How late can you book a holiday?

H0ax! · 10 Jul 2011 at 11:10

Got the first week of August off. Never really been on holiday and I'm looking for a bit of sun. About £300 max...

Anyone used teletext holidays or have any other websites they use? Turkey looks nice.

Glaucus · 10 Jul 2011 at 11:11

A few hours before the flight. Plenty of people have used teletext.
Also expedia, last minute and plenty of other places.

Fuzz · 10 Jul 2011 at 11:45

Rock up at the airport and pick the next available flight..
Taxi to desired resort "Can I book a room please"
That's about as late as it gets.

[FnG]magnolia · 10 Jul 2011 at 11:51

Is Teletext still as slow as it used to be?

Energize · 10 Jul 2011 at 11:56

I didn't realise teletext even existed any more, how quaint.

Jokester · 10 Jul 2011 at 11:58

Old school teletext has been switched off here since the digital switchover. It's basically just the BBC Red Button or the dedicated Teletext Holidays channel. They're essentially near enough realtime now.

Dolph · 10 Jul 2011 at 12:04

Laterooms.com and similar, on the day pretty much

It does depend how flexible you are willing to be on destinations etc though.

joeyjojo · 10 Jul 2011 at 12:13

Does anyone have experience of getting a good last minute deal? I'm looking to go away 10-17 August and am happy to gamble on a last minute surprise destination

I notice expedia has some really cheap deals for next week (e.g. 7 days self catered in Rhodes with flights for £170 p.p.). Might this be the case in the first week of August too?

Glaucus · 10 Jul 2011 at 12:14

Like most things to get a good deal means spending hours scouring the net and keeping a list of any decent deals and the main points in word/excel and of course checking voucher sites and quidco type sites.

sHo0sH · 10 Jul 2011 at 12:50

Its myths like these that make my day unbearable.

A last minute deal doesn't really exist. It's going to be a crap hotel in a crap destination because it hasn't sold.

£300 in August will just about get you a self catering in Turkey / Greece from a bigger uk airport.

Amp34 · 10 Jul 2011 at 12:56

Not entirely true... We've managed to get 5* platinum ski chalets for £400 by going last last minute. However I agree a lot are just rubbish, especially in main holiday periods. Most will just be £50 off a 2* SC in a nasty tourist resort... Depends if you like that kind of stuff.

I looked into going somewhere sunny for a week in early September a couple of years ago, cheapest reasonable place turned out to be Gambia.. Most of the med was more expensive if you didn't want Benidorm...

knip · 10 Jul 2011 at 12:57

Latest i've ever booked it is 2 weeks before I went, however as mentioned by others, you can just rock on up to the airport.

Greebo · 10 Jul 2011 at 17:51

They can be some rubbish things or some great deals. We once got Kos for 2 weeks in a 4 star Hotel just outside of Kos town for £170 each. That was booking the night before the flight. We were sate next to another couple on the plane staying at the same place and they had booked it 6 months earlier for £340 each.

If you are not bothered about your exact destination you can save lots of money. And if you get it cheap enoguh, if the hotel is pants just go look for another hotel on your first day and your total holiday cost will still be cheaper.

-westy- · 10 Jul 2011 at 17:57

Amp34 said:
Not entirely true... We've managed to get 5* platinum ski chalets for £400 by going last last minute. However I agree a lot are just rubbish, especially in main holiday periods. Most will just be £50 off a 2* SC in a nasty tourist resort... Depends if you like that kind of stuff.

I looked into going somewhere sunny for a week in early September a couple of years ago, cheapest reasonable place turned out to be Gambia.. Most of the med was more expensive if you didn't want Benidorm...

The Gambia is ace, I went there a couple of years ago. £300 each inc flights, win

Andr3w · 10 Jul 2011 at 18:01

I'm planning on going on holiday in about 4 weeks.....still haven't booked it yet!

Will just do it a week or so before I want to leave.

semi-pro waster · 10 Jul 2011 at 18:03

Scubascorpion said:
Rock up at the airport and pick the next available flight..
Taxi to desired resort "Can I book a room please"
That's about as late as it gets.

This is true, however it's possibly worth mentioning that some countries require visas for entry not normally the ones at <£300 but it's a point to bear in mind. America for instance requires the ESTA (visa waiver for citizens in selected countries) - they also apparently don't like it if you don't have a destination booked on arrival at customs or so I discovered, whoops.

needforspeed · 10 Jul 2011 at 18:05

If you book earlier it can be cheaper.

H0ax! · 17 Jul 2011 at 17:42

Quick update... Paid £380pp for 7 nights B&B at Nagi Beach Hotel, Turkey in August. Best I could find for our budget really! Majority of the reviews seemed pretty positive.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_...sula_Mugla_Province_Turkish_Aegean_Coast.html

IceBus · 17 Jul 2011 at 17:44

I'd recommend the Travel Zoo Top 10 - can get some great last minute deals.

Amp34 · 17 Jul 2011 at 18:01

-westy- said:
The Gambia is ace, I went there a couple of years ago. £300 each inc flights, win

£300, pretty good! What hotel did you stay in? We stayed in the Kairaba and I think it was around £400 for the week. Not sure I'd go back for a "relaxing" holiday (typical pestering everywhere) but I don't like those anyway. Definitely plan to go back for a photo holiday though.

semi-pro waster said:
This is true, however it's possibly worth mentioning that some countries require visas for entry not normally the ones at <£300 but it's a point to bear in mind. America for instance requires the ESTA (visa waiver for citizens in selected countries) - they also apparently don't like it if you don't have a destination booked on arrival at customs or so I discovered, whoops.

Meh, just make one up... you only need to be staying there for the first night anyway...