For years I booked trips the way most people do, around the dates that suited everyone else too. The calendar felt fixed, so the prices felt fixed as well.
At some point I started comparing the numbers instead of the dates. This article lays out what those numbers show, using figures from 2024 to 2026, and how I plan around them now.
The Price Gap Is Bigger Than It Looks
A 2026 sample search for a return flight from Birmingham to Dalaman found the same flight cost about 64% more in late July than in mid-June[1]. For a family of four, that gap came to more than £1,100.[1]
Package holidays show the same pattern. Research from icelolly.com found that a family of four flying from Gatwick to Tenerife on October 24 could pay as much as £3,140 for a seven-night all-inclusive break, compared with £1,716 just a week later[2]. That is a difference of £1,424 for the same kind of trip, caused by the school calendar alone.
Why One Week Earlier Can Change Everything
School term dates are not identical everywhere. MoneySavingExpert points out that in 2026 most Leicestershire schools break up for summer on 8 July, while most others do so around 23 July[3]. Its price check found a week in Dalaman, flights included, at £449 per person leaving on 10 July 2026, but £736 per person on 24 July[3].
Late August can also help. In January, MoneySavingExpert spotted a Lake Garda apartment holiday at £1,019 per person leaving 29 July 2026 from London Gatwick, but just £752 per person leaving 22 August[3]. Small shifts in the departure date add up quickly.
Leaving From a Different Airport
Where you fly from matters nearly as much as when. Icelolly found that families in Nottingham could save up to £170 per person on the same holiday by flying from Birmingham Airport rather than East Midlands Airport[2]. For families in Glasgow, the saving could reach £253 per person by flying from Newcastle instead[2].
The gap can be even starker across the border. MoneySavingExpert compared an all inclusive week in Rhodes for a family of four, leaving on 16 August 2026. Flying from Manchester it cost £1,314 per person, while from Edinburgh it was £960 per person.[3]
Why Skipping School Isn’t My Answer
Taking children out of lessons is the obvious workaround, though it carries real costs. Under the national framework that began in August 2024, parents face £80 per parent, per child if paid within 21 days, rising to £160 if paid within 28 days[4]. A fine is generally considered once a child has missed 10 or more sessions for unauthorised reasons[5], which is five school days.
The totals add up fast. Two parents taking two children out of school could face a family fine of £640.[6] Department for Education figures show 459,288 penalty notices were issued in 2024 to 2025, with holidays accounting for 93% of all fines[4]. Repeat offences can lead to prosecution, so I plan around the school year rather than against it.
Autumn Does a Lot of the Work
The stretch after the summer holidays is where I now book most trips. KAYAK’s research found that flying abroad in September and October costs on average 26% less than during the July to August peak[7]. Some of the drops are large, with Albania at £111, a 52% drop, followed by Romania and Bulgaria[7].
Islands and coastal spots do well in this window. Six of the ten fastest-growing shoulder season destinations, including Paphos, Chania, Palermo and Rhodes, are Mediterranean island or coastal spots.[7] I aim for September or early October, before October half term pushes prices up again.
The Shoulder Season Discount Is Shrinking
This strategy is no longer a guaranteed win. CNBC reported that travellers flying to Asia can save an average 21% in 2026 by flying during the fall shoulder season instead of summer, a drop from 29% savings in 2023[8]. In some cases, the savings have disappeared altogether in 2026[8].
NerdWallet reaches a similar conclusion. It says the savings are now concentrated in specific places instead of showing up everywhere automatically[9]. So I compare actual dates and destinations before I commit, rather than assuming autumn is cheaper.
Half Term Premiums and the Quiet Days of the Week
Not every school break is priced equally. A 2026 analysis of UK departures puts the summer premium at 40% to 80%, Easter at 25% to 45%, October half term at 15% to 30% and May half term at 10% to 20%[1]. May half term is the mildest of those, though still more than I’d choose to pay.
The day you fly also matters. One analysis notes that airlines concentrate higher prices on days when demand soars, such as the Wednesdays and Sundays bracketing major holidays[10]. I check the days either side of any date I like before booking.
Other Countries Run on Different Calendars
School holidays are national, and that creates odd gaps. MoneySavingExpert notes that France, like many European countries, does not have a May half term[3]. That can leave some destinations quieter when British children are off school.
It also affects long haul and theme park trips. A family suite at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort was £3,132 a week in the first week of August 2026, but £2,763 in late August[3]. Checking who else is on holiday has become part of my planning.
Christmas and Other Peaks Are Priced Accordingly
The most expensive weeks of the year are easy to spot. The 2026 UK analysis puts the Christmas and New Year premium at 50% to 100%[1]. Few other holidays come close.
American data points the same way. A NerdWallet analysis of nearly 600 US airfares from August 2024 found that flights during the week of Christmas were, on average, 57% more expensive than flights the last week of August[11]. In 2024, Walt Disney World theme park tickets were about 33% more expensive in December than in September[11].
What My Calendar Looks Like Now
My trips now sit in September, early October and the weeks outside the school breaks. I compare departure airports, check a few dates either side of any plan, and look at what other countries have on their calendars.
The savings are real but uneven. Each year I run the numbers for the specific trip before I book.
