When to Travel for Cheaper Holidays: The Month-by-Month Calendar of the Best Times to Go

Paying too much for holidays hurts. Like, really hurts. Especially when you realise the guy sitting next to you on the plane paid half the price… just because he booked two weeks later. Timing changes everything. Flights, hotels, even car rentals. And no, it’s not random.

Over the years, by comparing prices, calendars, and trends (and yeah, getting annoyed more than once), one thing is clear : there are months where travelling costs way less. If you like practical tools and smart timing, sites like https://www.vacance-malin.com are useful to cross-check prices and periods. But let’s get straight to the point. Month by month, when should you actually leave to pay less ?

January : cheap, quiet, sometimes grey… but great for savings

January is criminally underrated. Everyone’s broke after Christmas, motivation is low, planes are empty. Result ? Prices drop hard.

Southern Europe is calm, cities like Rome or Lisbon feel breathable again. Long-haul flights ? Often 20–30% cheaper than December. Sure, the weather isn’t dreamy everywhere. But honestly, walking Paris in a coat without crowds beats August sweat any day.

February : short month, smart deals

Outside school holidays, February is a sweet spot. Ski resorts aside (they stay expensive), most destinations are still in low season.

Thailand, Vietnam, Mexico ? Excellent weather, fewer tourists than Christmas, and prices that haven’t exploded yet. It’s one of those months where you feel like you hacked the system.

March : the calm before the storm

March is sneaky-good. Spring starts creeping in, but prices haven’t fully woken up.

Southern Spain, Greece, Morocco… days get longer, terraces reopen, and hotel rates stay reasonable. Flights are often cheaper mid-week. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, especially. Weird, but true.

April : watch out for Easter

April can be amazing or awful for your wallet. It depends on Easter.

Outside school holidays ? Fantastic. Nature wakes up, temperatures are mild, and prices stay fair. During Easter week ? Forget it. Everything spikes. Same hotel, same room, double the price. Frustrating, yeah.

May : one of the best months, no debate

Honestly, May is gold. Warm, not hot. Lively, not crowded.

Italy, Croatia, Portugal… beaches are accessible, cities feel alive, and prices are still far from summer madness. If I had to pick one month to recommend to almost anyone, it’s May. No hesitation.

June : early June only (important detail)

June is tricky. Early June is great. Late June is not.

In the first two weeks, you can still find decent deals, especially for flights. After that ? Prices climb fast. Families start travelling, demand rises, and your budget starts sweating.

July : expensive, but there’s a loophole

Let’s be honest : July is pricey. Especially mid to late July.

The loophole ? Early July and less obvious destinations. Eastern Europe, parts of the Balkans, some inland regions. It won’t be dirt cheap, but you can avoid the worst of it.

August : peak prices, peak crowds

August is the boss level of expensive travel. Flights full, hotels packed, beaches shoulder-to-shoulder.

If you must travel in August, flexibility is your only weapon. Midweek departures, secondary airports, smaller towns. Otherwise, yeah… it’s rough.

September : relief, finally

September feels like exhaling.

Prices drop. Crowds disappear. The sea stays warm. Southern Europe in September is almost unfairly pleasant. And yes, hotels notice the drop in demand very fast. Bargains come back.

October : calm, colourful, affordable

October is perfect for city trips and nature lovers.

Think New York without summer prices, Japan with autumn colours, or Andalusia without heatwaves. Flights are often cheaper than summer by a large margin. Sometimes shockingly cheaper.

November : quiet and cheap (if you choose right)

November isn’t glamorous, but it’s efficient.

City breaks shine here. Museums, cafés, slow walks. Avoid beach destinations unless you’re going long-haul (Southeast Asia, Caribbean). Otherwise, prices stay low and crowds minimal.

December : two worlds, two prices

Early December ? Cheap. Mid to late December ? Ouch.

The first half of the month is excellent for deals, especially before Christmas. After that, flights explode. New Year’s Eve is one of the most overpriced moments of the year. No mystery there.

So, when should you really go to pay less ?

If we’re being brutally honest : January, May, September, and early December are the champions.

They combine lower demand, decent weather (most of the time), and a much better price-to-enjoyment ratio. Travel smarter, not just further. And ask yourself this : do you want the same holiday as everyone else… or the same memories for half the price ?

Timing isn’t everything, but it’s close.