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New data from Airbnb has revealed that next week is the best time to book a budget family getaway ahead of the new year.
Sunday 20 October is the overall cheapest day to book a family staycation before 2025, according to the rental platform.
Based on family bookings in winter 2023, the 18 and 19 October were also in the top five cheapest days to book.
While mid-October is prime time to save pennies on staycations, 4 November was found to be the most affordable time to book a family holiday overseas.
According to Airbnb, 40 per cent of parents admitted to returning to the same place every year due to the ease of booking.
Half of UK parents admitted that they find booking a holiday stressful, with over 33 per cent saying they struggled to agree on a destination.
Airbnb predicted the listing price trends based on bookings by groups travelling with children between October and December last year.
Amanda Cupples, Airbnb’s general manager for Northern Europe, advised prospective holidaymakers to keep an eye out for last-minute discounts from UK hosts and use the Pay Over Time feature when booking on a budget.
Searching listing reviews for keywords including “family” and “children” and filtering accommodation to include high chairs and cots can also help parents to narrow down listings to find a suitable home from home, says Cupples.
Airbnb wishlists can also be useful for families planning a trip, with ‘Guest Favourites’ listings being key to finding the most loved homes.
Cupples said guests should follow tips from Safe Kids Worldwide which include “checking the listing for a pool fence and using water watcher cards” to keep children safe while travelling.
As for adults-only getaways, one of the best times to book a trip to a vineyard is autumn when the harvesting begins.
New Airbnb data revealed that guest bookings in 2023 for getaways near or on vineyards across the UK and Europe shot up by approximately 20 per cent since last summer.
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast