Last-Minute Holidays: Could waiting work in your favour?

There is something wonderfully tempting about a last-minute holiday.

You wake up on a Tuesday, realise you have a week free, and by lunchtime you're looking at flights to Greece.

Or perhaps you've spent the whole summer saying we really should get away, only to find yourself staring at the calendar thinking, actually, why don't we just go? For a long time, booking a holiday early was considered the sensible thing to do. And, to an extent, it still is.

 If you have your heart set on a particular villa in Tuscany, need a family room during the school holidays or absolutely must fly from a certain airport on a Saturday morning, I'd never recommend leaving it until the last minute.

But something interesting is happening with the way we book holidays. We're becoming much more comfortable with waiting.

According to ABTA's latest research, 30% of UK adults planning an overseas summer holiday in 2026 expected to book just two to four weeks before travelling. Another 10% said they intended to leave it until less than two weeks before departure. That isn't necessarily because people don't want to travel; rather, quite the opposite. Holidays remain a priority, but travellers are becoming more considered about where, when and how they spend their money.

So, could last-minute travel actually be a smart way to holiday?

Sometimes, yes. But perhaps not for the reason you think.

Last-minute doesn't automatically mean cheap

Let's get one thing out of the way first: a last-minute holiday isn't guaranteed to be a bargain.

We've all heard stories of people picking up a ridiculously cheap holiday a few days before departure, and those deals DO exist. But prices aren't governed by a simple rule that says “the closer you get to departure, the cheaper the holiday becomes.” Flights and hotels are influenced by demand, availability, seasonality, school holidays, departure airport and a whole host of other factors.

Which? recently compared thousands of package holiday prices for August 2026 and found that prices had fallen in 53 of the 71 European destinations it tracked. In some destinations, the reductions were more than £200 per person per week.

Turkey's Dalaman region, for example, was averaging £808 per person for a week in August at the time of the research, 14% lower than the price recorded in March. The Peloponnese had fallen by 16%, while Kefalonia, Gran Canaria and Tenerife were also among the destinations where late bookers could find lower prices.

But here's the important bit: those savings aren't guaranteed everywhere.

The people most likely to benefit are those who can say: "I'm happy to go somewhere warm. I'm flexible on the exact destination, airport and departure date. Show me what's good." And that is a very different proposition from: "I want this exact hotel, for these exact dates, in August."

Flexibility is the real luxury

This is where I think last-minute holidays become particularly interesting.

We tend to think of luxury as a five-star hotel, a private pool, a suite with a sea view or a table at a Michelin-starred restaurant. But when it comes to last-minute travel, flexibility can be its own kind of luxury.

Being able to move your departure by two days, or to fly from Gatwick instead of Heathrow, or equally happy with Greece, Turkey or Croatia, whether you’re open to a boutique hotel rather than a particular resort.

That freedom can give you access to possibilities you wouldn't necessarily see if you had already decided exactly what your holiday had to look like six months ago.

And luxury travel is changing too. Research suggests that our definition of luxury is changing. It isn't necessarily about the biggest room or the most impressive star rating. For many travelers, the things that make a stay feel luxurious are much simpler: a wonderful view, thoughtful extras, a beautiful setting or the feeling that the hotel has been chosen specifically for them.

So, where should you look?

If you're booking at the last minute, I wouldn't necessarily start by asking where is cheapest?

I'd start by asking: Where has availability that makes sense for what I actually want from my holiday? That small change in mindset can lead you somewhere much more interesting.

Turkey: sunshine, beautiful hotels and plenty of choice

Turkey is one of the destinations I'd have firmly on the radar for a last-minute escape.

The Turkish Riviera and Turquoise Coast offer an enormous range of accommodation, from enormous all-inclusive resorts to intimate boutique hotels and beautifully designed adults-only properties.

If you're looking for luxury without spending your entire holiday budget on the hotel, Turkey can be a great option.

Belek is ideal for those who want five-star resorts, golf and serious relaxation. Bodrum has a more sophisticated, beach-club feel. Around Fethiye and Ölüdeniz, you can combine spectacular scenery with some genuinely beautiful places to stay.

Kefalonia: the Greek island that rewards slowing down

Kefalonia is another excellent example of why looking beyond the obvious can pay off. It doesn't have quite the same international profile as Santorini or Mykonos, but that is rather part of its charm.

Think rugged coastlines, beautiful beaches, sleepy villages, mountain roads and long Greek lunches that somehow turn into late afternoons.

Katalonia was also the highest-rated Greek island in Which?’s latest reader survey, with an impressive destination score of 85%. It was also among the cheapest European destinations in its 2026 last-minute package holiday research.

For me, that's exactly the sort of combination worth looking for: somewhere genuinely beautiful that doesn't require you to pay a premium simply because everyone else has decided it is the place to be.

The Peloponnese: Greece without the usual island crowds

If you love Greece but aren't particularly interested in following the crowds, the Peloponnese deserves a look.

It has beaches, ancient sites, mountain villages, olive groves and some wonderfully atmospheric coastal towns. On top of this, because it is less synonymous with the classic Greek island holiday, it can sometimes offer better value too.

For these reasons (and many more), it’s exactly the kind of destination I'd suggest to someone who tells me they want somewhere beautiful, warm and interesting, but not somewhere that feels like every other British holiday.

Montenegro: for something a little different

If your idea of luxury involves beautiful scenery, good food and somewhere that feels slightly less familiar, Montenegro is worth investigating.

The Bay of Kotor is spectacular, with mountains dropping dramatically towards the Adriatic. Further along the coast, you'll find beaches, historic towns and a growing collection of stylish hotels.

It works particularly well for couples who want a holiday that feels like more than simply moving from an airport to a sun lounger or for people looking for holidays that feel personal rather than simply popular.

You don't have to go abroad either

Last-minute doesn't have to mean jumping on a plane. One of the more interesting travel trends of 2026 has been the growing appeal of UK breaks.

Expedia found that 45% of British travelers were more interested in UK holidays than the previous summer, with searches for places such as Scarborough, Tenby and Harrogate all increasing.

With opportunities like a beautiful weekend exploring the Cotswolds, a luxury stay in the Lake District, or a coastal escape to Cornwall, or even an impulsive city break to Edinburgh, you don't need to cross the border to feel like you've escaped.

The difference between spontaneous and stressful

This is where I would always encourage a little bit of realism.

There is a romantic version of last-minute travel where you book a flight on a whim and spend the next week drinking Aperol beside an infinity pool.

There is also a less romantic version where you spend six hours comparing hotel reviews, discover the only available room is nowhere near the beach and realise your return flight involves a 4 am departure from an airport three hours away.

The trick is knowing the difference. If you have very specific requirements, booking early still makes sense. Some questions you need to ask yourself are: 

• Travelling with children?

• Do I need accessible accommodation?

• Do I want adjoining rooms?

• Am I taking the dog?

• Do I want a particular hotel or resort I’ve seen?

• Am I travelling during school holidays?

These are some of the instances where planning might be worthwhile to save the hassle and make your trip as stress-free as possible.

How a travel agent can help

One of the reasons ABTA has seen more people turning towards travel professionals is particularly relevant here.

Its research found that 31% of UK adults said they were more likely to book with a travel professional following recent global events. The most common reasons were knowledge, expertise and the security of booking through a professional.

And I think last-minute travel is where that can be especially useful.

Because when you have six months to plan a holiday, you have plenty of time to research, but when you have six days, you don't necessarily want to spend five of them doing it (nor do you have that time at your disposal!) 

You want someone who understands the difference between a hotel that looks beautiful in photographs and one that actually has a great location. You need an expert who knows which resorts are better suited to couples, families or solo travellers. In addition, a travel expert has the knowledge, experience and insight to look beyond the obvious destinations to get the best package deal. 

That's the bit I love about arranging travel. Because it's not just about finding you a holiday; it's about finding the holiday that makes sense for you.

Ready to see what's out there?

If you've been putting off booking your holiday because you aren't quite sure where you want to go, you don't necessarily need to have the answer before you get in touch.

Get in touch and tell me your dates, your budget, and the sort of holiday you're craving.

I'll do the searching. You can decide where you want to wake up.