How long does it actually take to book a holiday?

Clinching an all-inclusive package deal on Teletext before the page changed may now be a thing of the past, as is Teletext itself of course (bring back Bamboozle!), but there are still some of us who enjoy a last-minute bargain. More commonly though, we prefer to book months in advance, while the process of researching and planning the holiday is days, weeks, sometimes months or even years (in the case of cruise particularly!) in the making.

One online stat suggested the average person spends ten hours planning their holiday while Expedia's ‘Path to Purchase’ research suggests it takes roughly 69 days to go from 'look' to 'book'.

Truth is, there’s no one size fits all answer because it can depend on all manner of factors - the type of holiday, how you’re choosing to book, where you’re going, etc. For instance, a long haul multi destination trip to Asia will obviously take more planning than a one-week package holiday in Spain. It also depends on whether you go full-on Monica (me) with your holiday planning or have a more carefree ‘where the wind blows’ approach (definitely not me).

The booker journey

Rather than focus on specific timeframes, it’s important for travel marketers to understand the different stages of the customer journey. Each stage presents a great opportunity to connect with potential travellers.

The funnel below demonstrates these key stages – or ‘moments’ – in the traveller’s booking journey and is based on Google’s ‘Micro Moments’.

The four key stages

Let’s take a closer look at each of these moments:

• Dreaming moments: The start of the buyer journey. Travellers are starting to explore ideas and destinations and are eager for inspiration. In the ‘dreaming moment’, consumers are still in their research and discovery phase, they know they want to go away, they just don’t know where yet.
  
• Planning moments: This is the how/what/where/when stage where the buyer has narrowed down their destination choices and are looking at prices, reviews, flights, etc. They may have already decided on a destination and are looking for more information to help them plan their journey.
  
• Booking moments: The traveller has found their perfect destination, done the necessary research and now they’re ready to make a booking, meaning the lead has successfully been converted.
  
• Experience moments: The booking has been made and the traveller may be researching restaurants in the vicinity, local tours and attractions, etc.

How far in advance are holidays booked?

We’re an organised bunch in general, with the vast majority of travellers booking more than a month ahead of departure. That’s not to say we’re adverse to throwing caution to the wind to some extent, with 35% of us booking between one and three months in advance.

The survey conducted by YouGov offered further insight. Those who book within a month often do so for flexibility (20%) or because they are working around the schedules of family and friends (18%). Travellers booking four and six months in advance tend to prioritise price stability (16%) and availability (15%). Meanwhile, those planning more than six months ahead are most likely to be motivated by securing their preferred accommodation (19%) and mitigating price increases (13%).

Interestingly, despite shifting travel trends, a majority (63%) of travellers reported booking their summer holiday at the same time as they did the previous year, showing that many of us are creatures of habit.

A great way to find out when people start putting their holiday wheels in motion is to look at search stats on Semrush or Google’s Keyword Planner. These tools show you search volume month on month for key terms such as ‘holiday in greece’ or ‘mediterranean cruises’.

Let’s look at a couple of examples.

This chart demonstrates how the first four months of the year have high search volume, which correlates with the YouGov findings, i.e. the majority of people start planning their summer holiday months in advance. Note how search volume almost halves in the second half of the year, when people are either on their holidays or have had their holidays and are now focusing on other events such as Christmas.

Here’s another example for a different type of holiday:

Travel brand Ski Weekends suggests that the best time to book your next ski holiday is between May and July. The search volume data presented above would suggest these middle months are indeed when people start having those all-important dreaming moments, which appear to run right through until December.

And for one final illustration, using our own data collected over the last few years from Google Keyword Tool, we can see the clear pattern of travellers searching for villa holidays for the following year during the summer of the current year (i.e. ‘villa holidays 2024’ searches peaked in summer 2023 and then again in January 2024).

When is the best time to book a holiday?

There’s no exact science, but there are a few general pointers:

• Summer holidays: Booking between January and March is when you’re most likely to find the best prices and widest choices. Airlines and travel companies offer early-bird discounts, while last-minute deals tend to be scarce in peak season.
• Winter holidays: For a budget-friendly winter escape, the best time to book is four to six months in advance, typically in the summer.
• Last-minute breaks: If you're flexible, waiting until four weeks before departure can sometimes yield major discounts, particularly for city breaks and long-haul destinations.
• Flight deals: Flights tend to be cheapest when booked at least three months in advance, or six months ahead for peak summer travel. Midweek flights, especially on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, also tend to be cheaper.
• Cruises: For the best deals, book early – typically 12 to 18 months in advance - for lower fares and preferred cabins. Last-minute deals (90 days before departure) can offer great savings but flexibility is essential and you may have to compromise on cabin preferences.

Probably goes without saying but travelling anywhere during school holidays – particularly during the summer - will usually add a few zeros to the total cost.

So, how long should you spend booking a holiday?

Again, there’s no singular magic answer, but – gun to my head - if you’re looking for the best deal, booking at least three months in advance is a solid strategy. For those crazy fools who live on the edge and thrive on spontaneity, last-minute deals can often yield some good deals but only if you’re flexible on destination and timing.

One final thing - should I let AI just do all my travel planning for me?

No - at least, not yet. Despite advancements in the tech, I still wouldn’t trust AI to get me to the corner shop without instructing me to go via Abu Dhabi or something. You were better off with Teletext.

Happy travel planning!