Our guide to booking a cheap winter getaway
Whether you’re after winter sun, a romantic snowy adventure, or a city break, jetting off during the winter can often give you an extra boost to keep you feeling recharged and see you through to the summer.
Depending on when you want to travel, and where you want to go, you can usually find some great deals.
Christmas and New Year
It’s a bit of an urban myth that flying on Christmas Day can be really cheap. That’s not always the case anymore, so don’t fall into this trap. According to Skyscanner if you’re planning on staying in Europe you could be paying between 24% and 38% more than you usually would.
However, flying around the 22nd December is ever so slightly cheaper and means that you can get settled before the big day.
If spending the first few days of the New Year away from home sounds good to you, whether that’s Europe, or on an island in Thailand, then flying on New Year’s Eve could save you a significant amount of money. Avoid counting down the New Year in an airport or mid-flight by making sure you arrive at your end destination (with transfers) well ahead of the clock striking 12!
After Christmas…
If you’re looking for a city break then try January. According to travel company Momondo, flights and accommodation to cities such as Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin are cheapest in January, plus it gives you something to look forward to after the Christmas hype. Try searching for flights and hotels separately and looking on sites such as Airbnb for accommodation, especially if there’s a big group of you.
If you don’t mind doing things last minute, and you’re relatively flexible when it comes to dates then make sure you start your search on Boxing Day where you can expect to see a reduction in prices across package holidays, flights and accommodation from the 26th December right the way through to the January sales. This is your best chance for booking in some impromptu winter sun.
- Use travel search engines such as Skyscanner and Kyak to seek out the best deals. These sites also allow you to set up price alerts meaning you can select dates and locations of your choice and receive notifications when the price drops.
- Sign up to airline newsletters. This all depends on your flexibility, but airlines do make their subscribers aware of last minute availability and when they’ve dropped their prices (usually on a Tuesday as by then they know how busy their weekend flights are looking).
- Don’t be put off by all-inclusive. An all-inclusive holiday doesn’t appeal to everyone, however, they are definitely worth looking at when it comes to wanting a cheap winter break and can often work out cheaper than going self-catering. Plus they can be easier to budget for after the expense of Christmas.
- Keep your options open. If all you’re really after is a winter break then search for ‘everywhere’ and see where is cheapest to travel to. Just remember to cost up everything before hitting book. Flights may be cheap but if accommodation, travel to the airport and spending money is going to cost above the odds then it’s probably not worth it.
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