Ratgeber
Family holiday: when should you book?
Families are best off booking several months before the school holidays, because family rooms and suitable flights are limited. Flexible families benefit from weeks at the edge of the season. Swiss Vibes is a Swiss travel agency with video consultations and checks the right booking time with you.
Von Family, Stand
Schritt für Schritt
- Note the holiday dates of all children
- Set the preferred destination and travel period
- Clarify budget and trip length
- Check early-booking offers and cancellation terms
- Secure family rooms and flights early
- Check alternatives in edge-of-season weeks
- Agree the timing with your adviser
Checkliste
- Holiday dates known
- Preferred destination and travel period set
- Budget clarified
- Cancellation terms checked
- Family room reserved
- Flights chosen according to sleep rhythm
- ID valid
- Travel insurance taken out
Families are best off booking early, as soon as the holiday dates and the preferred destination are settled. Family rooms, apartments and suitable flights are limited, especially in the school holidays. If you are flexible, you can also find solutions at short notice, but with less choice.
Why booking early makes sense
Families often need more than a double room. Family rooms, connecting rooms and apartments exist only in limited numbers, and they are taken quickly in the school holidays. If you book early, you have more choice of room type, location and flight time. If you have a particular accommodation in mind, you should not leave it open for long, because many families' favourite houses go first.
Flights are limited in the holidays too. Direct flights at suitable times are among the first offers to disappear. If you act quickly when choosing hotel and flight, you also have a chance of still finding alternatives if anything changes.
Another reason for booking early is planning certainty. You know where you are going and can enter your leave at work in good time.
How early is early enough?
There is no fixed number. As a guide, booking several months before the start of the holidays is worthwhile, and earlier for popular weeks. The narrower your wishes, the earlier you should plan.
For destinations such as Mallorca and Crete this applies especially in summer. Tenerife is popular all year round, and demand is high in the sports holidays and at Christmas. Do not leave this step to the last moment, because travel agencies are also busier in peak periods.
If you only learn late about a canton's holiday dates, meaning when school is out, you should keep an eye on booking deadlines. Check the holiday calendar early.
Using edge-of-season weeks and flexibility
If you travel before or after the main weeks, you often find quieter beaches and lower prices. Prices vary by season and category, and edge-of-season weeks are usually cheaper than peak weeks. Flexible holidays also mean you can pick up new ideas on site that were not possible at the time of booking.
If you want to extend the school break by a day, you usually need permission. Ask the school about this early. Note how long offers are valid, and do not let yourself be put under pressure too quickly.
Destinations such as Mallorca, Crete and Tenerife have different peak times. Ask when the high season at the destination really starts and ends.
What counts in cancellation terms
With families in particular, illness can change plans. Check rebooking and cancellation terms before booking and, if needed, take out cancellation insurance. Note the deadlines in your calendar so that you miss nothing.
Also ask until when you can rebook free of charge. Flexible fares often cost a little more, but give security. A look at the luggage rules and at fees for seat reservations also belongs here, because families often need more luggage.
Cancellation insurance does not cover every case. Read the terms before you take it out.
Last minute with children: when it works
Booking at short notice is possible, but with limits. The supply of family rooms is smaller, and preferred flights are often gone. If you are flexible on destination and timing, you can still find solutions. A plan B for destination or timing makes the decision easier if your wish does not work out.
We advise you by video call and show what is realistic for your schedule. A weekend nearby with the children can also be a good interim solution if nothing suitable is left for the holidays.
How do you compare offers properly?
Do not compare only the price, but the whole package. Flight times, luggage, meals, child discounts and cancellation terms differ greatly. A cheap flight at a bad time ends up costing you your nerves.
Look at family fares and child prices. Some hotels offer discounts if children sleep in the parents' room, others only for certain weeks. Ask in writing and have the terms confirmed.
Note the offers side by side, even if it seems tedious. That way you see what is included in which price and notice where the differences lie. A consultation by video call helps to structure this comparison.
