When is the Best Time to Book a Holiday?

The price of a holiday can go up and down throughout the year depending on how many people have booked the holiday (demand) and how many places there are available (supply).

In the UK, the main influence on prices are the school holidays. Predominantly in the Summer, but also the 2 weeks around Easter, generally in April.

Supply and Demand of Holidays throughout the year

Fully Booked Holidays

The aim of any operator is to get the maximum revenue for a particular holiday, and in a competitive marketplace, this is generally achieved by ensuring that all capacity is used up.

In the scenario of demand outstripping supply, the price of a holiday can increase substantially, especially as the holiday nears capacity.

Sold out holidays prices will increase

Below Capacity Holidays

If a holiday supply is above the demand level then the price of the holiday can drop as prices are adjusted to fill more spaces.

There can often be value in booking 'last minute' holidays as the price charged by the operator falls towards break-even prices.

Below capacity holidays

Finding the Best Time to Book

Navigating the potential price changes for what is the same holiday booked at different times can be difficult. Other factors such as the overall capacity of the region, popularity and 'fashion' will affect how the pricing performs for each region.

Our search engine crunches the numbers to give a suggestion for the best time to book your holiday to get the best value.