott Dunn says Greece is where it has best availability, with strong bookings to Croatia.

Finally, traditional destinations in Italy are looking promising. To Tuscany, for example, still has 273 villas and apartments available in the last week of August.

2. Know where to book

There is no magic shortcut. Your best bet is to consider the sort of break you want and go directly to a specialist operator’s website. Nearly all have a late availability page. Read our holiday booking guide to main European destinations, which offers an invaluable directory of operators for different types of holidays in all key Mediterranean countries. 

3. Get your timing right

As mentioned earlier, booking a few weeks before departure can be excellent value, but if you want to go before the end of August you don’t want to leave it much longer. The operators I spoke to generally confirmed that the last week or two of the school holidays offer the best availability and best value, and the last two weeks of July are generally the most heavily booked already.

"If you want to go before the end of August, don’t leave it much longer" - Credit: AP/FOTOLIA
"If you want to go before the end of August, don’t leave it much longer" Credit: AP/FOTOLIA

4. Sidestep pricing pitfalls

Beware of late “discounts”. Most prices shift all the time to reflect supply and demand. It is the bottom-line cost that counts. Also you can’t compare prices unless you know what is included in the quote. Elements once included as standard are often now charged as extra. But the rise of all-inclusive breaks can mean exceptionally good value – especially for families who want to keep a firm grip on their costs.

5. And if you draw a blank…

You could of course consider taking a risk with the weather and staying in Britain – but you won’t be the only one. All key areas are heavily booked. You will get better value on a ferry to northern France. There is always room on short Channel crossings. See Telegraph Travel's ferry guide.

Travel advice: the best flight comparison websites
Travel advice: the best flight comparison websites