How much can you save by booking a last minute holiday?

The great thing about being a sunshine seeker without school-age kids is the huge flexibility you have travelling outside peak periods. You can make your mind up to book last minute holidays, find a late deal then be packed and gone in hours.

Last minute holidays are fantastic value

This is certainly a growing trend. Once the children have flown the nest and the grandchildren are back at school then holiday lovers who can source a late deal, really should. After all, what’s holding you back? It’s not like you have to scroll through Ceefax or Teletext. Remember those days?

Click… pay… then make your way to the airport

Sometimes a spur of the moment decision to get away, leave it all behind and chase the sun can lead to a great holiday. There’s not a huge countdown, you don’t spend millions buying excess holiday gadgets, clothes and dieting to fit into the bikini. Booking late deals means you click, pay, then make your way to the airport. With kids in schools and most people at work, resorts are delightfully calm, relaxing and just for grown-ups.

Be flexible, be adventurous and bag last minute deals

If last minute holidays really are becoming popular then what is driving the trend? People have suddenly cottoned on to the fact that savings of 68% and more are quite common. Booking online has never been so straightforward. If you can be flexible about when you want your sunshine, then you can choose your price. It really is that simple.

You can’t afford to pass up late deals…

For example a late deal in Turkey staying on the Dalaman Peninsula in October can save up to £220 per person. So to fly from Stansted airport for 7 nights based on 2 people sharing would cost from only £258per couple. How can you afford to pass off such stunning late deals?It is really not expensive to take advantage of the 20+ temperatures in Turkey at this time of the year.

Post your own selfie on Facebook

The great news is there are plenty of destinations to choose from – throughout the UK, Europe and internationally. Staying in Europe means flight times are short too. If you like Majorca we found an offer of 7 nights half-board departing from Luton with an incredible saving of 61% per person. This holiday is reduced from £485 pp to just £190. Imagine staying at a 4* hotel with a full programme of sports events. Or if you fancy,stretch out with a book and relax round a large swimming pool amidst manicured gardens. Imagine the envy on your friends’ faces when you show the ‘selfies’ in the sauna, playing tennis with the caption: ‘All this was less than £200 each.’

You don’t have to be Shirley Valentine to enjoy Greece this autumn

Of course, Greece is popular and a wonderful destination for last minute holidays as the weather is balmy right now and through October. If you’ve ever watched the romantic movie Shirley Valentine as she drinks wine, eats her exotic dinner with her table lapped by the Aegean Sea, you will understand the allure of Greece. Therefore, with the added bonus of a 53% saving and the thought of china blue skies in autumn, how could you resist? There are some great studios and apartments for really lazy holidays in Sidari and Corfu. The Christina Studios and apartments are classified as 3* and flights are from London and Gatwick. So, two people in need of a late holiday can lie back, sun bathe and day dream of what they can spend their £454 saving on when they get home. Or maybe it will make a substantial down payment to the next last minute break after Christmas.

Tenerife boasts sunshine and a fiery volcano

Tenerife is always a safe bet for winter sunshine. Many sun worshipers swear by a top-up of their sun quota at Tenerife, their favourite Canary Island. There are savings to be had but as you might imagine this is a very popular autumn/winter destination. It goes without saying that discounting is less aggressive on Tenerife. Still there’s an additional 2% discount on great prices in Puerto De La Cruz.

How much is winter sun worth to you?

Whatever the cost, with an average of 22 degrees and 7 hours of sunshine every day you can guarantee your vitamin D quota. Come on, it’s a more pleasant way of topping up that taking vitamin supplements. How much is winter sun actually worth to your mental and physical health?

Forget the UK weather this October

If Menorca appeals there is a 45% saving on late deals to Alcaufar. If you fly out from Stansted for 7 nights you can make a peaceful sandy cove your home for the week. If you just want to spend October on the beach or by a swimming pool then the Hotel Xuroy is the perfect spot. With a saving of £418 per couple this holiday represents astonishing value. You can forget the clock changes, autumn gales and squally showers as Menorca is quite hot and balmy in October.

Ever thought a late deal will be cheaper than turning up the heating?

All this only goes to prove that leaving things to the last minute doesn’t equate with sloppy planning. Looking for last minute holidays can net some fantastic late deals. Obviously a little research is necessary. But for the sake of a couple of hours making a decision between Egypt, the Caribbean, Turkey, Spain or Greece you can find some great savings. If you consider the cost of staying at home,these prices probably make it cheaper to go abroad than turning up the heating in the UK.

Another reason to skip the country is on its way

You won’t regret pampering yourself and squeezing out the last warm rays before coming back and beginning the countdown to Christmas. Mind you that might be yet another good reasons to skip the country.