Holiday Booking Advice for Parents
We asked local, independent travel consultant, ‘Travel Sense Ursula’, for her top tips on reducing the cost of holidays during the school breaks. We understand how important holidays are for families, but also that high attendance is very important for children at school. We hope that the following, specialist advice supports you in gaining some cheaper holiday options during the assigned school holiday breaks.
1. Book at the “sweet spot” time
Prices usually follow predictable patterns.
* Package holidays: Book 9–12 months in advance for peak summer breaks (late July–August).
* Flights only: The cheapest fares often appear 5–7 months before departure for summer trips.
* Last-minute deals during school holidays are rare because demand is high.
* With Low deposits, booking ahead can work out more affordable and provide longer to pay off your holiday.
2. Travel at the edges of the holidays
A small date shift can save hundreds.
* Leave the evening that school breaks up rather than the next morning.
* Return later in the holidays (but in time for school!) not the weekend before.
Flights from UK airports are often cheaper mid-week (Tue/Wed) than weekends.
3. Check regional school holiday differences
Not all UK councils break up at exactly the same time.
Families in England sometimes save by flying from airports where school holidays are different. This can lower demand and prices.
4. Fly from alternative airports
I have often compared multiple departure points.
5. Use “package holidays” instead of DIY
During school holidays, packages can be cheaper because tour operators pre-buy seats and hotel rooms.
Using a Travel Agent that has access to not only the main tour operators but agent only tour operators gives a diverse choice of
Packages which are all ATOL protected and free child places, which can save hundreds.
6. Look for “free child places”
Many UK tour operators offer deals where 1 or 2 children stay free when sharing with adults.
These sell out early, so I always advise booking as soon as the next year’s holidays go on sale. I set calendar reminders to get in touch with customers waiting to book as soon as holidays go on sale for the following year.
7. Consider less obvious destinations
Prices spike in the most popular family resorts.
Instead of:
* Majorca
* Tenerife
Look for alternatives as other less common destinations often have similar weather but lower hotel costs.
8. Use split stays or longer durations
Sometimes a 10- or 11-night stay is cheaper than 7 nights during school holidays because it avoids peak flight rotations.
I regularly check:
* 7 nights
* 10 nights
* 11 or 14 nights
You might save money and get extra holiday time.
10. Book accommodation with kitchen facilities
Apartments or aparthotels reduce food costs during peak season.
