booking holiday last minute? How cheap does it get?

[Piddypigeon]

I haven't been on holiday with the DC but I promised to take them somewhere this year. They are absolutely desperate to go somewhere in the sun.

I have a teeny tiny budget only (max 1.5k for the three of us, DC are teenagers if that makes a price difference) and couldn't find anything now for the Summer.

Is booking last minute an option to get something really cheap in the school hols? I am thinking of booking a week of annual leave and then try to find something at short notice for very little money?

Both have disabilities, and camping is out of question. We need a hotel.

On The Beach are great, I've just a quick test booking, any time in August, all inclusive, flights, anywhere and for around £500 pp you can do it ... also you only have to pay a deposit and can pay monthly up until a couple of weeks before you go ... worth a look.

Tui had some great deals on for this half term week so it's definitely possible. I checked last week (Tuesday) i think and we could have gone to Greece self catering 2 adults and 2 teens for £777 including flights and accommodation! If you can wait until the week before they have loads of offers

Last minute deals

This was the sort of thing :-) - Change the 'sort by' to price low to high though!

I would say the only way to do it on that kind of budget is:

1. Book Easyjet or Ryanair as soon as the flights come out.
2. Book a youth hostel or a small Airbnb (possibly with one of the owner direct sites other than Airbnb), or share a hotel room in a city centre.
3. Book somewhere you wouldn't think to go (i.e. not a southern Costa or a well known Greek island, we have enjoyed the South of France and the Atlantic coast will also be sunny), that isn't too far.
4. Book somewhere you can walk places or get public transport.
5. Get the bus or train to the airport, and at the other end do the same.

Skyscanner has Liverpool to Reus (which is in Costa Dourada, near Salou) returning to Manchester for £95 each on Ryanair from 3rd to 10th August. There are beach hotels and some apartments for around £100-150 per night if you can all share one room.

Svoronata, Kefalonia, Ionian Islands
£199 per person going next week! for 4 people self catering with pool!

We have used jet2 or I love holidays to book last minute cheap package holidays. You won't get somewhere posh, but it is possible to find a nice beach at that price.

We tried that last year and the year before. The year before last we got lucky and got a week self catering for £1200 in Greece about seven weeks before we went. Last year we ended up paying the same price, it never got any cheaper, and we booked with three weeks to go.
It's a risky game really, and you have a super tight budget. If that includes spending money you'll struggle to go abroad on that amount if you're going from July onwards, particularly if you're flying.

@PollyPut what is a GIHC card please?

(also looking to do a cheapy last min with 2 x ASD teens so reading thread for ideas, hope that is okay OP?)

How does one budget for food? We're happy to have a cheapy brekkie & lunch & a modest pasta & icecream dinner but I've no idea how much to budget each day for the 3 'meals' plus say 3 icecreams & 3 hot/cold drinks a day.
(I'm hoping to get to Malta...)

Try the love holidays website. Put your criteria in and see if anything comes up, I've found some really reasonable holidays on there in the past. Good luck 🤞

Op I've found this for you. Cheap as chips and the resort is amazing

Liverpool to Corfu. 28th July to 4th August. Stay at Christakis apartments. Transfers are about £20 return on a shuttle/coach. Foood is cheap and that hotel is great, I've stayed there need and it's course to the centre and loads of beaches. We actually leave that hotel the same day you would arrive. You can easily core on a budget if you eat breakfast and lunch in your room with food from the local markets but tbh a pita gyros is only €3 each.

So £378 for flights with hand luggage ( vest tops and shorts)

£414 for accommodation

£60-80 for transfers

£870 ish leaving you with £630 ish spends.

Try jet2 I just had a look and there is a lot ok your price range for mid aug self catering.

I managed to get a week AI holiday last year in Greece for £1,800 for 2a2c. Flying from Manchester on Sept break but obviously had to get them out of school for a few days extra. Check TUI website on Tuesdays.

£1500 is a huge budget. There are flights for around £150 per person to lots of sunny places during the summer (check Skyscanner), book an air BnB, bus from airport to air BnB - sorted. I'd never book a package when it's so much cheaper to do things separately.

GHIC - Global Health Insurance Card. Apply here: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/apply-for-a-free-uk-global-health-insurance-card-ghic/

You still need travel insurance but this is useful for A&E etc

You’d get a week in Turkey self catering or bed and breakfast with transfer and luggage during the six week summer holidays for less than £1500.

thanks all so much. so many good tips. I thought you would all tell me off but glad there may be a way... 🙏

@medianewbie
budgeting for food depends on country/location/facilities available etc
if you’re in a hotel in a tourist area it may be more cost effective to pay for breakfast or half board. Where we go (touristy part of Spain) all inclusive isn’t everywhere but we are happy with just half board. We pay for drinks with dinner this is standard (couple of euros for bottled water or coke, little bit more for wine). At lunchtime we would get a snack, ice creams etc whilst out. If there’s a fridge in the room we stock up with drinks, if not just buy as we go from Spar/supermarket/7-11. We find drink prices much cheaper than at home but depends on your location.

if you are fully self catering you should have cooker and fridge etc so just find supermarket or similar as you would at home. Cheap option for drinks buy a big bottle of water and decant into your dc normal water bottles, maybe buy one of those tiny concentrated squash bottles to add in?

@Piddypigeon have a great time planning it and a lovely holiday

A week in Agadir, early August, NW airport, just over 500 each. I've used this hotel and it's nice.

https://www.loveholidays.com/holidays/l/?date=2024-08-05&boardBasis=&masterId=167095&departureAirports=LPL-MAN&rooms=3&nights=7

If you can go 29th July it drops under 500 each

Flights are more expensive as you get closer to the departure date. I just looked at flights to Spain in August for two adults and a 6yo. It was the best part of a grand without luggage.

Would they understand that it’s just too expensive to do this year but you can book an earlybird for next year?

@medianewbie

Global insurance health card . Don't pay for it .

@Piddypigeon it is possible but - booking so late you will have to take what’s left. And it’s possible nothing will be left. It’s also possible people will cancel last minute so it really is worth trying, but, you have to be prepared to be disappointed and kind of expect that you may get nothing. As long as you’re ok with that? I would work out what flight times and airlines are scheduled for when you want to go - with the best times - for the places you want to short list so you can run a very specific search. If you download the various apps (tui, jet2 etc) then you can save the searches to save time.

Depending on the needs of the kids, you would probably need travel heath insurance too.

Definitely do-able to book something now for that budget. Look at flights/ eurostar now and then keep an eye on accommodation as that's what may get cheaper closer to the date if they have rooms unsold. Buy your travel insurance as soon as or before you book anything and be aware that you are more vulnerable booking travel and accommodation separately.

If your DCs disabilities mean that travel insurance might be expensive, check the cost of that before booking anything.

Check that everyone's passport is in date.

Book with a credit card if you have one, for the extra protection in case anything goes wrong.

Prices don't necessarily get more expensive as you get closer to the date, although it is likely that choice will be reduced. We booked a package for the end of June about a week ago, and annoyingly the price has reduced by £100 since then.