Child in School from Sept, do I have to book my holidays massively in advance?

[fizzylemonade]

Does everywhere get booked up quite early? Overheard couple in restaurant talking about their 2008 summer holiday!!

Are they just very organised or do I really have to be thinking far ahead?

We're looking to go to Egypt for Feb half term, do I need to get my backside in gear?

Not really, its just cheaper the earlier you book.

Depends where you want to go/what type of holiday you have.

We have holidayed for many years now in France, self-catering, with another family. Properties usually all have the same changeover day, (Saturday), which means that all the Friday/Saturday ferry crossings get booked up very quickly. If you want a Commodore class cabin on Brittany ferries you are lucky to get one of these a year in advance.

Also, properties large enough to cater for 2 families tend to get booked up quickly so we would often be thinking about the next holiday on our return.

We also have a week's holiday (when we can afford it ) in Barbados in October. Again, flights on Saturday/Sunday - as well as the hotel itself - can often be completely booked up 9 months ahead. Which means you have to go on a weekday, so have to take the kids out of school.

No, you just have to save up for longer.

If it's a package holiday - you generally can't book these more than 11 months ahead anyway...

We are planning on a Mark Warner holiday next August (so we can't foist the kids off on a kids club) but they are not yet booking that far ahead.

We booked our French villa holiday (which we returned from on Saturday) only 3 or 4 months ago

I do think that you need to start thinking about it, but as hmc you may not be able to book a package yet anyway.

Half-terms tend to go very quickly, especially the May half-term ime. February half-term is peak time for ski-ers. Villas are typically booked up to a year in advance.

The "best" or most recommended places get booked up very early - some cottages in Cornwall with swimming pool for example were fully booked for Summer 08 by end June. It does depend on what you are after, and how popular it is.

Thanks for the help. Before children we holidayed USA and Caribbean, posh hotels, spa breaks, sigh, those were the days.

Since babies and me being SAHM we do center parcs twice a year but now that we would be going in the school hols it works out incredibly expensive and I don't think it is worth it.

We wanted to go abroad as DS1 has never been on a plane as just as he was getting good at sitting still I was pregnant with DS2! So I have a 4.2yr old and a 15 month old.

Was just wondering how ultra organised I had to be. France would be nice, or Italy, Europe is definitely on the cards.

The last few years, we have made our bookings during the Christmas holidays.