Loveholidays Offers 4 Top Family Travel Tips for Booking Last Minute Getaways

 With the school summer holidays in full swing, many Irish families are preparing to jet off on their well-earned getaways.

To help families get the best value for money and book their trips with confidence, Siobhain Mulholland, travel expert and Operations Director for Ireland at loveholidays has revealed some of her top family travel tips when booking a last-minute getaway.

From securing the best deal to ensuring your holiday is fully protected, Siobhain shares insider knowledge from her 25 years in the travel industry. 

1. A package holiday offers you more protection than booking your flights and hotel separately

Package holidays give built in protection that you won’t get if you book your flights and hotels separately. Siobhain explains: “In the rare event of disruption before you travel, such as a cancelled flight with no suitable alternative available, customers are fully protected under the EU Package Travel Directive and are entitled to a full refund of their package holiday.”

Siobhan adds, “All loveholidays packages are also protected by our own secure trust account, so you can relax knowing your holiday is in safe hands from start to finish.”

2. Be strategic with when you travel to secure the best deal    

Siobhain recommends being strategic when choosing departure dates. New analysis from loveholidays shows that Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays are currently the cheapest days of the week to travel this summer, while the week commencing 23 August offers the best value among the remaining school holiday departure weeks.

“If you’re travelling on a budget, flexibility is key,” says Siobhain. “Choosing to depart on a Sunday, Monday or Tuesday can save up to €38 per person on the flight element of a package holiday, or as much as €152 for a family of four. Travelling in the week beginning 23 August can unlock even greater savings, with package holidays currently 19% cheaper than those departing in the week beginning 9 August. Small changes to your travel dates can make a significant difference, helping your holiday budget go much further.”

3. Choose a hotel other families recommend

For families looking to secure a last-minute deal, another of Siobhain’s top tips is to use the ‘Most Loved’ and ‘Family’ filters on the loveholidays website to quickly narrow down the best options. “Last year, we analysed insights from more than 215,000 customer reviews to help holidaymakers identify hotels that consistently offer a great experience,” says Siobhain. “For families booking at the last minute, this filter makes it much easier to find accommodation that's highly rated for the things that matter most, including facilities, cleanliness, location and value for money. You can also apply the ‘Family’ filter alongside ‘Most Loved’ to specifically reveal the crowd-pleasing properties among other families.” 

Siobhain’s top picks include Casas del Sol Bungalows in Lanzarote, TRH Jardin Del Mar Hotel in Majorca and Lemas Suite Hotel in Turkey.

4. Arrange insurance as soon as you book so your family is protected

Booking travel insurance at the same time as your holiday is one of the smartest moves you can make, as it protects you from the moment you secure your well-earned getaway. “Buying travel insurance when you book your holiday means if you need to cancel your holiday for unforeseen reasons, whether you or your children are taken poorly or another unforeseen circumstance, you should get your money back from your insurer,” Siobhain explains.

Understanding your cover is just as important as picking your destination, because when the unexpected happens, the right policy can be the difference between jetting off with confidence and being left out of pocket.