Have you ever done a LATE booking for a family summer hol

[AlaskaNebraska]

dh and I pretty flexible htis year.
are thinking of leabving it till July

please oevrhwhelm me with stories of bargains and JOY

.

oh come on

did you not realise we are already in November ?

you have missed your chance for this year, love

< pats alaska on shoulder >

Two years ago we booked 1st July, left 14th July to go to Aruba in the Caribbean, all inc, two weeks, £1200 for 2 adults and 1 child. Brilliant. Is that what you want to hear???

thats the ticket cakey

lol at missed boat

Have never booked a holiday more than 2 weeks in advance, lastest was 4 hours before flying.

No problems - although I am as won't be ale to afford a holiday this year

well dont take it as red we can !

This is most likely not what you were thinking of in terms of destination but...we always go to Mull self catering and it gets booked up pretty early (I've just sorted next year this week, just need to send a deposit). In 2006 dh lost his job when the company he worked for imploded - no salary, no holiday pay, nothing. So things were very tight and obviously we couldn't book and pay a deposit. Come June time he had another job and things were ok again so I spent an evening ringing round - very depressing as everywhere was full - then just as I was about to give up I found a lovely cottage who had a cancellation for the week we needed. No cheaper than if we'd booked earlier but no more expensive either and it does at least show that people's plans can change and things come up. I think it's fine to leave it till then as long as you don't have your heart set on anything in particular.

on no we are open to anythign hot!
was mull...er .. dry?

never do an early one!
This year (consults e-mails) I booked on 23 July for 11 days starting 18 August.
Easy-Jet or Ryan Air flights, Owners Direct or Holiday Rentals for accom.

actually - usually usually go to Bosinver in May, and last year booked that the previous August I think, and the year before the previous October.
But that's wanting a specific cottage in a specific week.
Late summer holiday is much less constricted.

We booked a Pierre et Vacances holiday just a month ahead this summer. Website had no availability for the complex/size of accommodation we wanted but they found us one over the phone seemingly reduced by about a third.

ooh that IS good

and do you go to a shop or book online or what?
the issue is we haev three kids so cant really do hotels

We have late booked frequently, mainly due to DH running his own business and never being completely sure too far ahead when he can get away-

Mark Warner in August (pre DCs)
Egypt with Kuoni in August (pre DCs)
Minorca in July (with toddler)

Did them all online- MW 2 days before, Kuoni- 1 week before, Minorca- night before flying!

Not sure why you can't do hotels... in Egypt the hotel had interconnecting rooms- so 2 huge beds in one room, and I think up to 4 (huge) single beds in the other.

we have never ever booked anything till a few days/week before we go

due to ridiculous unpredictable work and inability to make any sort of decision lol

yes villas good for that

last minute cancellations

captain nancy
tell me more about Egypt

yes but not since having school age children. But had good bargains with Sunsail going to Greece in mid-May and with Simply Travel in Sept.

If you want particular accommodation and Kids Clubs etc in holiday time you have to book early generally to get exactly what you want.

I should warn you that August is seriously rather hot... it was 54 degrees one day (thats a hot face rather than grr)
July and September would be cooler, though I assume you need school holiday time.

We did 2 weeks- the first week was a Nile cruise- Temples at Dendara, Abydos, Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Philae (at Aswan) Abu Simbel was an optional day excursion (involved flying, so we didn't bother), followed by a week in Luxor at a 5* hotel- this one, though it was a Le Meridien when we stayed there 6 years ago. (if you look at internet reviews, you'll see how good it is... fantastic hotel)
with visits to Valley of the kings, a stele (obeleisks) quarry, and hot air balloon ride (over valley of the kings at dawn... utterly amazing). We basically OD'd on history and culture the first week, and chillaxed the second, mainly in the pool.

Not sure how much your youngest would get out of it, but pretty sure your older 2 would absolutely love it.

Kuoni were fabulous- everything was taken care of and we (our group, not us personally) had an Egyptian archaeologist with us the whole 2 weeks, to take us round all the sites, and he really was knowledgable.

Of course, there is the other side of Egypt- diving in red sea... probably pretty good too- MW have a couple of places, usually with plenty of last minute availability in summer, and of course all the usual sports stuff. Egypt is too hot really to lie and fry tan- you need to be in the water (or indoors... with the most amazing air con- I got a lot of reading done that holiday) to deal with the heat.

yes would need term time

will read ta

DONT WANT poxy kids clubs {breathe}
so will eb fine

A few years ago we booked on the Thursday, flew on the Monday to Corfu but it was the very last week of the season (October half term). 2 adults,2kids, £880 for 10 days 5 star half board.

Now we've got 3 kids we tend to book in advance as we need school hols and it is cheaper to book Easyjet flights in advance.

No problem if you are Eurocamping or staying in a villa though as long as you can getthe flights.