Advice on booking late

jhe

shandy1 wrote: »

Hi again, We've been looking over the last few days and found a few deals that we will enquire about. However, one thing I have tried, is looking at flights and hotels separately. found flights in July for around £250 and £280 return to Lanzarote with Monarch and a nice apartment (where I've stayed before when I was younger) for £461 for 9 nights.(booking direct with the accommodation) So if we did that, It would work out at around £480-£510 each.

Only thing is I've never been abroad on a non package holiday before. plus we would need to make our own way to the hotel from airport and vice verca.

Will it be safe doing it this way and what are the pros and cons?
Thanks again!

just back from lanzarote, i booked transfer online with last minute transfers,couldnt fault them they were waiting in airport terminal for us on arrival ,used them for excursions as well. no payment required up front when you book transfers.

shandy1

Thanks for the help.
Unfortunately we are now going to go away the last week in June and first week in July because of work, and on the plus side, should be fairly cheaper!

So back to the original question, with these dates, will it be worth booking now or nearer to the date?!

Alan_Bowen

It depends! You holiday dates clash with the Euro Football Championships which finish on July 1st. Traditionally bookings from the UK are poor so long as England remains in the competition so if they are still going mid June, holidays for the following week will be two a penny but the moment England is out, the floodgates open and prices rise like mad. If you have no faith in English football, and I assume you have no interest either otherwise you wouldn't be planning your holidays at that time, then book sooner rather than wait but if you think they might do well, wait as prices will fall as June progresses.

As a general rule, June is a good month to travel as the schools and colleges have examinations and demand is poor but no one can really tell whether people, especially in London will want to stay here during the Olympics and go in June or September instead or want to get away from all the madness, thus ensuring ridiculous prices at the end of July. What we can see is everyone is playing the waiting game

Alias_Omega

The past few years we picked up last minute holidays, we had to be flexible in where we wanted to go, and from which airport. It helped by having a 12 day period that we could go away.

We also using Natwests Travel service through Advantage Gold to price match the best offer on the highstreet, with free upgrades (Meals/Travel Ins etc). So, check your bank to see if you have something that you can use.

We went to Majorca All-Inclusive. We spoke to people in the check-in queue, what we paid for All-Inc some people paid for Self-Catering.

mazza111

We've found in the past there are some good bargains to be had booking around 4-6 weeks in advance.

AI to Tenerife for 2 for a week last year was £1000 (400+ tranfers n bits) booked 12 weeks prior to flying
AI to Feurtaventura for 3 for a week £1100 (329+ transfers + other bits, can't remember what now)

There are plenty of bargains to be had. Keep an eye on the prices every couple of days on something like teletext holidays and when you see something you fancy, call and book it

shandy1

I am a big football fan but where I watch the games is irrelevant. Whether England qualify or not, I think we will have booked somewhere by then anyway. Even looking on first choice now there are good all inclusive deals, although its self catering we prefer. I'm with lloyds bank, not sure if they provide a similar service.
Also I've not seen as of yet, on thomsons, firstchoice, thomas cook etc, them selling the same hotels.

miamoo

The time your looking at going I think there will be lots of deals about.
Greece, Malta and Tunisia seem to be the bargains this year.
I have found that around 4 wks before departure is the optimum time to book.
I agree that once England get knocked out of The European cup holiday prices will soar,as everyone will want to go on holiday so check when the final qualifiers are and book by then

matt1987

Im in the same position. I am looking at going away for 7 nights and departing between 22nd June - 27th June so were pretty flexible.

We would like to go to the Canary Islands but again, we would probably take the Balearics or Greece.

At the moment with our budget £400pp we could book a 4 star half board, however were hoping if we wait a few more weeks we may be able to get AI at that price!!

I am also a big football fan, and I agree with the post above, I am really not bothered where I watch the games... as long as I get to see the game!! I find watching the games abroad more exciting anyway!!!

Matt

shandy1

We left it as late as we thought we could and booked The Iberostar Lanzarote Park in Playa Blanca. Quite happy with the price of £658 half board for 2 weeks.
After watching the prices daily for the past couple of months, there wasn't really any major drops in price. In fact out of the shortlist of holidays we wanted, 3 went up in price over the past week by over a hundred pound.
I can see there being a massive dip in price now we've booked it!!

jackieblack

shandy1 wrote: »

I can see there being a massive dip in price now we've booked it!!

Don't look any more now you've booked - ignorance is bliss