As holidaymakers start summer dreaming, a new study has pinpointed the ideal length of time before departure that sunseekers should start preparing for their trip.
The study was completed by Holiday Extras, the UK’s leading provider of holiday extras including airport parking, airport hotels, and airport lounges, and analysed a collection of data points that aligned to holiday planning, including its own booking data, to prove that 42 days – exactly six weeks – is the time Brits should start getting getaway-ready for that perfect holiday.
Offering the perfect balance between spontaneity and preparedness, this timeline is the “sweet spot” that allows holidaymakers to secure great deals on their breaks and ensure that they have enough time to get their important travel documents in check, without losing momentum or tying up plans unnecessarily.
The travel brand’s analysis collated research that found:
- You’re booking your flights and accommodation at the optimal sweet spot for savings and availability. Studies show you can save 48% on your flights by booking now(1): while that six weeks gives you plenty of availability and great prices for hotels, booking further ahead than this, unless you’re going somewhere ultra-exclusive or for a special event, might mean you miss out on some late-release savings.
- Getting ready for a holiday isn’t all fun and games – there’s a fair bit of work and planning to do as well. Six weeks gives you long enough to do it all at reasonable leisure without a panic at the end, and also gives you time to sort out some of the longer-term paperwork. Need new vaccinations for exotic climes? Takes about six weeks(2). Discovered one of your passports ran out last year? The passport office says leave six weeks to sort it out. Use our day-by-day guide and AI assistant to plan your perfect trip.
- Holidaymakers can save a pretty penny by pre-booking their holiday extras, rather than leaving it all to the last minute. When comparing the price each of its airport parking customers paid when pre-booking their parking to the gate rate of their car park, Holiday Extras found an average saving of £196 per trip last year(3). Six weeks gives you plenty of time to make sure your travel insurance, lounges, airport hotels and airport parking are sorted before you jet off.
Its own booking data, based on over 11 million bookings in 2024 also found 42 days as the average time customers booked their essential extras ahead of departure(4).
Brits spend approximately £3,000 per year on their holidays(5), so allowing that six weeks to plan will help you budget, and spread out the cost of the holiday over two or three paydays. What’s more, getting organised can help you avoid unnecessary purchases, with 1 in 5 of us admitting to leaving something important behind in the scramble for towels and suitcases, costing holidaymakers £140 on average to replace what was left behind(6).
Saving money isn’t the only benefit of planning ahead though – in fact while 66% of Brits find themselves overwhelmed with tasks in the run up to their trip (7), 97% of us say that having a holiday planned makes us happier(8). Leaving enough time to get organised lets sunseekers sit back and enjoy the anticipation of their upcoming holiday.
David Lee, Director of Growth and Innovation at Holiday Extras said,
“At Holiday Extras we’ve been helping people have hassle-free holidays for 42 years – and the secret to making everything go smoothly is to be prepared. There’s nothing better than looking forward to your holiday, so allowing yourself six weeks to get organised will provide the perfect sweet spot – allowing you to enjoy the planning process and avoid all the stress of last-minute preparation.
“We helped 11 million people have a better holiday last year and between them they decided that 42 days was the right amount of time to spend getting ready. We can’t argue with that. So if you’re planning a trip, give yourself 42 days to enjoy it. 42 days to plan and budget at leisure, 42 days of dreaming about sea and sunshine, 42 days to get the best price for your flights, your hotel and those holiday extras you need to turn that dream trip into an extraordinary adventure.”
To help holidaymakers get ready for their trips this summer, Holiday Extras has created a step-by-step guide and trip planning tool that recommends what to do in the destination when you get there. Your perfect holiday is waiting…
For more information and to book your holiday extras, visit www.holidayextras.com.
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