The economic crisis and the instability caused by the delicate situations some airlines are facing have forced many Romanians to stop making long-term vacation plans and rely mostly on last-minute trips.

Among tourists who booked a vacation during the last six months of the year, the majority (57%) made a last-minute reservation one to two weeks before departure. Almost a quarter of them (23%) booked their vacation no more than a month before the departure date, 11% – no more than two months, while only 9% of tourists made a reservation more than 60 days before the departure date, according to the analysis carried out by travel agency Nordis Travel. However, booking at the last minute means that the price of the vacation will increase by up to 70%, the representatives of the same agency warn.

“Last resort is a clear trend. This is noticeably even brighter than in the years of the pandemic. On the one hand, the caution of tourists is understandable. On the other hand, however, they should be aware that they usually have to take more money out of their pockets for a last-minute vacation than for a vacation planned in advance,” says Gabriel Vacariou, director of Nordis Travel. an agency that sent more than 7,000 tourists to countries such as France, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Spain, etc. in the summer season.

Vacation is 30-70% cheaper with advance booking

Early booking, at least three months before departure, offers a number of advantages, both in terms of price (most hotels have promotional rates for bookings made more than 90 days before travel) and the chances of finding seats in your hotel. favorite hotel In addition, hotel owners have become more flexible in their cancellation policies, so reservations can be canceled without penalty a few days before the trip.

And the price of plane tickets is more affordable if you book them in advance. For example, a return flight from Bucharest to Paris booked six months in advance costs €250 per person with checked baggage, while the same ticket bought a week/three days before is also €850. euros or, if there are still places.

Travel agents recommend early booking, especially during peak periods such as winter holidays, New Year’s or school holidays. The explanation: flights and seats are limited, demand is high, and the closer we get to the holiday period, the fewer seats there are, and therefore ticket prices are significantly higher, from 30% to 70%.

Pros and cons of booking at the last minute

Those who book at the last minute choose this option either because they hope to get a good deal or because they want to be protected from unpleasant surprises such as a change in the conditions of entry into the destination country (a common occurrence during the Covid19 pandemic ) or flight cancellations due to increasingly frequent strikes or restrictions on the activities of some airlines. Refund procedures are often cumbersome and time-consuming, and many are unwilling to wait or block their money, travel agency officials say.

“Recently, a very specific situation has developed in this regard. It’s about the Blue Air case. As for us, we decided each individual case at the expense of the agency, because in such situations the tourist is not to blame, and our philosophy is to do everything possible for the person so that they can leave and fully enjoy the rest that they are waiting for year and which he fully deserves,” adds Gabriel Vacariu, according to whom the Blue Air crisis cost the travel agency several thousand euros.

However, last-minute bookings have drawbacks that travelers should be aware of before resorting to this option. For example, highly rated hotels rarely have rooms available shortly before the day of your stay. “Also, possible promotions can appear three or four days before settlement, when there are a certain number of unsold rooms that want to make money. But it’s a lottery,” Gabriel Vacariu explains.

Pay attention to the prices of plane tickets, which are significantly lower when booking in advance and increase significantly as the date of travel approaches, travel agency representatives also say. There is a chance that there will be a special offer with a significant discount, but this can usually happen in the off-season. Fares rarely drop during peak periods due to high demand.

Recommendations for recreation in the city

Recently, short trips such as city breaks, especially those aimed at famous Christmas market destinations, have become very popular. During a city break vacation, it is better to avoid weekends, when the rates are much higher, sometimes even twice compared to other days of the week, travel agency representatives say.

As for the destinations typical of preparing for the winter holidays, special cultural circles are recommended, which include Christmas bazaars and fairs. The advantage is that this way the travel agency already has the seats on the plane and the most suitable hotel rooms, so the price offer is much better than in the case of a last-minute search on your own. For example, a holiday to Colmar on December 1, which includes four nights’ accommodation in a four-star hotel with breakfast located in the city center, as well as entrance tickets to tourist attractions, transfers to and from the airport, a guide, an escort and air transport. costs €1,637 through a travel agency (because the packages were booked by the agency months ago), while the same package purchased by a tourist now costs €2,460, and as the travel date approaches, the price can reach over €2,800.