Do these 8 things now to save on 2025 holidays

Organising your next big trip? There is still plenty you can do to save money on your 2025 holiday. From choosing the right time to book, to organising holiday extras early, our tips could help you save hundreds of pounds.

Don’t get stung waiting until the last minute: these are the eight things you should do right now to secure the best deal.

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1. Book summer flights at least two months ahead

These days, waiting until the last minute to book rarely pays off. You’ll get the best prices between six and two months in advance, according to recent research by Skyscanner. After that, prices for most destinations tend to rise steeply. That means you should be booking in January and February if you plan to fly in June or July. 

if you are haven't yet pinned down where you want to travel, you can also set up price alerts on comparison sites. Simply click the price alerts button on your results page on Skyscanner, Kayak or Google Flights, enter your email address and you'll be alerted if prices drop. 

Just remember that - while the comparison sites are great for shopping around - we always recommend booking direct with the airline.

Looking for inspiration? Get 2025 holiday ideas in our guide on where to go this year

2. Taking a train? Buy tickets before getting to the station

If you’re planning a UK holiday – or even a day trip – make sure you organise any train tickets online in advance, however brief the journey.

Our mystery shoppers found that many ticket machines across the UK charge up to 154% more than buying online, with many hiding cheaper ticket options, such as advance fares. 

You’re unlikely to be able to pop into a ticket office for better rates – only one in six of the stations within the Department for Transport’s control have a full-time ticket office, and 759 stations don’t have a ticket office at all. Save money by booking trains online, well in advance of your trip.

Taking the Eurostar? Our research has found you should always buy your tickets in the Eurostar flash sales.

How to get a free National Trust pass this January — worth up to £50

3. Sign up to hotel loyalty schemes 

With hotel prices on the rise, bargains are harder to come by, but you can save money on big-brand stays by signing up to their rewards programmes. The majority are free to join and offer a range of perks: room upgrades, a free breakfast or discounts on bookings. 

For example, IHG, which includes Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Which? Recommended Provider Hotel Indigo, has special member rates (around 20% off the best flexible rate when we checked). 

You can also enjoy late check-out and unlock rewards (including free food and drink) for every 10 nights you stay. 

For extra savings, make sure never to book a hotel on your laptop. Find out why, and learn 27 other money-saving tips in our full guide on how to save money on holiday.

Find out the UK hotel chains rated best and worst by thousands of guests. 

4. Buy annual travel insurance upfront

Know roughly how many trips you plan to take this year - and to where? Then it’s worth doing a few quick sums. If you travel to Europe at least three times over a 12-month period, a multi-trip policy is likely to be the most economical.

Even one-off trips to far-flung destinations can work out cheaper with annual cover - check both options before parting with your cash. Our research also found you can make significant savings by taking out a joint policy with your partner. 

These are our top-rated travel insurance policies.

5. Book airport parking ahead of time

Once your flights and hotels are booked, it’s easy to drop the ball with the rest of your holiday planning. 

But leave your airport parking to the last minute and you’ll pay a heavy price - potentially hundreds of pounds. Even booking your parking just two hours ahead, rather than on arrival, can make all the difference.

When we checked, turning up at Manchester Airport’s multi-storey car park to park for a week cost £406 – quadruple the price of a booking made four months in advance (£95).

See more tips on how to save on airport parking. 

6. Prepare ahead to pack smart

Booking last-minute additional luggage can seriously add to the overall cost of your flights. And even when you add luggage at checkout, it can often cause the price of so-called ‘cheap flights’ to spiral — we’ve found it can more than double the price of your flight.

Get around these frustrating add-ons by investing in a good cabin bag and packing smart. 

Forget vacuum packs and compression cubes; we found that some good old-fashioned folding was the most effective way to squeeze more items into your case. Make sure you know the exact dimensions your airline will allow — some airlines are less generous than others.

British Airways is the most generous, allowing a 56 x 45 x 25cm case plus one handbag or laptop bag. Each one can weigh up to 23kg. 

In comparison, Ryanair only allows a small personal bag of 40 x 20 x 25cm, which must fit under the seat in front of you. 

See more tips on how to make the most of your cabin bag allowance. 

7. Collect air miles

Make your everyday spending count by collecting loyalty points along the way. Tesco Clubcard points can be converted into Virgin points: £1.50 of Clubcard vouchers will get you 300 Virgin Points. Other retail partners include eBay, John Lewis and Just Eat. 

Similarly, Nectar points can be converted into Avios points - which can be used for flights with airlines including British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Qatar Airways: you’ll collect one Avios for every 1.6 Nectar points. 

You can increase your bounty with the right piece of plastic, such as the American Express Nectar Credit Card (you’ll get 20,000 Nectar points if you send £2,000 in the first three months). 

See our pick of the best air mile credit cards for 2025. 

8. Check for local events at your destination — and avoid those dates

Whether you’re booking a far-flung trip or a UK cottage holiday stay, check for big local events before confirming your travel dates, as these can bump up the cost of a trip in the area. For example, we found a house rental on Airbnb for three nights over the Gold Cup horse race meeting event in Cheltenham for £456. The following week cost £172.

If you’re not fussed about attending a particular festival or event in your destination, consider visiting at a different time to make savings on your accommodation.

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