Booking for 2017 School Holidays

[SpaghettiMeatballs]

DD starts school in September so we will need to think about booking our first school holiday break at some point.

Until now we've booked nice cottages in the UK. I nearly died when I found out the place we are staying in Cornwall in June for £1,000 will be £3,000 in August.

On this basis it's time for a change and we think we would like to book somewhere abroad.

When do you generally look to book for the six weeks holidays? I can see they are already for sale on Thomas Cook etc.

We will have DD, 5 and DS who will be 3. Any recommendations gratefully received.

I'd book now if you want to take advantage of the free child places before they run out.

I had a look last night and it did seem to be the rule that they are more expensive if you're trying to book now for this August than if you're booking for next August.

I can't believe I'm considering booking 15 months before we would go!

I know - we're normally last minute bookers but have booked next year's already - I feel v strange

The same holiday if we booked now would be £1.5k more expensive

Where have you booked HMW?

When the airlines release the seats! I've nothing against packages and we do them sometimes but as we generally do 2 centre holidays, we usually book flights and hotels seperately as its cheaper. Start out with some idea of where you want to go, do a quick airline search on somewhere like Skyscanner for flights this summer and work out from there who's likely to be the cheapest airline for next summer. Airlines like EasyJet won't release flights yet but I book them as soon as they are released as the seats are cheaper. Then I search Expedia and Trivago etc for hotels, checking on Tripadvisor that they are ok. Because I don't book it all at once, it helps money wise as payments are spread. I booked this years summer trip in September last year.

Agree, as soon as flights are out.

Like Jane I try to book as soon as the flights come out. If you book as soon as they are out you can still get some reasonable prices.
Also Scottish summer holidays are at different times so if you're up north of England or in Scotland you can use this to your advantage.
We like the Dordogne for summer as temperatures not ridiculous and accommodation again not too hideously priced.

All the package holiday companies such as First choice, Thomson etc are already out for summer 2017 (they are released 3rd week in April) so if you want summer holidays a lot of the FCP may have gone already. I am afraid though prices are eyewatering for next summer.

Wow I thought I was fairly organised having our Feb 17 holiday organised !

Jet2holidays don't appear to be selling next summer yet.

Sometimes very late August can be a little cheaper than late July/early August, or check exactly when DD goes back to school in September 2017. Last year some of our local schools didn't go back until something like 7 September, allowing people to holiday from the last week in August/early September and save quite a lot.

Agree that I would rather spend £3k on a week in the sun than a cottage in Cornwall.

It is well worth looking at something like Center Parcs in Europe, it is hugely cheaper than the UK ones. We went to one in Holland a couple of summers ago, the last week in August is cheaper there because their schools go back that week. Even adding in petrol and Eurotunnel costs, it was around half the price of Longleat (we spent around £1200 for a week in a VIP villa with pastries delivered daily and a free newspaper included). The activities are loads cheaper too, and we also had a day trip to Amsterdam.