Is last minute really cheaper than early bird? If you want the cheapest deals for a 2024 European holiday in the sun, THESE are the best times to book…

• Which? compared the prices of more than 15,000 short-haul package holidays
• It found that a week in Greece was up to £242 cheaper if booked in advance
• READ MORE: Would you dine on a picnic table that hangs 295ft over a waterfall?

Holidaymakers could save hundreds of pounds by booking next year’s summer getaway early rather than leaving it to the last minute, new research by Which? Travel has revealed.

The watchdog found that a week in Greece was up to £242 cheaper if booked in advance, meaning a couple would save up to £484 on a getaway. 

Meanwhile, holidays to Turkey and Portugal were nearly £200 cheaper per person if booked in advance.

But as holiday companies launch ‘book early’ deals for 2024, Which? Travel also found you shouldn’t book too early. The cheapest price for most destinations was when booked in December and January, it reveals. Here are its findings in full for July trips to Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Italy, mainland Spain and the Canary Islands… 

EARLY BIRD VERSUS LAST-MINUTE PRICES COMPARED – AND THE CHEAPEST MONTH TO BOOK

Which? Travel found that it’s usually cheaper to book a summer holiday in advance – but not too early. For instance, a week in Greece was up to £242 cheaper if booked in advance. Above is the Greek isle of Santorini 

EARLY BIRD VERSUS LAST MINUTE PRICES COMPARED BY WHICH?

GREECE

Average holiday price seven months before departure – £1,021

Average holiday price one week before departure – £1,263

Average saving – £242

TURKEY

Average holiday price seven months before departure – £968

Average holiday price one week before departure – £1,165

Average saving – £197

PORTUGAL

Average holiday price seven months before departure – £864

Average holiday price one week before departure – £1,049

Average saving – £185

ITALY

Average holiday price seven months before departure – £1,113

Average holiday price one week before departure – £1,133

Average saving – £20

MAINLAND SPAIN

Average holiday price seven months before departure – £876

Average holiday price one week before departure – £862

Average saving – minus £14

CANARY ISLANDS

Average holiday price seven months before departure – £1,112

Average holiday price one week before departure – £1,020

Average saving – minus £92

Source: Which? Travel. 

The results came from analysis of 15,196 short-haul package holiday prices from Jet2holidays and Tui – the UK’s biggest tour operators – departing between 18 and 24 July, 2023, in October, November and December 2022, and January and July 2023.

Which? Travel says that it’s usually cheaper to book in advance – but not too early.

For half of the six beach destinations the watchdog looked at – Greece, Turkey and Portugal – prices were at their lowest in December on average.

January was typically the second-cheapest month to book a trip to these destinations, and it was the cheapest month to book an Italian holiday – you’d save nearly £150 compared to last-minute prices.

LAST-MINUTE HOLIDAY DEALS TO THE CANARY ISLANDS 

Mainland Spain and the Canary Islands were the exceptions: booking in advance was typically pricier (£876 on average) than booking at the last minute (£862), with a bigger price difference for holidays to the Canaries, Which? Travel found – a saving of £92 can be made for the Canaries when booking last minute.

It notes that this reverse pattern for Spain is probably because tour operators have more Spanish holidays for sale due to its popularity with British holidaymakers, but overestimated how many sales they would make in summer 2023.

Last-minute prices for Spain were a lot cheaper than the other Mediterranean destinations Which? Travel looked at – for instance, the average price of a Spanish holiday was £400 less than a Greek holiday.

CAN YOU STILL GET LAST-MINUTE DEALS? 

Last-minute summer deals may have been in short supply this year due to exceptionally high demand following the pandemic, Which? Travel says.

It notes that tour operators need only offer genuine deals when they quickly need to sell unsold holidays.

Which? Travel found that you could save £185 on a trip to Portugal if you booked it several months in advance. Pictured is a colourful street in the country’s capital, Lisbon 

However, it says that last-minute discounts may be more common next year if demand for package holidays falls due to the cost-of-living crisis.

In each of the six destinations that Which? Travel checked, the average holiday price was cheaper if you booked a fortnight before your departure instead of waiting until the week before. The biggest price difference was for holidays to Turkey and Greece, which cost around £90 more per person if booked a week before departure.

Which? Travel looked at July because package holidays to sun destinations tend to be the most expensive during the school summer holiday. Last-minute holidays in September are much cheaper, it says.

The cheapest package holiday from Jet2 – which was rated by Which? Travel as 2023’s joint-best beach and resort package holiday provider company – in one week’s time, departing on September 1, is at the Platja Park on the Costa Brava for £464 per person, Which? Travel reveals. To make a comparison, for the first week of the summer holidays in 2024, the cheapest package holiday is in Crete at the Pardalakis Studios for £595 per person.

Travellers dreaming of holidaying in Italy could save £20 by getting their trip locked in early, Which? Travel found. Pictured is the Italian tourist hotspot of Venice 

Over at Tui, for the same dates in September, the cheapest option is in Marmaris, Turkey, at the Sun Apartments for £382 per person, Which? Travel reveals. In the first week of the 2024 school summer holidays, the cheapest seaside break was in Corfu at the Agnes Beach apartments for £604 per person.

As for availability, Which? Travel says that there’s still plenty of choice even if you book at the last minute – as long as you’re fairly flexible about where you go. Just one week ahead of departure, Jet2holidays and Tui still had more than 3,000 holidays available across Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Cyprus, Italy, mainland Spain and the Canary Islands, it notes.

Commenting on the study, Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: ‘Our latest research has found that booking your holiday early will almost always get you the best price, rather than waiting until the last minute in the hope of snapping up a late deal.

‘But you shouldn’t book too early. So while it may be tempting to book next year’s summer break as soon as you’re back in the UK, you’re better off waiting a little longer until tour operators drop prices in December and January.’

The results came from analysis of 15,196 short-haul package holiday prices from Jet2holidays and Tui – the UK’s biggest tour operators – departing between 18 and 24 July, 2023, in October, November and December 2022, and January and July 2023. 

The consumer champion’s price check looked at all the seven-night holidays available with Jet2holidays and Tui. The holidays include flights and could be any star rating on an all-inclusive, half-board, bed and breakfast or room-only basis.

Holidays to Turkey were £197 cheaper per person if booked in advance. Above is the Istanbul skyline 

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