With travellers often looking to book a staycation at this time of year, it can make sense to book on the weekend over a leisurely cup of tea. However, this could end up costing you more money. Instead, you should wait until the rush of weekend bookings are finished and business travel schedules are done.
This makes Tuesday the best day of the week to book a holiday, as there is often more availability and booking sites are looking to fill up their remaining hotel stays – fast. This means flexibility pays off if you can bear the risk. Hotels typically operate a cancellation window of 24 to 48 hours, meaning they will try to flog any cancelled rooms – sometimes at a reduced price.
And while super risky and last-minute, some good hotel deals can be made after 6pm – if you just happen to be in the area.
However, these rules are overturned when it comes to big chains like Premier Inn and Travelodge. Travel expert Linda Reynolds, at Personal Travel Agents, told The Guardian that she recommends travellers to book early for the best deals.
For example, the Travelodge is advertising “rooms from £35 or less” when booked in advanced; and certain travel websites are good to have in your arsenal.
For instance, Google Hotels, Kayak and Trivago will notify subscribers when prices dip so that you’re in the know when it comes to great holiday deals.
When to book a holiday
In terms of days in the hotel itself, a Sunday to a Thursday will usually work out the cheapest to avoid price hikes aimed at long weekenders.
It is also best to bear in mind school holidays, bank holidays and local events because these will always inflate prices and are best to be avoided if you can.
Reynolds said: “Sunday nights in cities are usually cheaper than Friday or Saturday nights because leisure demand dips after the weekend.
“In rural locations, including coastal areas, midweek (Monday to Thursday) is often cheaper than weekends, when leisure travellers arrive.”
If you are planning a trip to London, consider staying outside the city centre in zones two to three. These are cheaper, well connected and still give you a proper taste of the big smoke. This also applies for other big cities such as Glasgow, Manchester, Edinburgh and Bristol.
Meanwhile, money coach Maddy Alexander-Grout recommends using Plans Change marketplace which allows people to resell their holidays at a discount; these start from a minimum of 25% off.
“In my job, I travel around the country a lot, and I regularly use the site, saving about 20% on a hotel booking direct,” she said.