Would you like to book a holiday in the high season? Add these 7 key ‘booking dates’ to your diary to accommodate the surge in accommodation demand between Easter 2024 and mid-February 2025

Do you want to postpone your holiday planning until the last minute?

It turns out that you are missing out on the most interesting accommodations and the largest range of options VRBO.

The travel booking website, which rents out villas, cottages and beach houses, has analyzed past booking data from British travelers to identify peaks in demand – and when availability for those destinations starts to decline.

The travel experts have identified seven important dates for the agenda of every avid holidaymaker. If you book your villa, cottage or beach house before these days in 2024, you will have access to the widest selection of places to suit your needs. as well as the places that offer the best value for money.

Wait until later and the options will dry up.

As you might expect, January and February are the busiest months for booking holiday homes, as people dream of sunnier climates abroad.

If you can’t afford your holiday during the post-Christmas crisis, you can still find excellent accommodation for the rest of the year – provided you book in time.

To have the widest possible choice of available accommodations for key travel periods in 2024, travelers are advised to book no later than the dates below:

1. Easter holidays (March 29, 2024 to April 12): Book by February 13

2. Early May bank holiday (May 6): Book by 29 March

3. Holiday at the end of May (May 27): Book by April 8

4. Summer holidays (July 23 – September 4): Book by June 8

5. Autumn holidays (October 28 to November 1): Book by August 26

6. Christmas holidays (December 23, 2024 to January 3, 2025): Book by November 11

7. Mid-holiday February 2024 (February 12 – February 16): Book by January 3, 2025

A HomeAway spokesperson said: ‘We’ve all experienced the disappointment of finding the perfect home for your trip with family or friends – complete with large pool, high-end kitchen/diner and the right number of bedrooms – only to find it completely gone. booked for the dates you need to travel.

“To avoid this, we recommend that travelers add HomeAway’s booking deadlines to their 2024 calendars so they get the best vacation home for their trip this year.”

January and February are the most popular months for booking holidays, says HomeAway, as people want to escape the winter gloom and enjoy a bit of foreign sunshine

Smart consumers not only know when to book accommodation to get the best options, but can also book flights at certain times (and fly on certain days) to ensure they get the cheapest trip, according to the ‘2024 Air Travel Hacks Report’.

Travelers who book on Sunday instead of Friday save an average of about 21 percent on domestic flights and 24 percent on international flights, the study found.

For domestic flights, the findings suggest you can save up to 35 percent if you book at least five months in advance.

“Travelers who booked 162 to 180 days before departure saved an average of 34 percent compared to those who waited until the last minute.” Expedia.com said.

“Meanwhile, for international airline tickets, the ideal booking period is eight to 23 days before departure and the worst booking period is 36 to 63 days before departure.”

Expedia notes that you can save eight percent by booking in the first period instead of the last period.

If you leave on Friday you can save up to 26 percent, while Sunday is on average the most expensive day to start your trip.

The research shows that if you depart before 3 p.m., the chance of your flight being canceled decreases.