Last minute July holiday, prices????

Blossom102

Hi all, just wondering if any of you had ever booked a last minute July holiday and what the prices were like for last minute in the summer holidays, it’s my OHs 30th birthday in July, we have been away the last few years and I have booked in advance, and never really gotten a brilliant deal for our budget and always regret not leaving it last minute, but I’m such a worrier than I’m always too scared to leave it late, for example last year we paid 2k for a basic 3 star hotel in Cyprus, self catering for 2 adults and a 1 year old, obviously she was free, but the time of booking I just couldn’t get anything better, I fear I missed the early booking deals but was too early for the late deals, this year despite being desperate to go away again it just costs us too much money so we said we will stay home and save, especially now as our 2 year old will be full price, but I’d love to surprise other half with a little weeks get away for his bday, I’m not too fussed on where, any Spain/Greece & Cyprus holidays would be fine, Don’t want to go turkey/Tunisia/Morocco or Egypt, anyway I was just wondering if it’s do able, OH has booked a week off work so only really got late evening Friday/sat & Sunday to play with, but just wondering if any of you had managed it and what prices I can expect in such a peak holiday month for all inclusive, thanks all x

spadoosh

To get the best late deal you need to be flexible. Flexible on dates and locations at the least. You seem to be neither so for the restrictions you will impose on yourself id say youd just be better booking somewhere now and not worrying. The days of saving 90% on the retail price of holidays are long gone, theres little margin in holidays so the incentive is to sell out with lower margins tahn go unsold with high ones.

comeandgo

I would not leave it to last minute with a small child. Have you priced up doing a holiday yourself? Look on booking.com for accommodation, they do foreign hotels too, then look at skyscanner for flights and prices, THEN go to airline direct and book flights.

Blossom102

Thanks for your post, flexibility on dates is frustrating but can’t be helped, as for flexibility on location those are just the areas I don’t deem particularly safe, however there are plenty of last minute deals to plenty of places I would go to (basically anywhere but the 4 I mentioned) I could quite easily book this weekend, next weekend, in a decent hotel at a decent price but obviously I have zero idea on how this compares to what is usually going in July, suppose I’ll just have to wait it out and take the risk, thanks for your post x

Blossom102

Hi comeandgo, why wouldn’t you leave it until last minute with a child? It seems the ones I’ve booked in advance have cost us well over 2 grand with spending money for really really basic, no kids clubs, and miles to the centre, which was just so much hard work last year and spoilt our holiday a bit that I figured I’d probably get better doing a last minute,I must have crap luck booking holidays, yes I’ve looked at booking things separate (not in great detail) but they don’t seem to work out much cheaper when you add luggage, transfers etc and there isn’t a huge option for all inclusive on most hotel sites either, will look more into it though, thanks x

comeandgo

I'd think the choice you would have keeping in mind the needs of small child would be narrowed, if you are going all inclusive you do need to book a certain standard. You are getting cheap deals this month and next due to the time of year, in summer months no need to drop prices as much.

Blossom102

Thankyou, this is what I wanted to know really, was if prices were just as good in July, n what I should expect to pay if I do manage a late deal, I’ve been looking on TUI, and in the late deals for Feb and march they’re coming out at £400-500 for very high standard hotels/beach front/all inclusive/kids club/in the centre of everything/ big water parks etc, obviously I know I won’t get that in July, but just kids club and decent food would suffice as booking in advance is really doing me no favours either, honestly last years holiday was like a retirement home, while we were there (sept) we looked up late deals and it was coming out cheaper than what we paid in some of the 5 star resorts a lot closer to the strip (we had to walk 45 mins to the strip) and food prices are way too high self catering when going with a toddler, so we definitely learnt a few lessons last year, go all inclusive and somewhere with kids entertainment! I hear people all the time getting crazy cheap prices with their family, I must just have terrible luck, The prices that are coming out booking now with a kids club are around £1000 per person, I can’t do 3grand so I guess I’ll just sit on some savings and hope for the best, thanks for the advice anyway,




If anyone else had been away in July on a late deal with family and wouldn’t mind sharing the price of their holiday I’d be greatful xx

spadoosh

Blossom102 wrote: »

Thanks for your post, flexibility on dates is frustrating but can’t be helped, as for flexibility on location those are just the areas I don’t deem particularly safe, however there are plenty of last minute deals to plenty of places I would go to (basically anywhere but the 4 I mentioned) I could quite easily book this weekend, next weekend, in a decent hotel at a decent price but obviously I have zero idea on how this compares to what is usually going in July, suppose I’ll just have to wait it out and take the risk, thanks for your post x

Its normally a case of doing something like booking two weeks off to find flexible dates for the 1 week you want to go away. You might be able to time it right but its hard work and a pain. Particularly trying to plan flights around a to year old and their routine.


Youre not going to see much difference in prices. When you do see big difference in prices it will be for obvious reasons, like flight times at 3 am v 1pm. 5* v 3*. You just dont really get someone booking in Oct paying vastly more than someone paying just before. Itll be 10-20% tops because of how operators manage their margins.

If youre desperate to save 10-20% on your holidays you can do that anyway without having to book last minute by planning effectively and buying exactly what you want.

richardw

How much is a DIY holiday from your local airport to Barcelona or Reus and staying at Salou?

Alan_Bowen

A word of caution. Last years 'late deals' were generally very good, with operators making very little profit, see today's news from TUI and recent news from Thomas Cooks. The hot summer in the UK reduced demand for overseas holidays which therefore had to be reduced to sell.

July is obviously peak period and prices are never going to be at the same level as they are for departures in February and March but this year is proving to be very unusual. January is generally the peak month for booking summer holidays but that has not been the case this year, whether it is Brexit uncertainty or not is unclear but the expectation, assuming there isn't another hot summer, is that demand for holidays booked at the last minute will be much higher than last year in which case the last minute cheapies may be very expensive indeed

Blossom102

Thankyou, I guess I didn’t consider the effects of brexit and people probably leaving it until last minute because of uncertainty, I suppose my question wasn’t an easy one to answer, how long is a piece of string type one, I think what I’ll do is save 2grand, and start looking for a late deal from 6 weeks beforehand, if I can find a good deal then great, if not I’ll hve some money saved for a nice little weekend away or a few days out.