With a cost of living crisis forcing people to put a hold on luxury items and experiences, some will no doubt be still looking to get a couple of nights abroad on the cheap.
And when it comes to booking budget holidays away, timing is everything.
From the day you decide to book up, to the flight times you choose, there are endless variables which can contribute to how cheap or expensive your trip becomes.
Read more: Newcastle Airport - best holiday deals for February 2023
The Mirror reports in fact, that a trip to the sunny shores of Greece could be yours for just £17 each way - if you choose the right time to go. Last week the CEO of Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, shared a warning about the price of plane tickets for the year ahead, predicted they'd continue to rise through the summer.
While it is inevitable that holidaymakers' pockets will be hit by these forces, there are things you can do to make sure that your holiday is as cheap as possible. One of the main tips is to be flexible with when you fly and where to, if you are able to.
Travel experts at Destination2 have compiled a list of holiday hotspots - and the best times to book if you want the deals in 2023.
The research revealed that March is the cheapest month to fly, with seven out of the top ten trending destinations for 2023 offering cheap travel during the month such as Turkey, Greece, Croatia, Malta, Cyprus and Iceland. For those planning to finally head on those bucket list trips, February is the best month, offering some of the cheapest times to fly to the Maldives, Barbados and Mauritius.
You can check out some of the holiday hotspots and cheap flights that can be found:
- Maldives; London to Malé; October (£588), November (£589), December (£567)
- Turkey; London to Instanbul; March (£31), April (£32), May (£31)
- Mexico; London to Mexico City; June (£486), September (£480), October (£480)
- Greece; London to Athens; February (£17), March (£17), April (£17)
- Croatia; London to Zagreb; January (£12), February (£16), March (£16)
- Barbados; London to Bridgetown; February (£231), May (£359), June (£361)
- Malta; London to Valetta; February (£16), March (£18), April (£29)
- Cyprus; London to Larnaca; February (£18), March (£17), April (£18)
- Iceland; London to Reykjavik; March (£18), April (£18), June (£24)
- Mauritius; London to Mauritius; February (£493), March (£493), May (£492)
The countries were chosen based on the amount of searches they'd received online, with the fares determined by finding the lowest cost flight available that month, rather than the average monthly cost to fly. Analysis of flight data by Skyscanner found that some routes were inflation-bustlingly low at the end of last year.
The archipelago of Madeira has had the biggest price drop since before the pandemic from UK airports, with the average return flight costing £130 this year - a fall of 22%.
Getting to and from Melbourne will knock you back £1,334 now, which is a fall of 19%, compared to Sofia's 18% drop to £112.
Brussels' £83 return represents a 13%, Dublin eight per cent at £61 return, and Tirana also eight per cent, with flights costing £201 on average. Another Australian city which is cheaper to get to now following the country's lengthy lockdown is Sydney, with return tickets costing £1,455 - down seven per cent.
Belfast costs £110 (down six per cent) now, Paris £126 (down five per cent) and Manila £878 (down three per cent).
You can find out more on destination2.co.uk.
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