Last Minute Summer Holiday Tips is a sponsored post, in association with Siblu
Back in January, booking our summer holiday in August seemed like a fine idea. Fast forward to July, Flea is already out of school and it feels like AGES until our summer vacay.
So this past week has been spent scouring the Internet for a last-minute summer holiday.
Now, it has to be said this is not our usual procedure. I’m generally a planner of trips, with accommodation, cars and the like arranged months ahead of time. I’m a lover of a to-do list.
But there’s a lot to be said for a last-minute trip. It’s spontaneous and you might consider holidays you’d otherwise have overlooked. But best of all? You can snap up some complete bargains!
Last Minute Holidays in France
One of our favourite summer destinations is France, which is ideal for family holidays.
We love the huge, wide beaches of the Vendee, and have spent several holidays in this part of France. If you go here you MUST visit historical theme park Puy du Fou. It’s bonkers, but brilliant.
As Flea has got older, we’ve discovered that the beaches around Hossegor have some of the world’s best surfing and there are brilliant surf schools here. It’s an easy trip if you take the ferry, and amazing for families. Or how about Biscarrosse? It’s a great little surf town on the South West coast.
A little further South there’s the Languedoc-Rousillon. This part of France has a huge Catalan influence, and along with great weather there are some amazing restaurants, and beautiful mountains to explore when you’ve had enough of beaches. Oh and tapas. Did I mention tapas?
If you don’t want to travel too far we also have loved family holidays in Normandy and Brittany. We love exploring the walled towns you often find in this part of France, and for history buffs there’s plenty to explore.
How to Snag a Bargain Last Minute Holiday
My first tip for getting a great last-minute break is to check out flash sales and special offers from mainstream providers.
At the moment, Siblu has up to 50% off breaks in the summer holidays at some of its 19 holiday villages across France.
We’ve done lots of these types of mobile holidays and they are an amazing option for families giving you access to GREAT facilities with the flexibility of self-catering.
This is essential when you have little picky eaters in the family – although weirdly my picky eater LOVES snails!
Timing is Everything
If you’re booking a holiday “late” this means anything that’s less than six weeks prior to departure. So you need to hold your nerve and wait for the bargains to become available.
Last summer we booked a last minute holiday two days before departure and scored more than 70% off the original brochure price. It did mean some pretty fast packing, but that seemed a small price to pay!
Be Prepared to be Flexible
Just remember that the later you leave the booking, the more flexible you might need to be. A week before departure you’ll probably have a limited number of options in things like destination, departure airport and facilities.
Consider taking a last minute holiday when relatively few people are going away (considering it’s peak season). The FIRST and last week of the holidays are often way cheaper as people don’t want to go away as often during those dates.
At the moment Siblu is offering 50% off a week’s holiday at Les Charmettes in the Charente Maritime region, during the first week of the holidays. You could get a week’s holiday with amazing water parks, kids’ clubs and great accommodation all included in the price. Check out the Siblu site for more details.
I must confess, I am totally converted to the joys of the last minute holiday. If nothing else it gives you less time to research destinations, adding a frisson of excitement to your trip – and it might just encourage you to explore somewhere new this summer.
Have you ever booked a last minute holiday? Would you be tempted by a bargain?
I think I have a mental block on last minute holidays and HAVE to book them as far in advance as possible – I’m trying to book next summer already and getting annoyed that flights aren’t on sale! I feel like if we waited we’d get a better deal but WHAT IF ALL THE HOLIDAYS ARE GONE?!
I think it depends. Our “main” summer trip I usually book in January mostly so I can pay it off over a few months, to be honest!
But I think when it gets to this time of year, last-minute trips are amazing especially because the tour companies have already bought and paid for those trips – they HAVE to shift them, and you can get something at a great price, and because it’s not your “main” holiday I find I’m more likely to take a gamble and try somewhere new. We’ve discovered some of our fave places ever on last-minute breaks. DO IT DONNA!
Ooh we think we might try Siblu in late August but don’t want to drive will have to take s look