Savvy travellers know that booking a holiday well in advance is the key to bagging a bargain break; think of customers as the early birds and the juiciest holiday options as the worms. Here we round up five of the best reasons why you should act now to secure your dream holiday.
- You can save up to 25%
Book early and take advantage of some tempting offers including high discounts and free kids’ places
Let’s be blunt about this: the holiday industry wants you to book early. They are an organised lot and they like to plan well ahead of time in order to give you the best experience possible. And when you arrive and they’re busy making your holiday dreams come true, they are still planning ahead – just as any good business should.
So you, the shrewd customer, can take advantage of this situation by snapping up one of the many incentives on offer to those who book early. You can expect to see double-figure percentage discounts (sometimes up to 25%) on advertised prices, while some firms offer credit in the way of in-resort spending money, or on-board credit during cruise holidays. Airport parking is sometimes thrown in at no extra cost, while other companies will take regional flight supplements off your final bill when you book your package holiday in advance.
For family travellers, free child places are another popular way to get advance bookings secured.
It is highly unusual to find such attractive offers for last-minute holiday packages, so booking early really is the best way to take your pick of the tastiest deals. However, it’s worth remembering to compare the deal you are considering online before you book to ensure that you are paying the lowest possible price.
- You’ll put smiles on faces for very little amount
Stick up a picture of your holiday destination so you’re inspired to save
Book at least 12 weeks before you travel and you can usually put a small deposit down to secure the holiday you want. When your break is booked and the deposit paid, you can then plan your finances, putting a little money away each week. With careful planning, it’s possible to avoid putting the cost of a holiday on a credit card or taking out a loan.
With an amazing holiday within your sights, squirreling away a little money every week will be so much easier – just keep imagining those beach-side cocktails, theme park rides, or cosy candle-lit dinners at the water’s edge.
Put a picture of your destination where the whole family can see it – you might even encourage the kids to put a little pocket money aside for holiday ice creams and souvenirs. You could even have a countdown calendar to see who can save the most – those pennies and pounds all count.
Make a note in your diary of when the final balance is due. Some companies will need the balance paid around 14 weeks in advance of travel, some just two weeks.
- You won’t have to settle for second best
Book early and you stand the best chance of finding your dream holiday
You know what it’s like: you turn up late to the party and you’re left with a few sausage rolls and some curly sandwiches on the buffet table. View the holiday market in the same way: arrive early and every available option is laid out before you. Will you take a bite out of the Big Apple and book a break in New York? Perhaps you’d like to tickle your taste buds with tapas in Spain. Maybe you fancy spicing things up with a package holiday in sunny Mexico? Whatever kind of holiday you want, by booking early you have the best chance to travel on the dates you want, to go exactly where your heart desires, to stay in the hotel that ticks all the boxes, and to secure the room and board type that will make your holiday a roaring success.
The process is so much more pleasurable when you book in advance too, as there’s no clock ticking madly away and pressuring you into booking a holiday that merely looks “okay”. Book early and make it great.
- Long-haul and flight prices tend to go up, not down
Flight prices are usually always cheaper months before take-off
While the lowest prices are not always guaranteed for early bookers (some fantastic last-minute deals can be found), the general rule of thumb here is that securing your trip in advance will net you savings. Remember that flight prices are usually always cheaper months before take-off. It’s also worth bearing in mind that all-inclusive breaks and stylish in-vogue destinations are always in demand and discounts might not be offered, even early on – in fact the prices for these types of holidays can rise significantly the closer to travel you leave it.
Long-haul holidays in particular are likely to be cheaper the earlier you book. Don’t just daydream about that holiday a year in advance – start looking for deals, check out a range of offers and prices, and then book. Between nine and 11 months in advance of your trip is a good time to act, though if you are looking for summer breaks, the January sales often see exceptional deals being snapped up.
- Enjoy more of that pre-holiday buzz when you book well in advance
Once you’ve booked, look online for images of your destination to get you through the winter months
It’s winter. The boiler is on the blink, the weather outside is beyond dreary and summer seems like a distant memory. Banish those winter blues by booking a holiday in the sun! It’s no surprise that January is a boom time for holiday-hungry Brits, though you don’t have to wait until then for a travel pick-me-up.
Whether you long for a restful break in sunny Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey or Portugal, or you are dreaming of Disney in Orlando or California… whether you fancy hitting the snowy slopes of Europe or long for the snow-white sands of the Caribbean, there’s nothing like the thrill of a booked holiday.
Once you know where you are going, the internet can provide a series of sublime scenes and holiday inspiration which will cheer you up during the long winter months. Look at photographs of that beach you are going to flop on (and plan your outfit while you’re at it); check out the online menu at that amazing top-rated restaurant; book tickets for shows; plan day trips; make mental notes of those jaw-dropping panoramas… your holiday is at your fingertips. Don’t delay, start looking today!
Ref.: Travel Super Market dot com