With the rising cost of living, the squeeze on salaries and the constant threat of our rocky economy, it can feel like there’s no such thing as bargain holidays. But, thanks to the sheer number of price-led holidaymakers, the cheap holiday market is well and truly alive and kicking.

Bargain Holidays (image from blueseaholidays.co.uk)

So, how do you find a great holiday deal?

The old package favorite of late holiday deals still exists. The best way to find a great last-minute getaway is to start searching for holidays within a few weeks of the departure date. That is, start searching now on holidays leaving within the next few weeks. You’ll probably notice that certain package breaks, particularly those to popular destinations such as Spain, Greece and Turkey, are significantly cheaper than normal.

Why? It’s all to do with the way package holidays work. Tour operators buy up flight seats and hotel rooms well in advance, and then sell this as a package to customers. They advertise the packages for months – sometimes a year or 18 months before the departure date – but if the holiday still hasn’t sold by the time the departure date gets close, they will usually slash the prices and advertise the holiday as a bargain in order to entice those last few customers. After all, it’s better for the company to sell those holidays at cost – or even at a slight loss – than to lose out completely.

The alternative is to book your holiday well in advance. Not only does this ensure that you’ve got plenty of time to pay off the cost of the holiday, which helps to spread the cost, you will also be eligible for tour operators’ early bird deals. It’s another great way to save money on your holiday, meaning you can jet off that bit happier in the knowledge that your holiday is affordable and guilt-free.