Summer is well and truly over and autumn and winter lie ahead. Some people love the changing of the seasons, and all the various celebrations and festivities of the darker, colder seasons. But others just yearn for sunny summer days again.
If you are definitely a summer person, one way to help you get through the next few months is to have a lovely summer holiday to look forward to in 2025. And if this sounds like just what you need, now is the time to get planning!
In this article we look at the advantages of booking your 2025 holiday early, and include some tips for making sure everything goes according to plan.
The earlier you book your holiday, the more choice you will have over destinations, hotels, rooms, flights and every other aspect of your holiday. You will be able to tailor every aspect of your holiday to the specific needs of you and your family to have the best possible holiday experience.
As well as all the above options, getting in early may enable you to take advantage of other limited benefits. For example, some holiday companies offer free kids places to early bookers. Or you may be able to specify plane seats with extra leg room.
The earlier you book, the more extras are likely to be available to you.
Some holiday companies offer early bookers the chance to book a holiday with no deposit. You can then pay the deposit in instalments over the following few weeks or months.
If you do have to pay a deposit, the amount will vary depending on the type of holiday and its overall cost, but you can expect to pay around £200-250 per person. But as an early booker, some holiday companies will arrange for you to pay part of this at the time of booking, then the remaining deposit a few weeks later.
Whatever the situation with the deposit, in most cases the remaining balance for your holiday will be due 12 weeks before you go. So if you book a holiday now for next summer, you will have plenty of time to sort out the rest of the money to pay your holiday balance nearer the time. And remember if you need to top up your finances, Munzee offers loans over 24 months which could help.
If you book your summer holiday early, you have plenty of time to sort everything out at a leisurely pace, without rushing around and getting stressed. A few examples of things you can get done well in advance are:
So if you’ve decided to book your summer 2025 holiday early, what is the best way to go about it?
The first thing to do is make a shortlist of places that you would like to travel to. An important part of this is to be clear on the kind of holiday that everybody wants. For example, is your preference a lazy beach holiday, sightseeing, a road trip, or an activity holiday? Then do your research as to the kind of destinations that will suit you best.
As you come up with ideas, take time to explore different travel companies, visit travel agents, and also ask around for personal recommendations. And do remember to check typical weather in the destinations you are interested in. Weather patterns vary enormously between hemispheres and countries, and you don’t want to arrive at your destination only to realise it’s monsoon or hurricane season!
However you book your holiday – online or through an agent – double check that it is fully protected by both ABTA and ATOL. ABTA – formerly known as the Association of British Travel Agents – covers holidays bought in the UK that don’t include flights, for example a coach, rail or cruise holiday. If you buy such a holiday from an ABTA member, it will be protected by ABTA’s financial protection scheme. ATOL – Air Travel Organiser’s Licensing – is a similar scheme specifically designed to cover people who fly.
You should always check carefully what protection is offered when you book a holiday, just in case there are changes beyond your control, such as flight times, renovations, or unforeseen events at your destination. Protection ensures that your holiday and money are covered in these circumstances.
Before travel, make sure that your passports are well in date. Current requirements for EU travel are that UK passports need to be issued less than 10 years before the date of entry, and valid for at least three months after the date of exit. For US travel, your passport must be valid for the length of your planned stay.
It’s also essential to check whether the country you are visiting has any specific entry requirements. You may already be aware that if visiting the USA you no longer need a visa but will need to apply for an ESTA – Electronic System for Travel Authorisation – to be allowed entry. But did you know that next year there is a similar system being set up for Europe?
From mid-2025, UK nationals will require an ETIAS visa waiver to visit Europe. ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorisation System. British passport holders will be able to register online for an ETIAS before travelling to the EU. Once approved, the ETIAS visa waiver will be linked to the electronic chip inside the traveller’s passport and verified whenever the passport is scanned at an EU border.
Also check whether you need any vaccinations for the country you are planning to visit, in case you need to organise some travel vaccinations before you go. Sometimes there is also a specified period before travel in which you must have the vaccinations.
You can check the latest requirements on the NHS Fit for Travel website.
It is also important to arrange travel insurance at the same time you book your holiday. This ensures that you are covered for everything right from the start.
A good travel insurance policy should cover you for:
When buying travel insurance also check if there is an excess clause. If so, you would have to meet this part of the cost of your claim. Be aware that sometimes the company may ask for this amount up front, so you need to have some means of paying this. If you are unable to pay, this could affect your insurance policy or even result in them not paying.
We hope that this article has given you some inspiration and useful tips for booking your summer holiday 2025. And remember that if at any stage you need some extra funds, Munzee offers online loans which could help to spread the cost.
Check back here soon for more lifestyle and financial tips from Munzee Loans.
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