It’s a question that many travellers ask, and no one really knows which answer is right and which is wrong. But is there a right or wrong answer? We’re looking in to some of the pros and cons of each, and will leave it to you to make a decision
Booking Early
Obviously everyone loves looking for holidays long before they really know where they want to go, or even in what time of year. The temptation can get too much for some, and after a few minutes spent deliberating with whoever they wish to travel with, get it booked early.
Pros:
Wide Choice of Destination – If you’re on the ball, you can go pretty much wherever you want. So if you’ve been eyeing up that specific spot just for you on your dream beach, you’re one step closer to being there
Your choice of hotel, departure days/time, room choice – You’ll have the pick of the bunch when it comes to what you need from your holiday. That includes flight times, hotels, and even room choice. So if you like to spend time searching for the right location and hotel for you, then you’ve got a head start
Early booking schemes/offers – These schemes are becoming more and more frequent to entice people in to booking earlier, and they work. Whether they include food or souvenir vouchers when you book before a certain date, or free nights if you stay for a certain amount of time. Another benefit is getting a good deal on your deposit, not only that, but if you’re booking a package holiday the likelihood of being able to pay for your holiday in instalments is high – meaning you won’t break the bank booking
Cons:
Flexibility – If you’re working in a job which allows you to be flexible with your holiday, or you don’t mind where you visit or travel from, you could be missing out on those last minute deals that are too good to pass up
Inspiration – This ties in nicely with the flexibility. Booking early and missing last minute deals means that you don’t get a chance to be inspired with the deals on offer and visit parts of the world you never thought you would
Offers – As with everything, it seems as soon as you buy something, a week later that item is on offer. Much like with booking websites and airlines with flash sales - if you jump the gun on booking early, you could be kicking yourself when the next flash sale arrives
Booking Late
We all know someone who leaves things until the last minute, and we’re all shocked when it works out in their favour. Not only shocked, but a little bit of jealousy creeps in when we find out how much of a better deal they got when leaving it so late.
Pros:
Holiday Roulette – We’ve all heard stories about couples turning up to airports and asking the desk for two tickets on the next available flight – wherever that may be, right? How much fun would it be to have a go yourself and create your own story?
Last Minute Deals – It depends how you think last minute works, it could be a week or a month in advance – or whenever you see these deals surfacing. Even better if you see one for a place that you wanted to visit all along for a slice of the price
Walk-in Bookings – If you find yourself playing holiday roulette or if you’re backpacking, then you may find that walk-in bookings save you a whole lot of money. Especially if you’re arriving late afternoon/evening time and they have spare rooms then some would be willing to take a booking at a cut price, than none at all
Cons:
Date Restrictions – Depending on your job or situation, if you are limited to dates you can travel on, then we wouldn’t advise leaving it until the last minute to book your holiday. You could end up having a holiday shorter than you wanted as the dates you needed to fly are sold, or there’s no hotel availability
Peak Time Travel – Can only travel in the school holidays? Make sure you’re booking early, if you see a price you are happy with paying, then take it. As the weeks go by, these prices will go up before they eventually sell out. You don’t want to be left without that dream holiday you had planned on having
Not all prices become cheaper – Don’t just assume your holiday will end up getting cheaper and cheaper as companies attempt to sell all the availability. Some holidays do in fact go up in price the closer they get to the date to entice people who may have been watching the price for a while to book
Whether you have a system that has worked before, or if you like to take a chance, these tips should have given some insight on different situations when booking your holiday. Whichever route you plan to take, we’ve got you covered. Whether you play holiday roulette and end up travelling to Cuba, you’re free to explore the island’s revolutionary history or if you’re off on an adventure sports holiday, we have a bolt-on for that!
