Table of Contents
It’s the family holiday conundrum that just won’t go away: how to avoid skyrocketing prices on mid-term getaways.
The travel industry swears blindly that nothing can be done about it, blaming “supply and demand.” But that’s not particularly helpful, especially when the cost of vacations can skyrocket by as much as 479 percent during mid-semester breaks.
Here we have put together the definitive guide to try to solve the costly biannual problem.
GO ON SUNDAY
It’s a natural instinct to want to leave at the first possible opportunity, but if you wait until Sunday, flight prices tend to drop. For example, BA fares from Gatwick to Orlando departing on Saturday 15 February, at the start of term, cost from £1,246. However, go Sunday to Sunday (16-23 February) and the price will be from £710, a 75 per cent reduction.
SIX NIGHTS CHEAPER
Staying one less night will mean your return flights will be noticeably shorter. As for fares from Manchester to Tenerife for the upcoming February half-term, Saturday to Saturday fares are from £393 on Ryanair, or £333 Saturday to Friday. A saving of £240 for a family of four.
TRACK AIRLINE SALES
To find out the best mid-term fares in advance, find out which airline flies on the route you want and sign up for their newsletters well before departure. This way you can take advantage of the cheapest tickets as they are announced.
USE A SEARCH ENGINE
Sign up to receive price alerts on sky scanner.net when you check the price of a route on specific dates; For Google Flights, click on the tab that says “Price Tracking.”
With Skyscanner, you can also add your travel dates and select “Explore Everywhere” for your destination. This gave us Luton-Dublin returns from £111 for a family of four, with two children aged eight and ten, from February 15 to 22.

THINK A YEAR AHEAD
If you enjoyed a vacation at a particular accommodation and would like to return, don’t beat around the bush. Act quickly and make a reservation for next year, even while you’re there, when you can negotiate a price.
CENTRAL PARKS IN EUROPE
Center Parcs, which has five locations in the UK, has expanded into Europe – Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
As mainland school holiday times differ, bargains can be had here. For example, four nights this half term in a Comfort Lodge sleeping four people costs from £788 at Villages Nature Paris, near Disneyland Paris (centreparcs.eu). Back in the UK, the price for four nights at a New Style Woodland Lodge in Longleat Forest, Wiltshire, is £1,699, more than double.
Yes, you’ll have to get to France, but ferry prices start at £204 (directferries.co.uk) and it’s a three-hour drive from Calais, so you’ll still have to shell out pounds.
CONSIDER A VILLA
Book a villa or holiday home in the medium term and you will be surprised by both the availability and the reasonable prices. This is because there is supply to cover both families and non-families during the summer holidays, but in the medium term there is less non-family demand.
The result can be bargains like the pretty Knight’s Rest cottage in Leyburn, within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It comes with a wood burner and costs from £590 for seven nights from February 15, sleeping four people in three bedrooms (ruralretreats.co.uk).
Or, further afield, seven nights at the chic, whitewashed Villa El Ranchito in Torremolinos, which sleeps two adults and two children, costs from £1,007 for a week from February 15.
It comes with a lovely little pool (solmarvillas.com). Luton-Malaga return flights currently from £186 (ryanair.com).
TRY A CITY GETAWAY
Flight availability tends to be better for a city break than for traditional bucket and shovel destinations. They can be educational and less crowded mid-semester than at other times.
A six-night trip to Rome with £135pp return flights from Stansted departing February 17 (ryanair.com). Book an Airbnb like ‘Apartment in Aurelio’ from £879 for six nights, sleeping four (airbnb.co.uk). Put the two together and you get a price of £1,419, allowing you to see the Colosseum and Vatican in style, without the crowds.
Or try three nights in Prague staying in a junior suite with space for a family of four from £1,032, including flights from Luton on February 18 (easyjet.com). It’s a great opportunity to visit Prague Castle, see the splendid Charles Bridge and explore the medieval streets of the Czech capital when it’s not so crowded.
GO A DAY OR TWO BEFORE
You should not take children out of school unless authorized. However, if you ask permission from a sympathetic manager, it may be possible to shorten the period by a day or two without penalty. It should be stressed that this usually occurs in exceptional circumstances, possibly when the difference in travel costs is particularly high.
Please note that if permission is not granted you will face a fine of £80 per child, which will increase to £160 per child for a second offense within a three-year period, after which prosecution may be possible. . Visit educationhub.blog.gov.uk for full details.
FLY FROM SCOTLAND
The half-term holidays, as the half-term holidays are called in Scotland, are from February 10 to 14 this year. If you fly from Edinburgh airport, you can get a good deal (like £121 return to Tenerife from February 15 to 22, ryanair.com), although this travel hack is usually better for those who live near the border with Scotland. during the summer, as many Scottish schools return to classes around August 14.
Checking school term dates can also be beneficial for Scottish families when English and Welsh schools are still offering classes.
- All prices are correct at the time of publication.