Best time to book, packing tricks and cheaper flights: How you can save before jetting off on holiday | Money News

With a world of holiday choices at our fingertips, it can be hard to make sure you’re getting the most for your money, and many of us end up spending more than we need to for the sake of an easy life.

So to make sure you’re not one of those people, scroll down for some practical advice from industry experts to take the work out of saving some cash.

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Is all-inclusive really worth it?

Paying that lump sum upfront can be good value, Rhys Jones, travel insurance expert at Go.Compare said, although it depends on your travel style.

“Work out what your food and drink costs would realistically be without it and compare,” he recommended.

Many all-inclusive resorts also include kids’ clubs, entertainment and activities, which can be a big money-saver for families.

But if you plan to spend most of your time exploring outside the hotel, Jones said you might not be getting your money’s worth – that’s something independent personal travel consultant Miranda Seymour agreed with.

“If you love discovering local restaurants and independent cafes, or you are likely to be out and about most days, a bed and breakfast or half board option can work out better,” she said.

“Not only can it offer more variety and a more authentic taste of the destination, it also helps keep more of your holiday spend in local businesses rather than just within the hotel.”

A Which? study in 2025 found that Costa Blanca was the cheapest peak-season package holiday, costing around £1,113 per person for a seven-night stay.

It’s worth keeping “shoulder season” in mind as well, as prices tend to be significantly cheaper. This is usually around April to May and September to October, as they sit just outside of the major school holidays.

For example, Which? found a week in Jet2Holidays’ priciest all-inclusive Algarve resort (the Lagos Iberostar) was £1,912pp in August. A month later it was £1,546pp.

If you are restricted to peak season, the consumer champions said it was better to book an all-inclusive resort early, as prices are rarely reduced at the last minute.

It did find some destinations where this was not the case, and waiting until the last minute would have left you better off. Bulgarian and Cypriot holidays were cheaper when booked two weeks in advance.

As with all holidays, it’s important to check what you are getting for your money, but that’s particularly important for all-inclusive trips.

Which? said you should find out if transfers are included – some holiday companies charge extra for these.

You shouldn’t even assume the basics are included. In its survey, 10% of people said they had to pay extra for snacks, 15% paid extra for cocktails and a whopping 44% had to cough up for branded beers and spirits. Sometimes there’s even an extra charge for bottled water.

When to book

Getting a holiday booked on a Sunday can save you 2% compared to booking on a Tuesday (the most expensive day), according to the latest data by one of the world’s biggest holiday booking site, Expedia.

June is the most affordable month to travel, with flights 68% cheaper on average than December, saving travellers roughly £250 per ticket.

Expedia says Friday is the cheapest day to fly, saving travellers 18% compared to travelling on Saturday.

As for how far in advance to book, Seymour said the best time to book largely depends on the type of trip you’ll be going on – here’s what she recommends…

• “For school holiday family trips and popular luxury resorts, I suggest looking nine to 12 months ahead if possible. You get the best choice of flight times, cabin classes and room types, especially for suites or interconnecting rooms.
• “For European summer trips, around six to nine months gives a good balance of availability and price, particularly if you want specific dates or higher end properties.
• “For city breaks and quieter periods, there can be more flexibility, but even then, the most desirable hotels and flight times tend to sell first.”

Booking a holiday on a laptop? Think twice

For most people, buying anything over the price of about £50 is deemed a “laptop activity” – but when buying a holiday, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find a cheaper deal on your phone.

A YouGov survey in September 2024 found only 18% of people would make a big purchase on their phone, with 42% sticking to a laptop or PC, and 34% saying it wouldn’t matter either way.

Why you probably shouldn’t book a hotel on your laptop

But does this mean missing out on savings?

Many of the major holiday booking websites, including Booking, Expedia and Hotels, all offer mobile-only discounts, available only if you book your stay using your smartphone. So it’s always worth checking on different devices.

Free cancellation trick

Paying for a free cancellation option when you book a hotel stay or hire a car can feel like an unnecessary extra, but it can help you save money in the long run.

After you’ve booked, keep an eye on the prices available. If a cheaper deal becomes available, cancel your original booking, get a refund and rebook at the lower cost.

Our Money live reporter Jess Sharp recently used the method on a trip to Texas, saving herself £57 on car hire and just under £40 on a hotel stay.

Besides shopping around and checking different sites yourself, you can use Google tracker alerts to keep tabs on hotel prices.

The search engine allows you to track hotel prices and will send you an email alert when the price drops. You can set it up here.

There are some comparison sites you can check as well, like Kayak, Skyscanner and Trivago.

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How to save on flights

So, you’ve got your holiday all lined up, but can you still save on your flights?

First, set up a price alert through a flight comparison site such as Skyscanner or Google Flights.

Flights aren’t usually cheapest when they’re first released, so alerts can tip you off when the price drops.

You can use tools such as Skyscanner to analyse flights from the past 18 months and figure out when they’re usually being sold at their lowest price.

For example, a flight from London to Alicante in April was at its cheapest nine weeks in advance, the tool suggests.

Which? has rated Jack’s Flight Club the best holiday deal website for its emails containing price drops, early sales and error fares.

Seasoned flight finder Katy Maclure has worked for Jack’s Flight Club for three years and spends her day researching cheap flights and finding deals – and she’s given Sky News some of her best tips.

She said one of the best ways to find a steal is to look at places you might never have thought to go.

“I knew I wanted to go to the Caribbean, and I knew it was expensive – then I saw these cheap flights to Martinique from Paris.

“And Paris is easy to get to, you can just jump on an EasyJet flight or take a train.”

Tap here to read more of Katy’s tips

The cheapest approach when booking flights is usually not paying to select your seats at all, Go.Compare’s travel insurance expert Jones said.

“Every airline prices seats differently, but the most budget-friendly option is simply letting the airline assign you one for free,” he added.

But if you do choose to select your seats in advance, Seymour said it’s not as simple as choosing the front or back of the plane.

“Airlines now use dynamic seat pricing, so seats with extra legroom or preferred positions can cost more,” she explained.

Flying from or to a different airport can sometimes save a significant amount too.

Regional airports may have excellent value on certain routes, while major hubs might offer more competition and therefore sharper fares than others, she said.

“The key is to factor in the cost and time of travelling to the airport: a cheaper fare from a distant airport is not a saving if you spend it all on fuel, parking or a hotel the night before.”

When it comes to packing, it’s less about squeezing everything into a tiny bag and more about travelling comfortably and avoiding unnecessary fees, Seymour said.

She outlined her top tips for smart packing, which you can scroll through below.

How to get extra legroom on a flight for less

If you’re trying to bag yourself some extra legroom on your next flight but don’t want to pay a premium, just sitting on the right-hand side of your plane could do the trick.

Some planes used by Ryanair, easyJet and other major airlines have seats with an extra inch of legroom on one side.

Where to buy holiday money

One thing you’re guaranteed to come across at the airport are exchange counters – it might be one of the first things you see when you get to your destination, but are they really the best value you can find?

Seymour said they usually offer the poorest rates, so it’s often best to avoid them.

“Using a specialist travel card or a credit/debit card with low foreign transaction fees, and withdrawing cash from a local ATM once you arrive, often gives much better value,” she said.

“When paying by card, choose to be charged in the local currency, not in pounds, to avoid poor conversion rates.”

An increasingly common trap when paying with a card (credit or debit) is being presented with the option to pay in the local currency or in pounds.

While paying in sterling might seem like a convenience, you will ultimately be paying quite a bit more for the purchase.

If you pay in pounds, the local retailer’s bank sets the exchange rate, but if you pay in the local currency, your UK bank sets the rate.

Holiday money – where to buy it, and one thing you must not do

What’s the biggest mistake people make?

The biggest mistake people can make is thinking stars equal quality, travel agent Shaun Taylor said.

“This is not always the case, as stars measure the number of facilities, not quality,” he added.

“I have had better food at some three-star hotels than five-star ones.

“Yes, a hotel with a higher star rating is generally more luxurious but as an example an amazing three star small boutique hotel will never be able to get five stars due to a lack of some facilities.”

‘I’m a travel agent – here’s why you’re wrong on five-star hotels’

Book yourself or get a travel agent?

“Many travellers assume booking everything themselves will be cheaper, but that’s often not the case,” travel consultant Seymour said.

“Travel advisers can access negotiated hotel rates, package pricing and added perks that aren’t always available online.”

Seymour pointed out that travel agents can also help clients avoid costly mistakes, such as booking awkward flight connections or hotels that end up disappointing in reality.

If you’re braving the holiday hunt on your own, online travel sites can be handy for inspiration and for getting a rough sense of prices.

But they only ever show part of the picture, Seymour said.

“They can’t tell you how a hotel really feels, whether a room overlooks the car park or the sea, or how suitable a resort is for your children’s ages,” she added.

“They won’t tell you about hidden costs such as resort fees, transfers or baggage charges. Travellers should always double-check what’s included and who they are actually booking with.”

You should also look out for certain protections, as Jones explained.

“If you’re booking a package holiday, ATOL protection means you won’t be left out of pocket or stranded abroad if the travel company collapses,” he said.

“ABTA applies to land-based arrangements such as accommodation and transport. These schemes give travellers reassurance and financial protection, and they’re especially important if you’re paying a large deposit or travelling with family.”

‘Flexibility is your biggest ally’

After considering all that, Seymour has broken down three key tips you should remember if you’re not looking to break the bank when booking your getaway.

She said the aim for families isn’t often to find the cheapest holiday, but instead the right holiday at a sensible price.

That’s why “flexibility is your biggest ally” here, she added.

1. Adjust dates slightly – where school commitments allow, looking at shoulder seasons or the edges of the main summer period can offer noticeably better value than the absolute peak weeks, while still giving you pool weather and long, sunny days;;
2. Consider less obvious resorts – instead of the most famous destination, we might look at a neighbouring bay or island that has the same sunshine and quality hotels, but a calmer atmosphere and more balanced pricing. It also means your holiday spend can flow into other areas and local businesses rather than being concentrated in one over-visited hotspot;
3. Choosing a quality family friendly hotel or villa with strong facilities on site – a great pool, comfortable family accommodation, perhaps a kids’ club and a handful of included activities. That way there is plenty for everyone to enjoy without needing to organise paid excursions every day.