There are no really cheap travel destinations this year, says Anna Linke from "nova Reisen" in Unterhaching. © Ali
While some are currently on vacation, others are just starting to plan their trip. However, they do not need to hope for a "last minute" offer. How does it still work with a cheap holiday?
County – If you want to go on holiday this year, you should have already booked – or you may have to dig deep into your pocket. After all, the days when "last-minute" trips, i.e. bookings at the last minute, were easy on the wallet, are over. At least that's what can be heard from the travel agencies in the district.
"The longer you wait, the more expensive it gets," says Mathias Fraunholz, travel expert at "Derpart" in Ismaning. After all, the supposedly cheap "last-minute" offer has not existed for a long time. The reason: According to Fraunholz, large tour operators have not been buying room contingents in hotels for quite some time, as was customary a few years ago. "Therefore, there are no short-term discounts if the hotel is not fully booked," reports the expert. Fraunholz's motto is therefore: "Book as early as possible."
A real question of cost
Anna Linke, travel expert at "nova Reisen" in Unterhaching, can only agree with this. "If you book late, there's also a small selection with usually higher room categories and more expensive flights," she says. The budget is also decisive for the destination and duration of the trip. Only for a few, despite inflation and the energy crisis, the price does not play a role this year. "Those who are looking for luxury don't care about the price," says Linke. For the rest, on the other hand, holidays this year are a real question of cost.
Families in particular would calculate sharply and make their destination budget-dependent. "The classic family holiday has broken away with us," regrets an employee of the travel agency "Metropol Reisen" in Ottobrunn. "For most people, a 14-day holiday in Spain is simply not affordable." Anna Linke agrees. There would hardly be any really cheap travel destinations this year. "Everything has become more expensive," emphasizes the expert.
Europe raises prices
Above all, however, in Europe, countries have surprisingly raised prices. Trips to Greece in particular have skyrocketed drastically this year. Quite the opposite to the Asian region. And there is a reason for this: "Asia is relatively inexpensive because people there are trying to attract tourists again with low prices after Corona," explains Linke. But the usual classics, such as Tunisia, Egypt or Bulgaria, are also heavily booked, Fraunholz adds. However, the advantage of an inexpensive holiday is probably taken by early bookers, who have been able to save a lot of money on their booking long in advance and with appropriate discounts.
Nevertheless, there is a small glimmer of hope for all those who decide on the spur of the moment: If you really want to get a taste of the sea air during the summer holidays, it is best to sit down in front of the computer now. "There are still cheap offers for August and September," Linke emphasizes. However, this only applies as long as the booking time is not less than 30 days until the day of departure. "From then on, it can't get any cheaper," Fraunholz emphasizes.
For families, there is also a shortened vacation or camping as an alternative.
You can find more news from the district of Munich here.
