Early bird gets the worm: How advance bookings can save money on your holiday

As we enjoy our well-deserved annual holiday, very few of us have gone so far as to book the next one. We don’t often go ahead and book until at least some months, or even weeks, before the aforementioned event.

There are a variety of reasons why we don’t book our holidays well in advance. Perhaps we don’t know how many days off work we’re going to have, or are still undecided about the destination. However, one thing is certain: booking an early holiday can save you a great deal.

Although we live in an increasingly ‘later is better’ culture, this kind of attitude doesn’t necessarily translate well when it comes to booking holidays and flights. Leaving things until the last minute may not only mean that you don’t get the exact deal, hotel or package that you had your heart set on, but it could also leave you needing to make urgent plans to alterations, which makes for a stressful and unnecessary pre-holiday situation.

So, how early is early? When is the ideal time to book your next holiday? Although we’re in the midst of summer now, looking to next year’s break in the sun now may not be a bad idea. Many travel websites will already have their deals and availability options for summer holidays 2013 at the ready, so it’s a good idea to at least have a look at what you could be saving, even if you’re not ready to book just yet.

Whether you’re looking for an all-inclusive package holiday to Spain or a sun-kissed self-catering break to Portugal, booking early may well save you money.

Indeed, you may even find yourself able to afford something a little out of your price range simply due to the early bookings discounts and increased availability of seats.

Some of us may be thinking about our winter break as well, and now would be the perfect time to book that long-awaited skiing holiday.

Although it may be hard to imagine the soft powder of the slopes now, an advance booking for travel early next year could not only save you money, but also stretch your budget to allow a visit to a more ‘exotic’ ski destination.

Canada, the USA and even Japan are all great skiing destinations and you could even save yourself a little extra by booking in low season, although this will vary from country to country.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the fluctuation in oil prices, as well as the strong pound and effects of the credit crunch, led to a decrease in overseas travel for the fourth consecutive year in 2010, although things are now slowly starting to normalise.

While travellers are gaining their confidence back and deciding against the ‘staycation’ which has marked holidays of recent, there can be no doubt that booking early is one sure-fire method to cutting a big expense out of your trip.