Tips for booking a last-minute holiday

Left it late to book a holiday? Follow our expert advice to ensure that your last-minute break is plain sailing.

Even when you have the best intentions to book a holiday well in advance, sometimes you just can’t help leaving it to the last minute. Whether it’s due to work commitments, financial restraints or simply because you’re a spontaneous person, you can easily find yourself needing to book something at the eleventh hour.

The good news is that even when booking at a moment’s notice, you can still have an amazing holiday – you just need to know some basics, such as the best places and times of year to look for last-minute deals, and how to pack your bags in a hurry. You’ll find all of that information in this article, along with ways that you can save money on a last-minute holiday using your Boundless membership.

Why is it often cheaper to book a holiday at the last minute?

In order to put foreign package holidays together, tour operators will charter entire planes and reserve large numbers of hotel rooms. Not all the holidays will sell, though, so, with the departure dates fast approaching, operators will often drop their prices so that they don’t lose their money entirely.

A similar principle applies to UK holidays – if hotel rooms, cottages or caravans remain unbooked, their prices are sometimes reduced to help recoup lost earnings.

Why is it often cheaper to book a holiday at the last minute?

In order to put foreign package holidays together, tour operators will charter entire planes and reserve large numbers of hotel rooms. Not all the holidays will sell, though, so, with the departure dates fast approaching, operators will often drop their prices so that they don’t lose their money entirely.

A similar principle applies to UK holidays – if hotel rooms, cottages or caravans remain unbooked, their prices are sometimes reduced to help recoup lost earnings.

How can I book a last-minute holiday?

Getty ImagesIn the same way that you would if you were booking a holiday well in advance, you can either book a last-minute break online or in person at a travel agent. Both options come with their own benefits:

Booking online

This is the more convenient option, as it enables you to browse deals from anywhere using your laptop or phone.

Some of the more popular websites for booking last-minute holidays include Tui, Jet2holidays, HolidayPirates, First Choice and Eurostar Snap. To save you having to switch back and forth between websites, why not use a comparison site such as icelolly.com, Travel Supermarket or Travel Zoo, which will list all available deals in one place, showing what each one includes and the differences in price. If you’re planning to book online, it’s also worth signing up to receive notifications and friending tour operators on social media in order to be informed of the very latest deals.

Booking a last-minute holiday online may well work out cheaper than going through a travel agent – in 2023, Which? reported that mystery shoppers saved hundreds of pounds when booking a holiday online compared to in person.

Booking through a travel agent

Though you’ll have the added hassle of actually getting to the travel agent’s office, you will get to speak to a human being, who can answer any questions you have and help you thrash out the best possible deal. Travel agents can sometimes also access special deals and perks that aren’t available anywhere else.

Where can I go on a last-minute holiday?

Getty ImagesIf it’s a cheap package deal abroad you’re after, then your options are likely to be more limited than they would be if you were booking a holiday way in advance. As mentioned above, this is because the cheap deals tend to be for holidays the tour operator has been unable to sell. Don’t think for one moment that you’re getting the ‘dregs’, though – this writer has booked many cheap package holidays that have turned out to be very nice indeed.

Be open-minded about your destination, but don’t rush into booking a holiday just because it’s super-cheap. Make sure you run some checks to ensure that the accommodation is of a good standard and is located in a nice area. TripAdvisor is your friend here – simply type in the name of your hotel, villa or apartment, and you’ll likely find user reviews, photos, a list of amenities and a map telling you where it is in relation to other nearby attractions.

If you’re booking at a travel agent, the member of staff helping you should have a pretty good idea as to what each hotel is like – but it’s still worth double-checking on TripAdvisor, as the reviews are completely independent.

One way of ensuring that you have more choice when booking a last-minute holiday is by purchasing it through one of our travel partners. With a Boundless membership, you get access to year-round deals on UK and international breaks, as well as hotel and cottage stays, car hire and travel insurance. Here are just some of the discounts available to you:

International holidays:

• Barrhead Travel – save up to 10%

• Brittany Ferries – save 5% on selected ferry crossings

• DFDS – save up to 20% on selected ferry crossings

• Eurocamp – save up to 35%

• Hotels.com – exclusive discounts available (includes UK stays)

• Just You – various discounts available

• The Railway Touring Company – save £100 on European and international breaks (discounts also available on UK breaks)

• Travelsphere – save £100pp on long-haul escorted holidays and £50pp on European breaks

• Tropical Sky – save £100 per person on tailor-made holidays

UK holidays:

• Boundless Breaks – 20% off all year round

• Cottages.com – get 5% off all UK staycations

• Haven – save up to 20% on selected breaks throughout the year

• Hoseasons – save 5% on UK breaks all year round

• Stena Line – save 10% on crossings to Ireland and the Netherlands

• Swift Go – get 10% off motorhome hire

• Warner Hotels – get up to 10% off full break price of Warner Stay

• Wightlink – save 20% on foot-passenger fares and 15% on car and motorcycle fares

When is the best time to take a last-minute holiday?

Obviously, this may be dictated by your circumstances – i.e. when you can get time off work or when you’re paid. But if you’re not affected by such limitations, it’s worth bearing in mind that certain times of the year can be cheaper. Don’t have children? Booking a holiday in school term time is likely to save you a lot of money, as tour operators often hike up their prices when the little ones break up. If you do need to book during the school holidays, note that prices often come down a bit in the last week of August and the first week of September.

Flights that depart and arrive during the week are usually cheaper than weekend flights, with Tuesday and Wednesday flights traditionally being the cheapest of the lot.

As for when last-minute holiday deals are first advertised, there’s no set rule here, but you should see them appearing 8-10 weeks before the holiday is due to start.

How should I pack for a last-minute holiday?

Getty ImagesWhen you book a last-minute break, you usually don’t have much time to pack your things before leaving, which can lead to you omitting important items if you’re not careful. To avoid any mishaps, use this checklist to ensure that you take all the essentials with you.

• Travel documents (if going abroad)

• Medication and sanitary products

• Suncream and mosquito spray (if you’re going somewhere hot)

• Chargers and adapters

• Weather-appropriate clothing

• Comfortable footwear

• Swimwear, if needed

Before any foreign holiday, you’re advised to read the Government’s foreign travel checklist, which provides information on everything from insurance to visas, vaccinations to emergency contacts.

^{This article was accurate at the time of publication. Please note information and offers shown may change over time.}