Last Minute Holidays

How to find last minute holiday deals

Browse tons of great value holidays on our price comparison site.

Be flexible

When searching for a last minute break, flexibility is the key to getting a good deal. If you’re tied to specific dates or have your eye on a resort, you’re best off booking in advance. However, if you’re just craving a break in any form, there are some great deals out there. Searching ‘any destination’ with a flexible date range is the easiest way to find the cheapest holiday prices. From there, you can use our filters to narrow down your flight and hotel search.

Time your search

Prices for package holidays usually start to drop around 6-8 weeks before departure. However, if you’re feeling particularly brave you can bag last minute holidays as late as a week before you travel. Of course, this only works if you have no destination preference, as choices will be limited.

Shop around

Once you’ve searched through and found the perfect holiday for you, it’s time to make the call. Calling several different holiday providers can pay off hugely when looking for discount holidays. Get a quote and then talk to a few other providers to see if they can beat the price. You can take them up on their offer, or go back to the original provider and use the quote to push the agent into lowering their price. Chances are they’re racing to sell the last minute holidays before departure date and will be willing to negotiate.

Whether you're looking for last minute all inclusive breaks in Europe or further afield, it's never too late to book a getaway.

Which destinations are best for spontaneous getaways?

Why book last minute holidays?

If you’re flexible with dates and destination, it’s possible to get a cheap last minute deal. Travel providers buy package holidays from suppliers in bulk, so they lose money on every package they don’t sell. Since any kind of profit is better than none at all, travel agents will drop the prices of the flight and hotel as the departure date approaches. This will encourage people to buy and can mean cheap last minute holidays for you!

The race against the clock makes travel agents more flexible on price the closer the departure date gets. Therefore, you’re likely to get hotel deals and late flights cheaper than if you’d booked it months earlier. Aside from a price cut, there may be extra benefits to tempt you to book such as free room upgrades or welcome gestures at your hotel.

Is it worth the risk?

It's impossible to predict when and how rates will drop, but they always will go down from the published price. If you're willing to pay the waiting game, you'll reap the rewards. Be aware that booking becomes more stressful the closer you get to your desired travel dates, and you might not end up being able to go anywhere.

When you plan in advance, you have plenty of time to research the resort and the hotel. However, panic buying can mean the opposite. Be sure to have a good read of the holiday description and match it to your criteria. Most importantly, be open about ending up in a destination you normally wouldn’t have thought of.

However, don’t let the possibility of not getting your ideal trip stop you. The beauty of booking last minute holidays is that they give you the opportunity to discover a destination that you may otherwise never have visited. Experience a whole different culture, explore new sights and sample different cuisine in an unexpected location you may be desperate to return to, again and again. Let the lucky dip element of a last minute holiday be a fantastic bonus, aside from the massive savings.