Let’s say you have a trip planned. You know when you’re going. You know where you’re going. But when should you buy your tickets?
Well, you don’t need to guess any longer – we’ve sifted through all our data, and we’ve come up with a definitive guide to let you know when to book to maximise your savings to some of our top destinations. And the good news is, you may be able to save up to 56% on your travel just by knowing when is best to buy. Read on:
Mid-haul flights: book 5-6 months in advance
Generally speaking, the best prices for mid-haul flights are usually found four to six months in advance of your trip. The biggest savings can be made when flying to the popular destination of Arrecife, on Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. Flights there are 42% cheaper when booked 4 months in advance, as compared to the worst time to book. So Irish travellers should remember: getting your plans made early isn’t just a virtue, it’s also a cost saver.
Savings of around 30-40% can also be secured by booking 5-6 months ahead when travelling to two other Spanish destinations – Málaga and Barcelona. However, travellers planning a trip to London needn’t worry – the best prices for a trip to the British capital are found just 2 months before departure, meaning that sometimes it pays to rest on your laurels.
Long-haul flights: book 4-5 months in advance
When it comes to farther-flung destinations, our analysis shows that in most cases, the magic period is between four and five months in advance of the departure date.
For certain popular international locations, you can make significant savings make just by making sure you have your travel planned several months before you go. Don’t wait til the last minute – or you’ll risk losing out on savings of over 15% on a trip to Orlando, Las Vegas, or Bangkok.
Again, there are some exceptions. Heading to New York? Put the kettle on, relax, and try to be patient – the best deals to the Big Apple are found just two months ahead of time.
Booking accommodation: book 1-2 months in advance
As with flights, there are great savings on offer when booking 3 or 4-star hotels if you know when to strike. On average, one to two months before arrival is the best time to book for many of the top destinations.
Amsterdam and Barcelona both offer tremendous savings when booking one month out, while Rome is also worth waiting for – with its prices available two months in advance.
Destinations further afield can have quite different levels of flexibility. For example – ultimate savings are only achieved when booking nine months ahead of time for Dubai, while one to two months are all that is required to save big for New York, Orlando or Las Vegas.
The cheapest destinations to fly to in 2017
Finally, for all of you simply looking for the cheapest destination for your holiday in 2017, we’ve got you covered. Based on our analysis, the cheapest location on the continent is Alicante, while those looking for something a bit different might consider Cape Town – with the South African city surprising many as the least expensive option overall outside of Europe.
Of course, if you do want to take advantage of the great deals to either of these locations, you had better start planning soon: five months before take-off are required for maximum savings to Cape Town, and seven for Alicante – so what are you waiting for?
To see the entire ‘When to book’ guide, complete with colourful and beautiful data displays, click here.
And for the real travel gurus, go ahead and sign up for a Price Alert from KAYAK – the best way to stay on top of daily price shifts so you can make sure to get the best deal.
The analysis is based on return flight and hotel searches and clicks on KAYAK.ie from all airports in Ireland for any travel dates in 2017, evaluating the most popular destinations searched for in Europe and internationally. Prices for hotels are considered for 3 and 4-star hotels only and are per room per night. Seasonality is not considered for the analysis as the travel period considers 2017 as a travel year. Prices are subject to change, may vary or not be available anymore. Indicated savings are not guaranteed.
