Best school holiday deals

[m1ckeymouse]

Hi Everyone

Just wondering if you can give us some words of wisdom. This is the first time we have been tied to school holidays (I really don't want to open the whole taking out of school debate!) and we knew the prices would be bad, but we are looking at an additional £3000 on the usual prices just to go in April! (in fairness, we usually go early Decmber staying at Pop, which is cheap anyway). We have tried booking seperate and it is the flights that seem to be the problem as they are at least the same as the holiday itself (we are 2 adults and a 6yo). Unforunately we only have 4000 airmiles, so can't use them either. and with the little one, we really want to stay direct.

Is there a cheap school holiday? We have never stayed off site in 4 visits and it doesn't seem to be that much cheaper than Pop, especially if you add car hire.

Any thoughts welcome. Thanks in advance.
Suzanne

 

[wayneg]

Finding deals in school hols is all about being flexible, if you stick to direct flights on x dates to x date at x hotel from x airport then you will pay a high price, the more flexible you are the more chance of a deal.
We are usually more flexible but this year we wanted direct so we have paid a crazy £880pp for flights (returning in PE) but helped Mart (burt) get similar dates indirect for £380pp.
Every child is different so can't advise for you but we took DS out of school for 2 weeks every Oct (3 weeks incl half term) every year at Junior school and 1st year at high school.

 

[dixonsontour]

October seems a better bet pricewise - flights are cheaper than main summer hols. We are lucky that DD gets two weeks off each October so our best bet.

Some school seem to have 2 weeks off in May or people take out for 1 week plus the hols - that also seems a popular option.

If not last two weeks of August seem best.

 

[WiganTony]

As noted above, if you can go in late August flight prices do reduce substantially. This year, 14 nights LHR - MCO for example (from this flight search site):

Dep 20/08: direct £953/one stop £765
Dep 21/08: £861/£751
Dep 22/08: £804/£552
Dep 23/08: £672/£524

However, I have also seen good deals for early August. For example, we booked in Nov 2009 for LHR-MIA flights with AA for our 2010 holiday, out on 29th July returning 14th August for £400 each.

A few months ago, lastminute.com had some very good prices from both London and Manchester for one stop flights to "secondary" Florida airports (Jacksonville, Palm Beach) for around £450 this August. Both of these offers were flagged up oon this site, so keep watching.

Not sure where you live, but if you don't mind being flexible in where you fly from (we live 25 miles from Manchester Airport, but last year's LHR-MIA flights saved us well over £1,000 - enough to pay for our park tickets and car hire), or indeed if you would consider flying into Tampa or Miami, you may well be able to find that elusive flight bargain.

Just to give you an idea, our 2010 holiday (LHR-MIA flights, 4 nights RPR, 12 night OKW including free DDP, 14 day Universal Tickets, 14 Day Disney Ultimates, 1 Day Seaworld Tickets and car rental) cost £4,200 for 3 of us (DD age 12 classed as Adult for tickets). As we had free DDP, we "saved" around $1,700 on eating in Disney.

 

[micksn]

August has free dining at moderate and deluxe resorts which compensates a little for the expensive flights. Fly thomas cook has now released flights from Manchester and Gatwick for about £750 for next August.

 

[JuliaVA]

Have you checked flights to Tampa?

 

[m1ckeymouse]

Thank you all so much, we have been considering adding a week to DS half term in Feb 2012 which will prob be the best option despite the unauthorised letter I have just received!

I think we will keep looking too, especially August, although isn't it really hot and busy then?

Thanks again
Suzanne

 

[Stitch's Greatest Fa]

I know you don't want to open the whole debate and nor do I but...NO there is no such thing as a cheap school hol - I am a primary school teacher and have been for 11 years - i know I chose my profession but it is so pants that I always have to pay high prices.

I teach 6 year olds so I say - save money and take him out of school - 2 weeks won't hurt as long as it's not the very beginning of the school year - I would take my kid out if i were not in the profession lol! (No, seriously, I would)

Everyone reading this, please don't turn it into a debate I was only answering the original question!

 

[wildwood]

I to have had to go this year for the first time in the school holidays and we found we could afford to go by flying into miami even with booking a hotel for the first night and the drive up it the money saved going this way was the diffrence between going and not going . We did alot of looking around checked sites everyday , made lots of phone calls and where fleaxble in our dates but we pulled it off and are on our way from the 8th august to the 24th , my advice is if you get a price you are happy with BOOK dont hold out for sales or cheaper prices and once booked dont look again .