We’re still in peak holiday season, which means high demand and high prices. But if you wait until the end of August and book last-minute, it could save you money.
The key thing to consider is when you travel and how flexible you can be. Avoiding peak school holiday periods and remaining open to different destinations, dates and airports is what actually makes last-minute bookings cheaper.
We’ve rounded up our top destinations for a cheap last-minute summer holiday and how to save on food, accommodation, activities, public transport, and more, while you’re there.
Cheap Last-Minute Summer Holiday Destinations
Cheap Beach Holiday Destinations:
Travel and package holiday websites, such as On The Beach, EasyJet, Jet2holidays and lastminute.com all offer plenty of cheap, last-minute beach holiday deals across:
- Bulgaria: In resort towns like Bansko, food and drink is roughly half what you would expect to pay in the UK (e.g. a local beer on draught is around £2 and a restaurant meal is around £8.87).
- Egypt: Package holidays to Red Sea beach resorts like Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh usually range from £240 to £400 per person (depending on the season and accommodation).
- Greece: Greece can be affordable depending on where you go. Lesser-known islands like Corfu or Lefkada offer much better value than Santorini or Mykonos for example.
- Spain: Spain offers plenty of family-run hostels which provide basic private rooms at a low cost. Cheaper destinations across Spain include:
- Benidorm
- Majorca
- Tenerife
- The Costa del Sol
Cheap City Breaks
If a city break is more your style, you can also find last-minute deals on 2-night stays across:
- Barcelona: If you’re not staying in the centre (which will also save you money), Barcelona has a great public transport system. A single metro or bus fare costs €2.90, or you can get a T-Casual card for €13. This will give you a combination of 10 single fare tickets that can be used across metro, bus, tram and local train services.
- Milan: There are plenty of free or low-cost (under £15) attractions in Milan, including:
- The Duomo rooftop
- Public parks
- Discounted museums
- Prague: Just like any holiday destination, there are tourist traps in Prague. But it can be affordable if you know where to go. For example:
- Avoid Charles Bridge where the same street food you can get for €4.50 elsewhere is over €22.
- Visit Prague’s Castle Grounds – it’s free!
- Churches like St. Nicholas host free classical music if you arrive 30 minutes early.
- Bernard Beer Spa offers weekday packages for €65 as opposed to €95 elsewhere.
How to Save on Your Cheap Last-Minute Summer Holiday
Booking a Cheap Last-Minute Summer Holiday:
- Book in the late evening: Some last minute holiday deals are released late at night, usually between 10pm and 1am.
- Filter your stay within a 7-14 day window: When searching on travel sites, add a filter to your search that looks for stays that last between 7 and 14 days. This can lower the price significantly, as hotels would rather discount a room than leave it empty.
- Search just before payday: Holiday prices tend to go up rapidly just after the end of the month (when most people get paid). So if you can, leave your search until just before payday to find the cheapest deals.
- Book midweek flights: If you’re flexible with the day of the week you fly out on, choose a Tuesday or Thursday – these days are significantly cheaper than a weekend departure. Pair this with a Sunday return flight to save even more!
- Book a package deal: Use package holiday websites to book your flights, hotel and transfers together – this almost always works out cheaper than trying to book everything separately.
- Book a holiday for September or October: Waiting until the peak summer holiday months are over can actually work out in your favour; travelling during this time is significantly cheaper due to less demand. Plus, there are plenty of countries that are still hot in September and October, including:
- Egypt
- Greece
- Malta
- Portugal
While You’re There:
- Self-catering: While it’s nice to try new foods abroad, if you’re going for a week, try and limit yourself to one or two meals out during your stay. The rest of the time, try self-catering. If your accommodation has a kitchen, you can venture down to the local supermarket and cook with fresh ingredients. Or, simply find a local shop near to where you’re staying (or on the way to your activities) and look for meal deals or cheap items.
- Free activities: If you’re staying in a hostel, they usually organise free walking tours and food nights, which can be a great way to save money and make new friends. Alternatively, you can look online or ask at your hotel reception desk for free/low-cost activities in the local area.
- Consider carpooling: If you’re travelling to Europe, there is a free app called BlaBlaCar that matches drivers up with passengers who are going to the same place. This can make your trip around half the price of a bus or train ticket because you’re sharing the travel cost with someone else.
Struggling to Save?
If saving up for a holiday is a struggle, or has become impossible for you, you’re not alone. In a 2026 Save the Children survey, 59% of UK families said the summer holiday is the most challenging of the year. One in eight families also said they would struggle to buy summer essentials like sun cream and hats for their children.
You shouldn’t face money worries alone – our experienced debt advisors are here to help. We offer free* and confidential debt advice in whichever way you feel comfortable receiving it, whether that be over the phone, via email, over WhatsApp or through a webchat.
Or if you’d prefer, we also have a free* online debt advice tool, which takes less than 15 minutes to fill out. Once you’ve answered all of the questions, you’ll see a budget created for you on-screen, as well as a list of debt solutions we think you may qualify for based on your situation.
Don’t worry – debt advice will NOT affect your credit score.
*Our advice is free, but if you sign up for a debt solution with us, fees will apply.
