Vacation 2023: When is the best time to book?

Comparison of organizer deadlines

Created: 01/13/2023 13:22

By: Patrick Freiwah

The new year has begun and summer is still a long way off.

So it makes sense to push ahead with vacation planning for 2023.

When should you book?

Munich - After the holiday is before the holiday: Even if most of us spend a large part of our lives working, relaxation should not be neglected.

The summer holiday in particular is a highlight of the year in this respect and the absolute highlight for many people: after all, summer, sun, beach and sea is also a dream combination in 2023.

In some places in Germany, rays of sunshine are already a reminder of the warm season.

This foretaste could be put into practice - and the right vacation could be booked for the summer months!

Or is there a better time?

We explain where and when it's time to book a trip - if cost is an issue.

Book a summer holiday: take advantage of early booking discounts - or hope for last-minute offers?

It's still a while before the summer months of 2023 arrive.

When it comes to holidays, families with children in particular are tied to the summer holidays and can only go on holiday within a certain period of time.

We would like to deepen one essential question at this point: Should one better use early booking discounts or possibly concentrate on last-minute offers?

As the

describes, German tour operators are more likely to expect prices to rise in the summer, so it is better to use the first option.

In general, consumers obviously have to reckon with rising prices compared to the past: Because the increased costs due to the energy crisis and general inflation are also having an impact in the travel sector.

According to experts, the inflation rate would be almost 45 percent compared to a few years ago!

One or the other person might consider spending the 2023 summer vacation in their home country...

Feet on the beach: Summer vacation is one of the best times of the year - you shouldn't wait too long to book.

© Design Pics/IMAGO

There is no doubt about the reason why early booking discounts are generally the better approach: the tour operators have a certain degree of planning security thanks to early bookings by customers and can react earlier to certain inquiries.

Last-minute deals often consist of trips that other people canceled or because those vacations didn't get a lot of attention.

In the case of an early travel booking, the following question arises for those plagued by wanderlust: How much savings are there?

This is what the deadlines look like for the major local providers:

Early booking discounts for summer holidays: a comparison of tour operator deadlines

At

, the most bargains for Easter, summer or autumn holidays can supposedly be discovered in the period from November to the beginning of February.

According to reports, price reductions of around 40 percent are possible compared to a later date.

Competitor

from Munich, which may be about to be taken over, apparently offers discounts of up to 55 percent on hotel accommodation with early bird discounts, the

.

The latest booking time would therefore be the end of March.

You can travel at a reduced price between May and October 2023.

The discounts are apparently also bundled according to key dates

for the travel providers

,

and

(under the umbrella of

The time for the biggest discounts seems to have already passed: the end of December.

According to a statement, the other stages have the dates at the end of January and the end of March.

Another tip: if you decide three months in advance of a planned trip, for example, you can save a lot more money than if you did it just a month in advance.

For the summer season 2023 there are also higher discounts at the tour operator

if bookings are made by January 31st.

According to the Duisburg-based company, anyone who decides against this by the end of March can still save a lot of money.

However, according to the provider, the amount of the early bird discount would differ depending on the region and the respective hotel.

However, this maxim should also apply to the competition.

Tour operator

offers discounts of up to 35 percent for early bookers.

The provider from Düsseldorf has an advantage over most of its competitors: you can cancel or rebook a trip up to 14 days before the start of the trip at no extra charge, while other companies often charge a surcharge for such a flexible tariff.

Bucher Reisen, Öger Tours

and

are all brands of the travel company

- and supposedly grant up to 50 percent discount on the hotel price for bookings made until the end of January.

Price reductions of 35 percent are apparently still possible until the end of March, although this range is said to refer to the entire duration of the warm season (April to October 2023).

Summer vacation 2023: Should you book the option to cancel?

Even if there are decent discounts when booking early, making a decision early can be associated with problems.

What if plans have changed by early summer or even later?

To anticipate this risk, tour operators have introduced flex tariffs.

Although these are associated with additional costs, consumers who have already booked a trip have longer the opportunity to cancel free of charge.

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In addition, consumer advocate Karolina Wojtal told the dpa that flexible tariffs can be a good option for early bookers.

However, the expert from the European Consumer Center explains: “Of course, you have to factor in the surcharge for this.

But you can invest the savings from the early bird discount in the Flex tariff to take away any uncertainties.”

One statistic is interesting in this regard: Figures from the insurance industry show that booked trips are often only canceled seven days before the start or even at shorter notice.