How to Plan a Last Minute Christmas Getaway

Monday November 16th, 2015

If you’re getting close to the silly season and, at the last minute, you’ve decided that you don’t want to sit around your home for the holidays and you need to get away, then fear not. Planning a last minute Christmas getaway can be really easy, and won’t be a very stressful activity if planned correctly. So how can you plan your sneaky getaway without a hitch? Here’s a few tips:

• Search for a great deal on “last minute” websites There are a few websites now that cater to the last-minute traveller. You can easily jump online and provide estimated dates of travel, and you should be able to pick up a great deal. These websites have been designed specifically to last-minute offers, so you won’t be able to go on these sites to book months in advance. A lot of these kinds of sites will also provide you with holiday packages that you can book all in one place. For example, you can book your flights, hotel and car hire all on the one website. It makes for an easily planned trip.
• Travel mid-week Perhaps you could consider taking your trip mid-week. A lot of people want to get their holidays started at the end of the working week and will get out of town on a Friday. Airlines know this, and so can afford to add a few extra dollars on top of the flight prices on the weekends. Consider taking your trip on a weekday and returning on a weekday as well to lower your costs. There is likely to be more availability on these flights as well.
• Be flexible in your plans If you want to make a quick getaway, be prepared to be flexible. There may be days where accommodation and flights just aren’t available, but the following week is fine. Try to be flexible in your arrangements, and be prepared to travel on dates that aren’t your first pick. Being flexible also means that you should be able to save a little bit of money if the dates you end up choosing are mid-week or was cancelled by another person.
• Check if you need specific vaccinations If you’re travelling to another country, be sure to understand if you require any certain vaccinations before leaving. Before booking, do a quick search online for some information regarding medications or vaccinations that are recommended for that country. Be sure to leave enough time for you to book an appointment with your doctor before leaving if you are unsure so that you can discuss your options.
• Book accommodation It goes without saying that if you’re booking a holiday, you need to book your accommodation as well. You might feel like you can get away with getting to your location and booking a hotel when you get there, however being able to do this will be extremely unlikely. There is likely to be a lot of other travellers hoping to do the same, or perhaps they have all booked in advance leaving you nowhere to stay. Be sure to book your hotel in advance, and get confirmation from your hotel or booking site before leaving. The last thing you want to deal with is a night in your new destination with nowhere to go.
• Make sure you’re insured Insurance while travelling is very important. Although you might not think anything will happen to you, or you have travelled many times before and nothing has ever gone wrong, the truth is you just don’t know what will happen. Make sure you have travel insurance to cover your needs. If you’re not sure where to look, there’s a few comparison sites online so that not only can you find the right insurance for you, you’ll be able to find a good deal as well.
• Read reviews Reviews online are there for a reason. A hotel or resort can put numerous pieces of information online about how great they think they are, but real reviews from customers who have stayed there are always going to tell you what a place is really like. People who write reviews on travel sites will often just want others to either experience what they did because it was so great, or they want to warn others from having a disastrous time. Some travel sites will have reviews included on their site so that you can book and read reviews all in one place.
• Spend time doing some price comparisons If you’re booking online, it’s really easy to look across a few different sites and compare prices. If you can’t be bothered doing that, use a comparison travel site that will compare all the prices of last-minute and holiday booking sites for you. This is ideal if you want to spend less time browsing and more time packing! The prices may be different across websites, but the offers are generally the same. Just be sure to read the fine print and understand what it is exactly that you’re booking to ensure you don’t get disappointed.
• Don’t forget about low-cost airlines There are plenty of ‘budget’ or low-cost airlines. They will often travel to the same destinations as the larger airlines, but will be discounted. They may not provide in-flight movies for free or have less meals, as an example. They may also charge extra for baggage, whereas it might be included with the more expensive airlines. So be sure to check out what the airline offers and what is and isn’t included. You’ll then be able to make comparisons and see where you can save money on your flights.
• Consider a destination you can drive to Australia is a large country with so many places to see and visit. The great thing about this beautiful country is that you can drive to a lot of great destinations, either in the same state or the next, and the drive is a part of the holiday. Driving along the coastlines of Australia, you can often visit many picturesque towns in between your journey and have a great time on the road. Instead of booking flights to the next city or country, perhaps you’d consider driving to a great spot in this beautiful country of ours instead?